News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-09-11
FARM AND GARDEN.
How to Obtain Healthy Apple Orchards

Healthy orchards can only be obtained
from trees free from insects as we'll as
disease, properly planted, pruned and
cultivated. Among the most annoying
insects that infect the nursery, and from
there carried all over the country, are
the apple root plant louise, the woolly
louise of the apple, the oyster shell bark
louise and the borers. These are freely
introduced, especially by old nursery
stock, and once introduced it is almost
impossible to eradicate them from an Or
chard.
Eli Minch, Cumberland county, N. J.,
| in paper on apple culture, submitted
| to the New Jersey State Horticultural
| Society, gives directions how to obtain
healthy orchards. First, he advises
| that all trees from the nursery be e1-
amined, and if found infested with any
of the pests referred TO, either rid of the
same or burn. Dipping the trees in hot
water-from 100 10 $50 degrees Fahrer-
heit-according to Mr.. Minch, will kill
| the lice. The trees should be dipped
several times and cooled each time to
thoroughly rid them of the lice. Paris
green water may also be used at the rate
Of ore pound of Paris green to two hun
| dred gallons of water. An alkaline wash
of one pound of concentrated I've to
two gallons of water is advised for the
oyster shell bark louise, and the tree
carefully washed with a stiff brush.
When the borer is present it must be
taken out with knife.
The authority referred to advises that
for planting, trees be selected which
are grated as near the ground as pos.
sible: then the roots will be so much iu-
fiuenced by the graft that they will ap-
preach a Seeding in character. Trees
grown from gratis taken from bearing
trees of known vigor will bear easier,
make more satisfactory growth and
be more productive.
Crafts taken from the nursery rows
year after year make better growth of
wood, but the bearing qualities are al
ways sacrificed. A few varieties which
kill their roots or make weak ones, as
the brine sap and Rowie's Genet, should
be top-grafted on vigorous growing
stocks. All varieties do not take kindly
to each other when double-worked.
Straight grained easily rifted stocks,
like the Rocdstown pippin, should al
ways be used for top grating, and are
best whip grated five or six feet from
| the ground and the head formed as near
the union as possible.
Close topping the graft the first year
| in July will cause new branches to form
and if the tree is vigorous a beautifr
head will be formed. The grated stock
always exerts a marked influence upon
the growth, season of ripening, sjze,
| color and flavor of the fruit.
Plant apples that succeed in a soil
similar to yours. Transplanting is
safest in autumn, according to Mr..
Minch's observation and experience. He
recommends in all cases that the trees
be planted the same depth they grew in
the nursery, except on a hillside, when
a wash is probable, then set deeper, or
in hollow, where fill is possible, then
set not so deep. Cut off all broken roots
from the under side; cut the top back to
correspond with the roots lost in re-
moving.
In planting spread the roots out in all
directions equally, giving a preference
to the strongest roots northwest and
southeast, the directions of the strong
est winds. Fill up evenly and firm the
earth hard as possible around the tree.
Cultivate with any hoed crop, except
corn, for three or four years. In spring
planting, when the tree is nearly set,
pour pail of water around t, allow it
to settle, fill up and tread hard
In cold soils plant further apart than
in warm ones. Plant rapid growing
trees further apart than slow-growing
ones. A medium would be 90 feet or 80
trees per acre.