St. Landry democrat., 1878-02-16
Cultssre of Apple Orchards.

We might suppose this matter would
be settled by this time, at least. so far
AZ young trees are concerned. But
people continue to buy trees and stick,
The roots into hole with hard soil all
around, and plenty Of grass or clover
allowed to grow. ] have within two
years seen young orchard set in q
clover meadow, within ten or twenty
miles of Rochester, n. Y, where, OF all
places ON this continent, we should sup
pose every man knew better, l have
often seen young trees. set in Wheat
fold, which is not much better than IN
a meadow. The roots OF clover and
grasses often extend down into the soil
rob young trees when not suspected.
To be brief, young tree should be
treated very much as you would treat a
hill OF corn. HOed crops will answer
10 young orchard; sowed crops will do
much harm to young trees. As before
mentioned, think it a good plan to
keep young trees mulched, and / am
not sure but it is the best of all ways
to treat large or old trees as long as they
live. Mulch prevents the rapid evap-
oration Of the moisture from the soil,
keeps the surface mellow, and prevents
the soil from often freezing and thawing
in winter, and becoming overheated in
summer. Whether to cultivate or not
trees which have become we'll estab-
,ished, depends upon circumstances. I
have never seen an apple orchard which
I thought was injured by too frequent
shallow culture; but this may be the
case in some places, especially in war
mer climates, or where the soil is deep
and very rich,
Whafhar $o ,,,1 t;,.oSo -, 500 49,. T.,
told from the looks Of the tree. II the
color of the leaves is good and the
Growth all right, and the trees bear we'll
Ut tine fruit, they are doing well enough,
even it in grass. But if the leaves ale
pale, the growth of the annual twigs
much less than foot in length on trees
set twelve years, and tho fruit small and
poor, something is the matter, and they
are suffering for want Of plow, harrow
nr cultivator, Or a heavy mulch or coat
Ot manure, or two or more Of these
combined. The upper tWigs of trees
set twelve to twenty years ought to
grow SIX to twelve or more inches each
year. To judge of the condition of an
apple tree is much like Judging of the
condition Of sheep in pasture. To
determine the latter point, look at the
sheep and not at the pasture. AS long
as the sheep are plump and fat they are
all right. Some experiments on the
culture of orchards have been going
on at Your college for several years.
Dingging little circles about the trees,
and keeping the ground mellow and
nice, has very little effect. Sowing
patches of grass about trees in cult
tivated orchards has almost no effect.
The reason is plain: The roots run all
through the soil between the rows. The
small spaces referred to are only small
part of the whold surface used by each
tree. The fruit in the college orchard
is of better color on trees with no cul-
ture and in grass, but the quality for
eating is much better when grown on
trees which are we'll cultivated. If cul-
tivated, | believe in sowing orchards
in buckwheat, rye or allowing the weeds
TO grow after the middle of august.
Moderate culture of trees on good
ground seems to take the place of mulch
or manure about trees without culture.
The culture is cheaper than manure.
A little culture and little manure each
year isa good thing for apple trees. The
best orchard in the State, or the one
which has received the first prize for
two or three years, stands on rich soil
with heavy subsoil. 1t belongs to Mr..
B;,ily, who manures il very heavily
every year and cultivates it, taking off
a good crop of fine fruit, and also a
good crop of corn, wheat, oats or some
other farm crop. I need hardly add
that ashes, lime, old plaster, muck and
other substances are often valuable for
apple trees.-[W. j. Beal, in Colman's
Rural World.