The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-01-14
Deer Greek Farmers Club.

Creek Farmers Club was held at the residenc
OF The President, Mr.. John Moores, on Satur
Moores, President, Glasgow, Archer, Lochary
Jas Lee, Munnikhuysen, Ball, Bayless, Gorrcll
Rogers, Willis and W. D. Lee
The subject discussed was Fruit Trees anC
Fruit Culture. Mr.. Moores opened the discus
sion. lie said he had given little attention I,
the cultivation of fruit, but thought every far
mer should raise enough of all kinds for th,
use OF his family. Beyond that 1t would no
pay iarmer who attends properly to the reg
ular duties of his farm 1t takes brains to b
good farmer, and farmers brains are toe
| small TO attend to their farms and raise fruits
Tor market. To make fruit money crop
man should make n specially of 1t. Nine out
OF len farmers orchards are neglected.
Mr.. Archer "A farmer ought not attempt tc
raise more fruit than his family can use Most
OF our orchards have in them from IS to $50 mp.
| pie trees, the majority of which are good fol-
nothing. In his orchard seven Winesap trees
pear all the apples he wants. They bear every
year. The Newtown Pippin bears every Other
year. VI carly apples three trees are sufficient
Tor any family. His rule Is to plant 25 or &c
peach trees every year. He plants pits of the
| naln al fruit and raises hs own trees Believes
they will asst longer than budded fruit. Peach
trees ought not 10 be worked after they arc
nan grown. Never puts anything around Them
10 Keep the worms off. Would work an apple
orchard for seven or eight years. Likes to
TRIM apple trees carly and high so that YOU can
walk under them better
Mr.. Cornell agreed with Messrs Moores and
archer IN relation to the inexpediency of far
mer cultivating fruit as a monied CROP Healso
approves of the high trimming of apple trees,
ana lnstanced Mr.. Silyer's orchard, previously
referred TO by Mr.. Archer which he said was
trimmed very high, and was the best one he had
ever seen.
MI. Rogers.-As to raising much or little
run, 1t depends greatly upon mans taste
IN 1his country peaches cannot be raised profit
ABLY except for home consumption. If they
were better attended to, perhaps they would
pay. better He would not pillow an orchard af-
ter 1t got to bearing The little tibrous roots
are near the surface, and should not be disturb.
ed. Prefers trees trimmed low, as 1t facilitates
gathering the fruit. Besides low trees do not
break like tall ones. In trimming would avoid
cutting large limbs. All the trimming neces.
s"' can pe done with large pocket knife,
a"d 1t should be done regularly before the limbs
get large. Trees should be trimmed so as to
allow the air to circulate through them 1t is
OF advantage 10 have an orchard in clover, and
believes hogs the best tillers. He had no doubt
'hat where the facilities exist for sending to
market there Is more money in small fruit cul-
ture than in farming. 1t will not pay here, how.
ever.
Mr.. Bayless has an orchard of young trees
when 1t first began TO bear he stopped cultivat-
ing IL and turned in the hogs. Glover has
sprung up in it. Has trimmed Il once, cutting
out the small branches, but did not trim it high.
IL bears well. Had had no experience with
grapes. Had some vines which bear WE'LL
Covers the roots with barn yard manure every
other fall.
w. D. Lee thought farmers generally did not
raise fruit enough for their own use. If trees
are not trimmed high enough to walk under q
stltf sod might be formed, which would kill
young trees. Peach trees ought to b. planted
every year.
JAS. Lee said he didn't know anything about
tpItIf hut
and steers growing. His orchard had been cul-
tivated in hocd crops for five or six years.
Hogs range in it, but there is grass in it.
Mr.. Glasgow thought young orchards should
be well cultivated and MANFRED. Prefers trees
trimmed moderately low-not SO low that the
limbs will drag on the ground, but high enough
to walk under them. Trees should be we'll
trimmed when young, but when well grown
should merely have the suckers cut out. A
farmer should raise as many different fruits us
he can attend to properly. Mr. Glasgow asked
for Information in regard to some pear trees
he had, the fruit of which, until last year,
had invariably split open and fallen off. Pre-.
viously the ground around them had been well
cultivated. Last year he had MANFRED around
them with coal ashes, salt and bone dust, and
the ground WAS not stirred. Then they bore
good crop of perfect fruit
Mr.. Ball and other members attributed Mr.
Glasgow's success in the instance above men
TONED to the fact that he had not stirred the
ground, and cases were cited where a similar
course had secured good fruit when every 9th
or remedy failed.
MIR. Munnikhuysen did not believe we should
make specially of fruit culture. A variety,
however, ought to he cultivated. Likes to trim
tree the first three or four years, while 1t is
growing. Then you can not cut out too much
Prefers to trim trees high enough to walk I'M
der them. He had been obliged TO cut down
two Golden Pipph trees, because the limbs
would run straight out ana come down close to
the ground. In trimming trees he used chiscl
witha handle four or five feet long, and NAL
let. 1t makes smooth cut, and cuts the pro-
per way-upwards.
Mr.: Moores said the best instrument he had
found to trim trees was an old scythe blade with
teeth cut i'll it with cold chisel, and attached
TO long handle. 1t made n smooth cnt and
could be used conveniently and rapidly.
Mr.. Lochary thought late fruit would pay. 1t
can be made into cidcror the apples sold. Ear
" fruit is wasted.
Mr. Munnikhuysen had heard that Mr., Hosea
Barnes had cleared 5000 from his apple orchard
last fall.
Mr.. Ball said he was fond of and cultivated
all kinds of fruit Pears, lie said, IRE an excep-
tion to the rule for cultivatng fruits. They
flourish from neglect better than from GOOD
treatment. You must not disturb their roots if
you want them to do well. Deep blowing
around apple trees when they have reached some
age Is Injurious. The ground should be kept
bare. Hogs are beneficial in an orchard chiefly
because of their eating the unsound fruit Docs
not think fruit can be cultivated proftably for
market here. Believes we could grow grapes
so as to have them to use as freely as apples.
Grapes should not be cultivated deep; would
have to hoe them TO keep the grass down. 1t
would pay to cultivate small fruits, such as
strawberries, SC. He would not want TO think
only of cattle, wheat, &c.
Mr.. Willis said he believed in moderate trim.
ming of apple trees, SO that you can walk under
la han l,a,,
down too low. We donot trim the tops enough.
He cultivates his orchard seven or eight years
in hoed crops, not very deep. When they get
to bearing he sets it in grass. Thought hogs of
benefit in an orchard. Mr.. Willis spoke fayora-
bly, of the profits from plum trees. Year before
last from twenty trees he had sold SIT worth of
plums. Last year the same trees yielded S2I
worth. lie estimated they would yield $500 per
acre, and would pay as well as any farm crops
you could raise. You should gather and destroy
all the plums that drop. You must plant plen.
ty oftrces. In Vneand, N j., they did that, and
in few years everybody had plenty of plums
They do not require strong ground. Ten acres
of plums would yield nice income every year,
Apples should be picked before they are perfect.
ly ripe, SO that the skin will wrinkle little.
Messrs Johns II. Janney and Vim. b. Hopkins
were unanimously elected active members and
Mr.. Nat. Hays proposed for active membership.
Adjourned to meet at Mr.. r. John Rogers, on
Saturday, Feb. 5th, 1876. Subject, Large and
Small Farms.
The Contract System of Road Mending.