Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-01-07

trees we're planted and Che land thrown to
grass. 10 such soil is IL any wonder that
apples went seeking customers at to 12
cents per bushel for Blue Pearmains, Belle.
feurs, aud Baldwins. Apples wcrc not raised
BY the bushel then, but by the cart load,
the trees grew with some system and power,
the pores Of the wood large, cell walls thick,
limbs strong, leaves thick, solid, heavy,
dark green, well ripened stems and which
contested with winter Winds their right to
the place they grew on, add might be seen
10 mid-winter whirling with the drifting
SHOWS like the beech or sugsr.naple leaves
now. 1t is problem slowly unfolding, and
to the observant mind being gradually an
swercd, whether the jewellers in Central Yer.
mont shall let their ancient apple timber 90
to the wood pile as the eastern part Of tho
state has done or will they like the western
by an intelligent system Of top dressing and
pruning Gil thcs, old trunks and limbs with
healthy vigorous sap. plant out young timber,
thoroughly manure every year, aud forget
to skin the soil, looking for fruit in its season,
aud not 80 days after the tree is set and
yet the people are not to be blamed very
severely; anapple tree man selling two. year.
old plants always warrants them to bear the
second year after setting. II their timber
ever got large enough to make good goad
sticks they ought to have the benefit of it.
Where one such tree bears in five years after
setting, ten are as dead as hay the third
year.
think | hear men saying, chow and where
shall | begin ~ Look to nature for your
guide. Whatever will make good healthy
apple wood, will, Of necessity, force the tim
Der into a bearing condition trees may just
live as trees do standing in blackberry or
raspberry hedge, look all fair and apparently
healthy, but no fruit; cut away aud grub
up the foreign roots She apple tree
have the land alone =; light coat of
lime, ashes, salt aud plasS spring and fall,
right in the heavy rains; prune away all
suckers and unnecessary rubbing limbs let
in the sunlight aud, if the boys are moder.
rately respectful, you may get your baskets
ready; the result Of such treatment has been
fruit every time; the owner has not always
gathered it, but somebody has. .
g ho Z, - Il
trees bloom somewhat, the reason the fruit
falls prematursIy may be laid to the charge
Of poverty aud drouth. Cold dry weather
is hard on the young fruit, and if the timber
is poorly fed they must come down. at least
n large share Of them. The cure for this
has been proved to be a turning over Of the
turf around the tree as large diameter as
the tree top aud thorough top dressing or
muching with good prepared muck" or
leaf mold that has been stabbed where it
could absorb urine, but free from raw ma.
nure; half a cart.load in October, evenly
spread under tree twenty feet in diameter,
with bushel of hardwood ashes sowu on
evenly over the compost, just before heavy
rain; the prepared muck" without any
other addition has wonderful effect on the
bark Ofapple timber. But little addition
from the teaching of the stable or yard gives
a duration to the results, which in some
cases is fairly astonishing. The prssump.
ton all the time is, that caterpillars, borers,
codling moths and lice have been a good
deal tormented if they have put in an appear.
ance where parties are trying to raise fruit.
If the trees are innocent of blossoms they
ought to receive the same treatment as the
last mentioned case, with the addition OF
heavy pruning in June but, still, cut nc
limbs larger than three.foutth Of an inch in
diameter, unless it was a sucker wherever
Il cut was made Of sap.limb, limb or sucker
cut it down smoothly with fine saw, round
oft the rough edges with a sharp knife, and
always wax with hot grating wax pat on
with small paint brush.
In July take a sharp knife and cut two OF
three inches of the terminals Of a large
share of the branches, aud take but one cut
of grass for hay; aud feed the fall feed
with spring pigs two or three months ;,they
are capital assistants to help the cocoons OF
almost all orchard pests out Of the way.
All that burrow in the grass or grass roots
after the passage OF the pigs cease to be
troublesome.
In March or April half bushel of ashes
lime, salt, and plaster thoroughly mixed fol
two or three weeks before using), and put or
just before the spring rains or in the last
SHOWS Of spring.
If the soil on which the trees arc standing
is moderately dry the above treatment will be
almost sure of satisfactory results. But cold
damp subsoI, or a hardpan, with an inch or
two of cold spring water on it, or a streak OF
watery gravel underlying an orchard grows
the trees with short, bushy limbs; top full
of short, dying sap sprouts; understanding
must be at once resorted to or your work il
building up an orchard of bearing trees on
that land will be mainly lost.
Aud whatever you do, remember to be
thorough, persistent and continuous. When
an orchard comes into bearing don't relax
your efforts. The production of fruit is a
great draft on growing timber, and unless
the fertilizers are employed, at least once a
year, you will begin to discover small, smutty
looking fruit where you have gathered APP
pies that were pleasure. Aud don't try
to raise apples which are seven.eighths name
and the balance crab apples better raise