314 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Newly planted trees being acted on as levers 

 by the wind, often press the earth round their 

 stems aside, and make an opening down to their 

 roots, which in consequence suffer from both 

 drought and disturbance. To prevent this disas- 

 ter, it ia tlierefbre important that stakes shtfiiid be 

 provided to support and stiffen (horn. If driven 

 before the trees are planted, they may be erect ; 

 if driven afterwards, ihey may be slanting ; and 

 in both cases, straw bands should be first wrap- 

 ped once round to prevent the trees from chafing. 



"When trees are set in clay which holds water 

 like a tub, they soak and ofien perish ; especially 

 if transplanted in autumn. This evil may be rea- 

 dily prevented, however, when the plough can be 

 introduced, by drawing several very doep furrows 

 where the trees are to stand, clearing out the loose 

 earth with the shovel, and liien employing chips, 

 brush, potato tops, straw cornstalks, or old rails, in 

 constructing an under drain. Even if made with 

 these materials, it would last for an age, (()r when 

 mouldered into earth, the water would soak away 

 along the seam. 



Early in summer, after the trees are planted, 

 let the ground be well dug round with the spade, 

 commencing shallow near the trees, but deepening 

 as soon as there is no danger of disturbing the 

 roots. One spading is worth several hoeings, 

 though the broad hoe may be profitably employed 

 once a month after the spade has thoroughly 

 loosened the soil. Trees managed in this way, 

 will grow much faster than ilthe ground were just 

 scratched over to* the depth of an inch or so ; and 

 many of outs have grown as luxuriantly through 

 the late excessive drought, as if they were in 

 want of nothing. 



The pruning of young trees (o prevent their 

 splitting down, is a very important operation. 

 Many are greatly injured, and sometimes ruined, 

 for want of this precaution. Where the limbs 

 diverge considerably, nature has provided a kind 

 of net-work of the firmest wood to connect them 

 together; but where two leading branches take 

 nearly the same direction, they soon b^gin to press 

 against each other ; and the bark interposing, the 

 wood is prevented from uniting. The conse- 

 quence generally is, that when loaded with fruit, 

 they are broken down by the wind. Now it is far 

 better to cut off' the limb in time. No material 

 loss is sustained, as all the nutriment flows into 

 the other branches, and increases their vigor. 



The advantage of pruning apple trees, is gene- 

 rally known ; and unless many of the limbs are 

 cut out,' some of the finest varieties become 

 comparatively diminutive and insipid. The same 

 care, however, is rarely extended to other fruit 

 trees. When the twigs become stunted and mos- 

 sy, sometimes they are trimmed by the tempest, 

 or broken down by an untimately fiail of snow ; 

 and then the benefits of pruning are manifest, 

 even when done in that rough style. It is better, 

 however, to depend on art than accident. As a 

 genera! rule the best flavored fruit of the kind 

 grows on the most vigorous branches well ex- 

 posed to the sun and air ; and with this idea con- 

 stantly before us, we shall hardly do amiss when 

 we apply the axe, the saw, or the chisel ; though 



of the deaths from transplanting arise from the hol- 

 lows left among the roots of trees by a careless and 

 rapid mode of shovelling the earth in about the roots. 



we may specify that cross branches should be 

 lopped, and thrifty shoots that have room to 

 spread, should be saved. 



The tree mosses are parasitic plants, and should 

 be expelled from the fruit garden. Lye is often 

 used for this purpose on the apple tree ; but we 

 thitik it is no better than hme whitewash, which 

 purifies the bark, and leaves it in a fine healthy 

 condition. Once a year is qiiite sufficient. 



Under deep snows, or snow drifts that settle 

 round the trees, the vieadow mouse often gnaws 

 the bark to their great injury or destruction. This 

 animal however always worA's under cocer/ and 

 therefore the damage may be generally prevented 

 by piling mellow earth round the stems, a foot 

 high, late in autumn. The snow as it falls, is 

 generally swept away from the pile by the wind ; 

 and even if the mouse should persist in climbing 

 up on the earth — which we have not known him 

 to do — he would soon come out info the open air, 

 except when the snow was very deep. 



Another method which has never failed with 

 ue, though requiring attention — is to tread the 

 snow firmly down round the stems; and this 

 should be carefully done every time that a deep 

 snow falls, or whenever a drift is forming round 

 the trees. The mouse, as he roots along, always 

 turns away from the hardened snow. 



Trees completely girdled by the mice, however, 

 nsay be saved by setting grafts early in the spring 

 to restore the communication between the two 

 detached portions of the tree — in other words, by 

 grafting them together. Part of a small branch 

 should be inlaid, both above and below ; and if 

 skilfully done and carefully coated over with graft- 

 ing mud or wax, it will be very likely to grow, 

 except on the peach or nectarine. We have suc- 

 ceeded in this way on a pear tree ; but three or 

 four should be set round the tree. 



Cultivated cherries belong to several species, 

 which have spread into many varieties, and pro- 

 bably hybrids. The caterpillar sometimes feeds 

 on the leaves ; and the curculio punctures some 

 of the fruit which in consequence becomes wormy ; 

 but no fruit tree yields a more certain crop, bear- 

 ing every year without intermission, unless the 

 blossoms or young fruit be damaged by frost. 

 Some kinds, however, as the morello, have been 

 nearly destroyed in some parts of the country by 

 the " black gum.''' This excresence is caused by 

 an insect which should be carefully sought for, 

 late in. the spring or early in the summer; and 

 as soon as the bunches appear, the limb should 

 be cut ofi" and burnt. 



The slug, another insect, feeds on the pulpy part 

 of the leaf; despoiling its verdure and wasting the 

 vigor of the tree. It might almost be mistaken 

 tor the filth of some little bird. It soon renders 

 itself conspicuous, however, by its works ; and 

 though it sometimes attacks the foliage of other 

 trees, the cherry leaf appears to be its favorite food. 

 It may be destroyed by throwing fresh ashes 

 among the branches by means of a shingle — every 

 worm that is covered perishes. It has been done 

 when the dew was on the leaves ; but if the slug 

 is moist enough of itself to catch the ashes, it 

 would be better to apply ihera when the leaves 

 are dry, because the latter would neither be injur- 

 ed by the potash, nor defiled by the dust. 



The cherry tree is more impatient of nuisances 



