The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-05
FARM, FIELD, GARDEN.
For Extra Large Fruit Vitality
Of Trees Is Sacrificed.
KEEPING THE SOIL FERTILE.
yalue ~ Diasrsns Grasses II Ylavsring
Better Cslssrs Of sAs
Grape.

Butter Culture Of TIE
0rsPe.
The cause Of the blights to peaches may
be primarily In the soil and climate, but
from my own experience and observation
am inclined to think that our methods
Of propagating the trees have much to do
with the evil. There IL no doubt but
budded fruit is always extra fine, and gen.
orally superior in size and quality to the
seedlings, and It is due TO this fact that
bndded fruit is extensively cultivated.
But there il . great deal lost in extending
this system too generally. Everything Is
done to make the fruit finer and larger,
such As stimulating the trees to greater
growth, thinning out the fruit, and head
ing in the tree. No tree could stand such
treatment without having its entire nature
changed, and q such our peach trees have
come to be very different trees from those
Of City years ago.
We now hear Of trees dying very young
sitter they have yielded heavy crops Of fine
fruit, and from general observations the
longevity Of the fruit trees seems to be
growing shorter every season. Orchards
have to be renewed more frequently than
in earlier days, and the trees in them APP
pear to be more susceptible to blights,
cold weather and other disadvantages Of
soil and climate. Old farmers living today
remember the time when peach trees were
almost iron-clad in their powers to resist
cold and winds, and the natural days Of
their life seemed nearly double their pres
ent term Of existence. Allowing ample
room for exaggeration in this respect,
there Is still sufficient data to prove that
the fruit trees In many respects are deteri-
Grating in strength, vitality and longevity.
The soil and climate are not entirely re-
sponsible for this change. No great gain
is obtained without some kind OF sacrifc.
For our extra fine, large fruit we have to
sacrifice the vitality and life of the trees.
The budded fruit is always superior to the
seeding, and will bring more when placed
on the market; but the trees will not last
so long. From my own experience and
observation / have concluded that for
farmers, who are not raising fruit for mar
The extra fine fruit are not so essential to
him as permanency of the trees.
These fine seedlings if planted on
rich, warm soil or sandy loan will
produce fruit good enough for any
table. The trees win not begin to decline
20 early in life, and many sections of the
country that are not considered peach
growing regions will be reforested with
peach trees. The weakness ana lack of
power to Withstand ordinary cold or adj
verse weather will gradually disappear to
certain extent. Seeding peach trees
could today be grown successfully in
many regions where the climate is sup
posed to be too severe; but the repeated
failures with budded fruit have discour-
az nHt tx<> 70 ttAk
ing to make further efforts. Let them try
the seeding. and enough peaches for
their own use can be crown successfully
with but little care and protection.
JoHx S. HICKS.
Bucks County, Pa.
KxxPrxo UP THE BOIL.
Spring and summer work are apt to make
Us forget Ill about the most important
point Of farming, that Of keeping up the
fertility ofthe soil. When intelligent fore
thought win enable N to raise good crops
without robhing the soil, 1t is sheer folly
% waste our capital in ignorance and care
lessness. Many farmers have . distaste
for science, method, and business. but after
al. these contribute great deal to his sue
cess. Certainly the experiment stations
have gwen great amount of intelligent
advice to us, and their experiments have
aiways been Of value. 1t is our fault now
II We. do not Keep up with the other
branches OF trade and industry, for our gov
eminent has founded q most elaborate sys-
tenn Of help for the farmers, which we can.
not overlook or despise. The fault is we
do not pay heed enough to the advice
given, and then follow il out in our work.
Since the clover craze struck us many
farmers are firmly convinced that clover is
all that Is needed to keep up the fertility
of their soils. Clover fields are very COM
mon, and il any one asks what is being
done to keep up the fertility Of the soil
they are significantly directed to these
fields. That 10 supposed 10 be sufficient.
Now, while clover is one Of the most val
liable fertilizers that we have for our soils.
IL should not be taken for granted that it
answers all purposes. The soil needs and
requires fertilizers of another nature, barn
yard manure, muck, commercial fertilizers
and phosphate. Very few soils can get
along for many years without some or all
of these being applied.
Clover simply comes in as a part of a
systematic rotation of crops, and its turn
comes around regularly to supply the soil
with the very elements in which clover
abounds the most. Glover is thus simply
a supplemental manure, and its album
dance on the farm is no excuse for neg
lecting the other manures. 1t helps TO
maintain fertility, but does not do IL
alone. Every farmer ought to adopt some
system in applying his manure to the
land. and also in saving it. The stock
should be kept in the barn-yard from the
time they ere taken from the pasture in
the fail until they are turned on il again
in the spring. This will save ali waste OF
manure, and the urine will turn the straw
into good fertilizer, which will give a
double advantage 10 the soil. Straw
should thus come in for large share Of
use on the farm, and should be employed
literally for bedding so that il can soak IN
all the liquids. Straw is often wasted
greatly by burning il. or allowing il to pet
scattered around. The stacks are often
left in the fields or woods. where they rot
or get blown away by the wind. This is
all sheer waste of material, which could be
converted into fertilizer, or used for pro-
tectiye purposes.
Commercial fertilizers should also he
used or experimental with upon the soil.
10 ind out which brands suit the land
best. The same brand will not answer for
every soil, but each farmer must settle for
himself which kinds suit his farm the best.
This can only be done by experimenting
with them on small scale. FREQUENTLY
the commercial fertilizers contain elements
which barnyard manure and clover fail to
produce, and yet which are very essential
10 the strength of the soil.
Clover itself must be sown thicklv so
that good stand may be obtained TO do
much good. Ii should be sown with all
ANAL grain the yafn nf ONE b,.h.t