170 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



sure remedy with him has been the piling of fresh dirt around the tree in the 

 fall, about one foot high and six to ten inches in thickness, outside of which he 

 covers with manure, to protect the roots from freezing so hard. His theory is 

 that the freezing of the exposed roots is what ails the trees; that the whirling 

 of the wind takes the snow from around the body at the top of the ground 

 when the bark is tender, and the hard freezing of the winter then causes the 

 death of the tree. He says the fresh dirt will answer the same purpose as ma- 

 nure in protecting from freezing, while it obviates the danger from mice. This 

 can easily be tried, and as Mr. Childs' remedy can not with our old orchards, I 

 shall try this the present fall. 



C. K. Carpenter. 



HOW TO MAKE ORCHARDS BEAR. 



Just now, as our orchards in this part of the State are bursting into bloom, 

 and give us the reasonable assurance of a fruit crop equal to that of 1872, it is 

 an interesting matter to consider if we cannot prevent a return of the steady 

 barrenness of the last three years. It has been my impression that it could be 

 done by cultivation and the use of special fertilizers, and I have said as much 

 on several occasions, in this correspondence. I have recommended breaking 

 up the surface of the orchard when in grass, and where the trees are not too 

 large, cultivation in hoed crops, and the use of the salts of potash in the form 

 of wood ashes and otherwise. And now comes Mr. John I. Carter, superinten- 

 dent of the experimental farm in Chester, Pa., and relates an experience which 

 justifies the soundness of my recommendations. He says that "to secure 

 healthy trees and good crops of fruit, not only requires that the ground should 

 be in good mechanical condition, but a plentiful supply of available food of 

 such variety as meets all the requirements of wood and fruit growth. In order 

 to insure a crop of wheat on old lands, something more than barn-yard manure 

 is necessary. We must use mineral fertilizers in order to supply those of which 

 the soil has been exhausted, or render those present in it more available. So it 

 is," continues he, "in growing healthy trees or making perfect fruit. We 

 must insure them an abundant supply of mineral fertilizers. I think this was 

 demonstrated in our orchards last season. We had more fruit than we ever had 

 before ; indeed the finest I ever saw. Our orchards have been rather unthrifty, 

 but since we have used mineral fertilizers on hoed crops, they have greatly 

 improved. 



"We pruned lightly only in winter, cutting out water sprouts and dead wood, 

 and washed or painted the trunks and the lower limbs with a composition made 

 as follows : Commercial potash and cow manure each half a bushel, sulphur 

 Jive pounds, dissolved and mixed in a 40-gallon barrel of water. Previous to 

 this, and during the winter, a light coating of barnyard manure had been ap- 

 plied. In the spring the ground was carefully plowed and planted in potatoes, 

 giving them a good dressing of acidulated South Carolina rock (soluble phos- 

 phate of lime). Then, under each tree, we sprinkled five pounds of I the 

 muriate of potash. It costs about 2^ cents per pound, add analyzes 45 per cent, 

 of potassium. As the ground contained plenty of lime, we thought wo had 

 prescribed the most needed materials for perfecting fruit and making healthy 

 wood growth, and the result fulfilled our expectations." 



