The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1877-01-18

10 some extent secure from the e1ceSSes
of drouth and cold.
How long It's advisable to cultivate an
orchard depends somewhat on the size
and thriftiness of the trees; ordinarily
or years ought to give an orchard fair
start. / do not believe, however, that an
occasional plowing, or even an annual
plowing of an orchard of any age will
damage it; provided, it is plowed sufi-
ciently shallow, as not to injure the roots,
and early enough in the season to insure
a good blanketing of vegetation for
winter protection. OF one fact we are
confident: that more orchards are injured
by too much cultivation than suffer for
the want of it, and any kind of cultivation,
or cropping, or pasturing, or other treat
ment of an orchard that produces late
fall growth, or leaves the ground naked
for winter, sooner or later will destroy the
orchard. An orchard under this treat
ment may slip through mild winter, or
a succession of such winters; but when
one of these dry arctic winters comes
along-and they are liable to drop in up
on us at any time-the naked earth will
freeze and crack open to great depth,
and the thirsty winds will shrivel and dry
up the body and limbs aud drink, and
lap, and suck, every drop of moisture
from about the roots of the trees. We
are supposed to have some very hardy
kinds of trees in Iowa, but we very much
doubt whether we have a single variety,
or whether even the wild crab will stand
such treatment.
Orcharding in Iowa ought to be re-
duced to system. We want to take in
to account all the surroundings; soil
and dclimate, everything necessary thet life,
health and productiveness of the tree.
Consult nature inher plans of raising trees,
and assist her in protecting our orchards,
as we do in protecting our dumb beasts
Nature has clothed the horse and OK with
a coat of hair, and the tender sheep with
a great fleece of wool, as protection
against the unclemency of the weather
and we further assist nature by building
for them comfortable shedding and warm
stabling.
FORM OF TREE.
We prefer low topped trees, for the
following reasons: The apples are easier
picked; less of them are blown off; the
tree is less liable to damage from heavy
winds; the low top protects the body from
sun scald, (such as is often found on high
topped trees); the shade of the tree is
more directly over the roots, and in some
degree prevents evaporation from about
them. We prefer dense tops, and with
the exception of such pruning as is
necessary TO avoid bad forks, are opposed
to almost every system of pruning, an
cient or modern. We do not believe in
the old fashioned plan of cutting off large
limbs, or in the modern system of pru,
ming very large limb to the top, leaving
a little brush on the end of the limb
like cows tail; thus leaving those
limbs and the body exposed to the
burning suns of summer, and thu
chilling, drying winds Of winter.
If we would let nature form the tree, she
will make low dense top; and this kind
of top is better protection to a tree,
than grove off some rods from it; for
the same reasons that blanket will bet
ter protect your body and limbs if wrap.
ped closely around them, than if hung up
at distance to the windward. The
theory, when an orchard has become un-
thrifty, of cutting off part OF the limbs,
to throw more vitality into the remain
ing limbs, is most certainly erroneous
The leaves are the lungs of the tree,
they throw off oxygen, and absorb car,
bon, they are the labratory wherein the
sap is fitted for fruit, and wood, and
bark. just in proportion as you cut off
the limbs, you diminish the number of
leaves and hence lessen the capacity of
the tree for growth or fruit, or in other
words impair its vitality. How would
you estimate the physicians skill, who
would cut off some of his patients fin
gers, or toes, Or hand, or foot, in order
to throw more vitality into the remaining
members.
One of the most important and at the
same time most difficult lessons we have
to learn in successful fruit raising in
Iowa, is the influence Of climate on our
fruit trees. We can readily appreciate
the fact, that our fertile soil, and genial
summers produce very large and hand
some fruit, and that our dry and sunny
autumns gives them higher coloring, and
a richer flavor than is found in the East.
ern States or anywhere else in moister
climates; but it seems difficult to under
stand why it is that the same treatment
of an orchard that is practiced in East,
ern or Middle States wont do just as
well here; and why the same degree of
cold that seems to kill eur trees does not
hurt the same varieties in New York OF
the New England States. 1t was the
general opinion in 1867 that the ex.
treme cold of those winters ruined oul
orchards.
After the destructive of the winter of
1928, the most careful investigation
has resulted in the conclusion, that in the
general destruction OF those winters, there
was another element that played as heavy
a hand as the low mercury, and thai
was the drouth of those seasons. The
hydrometer testifes against the climate
as well as the thermometer. I find il
the address of j. L. Budd, on meteorolo
| gy, in its relations to the fruit and tim
1
Der productions of Iowa, in report oi
1874, the following, which is to thc
point:
"For period of twenty years the av
erage rainfall, by the tables of Prof. Par
vim, is Al 27-10O inches, including snow re
duced to water in inches. The extreme.
of rainfall are, in this period, IA 49-1OO in
chez in 1851, and 90 35-100 inches in 1854
and 28 3s-100 inches in 1855-the summer.
Immediately preceding the destructive
winter of 1866. For three years preced
ing the terribly destructive winter M