Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-10
Shelburne, July 80, 1883.
The Fruit Gardcn-Sugge.ti

There are several objects requiring at
tention in the fruit garden and orchard
during the latter part of summer, which
nre apt to be neglected at this season of
the year.
Young newly transplanted trees, which
have had plenty of moisture earlier III
the summer, sometimes are allowed to
suffer from drouth during tie hot part OF
August. The abundant rains frequently
result in hard crust, which should be
pulverized and the surface made mellow
as drouth approaches. Mulching is often
beneficial, and for young cherry trees it
is sometimes quite necessary to prevent
death by heat and drying.
| The form of the heads of young trees
should be attended to early in the season,
and supernumerary shoots rubbed off be-
fore they have made much growth But
later shoots often spring up, and these
| should be removed while the trees are yet
growing, and the hardening of the wood
should be well finished before cold wealth
er. These remarks are more particularly
applicable to such late growing kinds as
the peach, and more or less to other
trees.
Plant-lice should not be allowed to
check growth at this season of the year,
preventing as they do the maturity of the
wood, and thus cause winter-killing. They
are easily cleared oil by using strong
soap-suds or strong tobacco water.
The black-knot on tue plum tree now
requires special attention. 1t is much
more conspicuous ut present than after
the leaves have fallen. In color it does
not vary much from the natural hue OF
the shoots and branches, and is chiefly
| hx- hai
ance. The foliage serves to hide 1t, and
it is apt to escape attention at this time.
The disease is easily cured if the diseased
parts are promptly cut away and the
limbs burned Care should be taken tc
cut several inches from the affected por
J tons A year or two of neglect viii
usually result in the whole tree becoming
infested with this fungous growth, anC
then the owner pronounces the trouble
, formidable and incurable. Taken earl,
and in time, the cure is simple and easy
Blight on pear trees requires simila
excision of the diseased limbs, but tn,
cure should be more prompt, and the
affected limbs cut off n foot or two belov
any appearance of the blight, MS 1t gener
r ally extends rapidly downward. The am
putaied limbs should be at once burned
This treatment will not always arrest tn
=, disease, but the tendency is to do SO i'll
t greater or less degree. Sometimes moth
ing will save the tree, but it is better t.
y lose it by amputation than wholly by tn
n blight.
t Thinning the fruit on young trees o
s late. .ripening sorts, whether for market o
Y for home use, may be now performed wit
much advantage. 1t has grown sufficient
a " to show the difference between hand
n some and fair, and knotty or distorte
a specimens. BY the removal Of half til
a crop on crowded trees, the remainder wi
n grow larger and become handsomer
4 is easier to take off these defective spec
mems now than when they have grow
larger, and the remainder will requir
u less labor and care in asserting, Thes
y remarks apply not only to apples, but
peaches and pears.
&c Older trees which have been prune
. this year by saving off large limbs, {
u those an inch or more i'll diameter, shoul
have tho wounds protected from til
weather with some waterproof applic'
ton. Even if pruned last year it is NJ
too late. Grafting-wa gas-tar and she
lac varnish have been used to advantage
but we find good covering, easily an
quickly applied, in common paint, whic
is readily applied with brush, and
large orchard may be gone over in da