266 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[March 18, 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JVcwbury, March 14, 1825. 

 ON PRUNING FRUIT TREES. 



" I also will show mine opinion.'''' 



Dear Sir, — Having had the care of an orch- 

 ard for several years, i will state what ray prac- 

 tice has been in regard to pruning it. — I have 

 been in (he habit of doing- it every year. This 

 may be thougfit to be a great labor. But 1 be- 

 lieve it will be found to require less time to do 

 it every year, at least until the trees h;vve quite 

 got their growth, than to do it only once in three 

 or fouryears. An experienced man will go over 

 them very fast, if it be done annually ; whereas 

 it will require much time to prune them care- 

 fully and properly, if it be done only at long in- 

 tervals. Besides if the trees are thrifty and sel- 

 dom pruned, large limbs must often be removed 

 to the great injury of the tree. The wound 

 very soon heals, if a small limb only is cut oflf; 

 and by pruning every year, it is not necessary to 

 cut off any but small limbs. 



Many suckers too, or shoots growing up in 

 the centre of the tree, will generally be fouud 

 in thrifty orchards, which if satiered to remain 

 will take a great deal of the sap which ought 

 to go to nourish and enrich the fruit. Super- 

 fluous limbs also rob the fruit of just so much sap 

 as they receive. If a tree is full of branches, 

 the fruit cannot be rich. For this reason 1 wish 

 to prune often, and prune close. I do not wish 

 to have many limbs on a tree. Let the sun as 

 well as air have free access if possible, to every 

 branch. The fruit will then be richer, larger, 

 fairer, and more abundant. 



It will be richer. An apple from the soulhside 

 of a tree will be richer than one from the north 

 side of it, unless it come fairly to the sun. And 

 evpn that side of nn apple which is most expos- 

 ed to the sun, will be richer than the opposite 

 side of the same ap[)le. 



That the fritilwill be larger and fairer, I think 

 every one will believe. This being the case, 

 even if it were less abundant, there would be no 

 real loss in the value of the fruit. But so far as 

 my experience goes, it will be more abundant. 

 One large apple will till as much space as two 

 small ones ; and though Ihera be fewer branches 

 on a tree, those branches will produce much 

 more fruit then they would do, if they »vere 

 crowded. Besides, if the branches are kept thin 

 the tree will be likely to bear every year. This 

 is actually the case with most of those of which 

 I have had the care, and with those in the 

 Ticinity that have been treated in a similar man- 

 ner. 



Some people seem to think that engrafted 

 trees do not need pruning, or at least they can- 

 not bear to take branches from trees, which they 

 value so much — just like many a foolish parent, 

 who cannot bear to correct his child when he 

 needs correction, because it will be painful to 

 his own feelings, or gives temporary pain to the 

 child. I would prune the tree and correct the 

 child, for the very reason that i did value them, 

 and should best show by this salutary training, 

 my sense of their value. Neither ihe child nor 

 the tree, when in a great measure left to itself 

 Avill attain to that grace and cornpliness,--will 

 he so useful or so much prized, — as if the firm, 

 yot tender hand of discipline, were faithfully ap- 

 plied. The re'mark too in regard to frequency 



of pruning, may be as applicable in one case as 

 in the other, and the evil consequences oflong 

 neglect as strikingly manifest. 



I think it best to prune in May or June. 1 

 generally use a fine saiv to remove limbs. I have 

 not found any difficulty on account of the slipping 

 of the bark. If the limb to be taken off be some- 

 what largo, apply the saw to the under side first 

 a little. The stump of the limb may be smooth- 

 ed with a pocket knife, if it be necessary and be 

 desired. 



When suckers are removed, they are very apt 

 to sprout again. When they are only a few in- 

 ches in length, they may be very easily pulled 

 or rubbed off with the hand. If so treated, I be- 

 lieve they are less likely to shoot out again. 

 Yours, &.C. Y. 



TO the editor or the new ENGLAND FARMER. 



Worcester, March 11, 1825. 



Mr Fessenden, — As an evidence that pruning 

 trees does not destroy them, according to the 

 opinion of a writer published in your paper of 

 Feb. 11, jiermit me to state a fact within my 

 personal knowledge and daily view. 



