Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-01-17
WORK our or SEASON.

Much good advice is given through
the public press for performing several
operations In the garden and orchard,
but it loses much Of lts value BY emitting
the time of year lt Il TO be done. The
cultivation OF the soil beneath the shade
Of the trees is strongly recommended by
some, and plowing heavy burrows with
the plow adapted for carrying out the
work. Strong objections are made to
the practice, because it cuts the roots
snd chicks the growth Of the trees. hut
no difference In the season when u
should be done Il pointed out, and the
objection Ia true II the plowing Is done
when the trees are In full growth. De
prived suddenly Of u part Of the supply
which they are receiving through the
roots must, OF course, injure them to a
greater or less degree-greater, II the
trees are old, and have sent out an sbun.
dant network Of hbres quite near the
surface and all over the ground; and
less, II the orchard II young, and the
trees have sent their roots down well Ia
to the deep aud rich soil. But Tar
greater difference occurs With the sea-
son. II performed while the trees are
lesfiess and dormant, no check u given
To the growth, and then during the fol-
lowing summer or In the growing sea-
son, all they have to do is To throw out
new roots In place Of those which have
been cut OF in the dormant season. Or
ch,rds In which cultivation has been
neglected for years, have been plowed
so thoroughly as to throw to the surface
a cartload Of broken roots from each
acre; but Ii was done early In the spring
so no harm resulted, the operation being
that Of simple roOt-pruning-retarding
growth on the one hand, aud aiding II
by newly mellowed soil on the other.
Had the work been done at midsummer,
the orchard would have probably
been ruined, instead Of receiving new
vigor AS actually occurred.
IL IL no wonder that noyices are puz-
zled by the advice given them In favor
Of plowing orchards ON the one hand,
and against IL ss rulnOus on the other.
The same discrimination should be OBJ
served IA In transplsnting, which proves
successful when done while the trees are
but rulnous as commonly per-
formed, II at midsummer.
Another Instance Of the want OF OBJ
servance Of the time Of year, occurs In
pruning. The same principle applies to
all its operstions-that cutting oifa p0r-
ton Of the tree while growing, checks
Its growth. This principle Is to be OBJ
served whether In cutting the small
hedge growth, or the massive trees OF
the full-grown orchard. The only in-
stance In which hedge should he prun-
ed, sheared, or cut back In summer, or
while growing, Il when IL Is growing
too rapidly. This Il sometimes the case
with Usage orange hedges when planted
on rich ground. This treatment has
proved nearly fatal on honey locust and
other young hedges, when II pruned
early In spring, they would have become
efficient barriers. Peach trees have n
natural power of springing up into some
growth when cut tack, even In midsum-
mer; but other trees, the cherry for ex-
ample, have little of this natural force,
aud young trees are seriously checked,
even by moderate pruning. Stock
grated tres In the nursery row, when
the gratis have failed. have been killed
by losing the growth Of the shoots be-
low the graft.
This priuciple will be found to apply
to all crops aud to all vegetable growth.
The old practice ottopping corn, by cut
ting of all the stalks above the ears long
before they ripen, was found by actual
to reduce the crop several
bushels To the acre, compared with al
Low Ing the full maturity Of the Plant.
II will be seen In other cases, whether
In cutting the roots or newly-grO~u
leafy Enthusiastically Gentleman.