The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-04-10
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
MANuR1sG ORCHARDS.

yield the best crops everywhere, and nowhere /
can fine fruits be produced on poor soils. This |
seems easy to understand, and yet the majority |
of orchards throughout the country are suffer |
ing for want of manure. 1t is a common opin-
ion that trees arc more liable to blight on rich
lands than they on poor lands AN opinion
which we do not hold, for the worst blighted
orchards we have seen Were very poor |
ground. We doubt very much ii the nature
OF the soil has anything to do with the blight
on pear and apple trees. On the other hand
whether orchard is profitable or otherwise
depends mostly upon the character of the SOIL
And yet we have seen pear orchard which
was very Improbable, although its owner spared
no expense in manures for it. On making a
personal visit we found plows at work making
deep burrows close up ON all sides of the trees,
thus cutting off all roots as soon as formed but
the owner did not attribute his want of success
to that, which was the main, or perhaps the
only, cause of failure.
When fruiting trees are not able to produce
a fair crop OF fair fruit and do not, at the same
time, make from eighteen inches to two feet OF
growth on the main shoots it is evidence that
the soil needs enriching or cultivation, or both
for it may be enriched by topsressing without
cultivation. If the orchard is in grass, a top
coating of twenty tons to the acre of good barn
yard stable manure spread over it i'll spring
will help to enrich it; or if one ton of bone
meal to the acre is applied it will induce yigor
of growth. If the orchard is in cultivation. the
manure should be lightly plowed under, and
the surface kept clean and stirred during sum-
mer. One thing is certain, that fine fruits can
only be had from rich lands
SOMETHING OF A HEDGE.
In recently published work on woods and
forests in Scotland, we find a notice OF re-
markable beech hedge which is described as
being one of the arboreal wonders of the world.
Mo bfadu
trimmed, reach an average height of about
eighty feet, and the length of the hedge is $50
yards. Throughout its entire length the hedge
is as compact and perfect as it could possibly
be, and appears as great arboreous wall, shut
ting out everything behind ii and extending
| as far as the eye can reach. The hedge is be-
lieved to have been planted in the year 1916.
1t is well authenticated that persons employed
in the preparations for planting this hedge left
the work TO take part in the battle OF Culioden,
which was fought in 1915. The hedge bears
evidence of having been annually trimmed for
| the first forty or fifty years For about twenty
| years afterwards the trees appear to have been
| allowed to grow wild, until their branches be-
| came an obstruction to the highway. For the
/ last fifty years the hedge has been reeu arly
cut once in tive or six years on the side next
the road The pruning is a work of no ordi
nary labor and difficulty. a ladder about forty
/ feet high, supported on four wheels, admits Of
cutting the branches with pole knives to a
height of about fifty feet. Up this point the
work is comparatively easy, but beyond that
height there is not little difficulty and danger
The operators climb to as near the top as pos
/ sibe, fasten themselves to strong branch by
means of belts round their waists, and with
/ light, sharp knives on poles they can reach to
| q height of seventy five feet. which is as high
| as can be trimmed with safety. Every tree Is
| in perfect health, and altogether the hedge is
\ ind iS%-
| ence.
IVY AS HOUSE PLANT.
/ In Europe the ivy is associated with old
ruins venerable churches, castles. and the rural
| cottage. As an outdoor plant in this country
| it is only a partial success. Cur hot suns and
Ielong periods of drouth in most parts of the
| country, and severe frosts In other parts, pre-
| vent it from permanent luxuriance, although
it may occasionally be seen In rampant,
healthy growth. lis, however, much esteemed
as house plant, for which purpose it is well
adapted, as it keeps its color well even when
quite shaded. 1t viii also thrive well in the
sun if supplied with plenty OF water. box
of ivy on the outside sill of a window viii hang
down ike mantle; inside, it may be trained
over the window with fine effect We lately
saw a beautiful arrangement of ivy trained
over the walls of a parlor; the plants were set
in neatmarble vases standing on pedestals, and
were led on small copper wire strings over the
doors and window frames; these wires were
supported by neat brass eyelets screwed at
intervals in the framework. In this arrange
ment the whole could readily be fastened and
removed to the open air. or set out and fastened
| to porch for two or three months during
summer, which is good for the plants Cuttings
| of ivy strike roots very freely tho end of a
shoot stuck into bottle of water will make
roots and grow for long time If the
| water is changed at least once week. Healthy
| ivy plants use up great quantity OF water, and
they should never be allowed to become very
dry, so long as they are healthy and making
growths.
BEST STOCK Fer GEORGIA.
Col Richard Peters, who has farm near
Atlanta, Georgia has been experimenting for
years past SO TO decide upon the best breeds
of farm animals. After a trial of Durhams
whiee he found untitled, he purchased Deyons
which proved to be AS Improbable as the Dur
hams. After trying the Holstein, Brahmin,
aud crosses of these and other breeds he aban-
doned all of them and commenced to breed q
stock OF Jerseys After a thorough test he
pronounces the Jersey cow as decidedly the
best for his land, and believes that the Georgia
| climate is better for them than that of the Isle
| of Jersey.
In the matter of hogs, the White Chester
was tried and abandoned, and after going
through the list Of Poland Chinas, Sufolks, Nea-
politans and Prince Alberts, he came to tho con.
cluson that the best black hog he could get was
what he needed. He bought largely of the Berk-
shires. These took on fat rapidly, bred well, and
proved hardy, but they soon developed into
carnyorous beasts, and slaughtered his chick.
ems lambs kids and eat up their OWE
young They soon developed wild streak
which made them unmanageable, and they ran
| away into the woods and swamps. He finally
imported Essex hogs; they proved quiet, and
!, produced meat at far less cost per pound than
other hogs, and suit him exactly.
Col. Peters has also made many experiments
with sheep. He tried the Southdown sheer
first, and after that the Cotswold, but neither
of them tbriyed at his farm. He then turned
his attention to the Oxforddewns, and after.
wards TO the Leicesters. and again to the French
Merinos The Spanish Merinos were also tried
bat he gave up heep-breeding mainly because
he could fill his range more proftably with
Angora goats.
With regard to chickens he pronounees the
Plymouth Rocks as the best he had ever tried
and those he raises exclusively.
HANGING BASKETS FOR PLANTS.
Il We think that this method of growing plant.
is not 50 fashionable as it was several year,
ago indeed, the plan was never very com
mendable, and probably grew out of the popu
larity oe the culture of orchids or air plants
And yet we have seen hanging baskets o.
plants which were very beautiful. The pre-
valing error is that of endeavoring TO stuff tot
many plants in a small space, and oftentimes
the kinds not well fitted for association