Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-06-29
Orchard Trees Damaged in Iowa.

Sucl Foster writes to the Muscatine
Joucnal, in regard to the damage done
to orchard trees in portions of Iowa. as
follows:
Contrary to my expectation, [ find a
good many orchard trees killed and half
killed. In March, when Prof. Wright,
of Rock Falls, ILL.,, wrote me that
great many trees were killed, and that
their people were greatly discouraged in
orchard planting, | thought their orch
ards had received some wrong treatment
in the Fall. Then the same report came
from Clinton Co., Iowa Now, on look
ing about near Muscatine, | see similar
results, though probably not half as bad
on these bluff lands near the river as on
prairie soil. Maj. Allen, who lives eight
miles north of Muscatine, says his beau
tiful seven year old orchard of 200 trees,
one-fourth are dead or dying, and among
these, his fifty Ben Davis are half dead.
My Ben Davis have not suffered; but
the Rawles Janet, which overbore last
year, have suffered most. Next is Do
mine, Rambo, and even that iron clad .
Sweet Winter Paradise
have not as yet examined enough to
report on varieties as to the amount OF
injury and exemption, but will try to
find time to do so soon, but will take
this opportunity to call on farmers and
nurserymen throughout the State to re-
port on extent and varieties damaged.
All my nursery trees came through UNI
injured. Allow me to give my opinion
nf th, nf thn To nr.ha I'd
trees: -Excess of fruit last fall so ex-
hausted the trees (mostly semi hardy
that they easily surrendered to the cold
which we had in one continued freeze,
from 20 deg. above to 20 deg. below re
TO, for nearly ten weeks, beginning in
November and ending February LIST.
Some attribute it to the warm weather
of February, but the Rawles Janet is
the sloWest Of trees to start in warm
spring weather, and as they bore to ex
cess SO they were excessively killed by
the following cold weather.
Don't be discouraged, except with
s. tree peddlers." Our own resident nur
serymen are as true and honest class
of men as the readers of your paper are,
and they are faithful, obedient, obscrv
lily Hlcll, ldklllS lcSSolS ever! tcdl, tHu
they are fast improving their nurseries
by throwing out the less valuable sorts,
and securing the country far and near
for those sorts that have proved valua
BILE. We shall continue to raise apples,
and if many are discouraged, the few
who give the orchard more careful at
tention will get the better pay for their
labor and care
Since writing the above, Mr.. Candy,
of Muscatine Island, says he has lost
several trees which were severely prun-
ed last year, about the first of August.
TO trim tree when in full foliage is
wrong, except i'll some cases when tree
is unfruitful it may be shortened in its
thrifty growing branches, thus checking
its growth and causing it to set fruit
buds. This should be done in June. To
cut off a branch full of leaves is taking
away portion of the working apparat-
us of the tree. The root and leaves act
in cooperation, each assisting the other
in perfect system and harmony, and
should not be interfered with without
other good reasons than simply to shake
the top Water sprouts should be ia
ken off at any time when found grow
ing where they should not grow When
they start the sooner taken off the bet
ter