THE GENESEE FARMER. 



377 



them properly. If they had had the right treat- 

 ment before, they would have done better. La.st 

 spring, a year ago, I planted an Osage Orange hedge. 

 1 happened to prepare the ground and plant them 

 right, and cultivated them iu the best manner, and 

 here came the Rural Annual, just at the time it 

 was needed. Tiie idea of summer pruning never 

 entered my head until I saw it recommended in the 

 RiRAL Annual. I trimmed it in the spring, cutting 

 ofl" all the new wood except about two inches. I 

 cut it back the last of June, and again the last of 

 August I now have the best foundation for a 

 hedge that could be imagined — about one foot high 

 and eighteen inches wide; and if another year does 

 not find mo with a tolerably good fence I am mis- 

 taken. So much for your Rural Annual in this 

 particular. 



Last fall, or about a year ago, I planted two dozen 

 Blackberry plants. When the Rural came to hand 

 it directed them to be planted only in the spring. 

 I was fearful I should lose them, but they all grew 

 except three, and some of them grew seven feet high 

 in the main stem, and, with the branches, made 

 about fifteen feet of wood, which may seem impossi- 

 ble, but is nevertheless true, and two of ihem bore a 

 few berries. Here, too, the Rural Annual came 

 to my assistance. Now judge ye, whether the Ru- 

 ral Annxal for 1857 will be worth $100 to me or 

 not? I am certain I would not, for such a hedge as 

 I fancy I shall have — forty perches long in one line 

 — take ^100; beside all the grapes and fruits I may, 

 by its aid, obtain. I have not only read and scanned 

 over its pages, but studied it thoroughly and care- 

 fully, and am particularly benefitted by it. It may 

 be many years before you will hit upon a work as 

 valuable as the last Annual. But I want the next 

 as soon as possible. Benj P. Bartolet. 



Pughtowti, Chester Co., Pa., A'ov. 4, 1857. 



[We are glad to hear that the Rural Annual for 



1857 was of so much benefit to our esteemed cor- 

 respondent. We hope, and believe, the volume for 



1858 (now published) will prove no less so. — Eds. J 



THE EESTILT OF CAKE IN SETTING OUT PEACH 

 TREES. 



Editors Genesee Farmer; — Last spring, after 

 peach trees had mostly leafed out, and after those 

 who had counted on success had already procured 

 and set their trees, I bethought myself of filling out 

 a couple of unoccupied rows in my fruit garden with 

 a choice selection of peach trees. I was laughed at 

 by some who thought they knew about this matter, 

 and told that I should not be able to make one- 

 tliird of them live. I knew very well that it was 

 pretty late in the season to attempt setting trees, but 

 none too late, I thought, to try an experiment. And 

 now for the result. 



I proceeded to a responsible nurseryman, and in- 

 quired for peach trees. Those standing in the nur- 

 sery rows were already beginning to leaf out, and 

 the nurseryman told me that it would never pay to 

 remove them. He then pointed out to me a lot of 

 shriveled trees, the remains of his spring sales, which 

 had been taken from the nursery rows early in the 

 spring, and having been placed in large bunches, 

 were then buried in the dry sand. Tney were in- 

 deed poor apologies for peach trees, and not one in 

 a huodred would ever have thought of transplanting 



such trees, even if they could have had them given 

 to them ; but as I had great confidence in the suc- 

 cess of good management, I concluded to run the 

 risk of making tlicin live. 



Having procured the trees for a mere trifle, I took 

 them home, cut off the tap-root several inches, and 

 the laterals to within five inches of the main root, 

 thus retaining those only which were sound and un- 

 injured. The tops were pruned pretty close, so that 

 they might bear a reasonable proportion to the 

 roots, the first branches being eighteen inches from 

 the ground. I then proceeded to the fruit garden, 

 taking a quantity of small stakes with me, which I 

 placed just where I wanted to set the trees. 1 then 

 took a spade and dug for each tree a hole (not a 

 post hole) but one to two feet across from side to. 

 side, and six or eight inches deep. I took particular 

 pains to have the dirt at the bottom loose and fine.' 

 1 then procured a pail of water, and having placed 

 the tree in the middle of the hole and spread over 

 the roots a little fine dirt, poured on half the quan- 

 tity of water — then filled uj) with dirt even with the 

 top, but was very careful to have the dirt worked 

 around the roots, so that they would not be pressed 

 out of their proper place by the weight of the soil 

 above. Thus I proceeded with each tree, and a 

 short time sufficed to place them in their proper pla^ 

 ces. The next day I took a wheel-barrow and put 

 around each tree a few forkfuls of coarse, strawy 

 manure, pressing it down with my foot, so that it 

 might lie close to the soil. 



This is all the care they have received so far this 

 season, besides a little trimming to shape the tops, 

 and every one of those, (twenty in number) treated 

 as above, have lived and made an extraordinary 

 growth, while one in the same rows, treated in the 

 ordinary manner of setting trees, did not survive half 

 the season. My mind had been made up before, but 

 the opinion which I hold is still farther strengthened 

 by the result of this experiment. I am well satisfied 

 that a little extra care and attention in transplanting 

 fruit trees always pays, and that when they have 

 been exposed to unfavorable influences for any length 

 of time, is absolutely necessary. M. L. Paeks. 



Lyndonville, JV. ¥., Oct. 30th, 1857. 



PLANTING ORCHARDS. 



In providing for an orchard, the first and most es- 

 sential thing is a thorough preparation of the soil, 

 to fit it for the introduction of the trees. The next 

 is to provide shelter for them. The soil best suited 

 to most kinds of fruit trees is a good loam, which 

 should be neither too wet nor too dry, but they will 

 thrive well in soils naturally heavy, if thoroughly 

 prepared. The best location for an orchard is on 

 the east side of a wood or belt of timber, where the 

 young trees may be screened from the west winda. 

 It makes but little difference whether the surface is 

 even or undulating, or situated on the side of a hill 

 or on level ground, if the details are attended to. If 

 the ground to be appropriated to an orchard is a 

 a good loam, with a gravelly sub-soil, draining may 

 not be absolutely necessary, but it should be thor- 

 oughly manured and trenched, or sub-soiled two feet 

 or two and one half feet deep. If the soil is cold 

 and heavy, it should be thoroughly drained, trenched 

 and manured, and if cropped for one season with 

 potatoes, and kept clean, it will be all the better. 



