212 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



with evergreens. The brows of our bluffs and our high broken points should be 

 planted with evergreens. It is not to be supposed our apple trees require the close 

 proximity, or immediate shade of evergreens. Belts or masses of evergreens should 

 be planted where they will most effectually resist the sweeping blasts. 



Some have recommended to intersperse evergreens through the orchard. This may be 

 well enough in very large orchards in high, open situations, or on ridges and high points 

 of ground. But on limited grounds it would hardly be advisable to intersperse ever- 

 greens through an orchard, except for the object of landscape effect, when we might 

 wish to embrace the orchard grounds in the landscape scenery surrounding the house. 



If we would take useful lessons on orchard culture in our climate, let us inspect the 

 older orchards of the country, and from these we may learn what evils we would wish 

 to avoid. 



We find our orchard trees generally bearing slightly towards the north-east — caused 

 by the prevalence of the south-west wind during the growing period. It is very com- 

 mon to find dead portions of bark on the side exposed to the two o'clock sun — most 

 common trees having a lean to the north-east. This injury is from the effects of the sun 

 in winter, when the wood is frozen. The remedy for these evils is a low head. 2. Plant- 

 ing the tree with a slight lean to the south-west. 3. Encouraging heavy branches on 

 that side, and pruning most severely on the opposite side. 



Again, we see many trees in old orchards that have choked themselves to death, from 

 the effects of the top starting out all at the same point. Some varieties, as the Yellow 

 Bellflower a rcmorc subject to this difficulty than others. So many branches all starting 

 from one point ; in time the old bark grows in, and from the water soaking in, a diseased 

 condition follows. Ultimately the top splits down. This difficulty can be avoided by 

 judicious pruning when the tree is young, so as not to allow the entire top to diverge 

 from a single point. As far as practical, preserve a central stem. Trees of this form are 

 generally more durable. There is still another reason why this form of top is preferable. 

 As the tree becomes old we may wish to remove some of the lower limbs, which may be 

 done without any injury to the form of the tree. 



People are very generally inclined to draw unfavorable opinions concerning the dura- 

 bility of orchards in this climate, from the decaying condition of so many of our older 

 trees. The conclusions in this case are not wholly justifiable. The numerous vacancies, 

 and the decaying condition of so many trees in our oldest orchards are mainly the work 

 of the long-to-be-remcmbercd cold winter of 1856. We may not for a century have 

 another such an extreme occurrence. Nevertheless, there is no reason to expect that 

 orchard trees will attain the longevity with us, as in climates less subject to extremes of 

 atmosphere. Our soft southern winds extending into autumn — late growth — frequent 

 injury of sap wood from winter — such continued effects will doubtless somewhat shorten 

 the longevity of our trees. 



Pruning. — On this subject our orchardists of Northern Illinois are quite unsettled, 

 both in theory and in practice. As a general rule, much less pruniug is done here than 

 in the Eastern States. The reason for this seems to be, that in the East pruning seems 

 scarcely ever to be followed by unfavorable results. With us it is often followed by a 

 blackened, diseased condition. The reason for this difference is that the sap-wood of our 

 trees is quite often affected by winter ; in which case spring pruning is often unfavorable. 

 With us it is better to prune in March, so as to allow the wound to season before the cir- 

 culation commences, otherwise it is better to delay until after midsummer. Late in 



