Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-10-14
Ha1,caster fntelItge1lrer,
THURSDAY EVENING. OCT. IA, 1890.
Farm and Gardener.
Pruning Dwarf Trees.

Advised by tho Gcrmansown Telegraph.
Pruning Dwarf Trees.
A lady correspondent asks /: ''Wil some
one tell me how and when to prune dwarf
pear trees 2 if they must he washed at
this time Of year, and what to put round
them to make them grow?" We reply
that they can be pruned at any time from
now up to the first of March. If any Of
the wood is needed for grating, it can be
stuck two or three inches in the ground
where it will he found to be in good condi-
tion when the grating season comes round.
Pruning now and until spring reduces
the extent Of the tree and foliage and gives
it form but pruning or shortening-in III
June will produce fruit spurs for the fol-
lowing year. How to prune cannot always
be advised. Where the growth of this
year has been rampant, cut back to within
two or three inches of the old wood. and
thin out some of the young wood. Your
own judgment must direct you as to this,
trees being SO different in habit and
growth. As to washing the trees, it
ought to be done at once, and scraped also
to make your trees grow if not rich give
d vi hdAuIC INV, W w
carefully wOrl,ed-in in the spring.
Mice and Rabbits Gnawing Trees.
Every winter the agricultural journals
contain inquiries rs to a remedy to prevent
mice and rabbits gnawing. trees, and we
have nearly annually answered them. Our
remedy, which we have tried with success,
has proved effectual in every instance in
which it has been properly applied. 1t is
to bandage the trees with any old cotton
Or woolen cloth, or very stiff paper will do.
For mice, eight or ten inches high will an
swer for rabbits, not less than two feet.
The latter standing upright can reach up
nearly two feet, and as far as they can
reach they will gnaw. The same cloth, if
put away, will last for several years. Of
course the bandaging must be we'll done
and tied to the trees securely.
In gardens, where rabbits are sure to DC
found if there are any in the vicinity, 4
good protection is to feed them with cab
bage stalks, or dccaycd heads of cabbage,
Offals of rutabagas, carrots, hay, &c. A
"dead trap" baited with apple, will also
soon clear a garden; but, if in starving
condition, q half dozen rabbits will destroy
fifty young trees in 4 single night. One
winter they not only injured several young
pear trees for us, but nipped off the ten
der ends Of certain shrubs as cieanly rs il
done with pruning shears.
Fall Turning-up of Garden Soil.
Profcssed gardeners well understand the
fall management OF these important little
family farms. 1t is needless to tell them
how much the success OF next years crops
depends upon turning up the ground (say
in Novem5er) intended for such crops.
But there arc many others-those who
have small gardens-and in this class are
many of our regular wcll-to-do farmers
who only raise half crops of vegetables,
and these of an inferior quality, aud
wondered how it is SO. Now, We
cannot too often repeat the advice
that if they will use the garden-fork,
and turn the sell up full fork deep,
allowing it to remain in Jumps all winter
exposed to the frost. it will put the soil in
excellent condition and tend greatly to
add to the production of next years crops.
This is especially the case with ground
not SO treated frequently, and we would
mention that every other year is best, i'll
stead Of every year as some gardeners do.
Gardens, and especially old ones. should
also he lined about once in five years,
and sailed about every other spring, ap,
plying Of lime at the rate of about thirty
bushels to the acre, and Of salt from eight
to ten. In applying salt keepit from com
ing in contact with box-edgiEg and all
other evcrgrcens, very small trees, &c.
Such 4 course will bring up your old gar
dcns in a surprising manner. Turnips,
radishcs, &c, will grow as we'll as they
ever did, and all other vegetables be largely
benefited.
Harvesting aud Storing Turnips.
Various methods for harvesting this
crop, which in Pennsylvania is not very
extensive one, arc now on the topls. We
speak Of turnips. prOpcr--not rutabagcS.
The last improved method is to haTroac
the crop out and load them with a three
pronged hdy fora;., This may be rather cS-
peditiOus and answer we'll enough where
the turnips are to be fed to the cattle, but
is the worst possible way if they are to bc
marketed, as purchasers will no. look ut a
cut and bruised article. 1t will be found,
"we guess that the Old-fashioned way
of pulling them out with the hands and
throwing them in heaps, and cutting the
tops off with :: sharp knife, will prove the
best after all. 1t is useless to attempt to
vested in the best manner and 4 good
price is expected to be obtained for them.
OF all the roots perhaps the turnip is the
most impatient of heat. 1t starts to grow
on the slightest provocatiou. In a cellar
of not over forty degrees, one may find it
growing freely, after IN incarceration of
but few weeks. It is growth which is
the great enemy OF preservation. and it is
heat which excites growth. There is a
natural heat in roots when put in heap
"a little heat from one root and little
more from another soon makes pretty
high degree: but in the open field
this is carried off by the open air
about the pile. Hence, under cover of
near protection, this natural heat
is not carried off. 1t accumulates, the
roots sprout, thus gives of more heat, and
it all soon becomes a regular turnip stew
The turnip, indeed, does not mind little
frost. If they were put in small lots in
stalls, where the frost could get at them,
and covered with straw to prevent rapid
thawing, they would keep better than if
covered with earth, which rather serves,
as we have seen, to collect the heat and
boil the roots.
As to how best to keep turnips, that will
of course depend on each PERSONS convent
ences. But if each one keeps in view the
fact that heat is more likely to injure them
than cold-apd very low degree at that
-he will steadily find out when he looks
about what is the best way for for him to
preserves them.