210 



Fruit Trees. 



VOL.V 



turned black, mostly dropped off; and it was 

 some weeks before they reanimated, but not 

 a pear came to maturity. 



Yours, respectfully, 



David L. Dodge, 



Cedar Brook, Plainfield, New Jersey, Dec. 20, 1840. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Fruit Trees. 



The propagation and cultivation of fruit 

 trees is a most pleasant and agreeable occu- 

 pation for the sons and daughters of farmers ; 

 and those who have been educated in indus- 

 trious habits, and those into whose minds 

 sound moral principles have been instilled, 

 are invariably fond of it. Every family who 

 occupy a lot, or a farm, should annually de- 

 vote a small portion of time and attention to 

 this interesting and profitable department of 

 rural occupation ; for, we are all fond of good 

 apples, pears, peaches, plums, quinces, and 

 cherries, and all should lend their aid in their 

 production ; but never plant inferior kinds of 

 fruit-trees: the same expense, time, care, 

 and room are required as for the finest varie- 

 ties, which are tenfold more valuable. 



The roots of trees being designed not only 

 to sustain them in a proper position, but to 

 furnish them with nutriment, care should be 

 taken, in planting, to loosen the earth for a 

 considerable distance around them. Those 

 who try how small a hole will accommodate 

 the roots of a tree, miss their aim, for experi- 

 ment has shown, that a tree planted in a hole 

 three feet in diameter, will grow as much in 

 five years, as one planted in a small hole will 

 in ten ; and the reason is obvious, for in the 

 one case the fibres of the roots can extend 

 and collect food without obstruction, while 

 in the other the supply is very limited, or cut 

 oflr. 



Miller says, " the roots of trees dre often 

 buried too deep in the ground, which, in a 

 cold or moist soil, is one of the greatest dis- 

 advantages that can attend fruit trees ; for the 

 sap in the branches, being by the warmth of 

 the air put strongly into motion early in the 

 spring, is exhausted in nourishing the blos- 

 soms, and a part of it is perspired through 

 the wood branches, so that its strength is lost, 

 before the warmth can reach the roots, to put 

 them into an equal motion in search of fresh 

 nourishment, to supply the expenses of the 

 branches, for want of which the blossoms fall 

 off" and decay." 



After the best kinds of trees have been 

 procured, and skilfully and properly planted, 

 great care should be taken to protect them 

 from the depredations of cattle, and they 

 should be staked, to keep them in an upright 

 position, for there is no way in which the in- 



dolence and want of taste of a farmer is more 

 prominently and permanently exhibited, than 

 in the inclined position of his fruit trees. 

 What think you, neighbour, of a man who 

 has suffered a fine apple or pear tree to 

 grow at an angle of fbrty-five degrees, when, 

 if it had claimed attention at the proper time, 

 five minutes' work would have given it per- 

 pendicularity, and preserved its beauty; and 

 it would then have occupied much less space. 



On every farm, a small space should be 

 allotted for the purpose of raising stocks of 

 the different kinds of fruit trees, so that buda 

 or grafts could be inserted at the proper sea- 

 sons of performing these operations, and in 

 this way a perpetual succession of the finest 

 trees would be obtained. The nursery for 

 this purpose should be kept entirely free 

 from weeds, otherwise all will be hopeless, 

 for weeds have been proven, by several of 

 my lazy acquaintance, to grow much faster 

 than young fruit trees raised from the seed. 

 The quince is among the most profitable of 

 our fruits, always finding a ready market at 

 a generous price, and yet there is but little 

 attention given to its cultivation : it succeeds 

 best in a moist soil, and will grow readily 

 from slips inserted in the ground, early in 

 the spring. The young trees produce the 

 finest, fairest fruit ; there should, therefore, 

 be a succession kept up, as they do not do 

 well at a greater age than ten or twelve 

 years. It is hoped that the approaching 

 spring will not be permitted to pass by with- 

 out a large addition being made to the num- 

 ber of quince trees in our country. Those 

 who are too remote from market to profit by 

 the sale of them in a green state, will find 

 their interest promoted by drying them, when 

 they will sell for a higher price than the best 

 dried peaches. 



Those who plant young orchards would do 

 well to consider maturely what description 

 of cultivated crops would be most beneficial 

 to the trees, and particularly to avoid such as 

 are known to be injurious. What would be 

 the effect of a luxuriant crop of wheat or rye, 

 is well known. The trees are stunted and 

 injured in their growth, or they are smothered 

 and killed outright. Will a wise man sow 

 a young orchard with rye 7 I say no, never. 



Agricola. 



" Nothing is more easy than to grow rich. 

 It is only to trust nobody — to befriend none 

 — to heap interest upon interest, cent upon 

 cent — to destroy all the fine feelings of our 

 nature, and be rendered mean, miserable and 

 despised for some twenty or thirty years, and 

 riches will come, as sure as disease, disap- 

 pointment, misery and death." 



