The daily gazette., 1876-06-12
The Old Orchards

~ Ia eho oum0 oiu otofy, luc sdue
that was told last week in the Farmer
by the Farmers Club of Romeo. tits
the same one that is repeated in every
town in the State. "Our orchards are
not in a satisfactory condition.
"Our orchards are unproductive."
"Our trees are decaying,"-"Our fruit
is scabby and. wormy." This is the
song of the orehardist.
But, says the Romeo Club, we be-
lieve that cultivation will change all
this. Cultivation is the panacea, and
cultivation of the old decayed orchards
is what?
/. 1t is the breaking up of tie crust
and loosening of hide>bound earth.
1t is fail, ploughing, u practice highly
recommended. 1t is an occasional
planting to crops; though this may be
held by some as heterodox orchard
culture, we dare. to recommend it.
We have not been she friend of rais-
ing two crops at one time from the
same piece of land, believing that it is
enough for an orchard to bear crop
OF fruit; but the more we observe and
think about it, the more we favor the
cultivation of orchards by an OCCASION
al planting and cropping. We had
rather see an orchard cropped than to
see it hide. bound. One of the best
orchardists in the State, crops and
feeds, feeds and crops, aud he has
fruit and his trees flourish. lie does
not rob. but gives restitution. 1t is
better to crop an orchard and fertilize
it than not to crop at all. Cultivation
is the opposite of neglect. Indian
corn is one of the best crops for an
old orchard. 1t will then gel
ploughed and turned oyer; it will be
cultivated by plough and hoe. Some
hoed crops are strongly recommended
such as potatoes, ruta bagas, beets
carrots, beans, or any crop that re-
quires lifting and stirring of the soil
But it must be remembered that such
are exhaustive of potash; the very
food of trees and fruit Sown crops
are not recommended, because they
forbid mellowing of the soil, and
grasf is for the same reason to be
avoided, unless pastured with swine.
2. Cultivation of orchards is manu-
ring them, and thereby giving them
plant food and something to live on
Lime, and especially wood ashes, are
prime fertilizers and indispensable;
while compost of turf ashes and sta
BILE manure is of the first consequence
) Cultivation of orchards is mulch.
ing them, or covering the ground
about the tree with coarse litter and
straw; leaves from the woods and saw
dust are occasionally put in service.
In the "Horticulturist" it was stated
or mn VI n mi
that he mulched fifty trees out of one
hundred and fifty, all of which com
menced growth alike, Those which
were mulched all lived, but of the ono
hundred not mulched, fifteen perished.
The weather was hot and dry at mid.
summer.
A, The cultivation of orchards is
draining them. 1t lessons the effects OF
severe winters as we'll as of dry sum-
mers.
! 5. The cultivation of orchards is
pasturing them with swine. This, we
are aware, is not high toned culture,
but it is very effective, especially in
orchards kept to grass. There is not a
hog in the State but will earn his
board, clothes and lodging, ,cultivating
orchards.
6. The cultivation of the orchard
means giving it a top dressing. Thos,
Meehan says: at is best annually to
top dress fruit trees. If manure can.
not be had, any fresh earth from
ditehes or roadsides, spread half an
inch or 80 under the trees. will have
a wonderful effect. Indeed, we do not
know but for the pair tree thin layer
of road sand is one of the best manures
We have seen apples thrive amazingly
with coating of coal ashes.
! Whitewashing the stems of orchard
trees has very beneficial effect in
clearing away the old bark and destroy
ing the eggs of innumerable insects
The white color is bad; throw in a lit
tie SCOT or some other matter to make
it brown: In greenhouses sulphur has
been found of benefit in keeping down
mildew. Possibly, if mixed with the
whitewash in tree dressing, it might
do good against fire blight, and such
fungoid troubles.-Aichigan Farmer