The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1901-06-07
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AORICULTURlSTS.
Some Up-to-Dsts Hints About Cuitiva-
non OF the Soil and Yields Thereof
HORTICULTURE. Ni-ioaiturs aud Fiorioui-
ture.
horticultural Observations.


None except scientists can afford TO
take chances with their fruit trees. in
the way of demonstrating new and un-
tried theories. Recently we have heard
good deal about ringing, girdling,
stripping off bark and the like, and
there is a danger that some man that
has more orchard than orcharding ex-
perience may be carried away by the
claims made for these processes, and
may ruin good part of his plantation.
At the Missouri experiment station
stripping was practiced for two years,
and careful records made of the re-
suits, which did not prove beneficial.
AS a temporary stimulant OF fruit
production any one OF these three
methods is serviceable. but such tenn
porary stimulation is destructive to
the fruitfulness of the tree, and often
leads to premature death.
There are years when fruit has not
the flavor usually belonging to it. Es-
pecially is this the case with straw
berries and melons. On investigation
it is found that rainfall and sunshine
are the principal factors in determin-
ing Hayors. In very wet seasons fruits
grow large, but contain little sugar.
In dry seasons much more sugar IS
elaborated, and this sugar enters very
| largely into the indefinable something
we call flavor. Prof. Troop of Indiana,
touching on the same subject, says:
An excessive amount OF rain is UNI
doubtedly one of the chief causes OF
trouble. 1t Is a well-known fact that
during a very wet season Strawberries
are of much poorer quality. containing
less amount of sugar, than when the
ripening season is comparatively dry.
The same is true with muskmelons;
the crop may be larger during wet
season, the fruit may be finer in APP
pearance, but the sugar content which
gives the melon its delicious flavor is
comparatively low. Hence it frequent
ly happens that a variety may give
good satisfaction one season, and be
very unsatisfactory the next. Thor
ough drainage, either naturally or ar
! tificially, will do much toward pre-
venting trouble from this source. The
use of fertilizers, rich in potash and
phosphoric acid, will have tendency
to produce a fruit of high quality"
| It Is doubtless true that selection OF
varieties for planting will do much
to give flavor, even in wet season.
The introduction of the olive into
| the United States and it's cultivation
! in the semi-arid regions of the Pacific
slope and OF the southern rim OF the
so-called Great American Desert, :"
means much for this country. The
olive is fruit that grows in favor on
acquaintance, and it's use increases
rapidly wherever 1t gets a first atten-
ton. 1t has played very large part
in the economic history OF the world,
! for a period of at least 1000 years.
| 1t has made more than one ancient To-
cality rich. A striking illustration Of
| this Is seen in the economic history
of Tunis, In Northern Africa. A part
OF that country is high, arid plateau,
which now affords only meager pas
tlIrage to flocks. But there was time
when this same region was covered
with populous and prosperous cities,
with equally prosperous suburbs,
among which might be mentioned Ell
Diem (Thysdrus), Cillium and Thel-
epte. Where a few shepherds now
barely subsist, anciently dwelt my
riads of human beings. The secret
of its ancient wealth was the vast for
ests of olive trees that once covered
this plateau. The raising and export
ing of olives made the communities
rich. When the Turks came in they
cut down these olive forests to make
new pastures. and as a result got
nearly barren wastes. In the eleventh
century there were more than 200
| tLrir,ino villaces In the naioh hnrhnnd