The Osceola times., 1880-08-07
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
watch Young orchards-Plcuro- rneumo-
nia-Jultivating Tobacco-Gen-
cral Notes.
MArcn Your oCuARps.

crai Notes.
WATCH YOUR oCuARDs.
Allow no green hands to prlIne them
unless YOU are with them, or have with
them some reliable and experienced
pruner. The injury from bad pruning
is not at an end for many year,. will
not speak of old trees where large
branches have been removed two, three,
or more inches from the trunk, left to
decay, never to heal over, but sure to
leave a rottcd center into the neart OF
the tree. have scores of such old
trees The branches of young trees
should be rcmoycd-with a smooth cut,
without bruise close TO the trunk or
branch from which they are taken, so as
to leave no room for dozen little
branches to start out of the stump of the
branch cut oil. More than half the
| labor of after pruning is saved by re-
moving with care and as closely as posi-.
| BILE the small branches of young trees az
| fast as they put out in the spring or
early Summer. These may be rubbed
off by the hand, where the pruning Is
/ close, when two or three inches long,
and all the strength of the tree that
| would bc WASTED on them turned to the
growth of valuable branches. Care in
watching these little gourmands will not
| only hasten the gr with of the tree, but
the pr duction of fruit in peaches one
year, and in apples two or three years.
| One should 90 over aYoung orchard once
| in May and once in June. The tree is
easily formed when young. Avoid di-
| viding the tree into two branches so as
to form crotch when the head begiss
to form. When bearing freely, such
trees are quite apt to split apart Better
have the bead formed by several
branches starting out from main trunk
stem two or three inches apart. Keep
the center open and shaped somewhat
like an open umhrclla-irdme inverted.
As the tree advances in growth rub of
the inside shoots that point toward each
other or fill up the space that should he
open in the middle of the tree for the
admission of air and the rays of the sun.
Every young orchard tnat is worth
planting is worth watching and manur-
ing freely, with rs good cultivation as is
required for corn or potatocs,-Ohio
FdrBler.
CULTIvATNG TOBACCO.
As tobacco Is q native of tropical
climate, and az quick growth is essential
to produce good quality Of leaf we
should therefore aim to push the growth
of the young tobacco plants as mu.h as
possible after they have been trans
planted into the fields. Frequent stirring
of the soil has much to do with the
growth of tobacco, because il prevents
the surface of the soil from becoming
hard or baked, and lessons the danger OF
injury from draught. Indeed, ii is said
10y competent authority that there is no
better remedy for draucht than to keep
the surface of the soil mellow about
growing plants, the fine mellow soil act
ing as mulch. As soon as the plants
have commenced growing, therefore.
the cultivation should begin, and it
should be continued as long as the
work can be done without iniuring the
leaves.
1t is customary here to give the tobacco
two hoeings. The first is performed
while the plants are small, or as soon as
they have commenced growing nicely,
and consists in taking away a thin LAYER
of the surface soil between and around
the plants, and substituting mellow soil
from between the rows. The second
hoeing is done about two weeks later
As this hoeing is usually performed, the
work IS very laborious and costly. The
plants are hilled up considerably with
the hoe, and all grass and weeds are
destroyed. 1t is doubtful to my mind
whether this billing is beneficial to
young plants. | have experimental on
it and have failed to find 1t of noticeable
value. 1t is important, however, that
the soil between the plants should be
made mellow. Some farmers do not
seem to understand the importance Of
cuhvating Tobacco and other crops, ex-
cept as rapid way of destroying weeds.
With such farmers weeds are a positive
benefit, for without them their crops
would not receive the cultivation they
nced.-G. A. g., Jr., in Country Gentle.
man.
PLEURo-PNEUMONIA.
DR.. Charles F. Lyman, of Philadelphia