Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-07-18

he Right Slspe fer orsAaRds.

he Right slspe fer orshaRdA
Mr.. D. s. Martin Of WATERFOWL, N. |
Y, sends US a newspaper article on
this subject, from which we extract the
following excellent ideas:
People generally plant their orchards
ia the rear of their dwellings, consider
ing this the proper place, from force Of
habit, because generations of men have
done the same thing. When our an
cestors commenced setting out orchards,
the country was generally a dense will
derness. In order to have fruit as soon
as possible, the orchard was set out on
some of the first land cleared. This
was usually at the rear of the dwelling
which fronted on a road : the location
was chosen to protect the orchards from
marauding quadrupeds. Then later,
when fruit began to possess money
value, the country being protected by
the original forests, against marauding
bipeds, the orchards did well IN any
situation. If cold arctic current came
down, it could not sweep the landscape
with the force these winds now attain,
their force being broken by the forests.
Now that these circumstances are
changed, the instinct and the practice
continue without the reasons for them.
1t would seem to be wiser to change
with the conditions. If we would
succeed, we must consider the situation,
the surroundings, the prevailing course
Of winds-whether it be the hot winds
Of Summer, or the cold ones of Winter,
that do the most injury. We must
study the landscape, determine its pro-
tected points, and its exposed ones, and
take advantage Of the protected ones.
The peculiarities of the local climate,
if there chance to be any, must also
come in as one of the most important
factors to be studied. have long been
observing and considering these mat
tiers, and have come to the apparently
peculiar conclusion, that as the seasons
come and 60, the late Spring, and early
Summer winds are the ;nost dangerous.
There are also the waves of the arctic
cold, as they are called to be guarded
against. It should be called stellar
cold. 1t comes from stellar space.
Arctic cold never materially affects us,
only another old notion to be got rid
of. As these waves uniformly come
from the West, that is the point of the
compass to be shielded. The same
protection will guard against the cold
Spring winds, as they come from
similar direction
According to my observations, the
most dangerous wind is the dry, scoreh-
ing, early Summer wind. 1 have too
many facts before me in confirmation
Of this opinion to doubt it; therefore
the most careful protection must be
upon the southerly side of the orchard,
to protect against these winds. Then
there are the detected winds, which
would naturally come from regular or
prevailing directions, but are. turned
from their course by local causes, such
as ranges of hills and mountains, for
guarding against which, no general
rules can be given. A study of the
local topography must determine each
case by itself.
With the light before US, we would
prefer northern or a northeasterly
slope, if it can be had; if it does not
exist naturally, then protection may
be erected, by screens Of both ever
greens and deciduous trees. If an
orchard can be protected by hill upon
the southerly side, and q natural forest
on the northwesterly side, it would be
well guarded, or the protection may be
given arti6cially from the north, or vice
verse. But the foot of hill in a very
low valley, will not answer cold strata
Of air settle in such places, and they are
very much more subject to mildew and
mould, which affects both fruit and
foliage. Other fruit may do as well or
a southerly slope, but doubt it, in this
climate, except for grapes ; but for pears
and apples, northern one is to be
preferred, by which means the sap and
buds will be kept back until settled
warm weather; this insures fruitfulness
So many Of our old orchards have dice
from bad location and neglect, tina,
there is urgent necessity to set out new
ones Immediately, and 1 have no doub
there is profit in it, if judiciously
managed.