The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-12-25

During tie late fall is the best and
most suitable time for giving attention
to the trees, not only because there is
better opportunity for SO doing, but
also because the pruning Of the trees
and the removal of diseased portions
can be done less hurriedly than in the
spring. Neglecting the orchard is the
cause of trees being Improbable, but
where farmers have recognized the or
ehards as sources of profit, and regard
ed the trees as something more than
ornaments, or as occupying the ground
from custom, the returns nave been
satisfactory. The land used for the
orchard IS frequently forced to bear
two crops the year, one of grain and
one of fruit, the latter crop coming be-
cause it is natural for trees to attempt
to bear fruit, even under unfavorablc
circumstances, while the grain was in
tended for market. When land is thus
taxed it will be but few years before
it is exhausted, as it is better to cut
the trees down and give the land who'll
ly to grain than to leave the trees to
reduce the grain yield and at the same
time produce only unmarketable fruit.
Grain and fruit crops ON the same
land remove the fertilizing materials
of the soil very rapidly; yet farmers
seldom apply manure on orchard land,
rreferring to use it on other fields. The
orchard must take care Of itself, be-
coming the prey Of insects and dis
eases, and the trees make but little
growth, or die, when they could, with
care, be made to produce good paying
crops at less cost for labor than grain.
A crop of grain or grass may be
taken from the land occasionally, but
it requires time to establish an Or
chard; hence it is serious mistake to
neglect trees and allow them to become
diseased wnen the labor of making an
orchard and the loss of time waiting
for the trees to reach the bearing
stage is considered. When an orchard
has become overrun with weeds, or the
trees show signs of decay, the first
work should be to cut away all dead
CT diseased limbs and then pillow the
ground, applying 10 bushels of lime per
acre, or Is bushels of wood ashes, har-
rowing the land. Work in an orchard
is difficult, OF account of the roots,
but it should be plowed as well as
possible, SD as to break up the hard
surface sell. Rye or crimson clover
should then be seeded, if in the fall.
and the ground plowed again in the
spring, turning the rye under. Cow
peas may then be sowed on the ground,
after danger of frost Is over, and II
dc sired the COW peas May be fed of
By sheep, as the animals will return
large proportion of the crop to the soil
as manure. With the application of
manure Or fertilizer the orchard may
then be, seeded to clover. but no Or
chard should be kept permanently in
grass. The proper plan is to pillow the
clover Cor any grass CROP under. and
then grow late potatoes. cabbages or
some other crop that is cultivated be-
tween the rows and which requires
| manuring. Peach trees thrive best
when given clean cultivation, like corn,
a crop of any kind sometimes doing
harm. Clean cultivation, with a mulch
crop, such as rye, sowed in the fall
! and turned under in the spring, is usu-
ally beneficial.
Diseases sometimes almost imper-
ceptibly spread in winter. No mat
ter how careful the grower may be he
will frequently leave fallen fruit, dead
grass, leaves or any other refuse ma
terials around the trees in winter. They
are the vehicles of germs, and as the
winds scatter light substances to other
locations the failure to clean away
the refuse from a single infected tree
may cause the spread Of disease over
the entire orchard. 1t is useless to cut
away dead limbs and burn them if the
spores of fungus diseases can be scat
: tered broadcast by materials tha
could easily be cleared up and in 6
snort time. Work during the winter
can be done to good advantage in de
stroying the borers, and the eggs of tn,
millers which produce worms can BIZ
cleared from the trees; in fact, ever,
tree will be benefited by scraping an,
washing with strong solution of I've
while painting the trees in winter will
crude petroleum is claimed to be
remedy for the scale insect. The tree
OF an orchard usually show the effect
of good treatment. The peach, whicl
sometimes appears to succumb to n
cause, will respond to severe prunin
and take On new life. Many trees, es
pecially those in old orchards, are jus
as they were when first set out, neve
having been trimmed. They can b
improved by pruning, but it should
done judieiously, and not by going int
the orchard with an ak and saw to Gu
away the tree Unfortunately. o.
chards that have never paid a dolIa