The Columbus journal., 1892-07-20
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF
SOME ORCHARDS.
Let In More Sun-HoW to Curry Horse
Keep Only Mares-PackinG But
ter-Poultry Pickings and
Household Helps.
Why Some Orchards Fan.


why Some Orchards Fan.
-. 1t is rare that. fruit-growers NEE
with much disappointment with younl
orchards when the latter live to :
bearing age. The trouble seems Il
come in the second ten years afteI
setting out In Southern Ohio We
have many orchards on the hills.
writes Alvin Adkins in the Country
Gentleman. while bottom" orchards
are common. The hill fruit is alway!
in great demand. New York fruit
house men came down here to buy
our hill Roman Beauties at a higher
price than they could get Baldwins
etc, for at the door, almost. of their
fruit houses. But it is not easy to FIND
a buyer for our lotion" or valley
apples; they are simply not wanted.
The b,ections are that they are moi
good keepers. and are usually
smoky or spotted-sometimes
scabby. The valley soil is almost
invariably richer and far more pro-
ductive.
In studying the matter recently. the
following cause of failure has sug-
gested itself: The hill apple-trees
grow on the slopes SO that the sun.
for a good part of each day. shines
fully on and about the ground under
the trees. Nice pasture grass will
grow under the branches. None OF
those weeds or plants usually found in
moist shaded places are found to
thrive. The body of the tree is fairly
free from bark lice harbOrs &C And
then the drop apples instead OF
rotting beneath the trees usually roll
farther away from them. and as they
rot the rains carry the decaying mat
ter away down the drains (natural) to
the streams below.
In the valley orchards these condi-
tions are all changed The shade all
about the trees Is dense. From May
till October or September the soil be-
low is hid from the heat of the sun.
Tillage in some measure prevents
this but not fully. The drop apples
(many of them) fall on the ground.
and rot there about the roots The
vegetation, if any. under the
branches is such as shuns the sun
light Is it not possible that these
suggestions point to the causes OF i'm
perfect frultage and blight? Last
season we plowed and planted an old
valley orchard in corn. Of course we
expected little corn. But that was
the only orchard in the country that
did not have leaf blight and lose all
leaves long before the apple harvest.
A number OF trees are gone SO that
more than the usual amount of SUM-
light got under the trees
3 Evidently spraying has its place
and may be the remedy for the ills OF
the fruit grower, but is it not better
to let in the sun by wider setting and
allow that great antidote for the ills
of the fruit grower to prevent the
conditions favorable to the develop
ment of insect and vegetable life SO
prevalent and kill the enemy before
his birth? Greenhouse men under
stand the value of bottom heat
and may not the open air fruit grower
take the hint and let in the bottom
heat and light from the sun?
How to Curry q Horse.
There are several reasons why ahorse
should be regularly and thorough
ly curried. No self-respecting man
neglects the bath. If ne does-if
circumstances compel him to forego
such Iuxury-he becomes q different
man in every respect mentally as
well as physically and if such neglect
be long continued, as in the case OF
men deprived of liberty. the lack Of
cleanliness helps to break the spirit
and to rob of vitality. energy. and
self-respect
The effect is similar upon a horse.
The chief object of Tho curry is
purely sanitary to keep him clean.
If this be done thoroughly other OBJ
jects are attained. Health is aided.
the spirit and the fire of the horse
is as good as it can be. All these
come from systematic currying. pro-
vided the horse is properly fed and
housed.
There is another object in currying.
quite as Important to the enthusiastic
horseman. OF course. the man who
can afford it will employ a stable boy
to do the currying but it the man
wishes to get the most out of his horse.
if he wishes to win the horses con-
fidence, affection and willing obedience
he will curry the horse himself If not
ri sularly. then often enough to keep
up the acquaintance and friendship
that may exist between a man and his
horse; so often that the horse will
learn the difference between his mas
ter s hand and that of the stable boy.
who may be rough and unconscious"
so often that the horse will look for
his masters coming and by unmis-
taxable signs show his pleasure and
affection.
All domestic animals. from the
canary bird to the OK. delight in hav-
ing tie head rubbed. The horse is
no exception. He will rest his head
on the edge of the msnger. and half
close the eyes in dreamy forgetfulness
when the brush In gentle hands is
applied
Many horses are injured by the
rough curry by the man who hurriedly
drives the metal comb harshly over
the bony parts against the ears and
over the eyes. A horse subject to
such treatment-and there are tens of
thousands of them-dreads the hand
of man-any man--and lodges and
learns to hold the head high when the
bride is to be put on.
Let the man who wishes to be on
friendly terms with his horse 20 over
the head with a stiff yet pliable brush.
rubbing back and forth on every part,
parting the roseat on the forehead,
brushing vigorously between the Jaw
bonea q place the horse cannot reach.
and doing all so quietly and gently
that the horse stands motionless ap-
parently oblivious to all surroundings
And over the body of the horse use
the metal currycomb carefully. if at
all and use it or better. the stiff
broom brush. not only TO straighten