The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-08-20
Fruit Trees.
IRural Messenger.l


/ find that lime, wood ashes and old iron
put around the roots of declining fruit trees
have avery beneficial effect. These fertilizers
restore the tree to a healthy condition, and
also greatly improve the fruit in quality and
quantity. l made the application on Wind
sap and Never Fail; about half a bushel of
mixed lime and ashes to each, and dug it in
with hoe some six feet around the trunk,
and put the old iron Immediately around
the base of each.
The trees put forth with a renewed vlgor,
blossomsd abundantly and yielded good
crop of fruit. An excellant wash for trees
may be made thus: Heat an ounce OF sal
soda to redness in.an.iro pot and dissolve it
in Ole gallon of water, and while warm ap-
ply 1t to the trunk. After one application
the moss and old bark will drop off and the
trunk will be quite smooth. The wash has
highly recnperative properties, making old
trees bear anew.
/ have tried soft soap as wash with good
results, and also coating of lime in the
spring season, which is fine specific for old
trees. The question is often asked, is it best
to manure trees in the fall or spring? /
have found the summer season to be good
time. / have much faith in mulching,
especially young trees. for several seasons
after they are planted. Apple trees are
said to have two growths during the season
the secondary growth takes place after
midsummer, hence it is that top dressing
Oh gOOu mduuIe, anu also COdISe llttel, laCll1-
tates the late growth. and often produces
very marked results in the habit and form
aticn of the tree.
The good effect that mulchlng has to
young trees is that it wards off the intense
heat of the sun from the tender roots, and
also has a tendency to hold moisture. A
good top dressing of stable manure in the
fall around young trees with good many
corn cobs cast over the surface of the soil,
give satisfactory results.
Why Not?
A wel1-known French agriculturist, M.
Montclar, has suggested novel plan for pro-
ducing various havors in meat. He believes
that By feeding cattle, sheep, hogs and poul-
try in particular way, or rather by various
ways of fiavoring their food, their flesh may
be made more agreeable to the palate than
it is often found TO be. He instances cases
in which hares killed in wormwood field,
larks shot in a cabbage field, and eggs laid
by hens which had eaten diseased silk worms
had SUCH a nauseatlng taste that no one
could touch them; while on the other hand
some ducks and feldfares which had fed
upon sprigs of juniper had delicious flavor.
Numerous experiments have been made in
this directlon-among others three upon
tame rabbits, which were fed with the waste
of aniseed, with barley and bran, containing
light flavor of juniper. and with barley and
bran containing little essence of thyme In
each case it was found that the flesh of these
! animals was far better eating than that oil
animals fattened in the ordinary way, and
| yet there was no trace of aniseed or juniper
in the taste The conclusion is that cattle
sheep and pigs might be fed in the same
way, and that by varying the havorlng bet
ter the beef. Mutton and pork might be
made to have several different tastes Why
may not the flesh of animals and poultry bt
changed as we'll as the milk of cows? Kline
| that browse on certain kinds of weeds, We
| all know. have their milk and butter so i'm
pregnated as to be impalatsble. Even wher
fed on certain kinds of food, for instance
pumpkins. turnips, etc.. the milk and but
ter will partake of the taste of these vegeta-
bles. Hence, if the quality of the milk
butter and cheese can be improved by tn,
character of the food why may not the quail
ity of the flesh of animals and poultry b,
also improved? The flesh of trout fed OF
lights and liver and confined in pond
are not near so rich in flavor as those which
are free scavengers in the roaring streams
enjoying the natural rather than the artl
fetal food. The subject Is one worthy tn
attention of cattle growers and poultr.
raisers.