The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-02-12
TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM
Farm Notes.

T
pruning orchard trees, induces lis to recur
: once more to the subject, to show that no
} fixed or blind rule can be adopted, applica
cable alike to all conditions. The effect of
reducing the branches. or of cutting them
back, is most conspicuously shown in
/, young trees, and most of all in those
which are newly transplanted. A newly
set tree, which has it's shoots shortened to
counterbalance the necessary mutilation
Of roots, will be improved or accelerated
in growth if this pruning is done in spring
before the buds begin to open but it will
be seriously checked if the work is done
later
The effect thus exhibited in young trees
shows the principle which governs growth
in larger trees connected with pruning at
the different times. 1t is most strikingly
exhibited in all newly transplanted trees
most of all in young cherry trees, which are
severely checked by summer pruning and
often killed by it; and least of all in peach
trees, which have more power to recoye
from any check given, but even these
should not be pruned in summer, unless
the work is slightlydone, or unless in trees
of great vigor of growth, where some
check will do them no harm, or sparingly
in young nursery trees to reduce them to
shape.
The most common difference of opinion
among orchardists, is in relation to pruning
bearing trees. There is sufficient mass in
large trees to supply growth to new shoots
| with less check than in smaller trees, and a
rule commonly adopted is to prune in June
when the wounds will soonest heal over.
and there will be less of oxidation of sapA
This rule will answer for such trees as are
growing rapidly, land which will bear some
check, but it does not always leave the
tree in the best condition. But it is not
adapted to trees Of slow or feeble growth
| The same principle controls growth in
large trees as in newly set young trees,
as already explained, although less in de-
gree.
The summer wound may heal over soon
est, but it does not always leave the tree IN
the best condition. Experiments made
some years ago, by cutting off limb in
every month, showed after a growth of
five years. by cutting into each, that the
central wood was least decayed in thetrees
which were pruned in February and
March, and most so in those cut in June
and July, The winter-made wounds dried
and hardened best. This experiment is
easily repeated and it may give useful in
formation to orchardists if oftener tried
But it should be remembered that in all
such experiments that heavy pruning at
one time is never desirable.
VALUE OF Cow MANURE-Cow man.
ure is to be valued by the food consumed,
and not by the nature of the animal.
When COWS are well fed the manure is
richer, as a matter of course than when
COWS are fed on straw. Straw fed manure
is poorer than the straw: but manure made
from clover hay, bran and oil cake meal is
worth yearly nearly as much as the food is
in money. A cord of COW manure weighs
from three to three and half tons, and
if the COWS are well fed may easily be
worth from 81 to $40. But again the value
of manure varies with the value of land,
which depends upon the nearness of mar
ket and the prices of produce, and this
must be taken into account. Where land
is worth 800 to 5000 an acre good manure
is worth from 81 to So load. A proportion
ate reduction should be made where land is
cheaper.
CULTIVATION OF YOUNG ORCHARDS
When young trees are first planted it is
better to cultivate the ground with some
crop that needs manuring and working of
the SOIL Potatoes, roots, beans, cabbage,
early sweet corn, and other cultivated
crops only should be grown, alternated by
clover fed off from the ground. After a
double succession Of these crops the trees
WILDE in bearing condition, and should
have the whole ground. clover only being
grown for feeding or left to die down upon
the soil.
A COW kept by herself will give better
results than the same COW in herd with
others. The single COW will be better
fed, and more important point, so far as
butter making is concerned, will be the
fact that nearly all the butter will be got
from the cream, which is never the case
when the milk ard cream from herd of
COWS are mixed before churning. Owing
to difference in the size in the butter glob-
ules the milk from COWS varies largely in
the time required to bring the butter
ITEMs.-Showy fruits are the best for
market.
Do not allow water to stand about fruit
trees.
Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer for
small fruits.
In fattening poultry give them all the
corn they will eat.
Cheap corn i'll the West means large
outfit of fat hogs.
Hay is used as fuelin Dakota to generate
steam for threshing grain.
Sugar NAPLES should never be pruned in
the Spring. The fall is the time.
There are o, 200, 900 head of cattle In the
States west Of the Mississippi river.
Cat breeding is becoming an industry as
the skins can be used to line cloaks.
Buttermilk is in great demand by CITY
people 1t is undoubtedly very healthy.
Sixty million pounds of cheese have been
exported from Montreal the present sea-
son.
California farmers are endeavoring to
use negro laborers in preference to the,
Chinese.
English walnuts come from Naples
and France-Grenoble walnuts are we'll
known.
Nebraska farmers are learning that fat
tening stock-pays better than wheat rails
ing.
Beef is twice as dear as it was twenty
live years ago while the price of wheat is
about the same.
M1TVl9T16 and Niro,;, win