The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-03-27
AGRICULTURAL.
Starting an Orchard,

successful fruit-grower. The following,
taken from the Massachusetts Plough
man, is an abstract of his address on
"Apple Culture " at meeting of the
Maine Pathological Society:
The ideal place TO plant young or
chard would b. upon high ground, with
natural drainage, sloping to the south
or southeast Uuder these circum-
stances we should expect to find good,
strong, moist soil upon granite toun-
dation that would furnish fue drainage.
There are many farms thus located,
and 80 long as they can be purchased
at low prices, it is doubtful if it will pay
to select such land as will require u
great expenditure of time and cash to
drain. Having made our selection of
farm, the next consideration is, where
shall we place our trees? We are GO
ing to build up an orchard, and it will
require the best field. If you can turn
over the sod, and keep it so for the
first few years, using the culttvator Of
ten, giving the young trees as good care
as your neighbor does his corn, you
may at least expect as good returns.
If you find it best not to do this, stake
your field off two rods each way, thus
securing a straight row. Dig around
each stake hole from two to four feet
across, down through the soil, leaving
the bottom well stirred up with the
spade Two persons can do the work
at much better advantage than one.
The turf is cut in a circle around the
stake, quartered and removed to one
side; the soil is always placed upon
the upper side, as it can be worked
into the hole easier. Take homegrown
trees and remove them to their new
quarters at once. Two-year-old trees,
and even older, should be taken. We
cut all roots from the size of a pencil
up; all damaged one removed, and if
any have been wrenched off, we make
ean-cut wound of it. The rootlets
take up the plant food, and with good
clean cut the fine roots start out quickly,
and begin their labors The long or
large roots are of but little worth. DO
not be afraid of using the knife in prun-
ing the top.
In trapsplanting tree one should
hold it in place while the other works
in first few hoefuls of the fine soil.
Place the tree an inch or two deeper
than it God in the row, and lean it
toward The south, so as to prevent sun
scald. In filling in the soil, place the
roots much the same as they were when
the tree was in the nursery row; tread
the earth down solid, for roots do not
grow or thrive on air. Fertilizers
should be in the shape of fine ground
bone and muir Ate OF potash-300 pounds
of The former to 100 p unds of the lat
ter, well mixed. Never use any form
of barn manure; just so sure as you do,
it will burn the roots, and your tree
will receive bad check. Tue last few
shoves of the soil should remain; the
turfs turned upside down and well
tramped down, and then the remaining
dirt cleaned up without tramping.
Place mulching around the tree; it
keeps the soil damp, loose and fresh,
free from weeds and grass, unlocking
the plant food through its action, much
the game as we do with the cutivator.
Where the trees are exposed to high
winds, stake them up. Trees near
fences where the snow may drift should
be well protected by stakes the first few
years, and should be carefully looked
after in the early spring, hen the
crust is forming and the snow settling
down.
If the trees are seedlings, do not graft
till they have reached such size that
the cleft graft can be introduced. This
is the best form for the Baldwins. Some
trees do not shape we'll until you re-
move the tops. Good barn manures
may be used in small amounts for fer
tilizer after the first year. Leaves, leaf
mould, muck, and other material lying
around on many farms, could be used.
Straw, leaves, brakes aud water grasses
used as bedding under horses, and
worked over by the pig, make one of
the very best and cheapest of plant
foods. If we touch upon varieties, the
Baldwin, Hubbardston, Spy and Ben
Davis make a very full list, unless we
may wish for the Fall Harvey, which
sells for good price, or in an over
abundant year is one of the best for
evaporating and canning. OF these
kinds let the Baldwin and Spy form
eight.tenths of your orchard.
The borers come first in the list of
hurtful insects, and they are very per-
sis ent. The trees should be looked
over in May and October. No better
way is known of Kidding the orchard of
these pests than to dig the imps out
with penknife and wire. The knife is
all that is required the first year, but
some will be overlooked, and then a
wire is needed. For mice, poisoned
barley scattered along the stone walls is
good feed. Laths cut in two and placed
around the tree, making a complete
box, fastened with No. 32 steel wire, is
the very best shield. The bark louise
infests many trees. Hardwood ashes
thrown into the tree on a misty day,
just prior to its leaving out, will destroy
them, and is an easy remedy. We are
spraying some for the coddling moth,
and are very we'll satisfied with the re-
suit.