The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1880-09-30
for the farmer.
THE ORCHARD.

Apple and pear trees shonld be well mulched
with coarse hay as far as the branches extend,
before the fruit begins TO npen; this will keep
the fruit clean, and, If the ground be strong,
save it from becoming bruised when it drops.
The crop of pears is SO light, this year, that
but little time has been required TO thin the
fruit: but the crop Of apples is no remarkably
heavy, that the time usually devoted TO thin
ming pears may be proftably devoted to thin
ming apples The market is usually so over
loaded with apples of ordinary quality, that the
prices rule low /; but he who can carry TO mar
ket apples of large size aud first quality can al
ways find ready sale, at good price. If one
half of the fruit of an overloaded apple tree be
picked of, the remaining half will grow to a
size that Will make about the same measure
ment rs tie whole would, and will command in
price about twice as much. To thin, not only
requires considerable time and patience but
also a large amount of courage, especially if the
fruit be valuable, and the operator be new at
the business. To thin fruit large trees, a
cutter made like the cutting part Of pair Of
scissors partly open, fastened ut the end of
light pole, is a good implement to work with.
Now is the time To look for a second crop of
the codling-moth. The first crop of this year
has been very small, owing probably to the fact
that the apples last year were few, there was
food enough to feed only limited number of
worms.
Some of the worms may he caught by placing
strips of wooden cloth in the cFotcles and around
the trunks of the trees; flock of hens in the
orchard VIII destroy most OF them a sufficient
number of pigs TO eat the apples as fast as they
drop, will destroy many of them; but pigs can
be kept to advantage only in orchards composed
of all winter fruit.
The fall caterpillars must be looked after.
There are several kinds; those that web in the
leaves can be readily seen, and can be easily de-
strOyed by pulling off the leaves and crushing
them with the foot. There is n red-headed
worm that makes no web, and is not SO readily
seen, until II gets considerable size, and has
eaten many leaves. When small, large numbers
OF these worms congregate on a single leaf with
all OF their heads pointing TO the outer edge;
picking of the leaves and crushing the worms
is a remedy.
Young pear orchards are sometimes injured
by small slugs on the leaves, At first they look
like small, dirty specks, If permitted TO grow,
they attain size of nearly half-inch in length,
and II IN considerable numbers, will destroy the
whole of the green foliage of the tree. But few
enemies TO the orchard easily destroyed as
these Their skin is very sticky, so much so
that any line, dry substance will stick to them
and XIII them in very short time. Lime, plas-
ter, ashes, or even fine, dry loam, scattered over
the trees, will destroy them
To know just when to gather pears, requires
experience and close observation While some
varieties never seem to be 50 good as when ri
pened on the tree, Others are comparatively
worthless, unless gathered before fully ripe
The English Jargonelle is among the former,
anu the Sheldon the latter. IL would be very
location have great influence on the ripening
of fruit
The peach orchard should be heavily mulched
before the fruit begins to ripen aud if thinning
Is not already completed, no time should be lost
IN doing so, as the early varieties will soon be-
GIN to rpen. Most varieties of peaches should
be very nearly ripe before they are gathered in
IN fact, there are some varieties that never eat
better than when taken fully ripe from the tree.
A good peach, well ripened, stands almost, if
not quite, at the head of the fruits of New
England; therefore, the peach orchard Should
receive that watchful care necessary to insure
good crops every year. If the borers have not
been looked after, they should be examined and
scraped; the earth should he removed several
inches below the surface, and careful exami-
nation made for any worms that may have
Matched this summer; as they are yet very small,
1t will require sharp eyes to see them, but by
scraping the bark with sharp knife, they are
SO small and so near the outside, that most of
them will be thus DESTROYED
The successful orchardst makes frequent Wis
ITS to his orchards, examines each tree careful
ly, that he may discover an enemy ut the earli-
est moment possible, and destroy him before
he has done any serious injury. BY his watch
fulness, he is able to anticipate the wants of his
trees, and thus keep them healthy, vigorous, and
productive. He who is able to do this seldom
fails to make the orchard profitable.