The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-08-09
T0PicS FOR THE FARM.
Look to the Annie Orchards

Look to the Apple Orchards.-The
abundant crop of apples and other fruits
which orchards have borne the past year
all through the country, and the extensive
| paintings which have been made of late
years, have induced the common remark
that, as matter of cous1e, the low prices
will result in neglect and diminished
care of the trees. Such course would
be the worst which owners could adopt,
and which, nevertheless, the majority
will fall into. The future of orcharding,
judging from the past, will be this:
Most of them, from lack of care and
attention, will bring their owners little
or nothing, and these meager returns
increase the neglect A few wise and
enterprisng planters will pursue the OPP
posite course, and as common fruit be-
comes cheap, they will give increased
care-manure and cultivate their trees,
destroy insects, thin and select, furnish
only the finest specimens for market,
and secure reputation by years of per-
severance. They will never suffer for
want of ready and good market. The
few who thus secure the finest fruit, put
up in the most perfect order, will always
ant common or poor fruit may be. This
has actually been the case in many in
stances which might be cited.
The careless owner will let his orchard
run to decay, and he will obtain only
knotty, worm-eaten, and scabby apples,
which will bring him but small returns
in market, or not enough to pay for pick
ing, packing or conveyance.
Among the important means for OBJ
tanning fine, attractive, gh-priced speci-
MEMS is the practice of thinning the
| fruit while young. At this time it is re-
moved with rapidity and ease. The
strength of the tree goes with the re-
mainder, and in gathering the crop the
labor of picking off all these supernum-
eraries is entirely obviated. This was all
done when they were small. If left on
the tree they not only exhaust its
strength, but they must be all carefully
hand picked, with threefold the labor,
and then all as completely assorted, to
get rid of the many which are unstable.
Wood Ashes.-With the physical con-
dition of the soil all right, am inclined
to think that wood ashes alone will keep
an orchard in good heart, as they con-
tain all the elements required for grow
ing wood and fruit, except carbon and
nitrogen, and these are furnished very
freely by the air. A compost made Of
muck or leaf mold and wood ashes will
keep the physical condition of the soil
right, and also supply the chemical con-
stituents for fruit A liberal top
dressing with such compost annually
or biennially will gradually restore a
soil to the virginia. condition in which it
was when first reclaimed from the forest,
and every one knows that fruit trees lux
uriate in virgin soil A good wash and
at the same time good fertilizer for
fruit trees, is made by making soft soap
and water in equal proportions for old,
two-thirds water for young trees, and
rubbing it in thoroughly and literally
with an old broom. This kills insects,
especially the bark louise, gives the bark
a smooth healthy look, and furnishes
potash in a very available form for the
growth of wood and fruit. The common
practice of whitewashing fruit trees is
is Objectionable, as the lime stops the
poresof the bark and impedes the breath
ing and emulation of the tree, the bark
of a tree operating very similarly to the
skin of an animal Whenever the pores
Of the skin are stopped we expect disease.
Soap and water keep the pores of the
skin open and clean, and operates on
trees very similarly. A tree we'll
soaped looks as much better for the OPP
Grafton as dirty boy does when well
washed. 1t may be added that soft soap
is an antidote to the borer. 1t will not
kill him when fairly intrenched in the
tree, but it does hinder the deposition of
eggs and destroys them when deposited.