Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-05-19

After the ducks are picked they are
usually washed and put in ice water
for an hour or two to cool and plump.
Each layer Of ducks is packed fiat In
ice. usually with the keels or breasts
down. in barrels. or in boxes holding
one dozen each.
It costs from five to six cents apiece
to pick ducks. but the body feathers
and down usually are saved, as white
feathers bring from 40 to 80 cents .
pound when cured. Each duck yields
about two ounces of marketable feath-
ers. Scalded feathers may also be
dried and sold. 70
The feed cost of growing Pekin
ducks to ten weeks of age. when they
weigh from i've to six pounds. Is esti-
mated at from i've 70 six cents
pound. Green ducks are marketed
from April to November and bring
from IL to 80 cents q pound when sold
to commission men at Wholesale.
DIsbuddine and Summer Pruning.
Disturbing and pinching back Of the
young shoots Of fruit trees are the only
hope of those who have neglected to
prune properly during the fall and win
ter and yet wish to control somewhat
the shape and fruiting habits of the
trees for the coming season. On the
other hand. many expert growers who
have properly attended to pruning,
study their trees carefully in the sum-
mer and by disbudding and pinching
are able still further to control their
growth. Some experts starting with
very young trees rely almost wholly
on disbudding and pinching. because
they say that 1t Is more logical to d.
rect the strength of the tree than to
allow It to waste its energies in form
ing wood which only has to be cut on
by q pruning knife. These processes.
however. call for even greater care
than ordinary pruning because. Of
course, 1t is easier to injure q growing
tree than to deal with dormant one.
In the case of older trees, however.
disbudding and pinching, of course, are
not substitutes for pruning and getting
rid of old wood. Once a tree has es-
tablished old wood. disbudding simply
controls the development of new
shoots and the saw or pruning hook
alone will dispose Of interfering
branches or old growth.
Disturbing should begin when the
young buds are large enough to be
pfnched out with the thumb and finger.
The process should be repeated rather
than an attempt made to take on many
buds at q time. The buds which are
left should remain where they will
grow up and close up the open tree
spaces and bring about q more COM
pact form. Disbudding is often prac-
ticed on fruit trees grown under glass.
where the branches must necessarily
be kept within very small area and
where conservation of the vigor Of the
tree IL Of great importance. Disbud-
ding is often practiced with advantage
on apples. peaches. pears and other
fruit trees and vines.
Summer pruning is similar in meth
cd and results in the control Of growth
without the removal of foliage. II con-
sists in pinching on the extreme termi-
nal buds of the growing shoots. result
ing in checking and redirecting the
growth without injury to the vitality
of the plant. The injuries sustained
by q rude and careless destruction Of
foliage are well exemplified in the
management of grapes where the sum-
mer pruning is delayed until it is con-
sidered necessary to cut from IL to 20
inches from the tip of each shoot, SO
checking the plants that further
growth will be slow and the fruit will
fail to mature. Full and perfect matur-
ity of fruit depends upon full growth
of healthy, mature foliage.
Complete information on pruning
and disbudding may be secured by
writing the editor of the Division Of
Publications of the United States de-
partment of agriculture. asking for
Farmers Bulletin No. 181.