Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-11-18
Word on the Care of Orchards.

\
ntes so largely to the beauty of the home
stead and the comforts and luxury of the
household as good orchard And this
beauty and luxury are increased in proper
ton to the attention the orchard receives;
for, us there can be no acre of farm pro-
duet which will yield rs remuneratiya a
crop us an acre of bearing fruit-trees well
tended to- neither can there be anything
more Improbable on farm than semi
( barren lot of trut-tccS, as they consume
the sap and exhaust the strength of the
land without giving any remuneration.
The farmer who imagiues that he has
nothing to do but to purchase large num-
her OF truit-trecs, and plant them out, re-
gardlesS of subSequent care IN order TO
h,se in a few years plenty Of apples and
cider is ms likely TO be disappointed as
the Atali~t who plouahs his land and
shakes on the seed and leaves the rest to
Providence Nothing should receive more
careful attention on the farm than a good
well-aSsorted orchard, as it no doubt tends
in great measure TO the promotion of
health, wealth. and happiness. Doctors as
sure us that there is nothing moro healthy,
or nothing that contributes more to the
perpctuity of good health than plenty of
good ripe fruit and, apart from this, the
lruit-grower can show by figures that there
is no produce in which there Is SO much
money as in a well assorted orchard, prop
crly and skillMlly attended TO- But st is
certain that an orchard must be attended
to, otherwise nothing may he expected
from il, save what is of very little good to
man or beast There is not to bc found
one who doesn feel pleased and happy at
4 the presence of "A dish Of delicious fruits.
But the lruit-tree, like everything else
I that lives and grows. hns lis m,iad,2s and
/ also It's antidotcs aud hence, in order TO
,c,,,;ae all that is hoped for from It, much
attention must be given to IT, especially
/ in the first years OF its existence, rs IL Is
during these years that all branches not
hkiug proper position to form perfect
/ head at maturity are To he removed, and
/ the whole force of sap sent 60 invigorate
/ the permanent limbs, otherwise the tree
4 must of necessity suffer in the future,
either from heavy pruning, or too much
/ "hcad" which is sure TO impair the crop IN
every form, Besides, too, when branches
( are removed while small and young, the
wound soon heals up, SO that no wounds
! viii be visible, nor will there bc any neces-
sity for saving of large limbs from the
/ head or trunk when the tree arrives at ma
turty.
The next object needing close attention
/ IN young trees is what may be called tho
incidentals of growth. Foremost among
| those are the crotch Scald, produced by
rancid sap the Canker-wurl, and black
heart. But the first of these seems 10 be
/ the promoter Of the latter two, and its
/ origin is in this way It often happens that
/ if there is warm, favorable fall weather,
/ trees are apt, especially ON dry warm soil,
/ to start a fall growth and remain green
J and full of sap until late in the season;
/ then, should a sudden snap of severe frost
set in, the sap gets frozen, and becomes
/ elottcd in the pores OF The bark, SO that
the portion of the tree Il MS affected shows
a smoky and hhckish appearance the next
spring, and unless this is removed by
good washing of very strong sot-soap suds,
! well charged with lyc, the branches soon
| become blaclg hearted by being inert in
I circulation of new sap, and soon begin to
decay Washing is also very beneficial for
other purposes rs by doing 1t in proper
season the fruit insects which deposit
their larvae IN the creyices of the bark
and crotches.-are all killed, and the young
fruit saved from being ant-stung, or moth
eaten.
A farmer in passing through his orchard
may observe many of his trees looking
siClly, and not throwing out full healthy
growth of new wood, and by examining IN
the main fork, or crotchcs of the limbs,
and especially where they shoot of from
the body, he will find a dccaycd reddish
spot i'm the bark, which proves on eXamina-
ton to he liclcss, hard and of reddish
hue. He may also find portion of the
wood inside the bark corroding'; tihs IS the
crotch scald, aud cankerwari. Again, by
picking around the point of the angle in
the fork or crotch of the tree, be will soon
discover a hard l<notty substance about the
size of n small peach pit the analysis OF
which would be- a puzzle 20 the scicpti-l
Hence an annual examination Of each Hhd
every tree in the orchard becomes some
thing TO those that would wish 20 raise
good fruit. Some kind Of trees are, how
ever, more liable TO disease than others
But, notwithstanding this, care must be
given 10 all the clotted sap which Is some
times to be found lodged in the crotchcs OF
the limbs, more especially tho,e having IN
acute angle or a sharp ' shlpe, aud also
around the base Of many Of the limbs,
should be invariably SER ed out, as By 50
doing yigo. and growth will be given to
the tree, ans Diseases kept away. Again,
the ground at The root Of the trees should
be kept clean, hoed, etc, rs this is IN per
feet keeping with the laws of growth; but
as 10 pruning no person should BE allowed
10 try 10 perform this task, without know
ing the varieties of trees and becoming
somewhat familiar with their habits of
growth and customs Of bearing as some
trees carry their fruit on the directly OPP
nnaitr nnh nr ihr litnhs from .hnt Of others.