The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-12-15
"The next year don't cut off the

spurs below the higher limbs, as the,
are fruit buds. Leave two limbs or
each limb pruned last year, aud sec
that they leave the branch at even
distances. If you wait to pruue until
the tree is grown you will suffer the
loss of bearing by several years. After
the tree is grown you must discontin-
ne top pruning If the tree makes six
inches OF growth year above the
last pruning, it is enough. If the tree
spreads to much cut to the inside bud
on the branch and it will grow straigh-
ter. Use pruning shears instead OF
knife, and if-you are expert, with two
handled shears you can prune ten
acres day of trees from To 5 years
old.
"a well-pruned tree never needs a
pole to support its fruit. Never culti-
vate nearer than foot to the tree, as
there is danger of barking it. Prunes
grow well on peach roots, If the root is
in peach soil-dry, loose, warm soil
which is not the condition here. For
this district sec that the plum trees
are on plum roots. Plums want a
clayey, damp SOIL Pears will stand
the dryest soil OF any fruit grown,
though all bear better in moist soil, if
it is we'll drained. Cherries thrive IN
in dry graveliy SOIL
81 could never see the benefit OF
splitting the bark with knife. Did
| you ever zee low-headed tree hide
bound? If the bowl does become hide
bound, stand board on the sunny
side, or grow limb there, and the
trouble will be over, as all the trees
need shade. Do not attempt to grow
fruit trees in land that cannot be
thoroughly drained four feet deep
Potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen
are needed to sustain fruit trees, and
if you need these use wood ashes, bone
meal and barnyard manure. A tree
can take sustenance only in the form
of liquid. Swamp muck is good
fertilizer, but not SO good as barnyard
manure.
"Plant trees in the fall, as this gives
them time for the wounds to become
calloused and the roots take an early
start in the spring. In planting trees
in an old hole, first put in half wag-
on load of well-prepared SOIL Ordin-
ary orchard trees branch four feet
above ground. You can do all the
pruning for the first fouror five years
with out stepladder. In heading
the tree low you can make it grow as
you please"
Prof. Balmer spoke of patent lice
killers that had been sold to large
number of farmers in the form OF pow
der. He said that upon analysis this
product was found to ne sulphur, blue
stone and little charcoal, and that if
the farmers would open the hole where
it was injected 100 years afterward
they would find the preparation just
as it was inserted. He emphasized
the fact that trees could take susten-
ance only III liquid FORM
In planting, he concluded. the tree
should be set two inches deeper than
in the nursery, and after the soil set
tied this would be found to be about
an inch deeper than the former mark,
which was about right.
Prof. Brodie devoted most of his dis
course to grasses, the kinds best adapt
ed to Western Washington soil, how
to grow them, the different purposes
for which different species should be
used, ETC., aud there followed a general
discussion of silos. The main thing.
about silo, the professor said, was to
put the best forage in it, which was
generally acknowledged to be corn.
The silo should, of course, be air tight,
and have a concrete bottom. The
corn should be cut into three-quarter-
inch lengths, and if put in at the right
time there would be no need Of drain
age, as the moisture would be absorb
ed in the corn. Oats and peas made.
good silo food without cutting. He
advocated the farmers trying various
kinds of forage grasses, as the expert
ment station this side of the noun
tains had not been conducted long
enough to get much original data,
and it was desired to get the fullest
possible information-P.-I,
The large boom on the Chehalis
river broke Wednesday night of last