A large landholder in this town caused to be 

 set out, or otherwise has growing, in the interior 

 of his ground, on the borders of it, near the 

 highway, lor a mile in extent, the buttonwood, 

 the ash, the m iple, the " white oak," the pine, 

 Ihe butternut, and the walnut, with a goocllv 

 number of poplars, which he keeps shorn of their 

 branches to a mere tuft on their summit. Among 

 the " white oaks," is a large number from 15 lo 

 21 inches in diameter, which for many yf^'irs has 

 not borne a limb within as many feet from tlip 

 ground. They all appear nourishing, and in- 

 crease in bulk and stature. K pruning woolil have 

 killed them, they would have been converted lo 

 fuel long ago. Of his " apple trees," 1 can sav 

 nothing, as they are yet in a stale of minorily. 

 Other fruit trees he has none, being uawillini: 

 to incur expense to grni'ify ihp birds and boys, 

 disregarding the only sure way of tasting them 

 himself, by having such an abundance as zi'ill 

 supply thci/t first. I can say, however, of my own 

 " apple" and other fruit trees, that they sustain 

 an annual and liberal pruning, in vigorous anti 

 improved health. Yours, with regard, 



AN ARBORIST. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Shrewsbury, March 12, 1825. 



Mr Fessenden, — I have had the pleasure of 

 frequent trips on the Ohio river. It is a leceived 

 opinion among the watermen, that every species 

 of river craft, from the humble skiff to the proud 

 steam boat, makes greater progress in the night 

 than in the day. This is true, whether the boat 

 be ascending or descending the stream — wheth- 

 er it be propelled by steam or any other power, 

 or float like an ark on the water. Be the wind 

 or weather as it may, moonlight or starlight or 

 clouds, the boat makes greater headway by night 

 than by day. 



This fact is submitted for the aid of those 

 who are investigating the cause of water-mills'' 

 doing more work by night than by day. 



Your obedient servant, 

 W 



POPUIiAR SUPERSTITIONS. 



FOR THE K. E. FARMER. 



THE MOON. 



Many people attribute a singular degree or 

 kind of influence to the Moon. Whimsical no- 

 tions are common in every neighbourhood, and 

 bring, I fear, some correct opinions into con- 

 tempt. 



From the great influence which the Moon is 

 acknowledged lo have on the earth, its inhabit- 

 ants, and its productions, it is reasonable to infer 

 that its influence is felt in some things, where 

 the influence remains to be discovered and ac- 

 knozoledged. 



The Moon is acknowledged to govern the 

 tides, raising them twice in each day. 



One half of the human family, once in each 

 Sloon, are statedly sensible of a constitutional 

 affection of the body. 



In the months of May, June and .Inly, oak trees 

 in the new of the moon, will readily part with 

 their bark ; when in the old of the same Moon, 

 the bark will adhere closely. 1 attach much 

 importance to this fact, and refer the reader to 

 any man who is in the habit of peeling tanners' 

 bilk, tor its confirmation. 1 have myself some 

 experience, and find that bark does not peal best 

 on the first da3's of the New Meon, but a little 

 before the full of the Moon : and that it will net 

 pnel at all in the last quarter of the Moon; but 

 « ill start off very easily again in the next Moon 

 following. 



Lunatics are so railed, because their wander- 

 ing of reason is greater or less according to the 

 s!a<je of the Moon. 



It IS ;)n opinion well received in many parts 

 of the United Slates, that some horses which 

 are well at one time of Ihe Moon, are uniformly 

 quite blind at another. 



Many people of good sense prefer to plant 

 vines at one seascii of the Moon, and roots at an- 

 other : as peas in the new, and carrots in the 

 old of the Moon. 



Others pick their geese in the new of the 

 of the RIoon, because in the old of ihe Moon 

 only, they think they find p in feathers full of 

 blood. 



Many experienced farmers make it a point to 

 cut brush in the old of the Moon in August. 

 Others fell their chesnut in the old of the win- 

 ter Moon, (preferring Feb.) to prevent its dis- 

 agreeable snapping. What is the cause I know 

 not, that somo che=nut snaps very much, and 

 other chesnut very little. 



Travelling south a few years since through 

 Connecticut in the last days of the Moon in the 

 middle of Nov. I observed no signs of butcher- 

 ing. But the first day of the New Moon brought 

 me through Duchess County, N.Y.; there, that 

 day, a great and universal slaughter of pork and 

 beeves was commenced. It was carried on with 

 remarkable spirit, on the west side of the Hud- 

 son and through New Jersey, in the days fol- 

 lowing ; and distinct traces of fresh blood and 

 bristles were jilainly discoverable quite into the 

 heart of great Pennsylvania. 



Many farmers and most mothers pay some at- 

 tention to "the sign." I confess this appears to ' 

 me exceedingly whimsical, and insufferable, were 

 it not almost imiversal. 



Very many have signs and times of their owd 

 for various kinds of farm worli, whicli signs and ; 



I, 



