NOVEMBER IN THE ORCHARD. 



son clover, grass, chickweed or finely 

 cultivated surface soil, escaped with 

 little injury. 



The fact is our orchards must have 

 better cultivation ; owners usually have 

 too little time for this work and, if we 

 discourage fall plowing, the evil is the 

 greater. 



The soil should not be left rough 

 plowed, as in the open, but about trees 

 it should be harrowed to fine the soil 

 for the protection of the roots. Care 

 must also be taken to plow up to the 

 trees and not from them, for nothing is 

 more injurious than water standing 

 about the roots. 



Our old enemy, the mouse, must be 

 carefully guarded against. A simple 

 method is to heap fine earth against the 

 trunk, or a bit of veneer may be tied 

 about the tree. Of all things, lubbish 

 about the trunk must not be allowed ; 

 it is an invitation to a mouse to build 

 his house in it. 



Pruning is also in order, a job usually 

 left until spring, but too often neglected 

 entirely in that brief season. The pear 

 and the plum tree need thinning out, 

 the limbs which are inclined to cross, 

 and a shortening in of those inclined to 

 sprawl. The dwarf pears should be 

 trained in pyramidal style, and severely 

 shortened in to bring them into shape. 

 The lower limbs should be encouraged 

 near the ground, the leader shortened 

 and intermediate branches cut to a line 

 from their extremities. Spur pruning of 

 the bearing shoots, much as we practice 



in grape pruning, will also be helpful in 

 securing good sized fruit. 



The vineyard should also be pruned 

 in November and December, while the 

 sap is perfectly dormant, if possible ; 

 leaving the spurs a little longer than 

 one would do in spring pruning. It is 

 a cold job in March, and if left till 

 April, it is sometimes neglected. 



The apple on rich land grows rapidly, 

 and, if neglected, the head soon becomes 

 a thicket of brush wood. Annual prun- 

 ing is the only proper treatment, and in 

 the end the most economical. 



Dead trees should be dug out of the 

 orchard with the roots ; it is untidy to 

 cut them off and leave the stump in the 

 way of the plow. All rubbish should be 

 gathered and burned, for nothing more 

 encourages mice. Thrift is economy, 

 and it actually pays in hard cash to be 

 tidy. 



The house yard should be an index 

 to the character of the whole farm, and 

 not only be kept free of weeds, but laid 

 out with taste and artfully planted, that 

 it may bring the owner what is of more 

 worth than money, the possession of a 

 home^ with the sweetest possible associa- 

 tions, and a rich inheritance to those 

 who follow after him. 



Plans for planting should now be 

 made« and lists of fruit and ornamental 

 stock needed should be made out and 

 ordered in advance, in order that they 

 may be on hand in spring when planting 

 season comes. 



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