The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-02-19

10 raise grain OF any kind very neI
any fruit tree; il takes the substanc
that belongs 10 the tree and would
JUS. as bad as grass around the tree
IL the ground is kept rich il will b
loose and moist, aud never suffer fror
a drouth.
1t is bad practice to plow 80 clos
20 n tree as 10 break the roots; n tire
often gets too much top, but never TO
many roots. In regard to branching o
heading, three feet is high enough 70
greenings, and most other varietie
should not be more than 2 feet. The
the shade Of the top always protects th
trunk from the sun, and il is hand
picking, the wind does not affect them
and borers are tar more liable to ge
into the leaning treas. One of tn
best orchards in this county is YER
low, 80 that you can pick half the frui
from a bench not more than fee
high. Nearly $1,000 worth of apple
were picked from this orchard in on
season. There are or 8 acres in tn,
orchard. but the owner took care OF hi
orchard. And yet we see orchards al
around US dying for want Of prope
care; but il men will bring an orchart
into bearing and then let IL die, IL II
none OF my business. i say go ahead
it gives q better chance TO those tha'
do attend TO their fruit trees. Tops
are often allowed To attain to a size
that the roots are unable 10 supply
with sap. All dead branches and limbs
crossing each other should he cut ont,
and ttee kept 30 that one can gel
around in it handy to pick the fruit. -
Good center limbs ooght always TO be
left II you want strong, healthy tree,
aud all tall-growing varieties ought 10
be cut back; no danger but what tree
will get high enough. think we are
beginning 10 find out that the wind
blows in Michigan now aud then.
As to pruning, perhaps March and
April il the best time. IL we wait
later other business is on our hands. -
Better trim in the winter than not at
all; and some say that is the best time;
June and July is perhaps the worst
time. Cut the limbs close with q hne
saw and then use soft wax when the
wound 10 dry and the weather is warm
enough. Use good wax and il will sd-
here 10 the wound until il is healed
over. Not one orchard In four in this
county has half the care il ought to
have. Better neglect some other busi-
ness. An orchard cannot be grown in
me. or two years.
The discussion on this subject was
opened by Hon. II. MCGOWAN, OF Mes
COW. He said he could do little more
than TO relate some Of his personal ex-
perience. That he had planted nun :
Der OF orchards himself; but he had
never done it exactly right in every re-
.pect. He said he should select for
soil a clay loan and locate the orchard
~ the west side OF his buildings IL
practicable; that he would first plow
the ground about six inches dsep, and
hen plow again about a foot deep. and
hen pulverize the ground as thorough.
y as you would for any crop; that he
would then make the holes for the
rees from four TO six feet across; then
90 to a nursery Ci he was near enough
20 one) with his team aud wagon and
get his trees, and would accept none
but those with nice roots; would put
hem into the wagon aud shade the
roots, and drive the wagon into the
ield and remove one tree at time TO
o!ant; that it required two men to set
tree, one to hold il and one to get
lown on his knees and work the earth
among the roots with his hands. he
would not set the trees any deeper
than they we're in the nursery, and
would lean them to the west TO coun-
;eract the tendency 10 lean the other
way. and would put the best roots on
he west side in planting. For an or.
,hard OF 100 trees he would set 20
northern spy trees, 20 Canada reds, 90
oaldwins. 10 greetings, 10 wagoners,
aud the othe. 20 he would distribute
among the other varieties TO suit the
family tastes. Mr.. MCGOWAN was not
N favor of putting any crop in an or.
,hard that required the cultivation Of
The ground after July. He also pre-
ierred to have low tops to apple trees
In reply to a question by S. w. Glas-
gov, Mr.. MCGOWAN said that the prun-
ng should be done in the first o years,
md then nothing but a jack-knife
,hould be used.
Col. Holloway said he had practiced
lsing the knife freely, and that he
:ook out the standard branch for the
purpose OF getting open heads. and
nulched the ground as far out as the
limbs extended. He was not in favor
u blowing an orchard nor OF cutting
.arge limbs. He said il was quaers
With him whether il was not an injury
% the life OF the tree to cut out the
,enter OF the top, and that T. T. Lyon
:old him that that practice was a mis-
take and never should have been rec
lmmended.
Moses Willitts, OF Cambria, said he
thought il an orchard was not trim.
ned after the 6rst Eve or six years, the
sops would always be tangled mess.
de liked the open tree and had good
success with il.
Next came music-"Autumn Glee"-
after which the following essay vas
read:
Marketing Fruits.
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