The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-03-07
FARM sGAED|EN


pdrtS Oh Tue COuuITy, particularly hoh e'o
magnificent frlit-bearing lake region that
the apples and peaches are all killed by freez-
ing. They are dead and done for, 1t Is said.
Instead Of apples rotting upon the ground,
being fed to hogs, or being made into cider,
which hardens and makes temperance farm
ers drunk, there will, alas! be not apples
enough to 60 round next season. Nothing Is
ever Just right. 1t is either too much or too
little.
But there are always cancellations. In the
first place it is probably not so bad with the
fruit as rumor makes it. We farmers like to
croak. One Of our rural acquaintance pre-
diets every year regularly that there won't
be any fruit at all next season, and at least
half the time he is wrong. While fruit may
be scarce in some sections there will un-
doubtedly be enough in Others to even it up
moderately at any rate. This is big coun-
try.
A western paper finds consolation for the
winter killed apples and peaches in the
thought that now for once, at any rate, or
charis will get good trimming and pruning.
Farmers are 80 afraid Of hurting the fruit
buds, it Is said, that they will not apply the
knife or the AK as much as needed, in ordin-
ary wears. This year, however, there will be
no fear of that, so that the orchardist may
slash about at will. The man who offers us
this consolation is a genuine Mark Tapley,
who would be jolly under all circumstances.
But there is one respect in which the croak-
ers are right. 1t Is truly becoming more and
more difficult and uncertain, year by year,
to produce large and reliable fruit returns.
In the west IL there are moderate crops
three wears out Of five, the agriculturist
thinks he has no right to complain. That,
too. at the very time when apples in par-
tics,lar are demanded in larger and larger
quantities every year. The American apple
is shipped TO Europe in vast and increasing
amount. Over there among the old mon
arches they are just beginning to find out
how good It is. Our apples are following in
the track Of our beef and mutton 1.-THE Ameri-
can farmer pays attention to the growth OF
apples, selecting the best varieties, giving
them the best methods OF culture, then learn
ing how to pack them, so that prime article
on this side of the water will be in prime con-
iition when it reaches the other, our orchards
will in time become a mine OF wealth Moth
ing is more certain than that
Again, the free use Of fruit as an article OF
diet is beginning TO be appreciated as invalu-
able in hygienic point OF view. Plenty OF
apples of the best quality save disease and
doctors bills But at this very time orchards
must begin to fail ON our hands. New insects
come down upon the fruit Hike wolf on the
Told. The country is cleared up Of forests,
and there Is nothing in the woods for them
to live On. So they attack our orchards
One Of the latest Of these is filthy little
wretch called the apple maggot. 1t tunnels
an apple through and through dozen times,
leaving behind it track Of vile, dark ex-
retae. The fly of this creature comes in
July, and lays several eggs in the infant ap-
Die. In August and September the worm be-
rims to bore and ruins the fruit. This worm
8 a footkss ilaggot, with a pointed black
aesd. Il threatens to dsvastate whole sec
aons Of country.
Tho best preventive Of this and other in
,ect pasts Is to turn hogs into the orchard
and let them root at will and eat apples,
maggots and coddling moth worms The swine
should be turned IN as soon as the apples
be1in to fall, and allowed to run all through
the time of windfall. Two OF three years OF
this will cure almost Q desperate case OF
wormy orchard. 1t Is around the stem Of the
aso that the pests lurk most in the hidden
form. Manure, dead leaves, etc, should b
rsksd away from immeiliate3y around the
trunk AMI the base Left bare, so our friends
thp pigs will have fres accesL
Again, another Cause Of failing orchards Is
that the soil b exhausted II is an admirable
way to SOW old Wchs1yls in red clover, and
let the kogs pasture that 1t viii bring up
the fruit BEARING qualities rapidly. Too free
,se Of barn yard manure Ichens the wood
and leaves at tho expense Of the fruit Bone
dust il recommended b mix with the manure,
but lime and wood ashes are excellent and do
DOT cost much. The only old orchards that
Weld fair returns are those that are cultivated
and fertiliSed In blowing be careful not to
strike deep enough to injure the roots. IL is
4 mistake to put the fertilizer close 10 the
trunk 1t should 10 scattered around few
feet away, 80 that the rootlets may imbibe it.
The best time to pillow is III the fall. We
know Of an old orchard that seemed almost
worthless. Its owner plowed it and MANFRED
auil cultivated the land thoroughly for two
years, and pruned it well, and the result was
the third year heavy crop Of apples
We shall have something more to say about
planting and pruning