The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-15

have grown fruit trees for the pas
30 years and have therefore had some
experience in tree planting. What
you say about it is right; more trees
fail to grow because of bad planting
and cultivation than than because
they are bad stock. But although
think l know good deal about man
aging an orchard, there are some
things / havn't yet found out, and
now write to see if you can enlighten
me Oh two points. l would like tc
know if there is any one time OF
method for saving and planting, cut
tings Of pears, plums and grapes, that
will insure their growth, also, the
reason why young trees planted where
old ones have died or been removed
fail to grow. A remedy for the evil
will be appreciated, as my old orchard
has lost nearly one-third of the origi'
nal trees and the young ONES die as
soon as plant them.
OLD FRUIT GROWER.
SAN MARCOS.
1 regret being unable to give "Old
Fruit Groweru infallible information
on the points he names. Proies-
sors of horticulture lay down certain
rules for saving and planting fruit
tree cuttings, which are good, but
will not be guarantee of success in
every case.
Cuttings should be from the past
seasons growth, and of we'll seasoned
wood. They should be cut after the
fall of the leaf. 1 have planted them
Immediately after cutting and got a
large percentage of trees; but profess
sors advise the storing of the cuttings
in moist sand till the spring. This is
I think the safest plan though l have
had failures by its practice.
AS to planting young trees to fill
vacancies in an old orchard, l must
say that / have not been successful,
and cannot give "sure cure" 1t is
q fact that young trees, as a rule don't
grow we'll amongst old ones. There
are many theories advanced to &C
count for the failure. Some believe
that the old tree has removed all the
food supply from the spot; others that
the roots of the old tree so completely
I'LL the soil as to leave no space for
those of the young tree; while othere
blame the excessive shade OF the sur
rounding old trees. Personally l
don't think there is anything in the
two first theories; but when the old
trees cast their shade much on the
young one, that will to a correspond
ing extent retard the growth of the
new conner. Sunshine is indispensable
to plant life. But l am inclined
80 believe that the main cause of fail.
IRE In the growth of the young tree is
that ii does not receive the cultiva
zion essential to the development of
young trees.
Old trees do not need but are often |
injured by cultivation, and the young |
trees are generally left to look out for
themselves, as cultivation by picking
or spading is a form OF labor that does
not commend itself to the average or
chardists.
If the young trees are not unduly
shaded, and get sufficient cultivation
+ think that old orchards might be re-
newed: but as the business would in
yoive much labor and consequently
expenses, it will generally pay to
plant the new trees on new land.
PECANs.
have to acknowledge the receipt
of sample of pecans sent by Mrs.
Nusset of Fiskville, whose place is on
Walnut creek. They are the largest
and thinest shelled pecans have
seems and II the much doomed "paper |
shelf, nuts, excel them in size, flavor
and thinness of shell, they must be
indeed. Now that pecan
culture is engaging the attention OF
many who wish to lay the
of fortune Cor their heirs
in the form of a pecan grove, Mrs.
Mussett has something that should
interest them and be source OF profit
to herself.
W.R. Stuart of Ocean Springs, Miss,
the paper shell man, sells his nuts for
81 to ST so per pound for planting, and
realizes a handsome income. Writing
to The Farm and Ranch he says there
is no necessity in misleading the pub
lie in regard to the cultivation of this
delicious nut-the plain, unvarnished
truth is sufficient.
consider the planting of nuts safe
and sure investment, taprooted or not,
and granting that the trees do no pro-
duce paying crops until they are ten,
fifteen or even twenty years old, your
land need not remain idle in the
meantime. Cultivate other crops till
the trees shade the ground too much,
then turn them into pasture lands for
fine registered Jersey cattle.
There is no danger of overstocking
the pecan market for years to come,as
France and Europe in gen.
eral know very little about the pecan.
A strong point in pecan culture lies in
the fact that one can sell or hold for
higher prices. Not so with pears,
peaches, oranges, ETC., which when
ripe must be sold at any price.
GRAY HORSES.
1t is an old fashioned belief that
gray horses are harder and longer
lived than those of any other color.
Just why color should influence the
uaulity and long evity of horse is not
clear. but The Breeder and Sports
man commenting on the belief, says it
is remarkable to what extent gray
boraaa have fiOured on the American