The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-23
Spring Work.
CLEANING THE TRUNKS or FRUIT TREES
Germantown Telegraph

'hbANlNb THE TRUNKS OF FRUIT TREES.
Germantown Telegraph.
Now, before the warm weather
gives life and motion to many insects
who use the batks of trees for their
winter quarters, is rs good time as
auy--and before active outdoor work
begins--to clean off all the moss and
superiluous or old bark from the trunks
OF trees, Not only the insects, but
their millions of eggs, and the seeds of
various blights and mildews are shell
tered in the creyices and rough places
of the old barks, moss, &c. 1t should
be taken for granted that the appear
ance OF the vegetable organisms on
the stems of trees, as we'll as upon the
bark of the trunks, shows that some
thing has already gone wrong. Some
thing has prevented the tree from
thriving as it should have done, and
because it did not thrive the moss fol.
lowed, When, therefore, we make up
our minds to look after the moss, il
will be rs well to find ont what is the
matter with the tree, and if possible
place II in position to throw off, as it
grows, the dead bark on which the
moses and sickness feed.
The stuuted condition of The trees
which induces messy and hide-bouud
bark is more frequently the result of
storcation than anything else When
a tree does not expand fast the bark is
not thrown off but remains on the
tree to slowly decay but with rapid
expansion it is thrown off as tree
swells and thus keeps Its ownself clean.
Starvation keeps the tree from grow
ing A liberal supply of good food
making q tree thrive and expand rap
idly, is one Of the best means of keep.
ing tree clean aud clear of moss.
When tree has once got into its
hardened condition, mere manuring
will hardly get it out of it alone. In
such cases orchardsts make use of
liberal application of the pruning
knife-cuiting away all the branches
which may seem to be pretty well
hardened or stunted. This brings on
a free growth of foliage the next sea
son, and free growth is one of the
best ways to keep the main stems
clean.
Much can be done in the early spring
with those old starved and stunted
trees towards getting them to do bet
ter The loose bark may be scraped
off, aud even washed with weak pot.
ash water or soft soap. The branches
which seem gone beyond recovery, or
are too weak or so much stunted as to
promise little in the future, may be
cut away, and some good fertilizing
material may be hauled and spread
under the trees
As to what is good fertilizer tor
fruit trees much has been written, but
we believe for the apple and pear al
most anything that comes convenient
ly to hand is good. We knew years
ago one very successful apple raiser
who used nothing whatever but ashes
from the kitchen. These were always
saved expressly for his apple orchard
and spread evenly on the ground under
each tree. 1t is commonly said that
there is no nutrition in anthracite coal
ashes, and perhaps there is not; but
it is fact that these trees grew
amazingly, and bore large ciop of
the most beautiful fruit. 1t may be
that the wood ashes from the "kind-
ling, and perhaps some kitchen re-
fuse among the rest, were the chief
fertilizing ingredients. BE that as it
may, this orchard was a grand
success, The bark was always
smooth and healthy looking, without
any washing or scraping. Nothing in
the orchard line could look better, We
have known Others who used simply
ditch cleanings, or good top soil from
wet places, and always witch consider
able increase IN the apparent health
and vigor of the tree.