Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-11-08
Manufin8 Orchards.

lore Sintrr rets in. TIE following
,rlicIe from that paper is worthy Of
-pecitI attention:
"This has been barren year for
most of the orchards in this country,
hut the trees have made fruit buds
Tor next Jeur's besring, which will
hing sn "n abundant crop next year
should the season prove favorable.
N"w AN over.uhuudunL crop Is often
"f ltile more value than q mode ate
crop in a year Of less abundance.
FaIncrs who treated their orchards
properly have apples 10 use and 70
sell this year when they bring good
prices, but Ihey began the treatment
AT least year ia advance. 4 great
many apple trees that stand in grass
are looking any thing but Furnishing
with cl"sc, matted top aud deal or
mossy branches. II the land under
such trees could he pIongh he'd aud the
tops judIcium,ly thlnncd out, and
plenty Of manure spread over the
gro nd, the trees would take new
start, and pussihly bear fair crop
next year. If all this should hc done,
most persons would give nearly all
tue credit to tue pIpu2hing. brcause
II il usually noticeable that trees
which are plO~ed around look much
healthier and produce far better crops
"i IrnIt than trees standing in grass.
II must he remembered, however.
that pionghed ground usually re.
crlvrs all the manure, while the grass
land gives up its annual crop without
the application Of any manure what
ever. Now, If We would apply ma.
uure as libralIy 10 the trees that
stand in the grass as TO those under
which W. Try - grow cultivated crops,
W should find that we could get
equally dnc fruit and in great aLun.
dance
The time to prepare for a crop Of
appIrs next year, that will be worth
picking aud Carrying to market is
now, before the ground freezes.
Spread heavy dressing of good
stable manure under such trees as are
worth saving, and dig up the poor
ones and cut them int Grcwood for
burning these cold winter evenings
which are soon coming Arter spread.
my, dra" heavy brush or drag
over The ground to crush the lunps
a.t spread the manure mure over
the entire area. and to press il close
Io"n 10 the suffice where the rains
and melting SHOWS will carry itdnwn
INTO the sull where the roots will fnd
It. Apple roots in grass run near
the surface anl will be reached hy
manure quicker than II all the roots
are destroyed 10y pInughing 10 tue
depth Of six or eight rucues.
We are not at this time arguing
against ploughing apple orchards,
tut do ask lhuse of our readers Who
are not prepared to plough under
their trees, To give the top dressing
ulal, even # II he only upon a few
trees Ia our own experience We
have been surprised 10 notice how
quickly tree will respond To manure
-pread upon the surface, even when
that surface j. in grass. The trim
ming out OF the over dense tops is
work that may be ,mncnce,l al any
time, aud continue through the win-
ter, as leisure is found. In thinning
out 1t will be better 10 take out many
small limbs by several cuts than TO
remove large ones Ivy cutting once
only. L1rge wounds do not heal as
readily, ard taking out large limbs
leaves the tree less we'll balanced.
The aim should I've TO dimini.h the
number Of fruit buds 10y thinning out
lhe sm III tNigs sud thus thinning The
huit alter IL IS formed. Mr.. Milman,
oi Marlboro', whose success has al
ready been alluded 10 in these coll
umns, cuts back quite freely With
light pruning shears, thus accomplish.
ing his object without making apv