The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-02-02
THE lola REGISTER.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2. 1894.
CARE OF ORCHARDS.

WINTER CARE OF ORCHARDS.
"a paper read before the Horticultural Society
at its January meeting by Mr.. J. T. fredway,
of the Allen Center Stock FARM
1 have no apology to offer, but
wish your committee might have as
signed this important subject to some
one of the many members of the So
ciety who has had larger experience
than 1. 1 am still in the A b C's of
Horticulture. and to confine my talk
to personal experience, it will be nee
essarily brief. He who devotes his
entire time to horticulture, perhaps
the winter season does not find the most
propitious for much orchard work but
for the great mass of those who COM
bine horticulture with agriculture or
other pursuits, the season especially
invites attention, thought and study.
The trees are bare-the eye can see
the need of each tree or bush,-it can
locate Irregularities and deformities,
eggs and nests of many of the great
est enemy-worms- be found
and destroyed, though their destruc-
ton is conceded now, to be the work
of spring or summer. 1t is pre-emi-
nently the season for pruning, The
winter pruning, or trimming of trees,
induces a stronger growth than at
any other season, but if it is desired
to grow trees dwarf or in q compare
lively small space, then ,prune out
the strong, vigorous growth in the
growing season, which prevents the
large spreading head so desirable in
a commercial orchard. But let US re-
member that every stroke of the knife
or saw is stroke at the life of the
tree. Consequently the greatest care
must be exercised. And the earlier
in the life of the tree the pruning and
formation is accomplished, the great
er the chance of success.
At the age of six to ten years the
blowing may cease, and clover OF
mulching succeed. Glover derives
most of it's substance from the atmos-
phere. SO does not rob the tree mater
tally of fertilizer. Mulching is the most
beneficial of all agencies to promote
growth in tree or bush, but for best
ultimate results, should be removed
occasionally to induce the roots to
strike down, which they will not dc
If the mulch remains continuously
This system is also disastrous to the
curcullo family which burrows into
the ground to winter. Or fertilizer may
be applied to trees in full bearing
with successful results, let the appli'
cation be made general and not around
the tree only, as the feeders are the
fibrous roots that grow at the extreme
ends of the main roots. While my
talk is confined mainly to the apple
let me say in passing that the peach
requires much the same culture, ex
cent that wood-ashes is much the
best fertilizer at our command, de
stroying and preventing the yellows
which is synonymous with hollow
horn in cattle. 1t will also destroy
grubs that infest the orchard.
The character of each tree should
be understood as nearly as possible
SO as to train it in the way it shoulo
go. The spreading habits of some
trees like the Winesap, Willowtwig
etc., should be headed higher thar
the Lowell, Ben Davis and the sucf
as have an upright growth by nature
If it becomes necessary to remove
large branch, saw it off as smoothly
as possible and paint the stump re
peatedly, until absorption of the pain
ceases.
| I believe that any work that can b'
done in the winter season in orchards
is preferable to summer. There IL
much to learn as well as to uDlearn il
practical horticulture. There are M
patent IuctuUuS VI pfuhibS Va sAAe
an orchard in this generation. Horti
culture will pay 100 per cent prof
most than agriculture, but to do so, i
should be the primary object and no
secondary. And 1 trust the little
say on the winter care of orchards
may not mislead. There is much o
orchard work that cannot be put OF
till winter. 1t would prove disastrou
to wait for winter to hunt up thu
borer, though if that matter has no
been attended to in its season, bette
} in the winter than not at all. At tn
present prices of fruit there is N
branch so fiattering as horticulture
Transportation facilities are so perfec
that instead of carrying our product
to market, the market is brought +
us. There is no present fear of owe
production of fruit. Evidently tn
product does not keep pace with on
increased population and the educa
ton of the people in the consumption
of fruit.