The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-19
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Fruit Culture.

| EAhMs dAhUEN AMI uUUSEHOLD
Fruit Culture.
The following is taking from a paper
read at the late meeting OF the Pennsyl-
vania State board of agriculture by
Calvin Cooper:
The proper care OF fruit trees is too
often neglected. The habit of crowding
trees into some out. ut.of-the-way place, or
fence.corner, as though unworthy OF q
better place, is too common. Trees
treated thus fail the first year, or Ian.
guish q few years at best, and finally
die for want of little care and attention,
and then the vender or nurseryman is
condemned for having sold worthless or
diseased trees.
Location should be the first considera-
tion. Rolling ground is always prefera-
BILE, and northeasterly slope most de-
sirable, with the altitude as great as cir.
cumstances will allow. In adopting
such q site you will have perfect drain.
age and much lighter and less humid
atmosphere; you will also have some
protection from the afternoon snn on
mild winter days that sometimes follow
excessive cold. The sun striking the
trunk of tho tree after midday, warming
one side while the other remains frozen,
is often the cause of bursting bark, not
unfrequently followed by the destruction
of the tree. This can be avoided, how
ever, by growing the trees with low
tops, to which shall allude hereafter.
This injury generally occurs about the
time the trees begin to bear, and also
when there is no shade except from! he
branches of the tree itself. You can
readily see that slope Of from ten to
fifteen degrees would elevate the tops
of the upper trees sufficiently to afford
some shade to each succeeding row. To
assist in this protection and to occupy
the ground while the trees are small
(particularly with apple and standard
pear), would advise planting peach
tree between the apple trees, and in
deed, a row Of peach trees between each
two rows of apple trees. They would
materially assist in protection, aside
from the fruit they would bear before
the apple trees commenced to bear or
occupy the entire ground.
Cultivation is OF prime importance.
Thorough tillage of the soil is necessary
to induce good healthy crops. Discre-
ton is necessary, to preserve the sur
face soil on billy ground, especially if
the soil is of light, porous shale, as is
often the case, as the material washed
away is essential to success. Summer
crops will not be detrimental to the
trees provided the fertility is kept up
by application of proper manures.
Corn, potatoes, all vegetables, and most
of the small fruits, may be grown, for
the first few years, to advantage, yield
ing q profit in themselves that will fully
compensate for the work. There must
be no double taxation; if secondary
crops are taken off, an annual dressing
of manure must be applied to compen-
safe.
The question OF cultivation or non
cultivation after the trees have attained
bearing age particularly the apple) is
one upon which many of our most sue
cessful horticulturists disagree. I am
decidedly in favor of no cultivation after
the trees have been planted ten or
twelve years, or say are half grown. It
has been my practice to top dress with
stable manure every two or three years,
and occasionally dressing with lime or
unleaohed wood ashes; one bushel to
each tree will very materially assist in
keeping them in health and productive.
ness. We generally cut the first crop
of grass and feed as green crop; an
after growth is cut for mulch, or
trampled down and allowed to remain.
But no grass or other vegetable matter
should be allowed to grow within three
or four feet of the tree. This We try to
prevent by the annual application of
the finer parts of coal ashes. which we
also think assists in preventing the raw
ages Of the "borer."
Care should be used to prevent too
rank growth. I have often heard plan
ters speak of the great vigor of their
trees, rapid growth, etc. This is often
caused by an excess of stimulants, and
is not infrequently followed by incura-
ble injury, if not entire destruction.
Moderate growth, Of apple and pear,
particularly, will be longer lived and
more productive. Peach trees require
somewhat different treatment-not that
they require less cultivation, but it
should be continued while fruit is the
object. The critical period is the first
few years after planting, to escape the
depredations of the borer one grub
will do more injury to one or two.
year-old tree than dozen might to one
full grown. The tendency to overbear,
when the peach does we'll, should be
counteracted by judicious thinning or
shortening of the branches, to preserve
the vigor and shape of the trees, as they
are at best short-lived.
Household Hints.
Beeswax and salt will make rusty fiat
irons as smooth as glass.
A teaspoonful OF turpentine in the
boiling water will whiten the clothes.
A little sperm, or gum arabic, with
salt, should be put into boiled starch.
Fish may be scaled much easier by
dipping them in boiling water for a
minute.
Cool rain water and soda will remove
machine grease from washable goods.
In gravies and milk porridge the salt
should not be added until the dish is
prepared.
Lamp wick dipped in hot vinegar
before using, is said to prevent offensive
smell from lamps.
Tortoise-sbell and horn combs are pre-
served from cracking by being occasion.
ally rubbed with oil.
To remove oil spots from mating,
counterpanes, etc., wet with alcohol,
rub with hard soap, then wash with cold
water.
Half a dozen onions planted in the
cellar, where they can get little light,
will do much toward absorbing and cor
recting the atmospheric impurities that
are so apt to lurk in such places.
A nice stool can be aade by taking q
soap box, or any small-sized box, from a
grocery. store fix lid by mailing pieces
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