The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-28
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
REMOVING w1NrER-k1LLEp sHoors.

REMOVING WINTER KILLED SHOOTS.
After ordinary winters in the Northern States,
and after unusually severe winters in the South
ern States there is always more or less destruc-
ton of young and unripened growths; especially
if preceded by genial fall weather. which has
prevented maturity of wood growth Such
tender growths, when overtaken by frost,
shriyel and die, and are apt to communicate
disease to other portions of the plant. 1t is a
question whether this condition of injury from
freezing does not lay the foundation for many
yirnlent outbreaks of diseases in plants, such
AS yellows in the peach, which we have long
considered as originating in the freezing of
immature growtlls. In all eases of this class of
injuries it is of vital Importance TO cut out all
! the injured shoots 1t is announced that the
| severe freezing of last month has injured many
of the orange and lemon trees of the Gulf
| States. Large quantities of young nursery
| trees have been killed almost to the ground,
and wherever succulent growths occurred on
! old trees they have also been destroyed 1t is
| of much consequence to the future health OF
! these frost bitten plants that every inch of in
| jured growth be removed at once before active
| growth again begins. This will not of course,
| be done as general rule; some far-seeng and
experienced growers will doubtless attend to
this work at once. but the majority Of orange
| trees will receive no such care. In this event
we may expect to hear, IN the course of a year
or two, great complaints of injury from the
| scale insects i'll orange groves; for it is well
/ known that when trees of amy kind become
even slightly diseased they are specially liable
/ TO insect and fungod attacks. In the Northern
States attention should be given to pruning out
all dead and dying branches of roses as well as
OF other shrubs which may have been injured
/ by the winter. The tips of many varieties of
raspberries suffer from freezing; these should
be removed, cutting them down until sound
wood is reached. We have seen raspberry
plantations severely injured by neglecting to
remove the frozen ends of the fruiting canes or
shoots.
FOREST TEES AND FLOODS.
The recent freshets which have entailed so
/ much destruction over a large portion of the
/ country, and which seem to be increasing in
/ frequency as well as in their intensity from
year to year, may be well traced in a great
measure TO the removal of trees and cutting
down of forests 1t needs but little of prophetic
power to enable us TO foretell that instead of
diminishing, these floods must become more
marked as the forests are removed from the
face of the country. This is so plainly mat
ter of cause and effect that there is no room for
doubt as to the consequences which must fol-
low the removal of vegetation The natural
| forests serve as a check to the rapid flow of
| rainfall TO the lowest points. When rain de-
sends on a forest it is slowly conveyed by the
branches and in the case of pines and other
eyergreens, by the leaves to the lower growths of
] shrubs and covering of leaves and mould on the
surface Of the ground, which gradually absorbs
the water and allows it TO penetrate the earth,
| where it ramifies in the subsoil strata and APP
pears at points in never-iailing springs This
is the natural result of rainfalls in forests But
when land is cleared of all vegetation and the
rain descends upon the bare fields, the waters
rush at once TO the lowest points. and the chan
nels which formerly sufficed to carry off the
| water from extensive areas when weeks were
required for its finding the lowest points, are
| now utterly unable to contain it when it ae-
cumlates In a few hours, and its irresistible
force carries everything before it that may
tend to impede its course.
How this is to be ramedied or stopped is per-
picking question. 1t is doubtful if any laws
can be framed Or executed that would compel
a farmer to plant trees ON fields which he had
cleared at much expense for the purpose Of
raising grain and other crops The evil is too
far-reaching ever TO be remedied in that way
The widening and Strengthening of rivers and
their tributaries might be feasible One lesson
ought to be learned, and that is not to build
houses of any kind or lay ont cities in river
bottoms; this has already been carried to a
| fatal extent.
PREPARATION FOR SPRING PLANTING TREES
In some parts of the country visited by THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE it viii seem rather early
planting SO far as concerns field operations In
other portions the tree planting period is not
so remote; but the advice is equally applicable
that, where tree planting is contemplated the
holes should be prepared as soon as the ground
viii admit. 1t is Of vast utility TO have the
soil well pulverized in which plants are grown :
this mechanical condition of soils is almost
ignored by our writers ON chemistry, who un-
derrate its value because it does not enter into
their laboratory Investigations and therefore
| they cannot be blamed for their ignorance of
its importance in plant growth. IF holes can
be prepared during mild intervals, and after
wards have the benefit of freezing weather. the
soil will be disintegrated and pulverized to a
depth dependent upon the severity of the frost
| The soil removed from the holes viii also be
/ rendered friable and brought TO a condition of
fineness specially fitted for working in among
the roots of the trees when they are planted
1t viii also be of advantage to turn the soil
over q few times for its better pulverization
Failures in spring planting are much induced
by the unequal temperatures of the soil and at
mospEere, the latter becoming sooner heated
than the soil; this exeites the branches to
grow before the roots become active therefore
anything that tends to warm the soil is so far
conducive TO success.
THE BEST FERTILIZER.
DR.. Nichols, of Boston, says that after IN
experience Of nearly quarter CT century in
dn farm, he mas
reached the conclusion that the growth of our
fruits and most of our cereal crops, is best
promoted by the use of fertiIizing mixture
made up OF Underground fresh bones and good
wood ashes. His method of preparing it is to
take six barrels of pure raw bone -four and
twelve of good wood ashes and mix them well
together upon shed floor, adding during the
mixing twenty buckets Of water and one barrel
of gypsum or plaster. This mixture may be
allowed to stand a few weeks, or it may be
used at once If needed. If permitted to stand
long, it heats from chemical action and the
freed ammonia is in part fixed as a sulphate
by the plaster, but not all of it, For fruits of
| every kind he knows of no better fertilizing
material and as it supplies every needed ele-
ment OF nutrition its effects are remarkably
persistent and immediate DIR. Nichols also
states that wood ashes are often adulterated.
he bought one lot from Canada which con-
tanned, by analysis nine per cent. of potash. but
the next lot had less than four per cent. He
regards the discovery of the Strassfurth potash
salts as providential. In kainit there is so large
a proportion of common salt that it is apt to
kill grass. The ehlorides of potash may be
mixed with phosphates and nitrate of soda and
extended with humus, SO as to form composts
closely resembling concentrated stable manure.
HARDY HERBAcEoUs PERENNIALs.
We find that many persons have no very
clear idea as to the kind of plants which COM
Drse those that are known nv tha above 7ecio