The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-08-11

management. The surest way to spoil
promising young orchard is to sow
down the land to grass or to occupy it
with grain crops. The former is, per-
haps, the worse of the two mistakes
The surfaceAs soon covered with sod
and the treesare surrounded with grass,
so that the inevitable borer has every
facility for carrying on its work with
out detection. In nearly every case in
which this plan has been adopted swift
mischief has occurred. When the ground
is plowed and sown to grain crops the
trouble is not SO serious, because if the
land is literally MANFRED the trees are
helped by the manuring and blowing.
But few farmers can give sufficient ma
nure to their fields to prevent the grain
crop from injuring the fruit crop, and
yet if this course is pursued without the
effect of exhausting the ground it is by
no means Objectionable. The small
French farmers practice this method,
and their ground is made to produce
abundant crops of fruit as we'll as yearly
crops OF barley, wheat, oats, COLA, cab
bage, potatoes or beans. In parts of
Normandy, where apple culture is
staple industry, and where the huge
cider casks are kept near the porch with
an inviting spigot and wooden mug
for the use of any person who
wishes to share with the owner his
abundance. of this agreeable bever-
age, this double system of cropping
is universal, but the ''petite culturen
of those Norman farmers is true oar
den-culture, and not an atom of fertiliz-
ing material of any kind is lost, but
everything is gathered and saved for
the land. With us it is greatly differ
ent. The owner of an orchard does his
best to compel his trees to give him
something in return for nothing, and
the ground is continually cropped in the
most exhaustive manner. The conse-
quence is readily and too frequently
seen in prematurely old and worn-otit
trees. in arrested growth of promising
young orchard, and the fatal depreda.
tons of the borer.
Between two stools one comes to
the ground" but one may firmly plant
himself upon one and rest peacefully.
So in orchard culture If we desire
fruit abundantly and permanently, for
our children as well as ourselves, the
orchard must be the sole occupant of
the soil, unless a too thrifty growth of
wood may sometimes make it advisable
to reduce the superabundant fertility of
the soil, and in such case clover is the
only plant that should be grown The
clover does not make close sod; it. is
not exhaustive of the soil; it protects
the soil and keeps it mellow and moist,
and, if allowed to fall on the surface
and remain there, it contributes a rich
store of fertilizing matter for future use.
This applies, let It be understood, to a
young orchard. Afu.l-grown, matured
orchard may be seeded to grass with
advantage under some circumstances,
and, if the grass is kept for a sheep
pasture, there can be no other
method better suited for the
THRIFT of the trees. The soil is
'fertilized by the droppings of the sheep;
the fallen fruit, with its harboring
worms is consumed. The sheep do
well and enjoy the shade. Lying under
the trees, they wear out the grass and
enrich the earth, and. in fact, this CON
junction of fruit trees and sheep is pre-
cisely that which is best for. both. But
we are considering young orchards. and.
while thinking OF sheep, may apply their
beneficial assistance to young trees as
we'll as}to old ones. And, under GER
tain conditions. young orchard may
be made into a sheep pasture with good
advantage. Ii the trees have gained |
free bearing age and the bark has be-
come hard and rough, or is protected
nom any probable gnawing by the
sheep, the ground may be seeded to
grass and clover and pastured with
sheep with as much benefit to the
young orchard as to an older one. But
nos young orchard should be kept in |
grass that makes close sod, ALTHOUGH
the grass may be mown and left to
mulch the ground. Because il is not
SO much that the grass reduces the fer,
tillty OF the soil, as that the. sod seals
the ground from atmospheric influ-
ences, and dries the soil too much.
For no other ground is SO dry as that
Which is covered with close sod. being
deprived of both air and water.
A young tree is like young corn
plant or any other young plant that is
only partly grown. 1t needs food, water
and air for its roots. Therefore, young.
trees should be cultivated until their
age OF maturity, and the best orchard
culture consists in giving upsto the
tees, after they have been a few years
planted, the whole of the ground, and
to pillow the ground lightly or work it
with cultivator twice in theseason. If
weeds grow after the first blowing, they
are covered in under the second plow-
ing. If under such treatment the trees
are making too much weed, clover NAV
De sown and cut for hay, and after the
clover has run out the semi-yearly cult
sation may be again given If the trees
10 not grow with sufficient thrift the
clover may be sown and plowed in, and
liberal dressing of lime or wood ashes
should be given. Along with this treat
nent the necessary persistent hunting
u the destructive borer may be followed |
Up with effect. ~. Z. Times. ~
Fruit for preserving should be gath, |
red in very dry weather, and should be |