Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-04
On Manning the Orchard.


Our government has lately issued 8
bulletin treating on how they manur q
orchard trees in different parts of the
world. In all the so-calIed fruit oOun-
tries manures are largely applied to or
chard trees without regard to the nat
ural richness of the land.
In Jamaica, according to this bulle-
tin. they attach cord to the trunk OF
the tree and then pass around marking a
circle Immediately under the outsrmost
ends of the extended branches. Here q
trench one foot wide and near two foot
deep is dug ont and filled with mix
ture of bone dust and weIl-rotted barn
yard or stable manure. The soil taken
out in digging the circular trench is
spread back over the manure. Next
year, when the branches of the tree
have extended further, another circular
trench is dug, outside of the first one,
and filed rs in the first case, it having
been located By q string attached to the
trunk Of the tree and carried around un-
der the outermOst ends of the limbs as
before. And thus the WORK of manur-
ing is kept up from year TO year 30 long
as the tree continues to spread. Under
this treatment Jamaica leads the world
~ fruits.
In California COW and other decom-
posed fertilizers are used. In setting
young trees IL circular hole is eXcavated
four feet in diameter ana three or four
feet deep, into the bottom of which o
four-inch layer of old cattls bones is
placed, on the top of this six inches of
clay, then another six inches of manure,
then layer of common soil upon which
the trees are set.
Asia Minor fertiliZes fruit trees liber-
ally by working the matter well into the
soil under the spread of the tree, in the
fall of every second year. The manurgs
are worked dow TO the depth of from
ten to twelve inches, care being taken
not to break any important roots of the
tree in the operation. Decomposed
stable or lot manures are the kinds used.
Palestine fertilizes trees after pretty
much the same plan Us resorted to by
Asia Minor, using the same kinds of
mauures.
Syria fertilizes heavily with goat
manure. using il manly as top dress
ing. The trees are under irrigation, and
banks are thrown up around them to pre-
vent water from carrying the manure
away. 1t is allowed to soak down among
inclines TO sandy.
Sidon applies goat manure same as
Syria.
Mentone employs barn manure mixed
with horn scrapings, once 10 every two
years. The mixture is placed on the
surface under the branches OF the tree.
Italy manures fruit trees in the winter
of every year. Stable manures are
worked into the ground and liquid ma
nures or sewerage poured over them in
the dry season.
Messina uses stable manure by placing
it in the rrigatng trenches aud allowing
the waters to carry its strength to the
trees in irrigation. Spring is considered
the best time for thus fertilizing. A few
leading orchardists have of late been ap-
plying sulphate of ammonia with appa-
rent good results.
Palermo considers alkaline substances,
of some character, OF great Importance
TO fruit trees. Growers formerly used
seaweed, mixed with the excrements of
horses, cows or stable Accommodations.
Fragments of dressed leather, wooden
rags, -crapings from horns, and certain
other remains of old or cast-off manufac-
turers, as well as decayed fruits, are ex-
tensivelv employed. The materials are
thoroughly composted and mixed before
using, after which the mass is dug in
in among the roots Of the trees.
The Azores depend largely upon green
manuring, sowing lupins and turning
them under. Barnyari manure is some
times worked in with the green lupins.
Spain manures orchard trees heavily
with almost every character of plant
food obtainable. leaving out all forms of
commercial mannres excepting. in some
instances, gu0uo. The manures are
buried in the soil under the trees within
the space covered by the extending
branches.