Connecticut western news., 1881-06-15
FARM AND GARDEN.
ORCHARD PLANTING.

William Saunders, superintendent of the grounds of the United States De- partment of Agriculture at Washington, advises the following plan of setting fruit trees. He says "It is 8 common observation that the outer rows of trees in established orchards are finer and more productive than the trees in the in- terior of the plantation. This superb ority is all the more conspicuous if tbe orchard is bordered by cultivated fields, and it is fair to presume that the extra luxuriance is owing to the trees having greater extent of unoccupied soil for the ramification of their roots. Some thing is also, undoubtedly, due to the greater space available for the expansion and spread of the branches; but 1t is in accordance with all experience in the cultivation of plants that rotation of crops is absolutely essential toward se- curing the best results of the fertility of the soil. Keeping these facts in view, it is suggested that an improvement on the present method of planting orch ards would be gained by planting two rows of trees from IS to 25 or more feet apart, depending upon the nature of the trees, and alternating the plants in the rows. Then allow 8 space varying in extent from 300 feet to any greater distance before planting another series of rows, and so increase the plantation as far as may be desired. The inter- vening spaces between these double rows of trees would be available for the cultivation of the ordinary crops of the farm. The roots of the trees would not only participate in the benefits of culti- vation, but would also have, practically, unlimited room for extension before meeting with other roots of this kind. Immediately under the trees, and for distance on each side of the rows as far as the branches spread, the surface could be kept in grass. If not sown immediately after planting, which might not be desirable in all cases, it should bet done after the trees attain fruit bear ing Size, or from five to seven years after setting out. The shelter which will be afforded to other crops by these orchard belts will be found valuable as protec- tion from winds as we'll as in forwarding early crops. This method is particu- larly applicable to apple and pear trees"
 PLANT Henry Stewart calls attention to the amber sugar cane as fodder plant It is, he says, remarkably sweet, but not very leafy, and the stalk is hard and stiff; nevertheless, full-grown stalk II feet long, has been taken by the butt by a horse, and chewed and swallowed con- pletely to the end. From it's certain prospective value as a source of sugar and syrup of domestic manufacture, it is crop that should be grown for fod- der, for which it is valuable, so that with facility thus acquired it may be easily grown for sugar when it is so de- sired. It is as prolific of fodder and of grain as corn, and the grain, whole or when ground, furnishes an excellen feed for stock.
 THE PoTATo.-The potato possesses the property of converting very much | larger portion of the manure ingredients of the soil into human food, than any of the cereal grain crops; for instance, to every bushel of wheat about 100 pounds of straw are grown, while the hau1m of the potatoes when dry is so light, that in our experiments we do not think it worth while to weigh it. These properties, when combined with suita- able climate, enable the cultivator to produce, upon a given area of ground, a larger amount of human food from the potato than from any of the cereal grain crops. So writes Dr. Laws in his series of articles in the London Aqri- cultural Gazette.
 THE ARMY WoRM.-A contemporary states, in answer to question, that the army worm does not attack corn. This is mistake It attacked many corn
 fields on Long Island last year-one on
 a farm adjoining the Rural Farm. Sev- eral men for several days were employed
 picking them of, or the crop would
 have been ruined. They are, in fact,
 more destructive to corn than to wheat.
 When the army worm attacks the corn
 plant, we should advise the immediate use of Paris green