The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-02-26
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Orahard and Garden Notes.

Ofenar0 ana U0roon Notcbs
To renovate old orchards, and to con.
vert trees that now bear worthless fruit
into profit. In all the older States there
are orchards that are worthless, the va.
rieties, probably "natursl fruit" were
never of any value, or il originally good
kinds, they arc, from starvation, by con-
stant cropping of the ground, and by
neglect of pruning and every other core,
now practically useless. Before attempt.
ing to renovate such an orchard, it will
be we'll to consider if it will pay. In
many cases it will be cheaper to set out
q new orchard and convert the trees into
firewood.
If the trees are of good kinds, it will
be folly to graft them over. Pruning,
scraping, and more than all, manuriug,
are the needs of such an orchard, and II
the trees are still sound, renovation will
pay.
Sound trees of poor kinds may be
grated over, but grating will be OF
little use, unless accompanied by good
culture. Merely changing the character
of the tops of the trees is not sufficient.
Renovation in all cases must begin with
the soil. A good dressing of manure,
turned under by shallow plowing, is the
one thing needful in renewing an Or
chard.
As to pruning. Where large branches
are to be removed, the best time is after
the severe winter weather is over, and
before the buds swell in spring. The
limbs should always be sawed-never
chopped-of, the cut smoothed with a
drawing knife, and covered with thick
paint or melted grating wax.
How and where to prune cannot be
told until one has the particular tree
before him, as each tree will need q dit
ferent treatment. Long-neglected trees
nre likely to have the heads much crowd
cd, and the first need in sucn cases, is
thinning, taking out especially such
branches as cross and interfere with
others. Sometimes shoots have pushed
out far beyond the: rest, and need to be
be cut back; it may be that for some
cause the growth has run to one side,
and the tree is lop. sided. Only the
general direction can be given, secure
an open, we'll shaped head.
Scraping and cleansing. The best
preparation that we know of for remov .
ing old bark, moss, and lichen, is good
home made soft soap, made from lye or
potash. Thin this with water, so that
it may be laid on with a whitewash or
other brush. Then, in one of those
moist, thawing times that occur late in
winter or early spring, paint over the
trunks and large limbs with the soap,
putting it on freely. The later rains
will do most OF the work, but before
spring opens, it will be well to 60
around with the scraper-an old, short
handled hoe will answer-remove what
ever loose bark remaips.
Pruning omitted last fall, should be
attended to now as soon as the weather
will allow. Grape vines need the first
care, and should be pruned longed be
fore the buds begin to swell. Currants
and gooseberries start early, and should
be pruned early.
Preparatory work in the way of trel
lises and other supports may be attend
ed to and the materials got ready. In
the family garden, the best support for
raspberries is q single wire strained be-
tween two posts at the ends OF the rows,
and we think that the best grapevine
trellis, is that with horizontal Stats four
feet apart, with upright wires where
needed. d.-A,uericas Agricultmast.
The Bearing Year.
Mr.. J. 8. Patterson, of Ohio, commu-
nicates to the Country Gentleman this
note of experience in changing the bear
ing year: A young orchard very consid-
erately took to bearing on the off year,
so that when I had apples to sell prices
we're good. But in April, 1875, freeze
killed most of the blossom buds, and
that changed the year of bearing, and
now I have apples when everybody else
here has. But many trees this year
bore so full that it is to be hoped that
some OF them will rest two years, as not
happens, and again bear
the off year. It is a fancy with many
that the year of bearing is determined
by the year of grafting-in the case OF
top grating at least. This has necessa-
rily nothing to do with it. A young
trees year of bearing, apart from the
accident of frosts, is determined more
by the rate of growth and tie kind OF
soil it is in than by anything else. But
the rate OF growth, with reference to
by purpose the year OF
bearing, is cause so practically indeh-
mite and unmanageable as to place it
quite outside the category OF available
means.
For EARAcHE.-Roast q raisin and
bind on as hot as can be borne.
10 A11AY CRAwINa OF THE FLESH Oh
NERvousNEss.-Put tablespoonful of BIZ
carbonate OF soda-ordinary cooking
soda-in one quart water. Battle the
entire person. Certain relief.
To Stop B1EED1NG.-Take the fine
dust of tea or the scrapings of the inside
of tanned leather, and bind it close upon
the wound, and the blood will soon
cease to flow. These articles are at all
times accessible and easy to be obtained.
For CHOLERA INFANTUM. The whites
of two eggs, we'll beaten then mix with
water, add one tablespoonful OF orange
flower water and little sugar table,
spoonful every hour. It will cure the
worst case of cholera infantum the egg
coating the bowels.
A CURE FOR WARTs.-G. W. Hoof, OF
Chicago, writes to the Inter. Ocean:
Some two months since I noticed in
country paper simple remedy to re-
move warts. As I had no less than
twenty large seed warts on my hands,
and several smaller ones, applied this
remedy, as published, taking a common
Irish potato, cutting it in two, and ap'
plying the juice over each wart two or
three times day. Mine have all disap-
peared, and as this remedy is handy for
all I thought it worthy Of republishing.
Statistics Of the United Safes Army.