The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-06-10

much for them. You might then hap
pen to hear something like the following
lines in sick tone of voice from some
corner of your orchard, (if you are neg
lectful planter
l stand here suffering,
In my youthful days,
Those who me neglect and scorn,
Should not an apple taste.
During long dry spells of the weather
in spring and early summer, is the time
| when, probably thousands of trees are
kept at stand still, and not growing
simply as consequence, of the neglect
| of proper planting. The first thing to be
done while TRANSFORMING trees of any
description, is to examine the roots and cut
| back all bruised ends with sharp knife
New rootlets will then sprout out, help
to feed aud keep the top of the tree Gf
| not too large) growing. At the same time
| while you have the tree in your hand,
| shorten the top or branches to cores
| pond with the loss of roots; cut the sur
plus shoots off entirely. If the tree is
fork shaped remove tue weakest of the
two and set the remaining one leaning to
| the southwest and such tree may be-
| come as good as any other and cannot
| split as crutched or forked trees some
times will during storms or from over
bearing. If your land is hard and not
| deeply cultivated, you can with safety
. make the holes fit. in diameter and 2
feet deep. Should the soil be deep and
loose, holes may be made smaller, but
always large enough so that roots can be
| placed in natural position. Get as much
topsoil as possible (well pulverizad)
around and between the roots.
| WbtIa 1inpipo IoIao tbo -, I'll
on one side of the hole and the subsoi
on the other. On low land that cannot
be well drained, it is advisable, to dig
holes more shallow, the trees can be
banked up so as to stand more out of
the cold and wet, but in every case the
upper roots should be at least 2 inches
under the ground. The next important
| thing after trees are well set is mulching;
this is best done with course manure, or
rotten chips, laid around the tree about
5 inches deep, a little wider than the hole
is dug, but not quite to the bark of the
tree. Such covering makes the earth
retain moisture much longer, and pre-
vents the surface from cracking open.
! Then comes stalking; by driving in 2 or
still better B stakes, to which fasten tree
with some material, to keep it from
| swaying to and fro by the wind, and
| working loose before the roots have tax
en- good hold in the ground. By follow
| ing above we can raise fruit with less
| trouble than we can corn Or potatoes;
but in the first place we must have sound
| trees of such hardy varieties as will stand
our Northern climate. If you should
| have tree or trees that are at stand
still or not growing, up to the first part
Of June dout give up hope, shorten
branches throughly, keep good mulch
| ing around them and pour on a little
water evenings, in continuous dry wealth
| er; should any fail to grow by the first
of July, remove all branches, by so do
| ing [ have saved trees in my orchard
that would otherwise have died. 1t is
| well to put on some thick paint or any
| thing that will exclude the rain and at
| mosphere when limbs are cut off.
P. S. Having brought sound and
| hardy trees into more than $50 homes
| this spring and given reliable directions
| for planting with the same, have good
reasons for writing these lines, as at this
time 0ast of May over four weeks after
| delivering, find that great part of the
trees are set, without using even half
common sense in planting. But my
trees had unusually good roots and were
full of life when delivered, so that even
those that have the worst chance are as
it seems struggling Gin this dry weather.
to keep alive. Hoping these lines may
be read by different parties where they
may do some good 1 shall make close
at present. thinking it is our duty to do
| our best in whatever we undertake and
! l. l-,.,~
we a not ourselves to blame.
@ q d