The National tribune., 1885-08-20
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
THE CULTIVATION OF ORCHARDS.

Aspeaker at a recent meeting of the California
State Horticultural Society is reported to have
said that an orchard that had been cdlti-
waited for 10 years had not borne, and where
there ought to have been a thousand boxes of
apples there would not be hatful, while an
other orchard that had never had any care
whatever, and had never been plowed, had
fine crop of healthy, fine apples.
With regard to cultivation, it must be judi
cious if at all. 1t will not do to cultivate in
such a manner as to injure the bodies of the
trees, nor destroy the roots by the use of the
pillow, for then the energies Of Nature would be
put forth in an effort to repair the injury, and
there would be no energy employed in the pro-
duction of fruit. There is nothing especially
remarkable in the fact of good crop Of fruit
in an uncultivated orchard. If there is sutfi-
Gent soil food to satisfy the demands of grow
will be fully developed; but unless such con-
dition exists one or the other must suffer, and
it is more likely to be the fruit
A very good way. and which we have noticed
in the fruit-growing regions of Western New
York, is to pasture orchards by sheep or hogs.
Perhaps the latter are preferable, because of
their disposition to stir the soil about the trees.
In this way good fruit is obtained. a fact that
should be considered by fruit growers who are
troubled with insects and especially the codling
moth, which is especially destructive to fruit.
If an orchard is pastured by sheep or swine,
the fruit that is attacked and in consequence
falls to the ground with the apple worm at its
core is devoured by the animals, and in little
time the moth will be no more. 1t is for this
reason that fruit becomes fair and smooth rather
than because the soil is so firmly trodden by the
animals so as prevent the entrance of the lar
we into the soil for the purpose OF transforma-
ton. We have seen orchards side by side, one
with swine and bearing plentiful and smooth
crop, the other not pastured with poor crop of
very poor fruit. This shows what can be done
to improve fruit.-GeTmantoW Telegraph.
KINDNESS TO HORSES
The value of our noblest animal the horse
depends much more upon kind treatment than
is supposed. 1t We go upon our busiest streets
in cities, or upon the most Travelled road In the
country, we shall soon see such treatment of
this faithful servant as shows how utterly
ignorant many of the drivers are of his nature
and how to best profit by his labor. They
have no more comprehension of the horse than
to suppose that his best effort can only be
obtained by the whip. In this respect the
horse is much wiser than his driver. One who
has studied this animal can see at once that the
horse only makes pretense of doing his best.
He knows he is abused, and takes his own way
to get even with his ignorant. brutal driver.
The horse is capable of strong attachment. and
will always do his best for the driver that has
gained his confidence by kindness. The whip
is seldom used by such driver. His word is
all his horses need. Balky and unreliable
horses are nearly always made so by bad and
vicious drivers. We have owned horses that
would draw the last pound for a kind driver,
but who would not draw the empty wagon for
one who had abused them.-NGt. Lire Stock
Journal.
Shooting HORSES.
On light soils that are free from stones, horses
may generally go unshod without injury. 1t
is probably too sudden an innovation to stop
shOeing horses under all circumstances at pre-
sent, but no doubt a colt which has run without
shoes for two years. might still go on without
them and not suffer. A light shoe without
ealks to protect the crust of the shoof from
breaking, and put on without ever cutting the
frog, leaving that to wear naturally, would
answer every desirable purpose where shoes are
necessary. There are light steel shoes made
with projecting blunt spurs, that give secure
foothold, and are better for the horse than the
common roughly made, heavy iron Ones which
are often ignOrantly set.
NoTELErs.
If your blacksmith insists upon burning
your horses feet says the National Stockmcn, in
order to make the shoes fit, hunt another far
rier at once The horseshoer who will do such
a thing is either eli ignoramus or is too lazy to
do his work as it should be done.
- The grain is aot all of the corn crop. The
fodder is one of the most valuable portions, and
should always be considered in estimating the
value of the crop.
Choose for Matching the largest and best
shaped eggs from the best layers.
= Few realize that grass is one of the most
important of farm crops.
= In all cases cows should be MIXED regu-
larly and stripped clean.
- Grow variety of crops, and not put all
your eggs in one basket.
When you get good cow keep her and
raise her heifer calves.
= Horses that cough should never be given
dry and dusty food.
"A little sulphur in their food occasionally
win keep lice from fowls
Don't plant more acres than you can cul-
tivate thoroughly.
On small farms where few pigs are kept
a great advantage will be gained by planting
a number of pumpkin seeds in the corn rows
after the corn has been worked. Quite large
and cheap crop may be secured In this man
ner and the pigs will grow much faster on a
mixed vegetable diet than they will on corn
alone.
There is too much waste land on our farms.
The fence corners are too much given to briers
and weeds. All these waste places should be
cleaned up, and made to produce their share
towards keeping off hard times.
As soon rs pastures fail, some provision
should be made for extra feed, as the milk
yield once decreased, is not brought quite up
to the old standard, even with the best OF feed
ing Whatever diminishes the yield even for
a day becomes thus an injury during the entire
season.
- Manure adds to the productiveness of the
land as soon as applied; but all the substance
is not used up in one season. Season after sea-
son the crops are materially benefited by sim
gle application of a good fertilizer.
1t is WELL in sailing stock, to be careful
that some of the animals do not get more than
is good for them. Too much salt will give rise
to ScourS.
XAg u MI "a m