The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-04-28
HORTICULTURE
FRUIT NOTES.

my belief, hitherto expressed, that
pears are among the most profitable
Of our orchard fruits.
Cherry trees frequently do well
planted in fence corners, but, like other
fruit trees, do better when cultivated.
Bey yond trimming the small, tender
branches of the trees while young to
form pyramidical head the cherry
tree should not be pruned, especially
the large limbs, as they rarely heal.
The New York Rural World tells it's
readers that apples of all sorts have
been growing scaTcer during the past
few years, and that fine fruit is exceed
lngly hard to find in the largest mar
kets.
1t is no more unreasonable to ex pect
CloOd from a turnip than abundant
crops of good fruits from poor soil.
Fruit trees and plants of all kinds are
like animals-they must be fed if they
are expected to be profitable. 1t is
rarely either of them fails to make
ample returns, if they are given wise
and faithful attention.
The fruit of the ounce is in such
great demand in all large cities that it
should stimulate farmers and fruit
growers to greater efforts to succeed
with the trees they set out Ounces
do best in deep, cool soil, though in
dryish places they will do fairly well
if mulched. To have the roots cool is
great step toward success.
While most varieties of fruit are pro-
duced year after year on the same
fruit-spurs, the peach never produces
fruit but once on the same wood. ard
and that is on the wood grown the pre-
ceding year We readily perceive that
the peach must not only mature crop
of fruit each year, but also new wood
and fruit-buds for the next years crop.
Think of it, farmers! One thousand
and ninety five meals in year, and
yet no garden, no orchard One thou
sand and ninety. five meals in year,
gotten up with an Ingenuity that is
marve lous, and without one complaint,
Notwithstanding the paucity of the ma
teriaIs. Don't we feel almost ashamed
of ourselves?
There is plenty, and more than
plenty, of wormy, knotty, ecabby,
bruised and decaying fruit grown and
sent to market. This whole thing
should be reformed or discouraged.
There is plenty of demand for the best
of fruits, honestly and carefully packed ;,
and fair prices will ever await the man
who meets this demand.
Experienced fruit growers buy but;
few varieties of trees and vines, but
the new beginners buy everything they
hear about.
Hereafter shall, for few years,
use most of the home. made manure on
the orchard. The ground needs much
feeding to produce a good crop of grass
or hay, and a good crop of we'll formed,
large sized apples, too, especially in q
droughty year like last; and since
superphosphates serve admirably on
my land with wheat, clover and pota-
toes, I can thus save the manure to be
used on my large orchard.
1t is seed growing that exhaust the
vitality. There are no more seed in a
large fruit than in a small one, and
large one does not take any more vital
ity out of a tree. If a KIe fer pear tree
has on it one thousand pears, and you
take off five hundred of them, the re-
mainder will weigh as much as the
whole of them, and bring more money,
without weakening the tree only half
as much. Our rule for thinning peache
| is not to leave one within four inches
of another.
The man who owns a farm, or even
a few square rods of land, and has not
made among his New Years reeolu-
tions one to have more and better fruit
in the future than he has had, should
make such a resolve now, as it is not
too late. Those who have now an
abundance of very good fruit are more
likely to have made such a resolve
than those who have none, but the
others can remedy their neglect now.
Even a few currant bushes, goose.
berry, raspberry or blackberry bushes
alongside the fence, a pear or apple
tree in a corner, plum or peach trees
in the hen yard, will in a few years
yield returns if properly cared for that
will well repay the outlay of time and
labor necessary Green's Fruit Grower
A top dressing of phosphate will add
to the nutrition and palatableness of