The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-01-09
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUsEnOLD.
ProatabIs Apple Orchara.

uon, IN the southern part OF the county.
On approaching it from distance, the
deep green color of the foliage was OBJ
served, indicative of thrifty growth, and
on entering il we found the traee bend.
ing under the loads of fine faff. fruit,
although orchards generally are nearly
barren. The trees are twenty-five years
old were planted thirty-six feet apart,
and the branches have now extended
nearly so as TO meet. The ground being
mostly shaded by the trees, no crop is
cultivated beneath their shade and the
grass which has sprung up is kept grazed
with sheep. When the trees were
younger, Che ground was kept cultivated,
and they grew vigorously but bore little.
A neighbor advised new course of
management, including a thinning Of
the dense heads by pruning. They
were trimmed early in the spring, or
thinned out from above, and not trimmed
up from below, as is too often done.
The surface OF the ground about them
was top-dressed with yard manure. The
top-dressing is repeated every two
years, and the pruning is performed an-
nually, by the removal Of the young
sprouts which may have sprung up
where the pruning was performed, and
which, il allowed to remain, would give
thick tops again. The orchard soon
began to bear heavily Of fine large APP
Piles. On visiting it this year early in
September, we found the branches
bending under their loads of fruit, al
though orchards generally through the
country are bearing but little, and some
are entirely barren. Sheep, which are
turned in early IN Spring, and continued
till the growing fruit bends the branches
down within their reach, keep the
orchard nearly free from the c0ddling
moth. We found very few specimens
infested. AS the trees shade most of the
ground, grass is allowed to grow, and is
kept grazed short till after midsummer
usually till about the middle of An
gust. The droppings of the sheep assist
in enriching the ground.
The orchard contains about 100 trees.
and sixty Or seventy sheep are pastured
in it. The best sorts are the Baldwin and
Rhode Island GreeninR, The Northern
Spy succeeds well. Fan Pippins were
observed with heavy crops. The Rox-
bury Russet is Improbable. The Fall
Orange bears fine crops, which sell as
well as any, and would be selected as a
profitable sort, we're it not the crop
needs picking when other early autumn
work is pressing. To show the effect OF
good treatment Mr.. Landon showed us
an old tree of tho Fall Orange, which
we estimated sixty years old, from its
appearance and size of the trunk, A
few years ago il began to die, and was
about to be Cut down. A successful
attempt was made to renovate it. The
dead limbs, including abont half the
top. were cut out, and the ground was
well top-dressed with manure. In two
years, sixteen and half dollars' worth
of fruit was taken from it. 1t is now
bearing large crop OF fruit.
In the apple orchards through the
country there is usually year of
abundance and year of scarcity in al
ternate seasons. Mr.. Landon's orchard
bears most profusely in the years of
scarcity-probably because the treat
ment which first gave heavy crops
happened to be in one of those years.
A few years ago his crop sold for five
dollars the year previous to
the last he received six hundred dollars.
He expects his sales this year TO be |
about four hundred dollars. The orch |
ard stands on a ridge. where it appears
to have good natural drainage the soil |
is not deep, and the roots thus coming |
near the surface are more benefited by |
the top-dressing than they would if on
deeper soils and extending to a greater
depth. Some excellent orchards in the |
same county grow on deep soils, and are
less affected by either cultivation or top
dressing. - Country Gentleman.
To Tell the Age 0rFOwIs.
If hens spur is hard and the scales
on the legs are rough she is old, wheth-
sr You see her head on not, but her head
will corrobora e your observation. II
he under bill is so stiff that you cannot
pend it down and the comb thick aud
.ough leave her, no matter hOwtfat and
plump, for some one less particular. A
7Oung hen has only the rudiments of
Ipurs; the scales on the legs are smooth,
glossy and fresh colored, whatever the
,olor may be, the claws tender and short; .
he nails sharp, the under bill soft and
he comb thin and smooth.
An old turkey has rough scales ON the
egs, callosities ON the soles of the feet
md long, strong claws, a Young one the
everse of all these marks. When the
Gathers are on the old turkey cock has
long tuft or beard, a young one, but
prouting one, and when they are of,
he smooth scales ON the legs decide the
,oint, beside the difference in size Of the
gattles of the neck and in the elastic
hOot upon the nose.
An old goose when alive is known by
he rough legs, the strength of the wings
at the pinions, the thickness
nd'strength of the bill and hneness of
he feathers, and when plucked by the
egs the tenderness of the skin under the
gings, by the pinions and the bill and
he coarseness of the skin.
Ducks are distinguished by the same
means, but there is the difference that
bill is much longer in proper
inr 10 fho hrnndEh Of the haad ihn1, Alo Z