The record-union., 1894-08-15
FARM And ORCHARD.
There Are Men Who Look on Our
Loaded Trees With Pride.
Cultivated and Uncultivated Lands
Sheep-Shearlng Plant-Cooped Up
FowIs-SettIng Housekeeping Milk
Interesting farm Items.

In passing through the country at mid
summer, or a little later, it is not unusual
to see trees which are covered with fruit.
Even in the ''off year," when most OF the
trees are destitute of crop, there will be
found few specimens which seem to
have tried to make up for the deficiencies
of their neighbors. Just how these trees
are regarded by their owner depends
upon his skill as a fruit-grower.
There are men who look upon over
loaded trees with pride. Others who,
perhaps, have had more experience and
who certainly are wiser. are sorry that
nature should have been so exuberant.
The former class allow the fruit to grow
and ripen. Sometimes props are put un-
der the branches to prevent them from
breaking under their excessive load. But
in many instances this precaution is
neglected, and by the time the fruit IS
ripe not few of the branches have been
split from the trunk or have been broken
at short distance tnerefrOm. Numerous
branches which do not break are so badly
bent, and are kept for so long time IN
an unnatural position, that they never re-
turn to their former places, and the trees
class of people have regard to the future
as well as TO the present. They would
like crop of fruit this season, but they
do not want to sacrifice the health and
form of the trees, or crops IN future years,
in order to obtain II. Long before the
fruit is fully grown they take consider
aole quantity from the heavily laden
trees. And when the time for harvest
comes they have their reward. The fruit
is much larger and talrer than 1t would
have been ii all the specimens had been
allowed to remain upon the branches. Its
improved quality viii enable the owners
to obtain nearly or quite as much for the
crop as larger quantity of inferior fruit
would have brought, aud they have then
the added satisfaction of seeing their trees
in good form and healthy condition.
1t is considerable work to go over
large orchard, in which most OF the trees
are in full bearing, and properly thin
the fruit, but it is work which will be
well repaid in the manner which has been
indicated, and in preventing an undue
exhaustion OF the trees. The question
should not be whether the owner OF
the trees can afford to do this work, but
whether he can possibly afford to neglect
it. Ii he is to have large ana perma-
nent income from his orchard he must
take care of his trees, and one OF the
things in this direction which he must do
is to keep them from overbearinG.
The fruit trees around the buildings
need special attention. This because they
serve the double purpose OF usefulness
and ornamentation. If they are allowed
to overbear they are not only injured as
far as future productiveness is concerned,
but they are also dishgured. Thus the
ornamental quality, Which is not OF very
great moment in an orchard, is destroyed,
and instead of being an object OF beauty
glaffN fx-n
nently 0etracts from the appearance of
the ward in which it stands.-John e..
Read in American Farmer and Farm
News.
CULTIVATED AND UNCULTIVATED LANDS.
In South Carolina, of total area of
13,000,O00 acres, 100000 are improved
and S,000.000 unimproved. In Georgia,
OF a total Of 25,000.0O0 acres, 9,500,O00 are
| improved and 10, 10000 unimproved. A
similar proportion exists inf lorlda. In
| Illinois there are 81, ,000, 900 acres of farm
ing land, Of which 1000, 600 acres are idle.
| There is much larger proportion of un
improved land in North Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and
Louisiana than there is in Texas, which
will surprise people.
SHEEP-sHEARING PLANT.
It is said that the steam sheep-shearing
plant located at Casper. Wyo., is receiv-
| ing liberal patronage on account of the
superior work done by the machines.
| The operator is not able to make as great
speed with the machines as by hand
clipping, but he is able to do much better
work, taking of more wool per head
and leaving it in better condition and
with less injury TO the sheep. Sheep re-
sheared by machinery yield about three
quarters OF pound OF wool, $50 it is said,
after having been hand-sheared.
SHEEP AND WEEDS.
Flock owners in these times of de-
preston can at least take comfort in the
fact that sheep crop weeds and bushes so
closely that they soon give up the fight
for life They clean out the fence rows,
too, and fit the fields for better growths
of grass, and for pasture for the more
fasIidious stock. This they do cheaply,
enriching the soil at the same time, and
at the same time grow into fleece and
mutton. 1t is we'll to look on the bright
side of things and keep up good diges-
ton while looking and waitin z for better
things.
FOWLS CooPED UP.
1t is impossible to get the best results
from fowls kept cooped in a pen, es-
pecially during hot weather. Disease and
vermin get foothold among them unless
they have ample range to sun and dust
themselves by contact with fresh earth.
A yard, no matter how small, that can
be plowed or cultivated once a week dur
ing the summer will make rolling-plac
for them. 1t will be ali the better if their
grain feed is given them on this plowed
surface and the fowls obliged to scratch
for it. They may lose a little grain, but
most of it will turn up at the next culti-
vation, or, if it germinates. its green
sprout will be eaten. On farms, the bet
ter plan is TO let the fowls range every
where, protecting the garden by a fence.