Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-05-19
Spring Care Of the Orchard.

If not already pruned, the present is
a good time to do it. but if you have
been negligent and have not pruned 1t
for several years past, do not attempt
to make up for that negligence by
added zeal at the present time: better
prune too little than too much. You
may well be content to take out limbs
where nature herself has begun to
prune by killing them: then take out
a few more which nature may have
missed, such as are obviously crowd
ing The vigorous but needless shoots
springing up about the trunk or IN
the center of the tree also would pest
come away.
When spraying. remember that 1uh@l
can be destroyed only by means oI
funeicides. and insects can only De
killed with insecticides. If you want
to do both at the same time. use them
both together. If you want 10 HGhI
one do not use the ammunition in
tended for the other. For biting in
scots naris green. if pure is the most
| convenient insecticide. l pound I" l1o
gallons. A cheaper one, sure [" ne
| effective. but dangerous unless pre-
nared and handled with the utmost
caution. can be made as follows: ton
mound white arsenic. pounds hme
| and gallons water at least Az
minutes. Use l quart Of TINS pfenara-
tion 10 40 gallons bordeaux mixture,
| if 10 bc combined With a funglcide;
| # to be applied alone. use ! quart to
40 gallons water and add | pound lime
bordeaux mixture is the best all
round fungicide now in use. The com
mon formula is pounds copper sui
phate. pounds lime, to 30 gallons
water. though this strength and pro
portion are often varied for different
purposes. The copper sulphate Will
dissolve much more readily If hung
in A coarse sack at the top If NeSse
of water The lime should be care
fully Stacked before using. Both the
lime and the copper sulphate solutions
should be diluted before being put to-
| gether. otherwise the mixture Will
cause trouble in clogsing the nozzle.
| By preparing solutions Of each with 4
| given weight to a given quantity ~
water. weighing may be dispensed
win when mixing. Bordeaux miXture
soon detariorates after the materials
are mixed ana should always be used
| fresh.
| The trees must have food. If the
soil is rich or the orchard young and
vigorous. little or no nitrogen Will he
needed. Potash in liberal supply iS
always in order. because it helps I"
| secure the high color and fine flavor |"
be sought Phosphoric acid is gener-
i ally less important though somewhat
/ in demand. If the orchard is old ana
feeble and the soil poor. liberal appIl-
cations 0f stable manure will q" Il
GOOD. although not always advisable
lfor Young ana vigorous orchards Hut
remember this, that it is Very difficult
to feed land well enough 50 that it can
! rroduca apples ana other crops too
Above all it should never be asked To
produce crops If grain. Let IN"
orchard grow apples ana get the gram
from a grain field
But if no crops are to be grown.
what shall the treatment be. meadow.
tpasture or tillage? Certainly not the
first. rarely the second. generally the
l1hird. unless conditions prevent
GOOD orchard will yield far more than
a corn field and is entitled to as good
ItflIage as the corn field receives. me
land may be rloWed or not IN carry
, sIrlna. but frequent surface cultivation
lis IMPERATIVE to prevent Weed growth
with the consequent loss Of moisture
taken III thereby ana sent off into ~"
iatmuSphere. ana to preserve the dust
mulch ana thereby prevent moisture
from passing of directly from IN" @"lL
If the orchard is too steep or too rocky
to admit Of tillage. the next best thing