The National tribune., 1884-05-08
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
PIONEERING TREES FOR CITY PARKS.

We think that the most important trees for |
city parks are those which flower early in the /
season. In summer, when everything is bright |
and gay, a few flowers more or less, is matter I
of but small moment, but plants which will |
dot the landscape with flowers even before late !
SHOWS have departed are doubly welcome |
Among the best of early Towering shrubs, or |
rather small trees, are the Chinese magnolias, |
which become covered with flowers before their |
leaves appear OF these the finestare Magnolia
c0nSpicua, III. purpureo IL. SoulalgeanG and II. |
LelHe. The last named is a fine large dark /
purple flower, and has the habit of blooming at
intervals during the summer. The double |
towering varieties of the peach tree, although |
not particularly ornamental as trees are still I
unsurpassed when in flower; the white variety
is the whitest of flowers, and contrasts finely
with the dark crimson form Then, the double
Towering cherries follow close upon the peach
there are several of these, some midouble
varieties being very conspicuous. The weep
ing cherry is also worthy of attention. it is a
slender branched. dropping plant, which bios
SONS profusely The plums are also represented
by several semi-double Towering varieties
which are very fioriferous. The dogwood and
the Judas tree are native plants, which fringe
the borders of woods and enliven them with
masses OF flowers, and admit of being freely in-
troduced in parks and pleasure grounds. Fol-
lowing these the tamarisk displays its beauti- ]
fui plume-like branches covered with pinklsh
flowers, and is not so often planted as its
merits would seem to demand. With regard to
the magnolias, they appear best as single de-
tached plants. The dogwood, Judas tree, and
the wild plulns, as also their double Towering
forms, should be planted in groups of several
plants. so as to be effective when in the flower
ering state.
DRAINING LANDS TO EXTEND THE GROWING
SEASON.
co far cryoar aytractior rrac noncarnaJ tho
sorghum crop was failure over large portion
OF the country the past season. The cause is
conceded to have been the prolonged wetness
of the season, especially during the planting
period, which made the cropping late and much
OF the first planting rotted instead Of germinat-
ing, because of the low temperature of the SOIL
When the objects and results of draining lands
become better understood, we will find sorghum
growers availing themselves of its advantages
Sorghum seed will not grow in cold soil; those
who have made experiments state that the soil
should show ffty-tWo degrees of heat before
the seed is planted. One of the first advantages
derived from draining soil is that of rendering
1t warmer; wet soils are proverblaliy cold, just
as dry soils are warm. Frost viii not enter so
deeply into dry soil as it will do where the
soil is wet, hence it happens that on a drained
soil the first few warm sunny days remove the
frost and the soil is ready for the plow, while
on undrained lands weeks may elapse before
the sun evaporate the moisture after which
days must elapse before the heat of the sun
penetrates and warns the ground. The limit
of sorghum culture can be measureably ex-
tended by draining the land difference of
three weeks is not uncommon in the seeding of
drained soils in advance Of those not drained,
and this is sufficient to make the important
difference between q failure and a success.
Draining lands is no new, untried or expert
mental operation; on the contrary. its benefits
II
nected with the cultivation of plants, and when
intensive farming becomes a necessity in this
country, as it undoubtedly will, sooner or later,
draining will have to be resorted to in order to
insure the best results.
DWARF PEAR TREES.
The dwarf pear is not so popular as it was
twenty years ago, and yet we know of no valid
reason why it should not be. True, many fail
ures have been noted, but perhaps not more
than could be related concerning all kinds of
orchard culture. We have always been partial
to the culture of dwarf pears; and they are par
ticularly adapted TO small gardens and city
yards, and never fail In giving entire satisfac-
ton if the varieties are properly selected. The
primary object in grating the pear on the
ounce is to induce the early fruiting of the pear
by checking the tendency TO wood growth, and
as all varieties of the pear are not equally Wig
orous, it happens that the less luxuriant kinds
root, and are weakened by the process to an
undue extent Such varieties are Duchess
d. Angouleme, Louis bonnie de Jersey, Howell,
Vicar of WINFIELD, Flemish Beauty, Beurre
d'Anjou, Easter Beurre, Dix, Columbia and
others which might be named, are invariably
brought TO a fruiting state much earlier when
grated on the ounce than they Will be when
grated on pear roots. The ounce thriyes best
in moist, rich soil, and with pears grated on
them they succeed best when kept cultivated
in rich soil. And when placed in good soil, we
know of nothing in fruit culture more interest
ing and satisfactory for the amateur than a
few dwarf pear trees
SELECTING AND PLANTING TREES.
In selecting fruit trees, or any other kind of
trees. for planting, novices will usually select
the largest and strongest they can find: but
these are not the most likely to transplant WELL
and their future success Will depend very much
upon the reduction of the shoots and branches
so that a smaller tree of stocky growth, which
will lift with better roots and not require so
close cutting down of the branches, will be the
better tree at the end of couple of years
/ growth. Indeed, trees that show strong
growth in the nursery usually have far-reach-
ing roots which cannot be secured and COM
paratively but few of them can be saved, so
that the bulk of the top has to be removed at
! the time OF planting, in order to get the plant
diseased trees or unhealthy trees, but trees
! which have made only moderate growt tbs in
ordinary good soil. A frequent mistake in tree
| planting is that of setting them too deep.
/ When holes are eighteen inches or so in depth
! there will be considerable settling down of the
! fresh soil, so that ample allowance should be
made for this settling. In all but the poorest
sandy soils the neck of the tree should be
| rather above than under the level of the
| ground.
| pULvERIZATIoN OF THE SOIL.
The following experiment made by the editor
! of the Lire Stock journal shows the great inn
portance of the thorough pulyerizati0n Of the
| soil: We once experimental by hauling
| twenty-fonr large loads of the best manure
| upon two acres Of clay-loam land, had it well
| cultivated into the soil, which had been worked
in the ordinary way, but was somewhat lunpy.
This and the adjoining two acres were to be
sown to corn for fodder Upon the other two
acres no manure was put, but it was plowed
and cultivated till the soil, four inches deep,
was as fine as q garden bed. One and halt
bushels of corn were drilled per acre upon each
/ piece, drills sixteen inches apart. When this
corn was in blossom and ready to cut the un-
manured two acres stood eighteen inches higher
| than the MANFRED piece. On selecting two
sample rods in different places upon each piece,
cutting the green corn, and carefully weighing
it, the MANFRED piece gave 275 pounds per rod
and the unmanured, but finely pulveriZed
gave $50 pounds per rod-the manured giving
| twenty-five tons per acre, and the other twenty.
eight tons per acre. The cost of extra working
| was $3.50 per acre. Could there be any doubt