Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-09-18
FACTS FOR FARMERS.


The owners of gardens and family
orchards find that as the trees become
old, some of them lose their vigor and pro
ductiveness, and require special attention
and to some extent the planting must be
renewed. 1t is not often that the old
standard sorts can be replaced, but there
are some new varieties that may be added
to old collections with advantage.
Fruit trees too frequently lose their pro-
ductiveness and value by neglect. Peach
trees are more sensitive to grass and hard
ground than cherry trees or standard
pears, 1t often happens that after few
fine crops Of peaches on thrifty, young and
cultivated trees, the owner ceases further
care, and the trees linger and die. Con.
slant tillage of the ground, and the nee.
essary cutting back to keep up a thrifty
growth, would preserve them many times
longer. 1t is not often that old and
stunted peach trees can be restored TO Wig
or and good form; but sometimes cut.
ting them down to the ground at the right
season ofthe year Tor when dormant) has
sent up young shoots that have given n
second edition to their lives in connection
with good tillage. If shoots slant out
near the center of the head, all the rest
may be cut off, and a new head is formed.
This treatment, however successful it has
occasionally been found, must not he
mainly depended on, but young trees set
out are to be the main reliance.
There are very few owners OF family
orch a rIc md fru1t f,nrIans ,uhn ,uo,,lJ Not
now find an advantage in making addi-
tional paintings. The new varieties, as
Amsden, Beatrice and Rivers, will give
them succession of peaches at least two
weeks earlier than the earliest of Hale's
and other old sorts. By careful selection
they may fill in gaps elsewhere Their
enjoyment, however, will be of few years
duration unless they plant trees where
they will be subjected to cultivation.
Apple trees require less frequent renew
al than peaches, but even with these i'm
portant additions may be made by selec-
tion in order to obtain good supply at
all times. The earliest apples ripen here
early in August; there should be no gaps
in constant supply for the table and for
culinary purposes until the following
spring. The barren or "otf' years are
now serious drawback to yearly as well |
as a continuous supply in season. This
deficiency may be at least partly remedied |
bo top dressing the soil annually with |
and by stripping off all the bios
SONS as soon as they are expanded in the |
productive year, on part Of the trees.
Top dressing with manure is to be es.
oecially recommended for this purpose.
# the orchard is so full grown as to cover
he whole ground with its shade, it may
De seeded to grass, and grazed with sheep
rom spring to near picking time. The
lose grazing will be good for the orchard;
he droppings of the sheep will add to the
fleet of the regular top dressings; and
he devouring of the fallen and immature
ruit by the sheep will destroy many of
he codling worms. There should be
utiicient number of sheep to pick up all
he droppings from the trees and to keep
he grass short; and to prevent these an
mails from suffering from food, place a
utficiept number Of feeding troughs in
be orchards and see that they are reg
llarly supplied with oats or corn.
Pears give ripe fruit from the middle OF
'uly till after midwinter. The regular
is easily made.
Plums may be had by any one who is
Wiling to protect them from the curculio,
or about two months, and they afford not
My an agreeable variety in connection
nth other fruit, but are excellent in them
elves.
Of the small fruits, currants are too
,urh ovnrlnnknd Tboro is sc,roal, 81 | |