No. 9. 



' Cisterns — Orchards. 



287 



Cisterns. 



To the Editor of the Fanners' Cabinet : 



Sir, — Your correspoiulent Lapis (p. 20.')) 

 has fji\en us very plain and excellent instruc- 

 tions lor compounding the materials and build- 

 in^r rain-water cisterns, for which your read- 

 ers owe him many tiianks. 



I have Ion": been accuirtomcd to the use of 

 rain-water, preserved in underground cistern?, 

 for every purpose, and can vouch its great 

 superiority; it never grows putrid, is always 

 cool, peculiarly gratelul to tiie palate, and 

 agreeable to the stomacli, while for brewing 

 and the making of tea, "it beats ail natur." 



In working up the materials, after they 

 have been very intimately mixed in a dry 

 Btate, I would advise that they be wetted 

 with salt water to the proper consistency for 

 working, according to the mode recommended 

 by LapFs. In a town in England, a mason 

 undertook to build a wall by the sea side, and 

 as no fresh water was at hand, he slacked his 

 lime ccr.nj ni^ht with sea water, to save the 

 expcfise of carting water in barrels for that 

 purpose. As soon as the proprietor knew 

 this, he stopped tlie work, and came to the 

 resolution to remove that portion of the wall 

 that had been built, and dismiss the mason 

 from his employ. On examination, however, 

 he four.l the work so completely incorporated, 

 that he changed his intentions, and permitted 

 the mason to^finish the work with salt mor- 

 tar, which soon became so hard as to defy 

 even the pidiaxe. 



We all know the effect of salt in white- 

 wash, how that it prevents it from rubbing 

 - off, and gives consistency and durability to 

 the work" and T would strongly recommend 

 salt whitewash for covering weatlierboards, 

 fences, &.c., having no doubt it would add 

 greatly to their preservation. May 1 ask, 

 what would be the probable effect of its ap- 

 plication to the trunks of fruit trees ? 



Lapidis. 



Orclaa.r<l§. 



We would not sny much on orchards at this 

 time of year were we not constantly remind- 

 ed, winter and summer, as we pass along the 

 road, of the amount of labor that has been 

 thrown wholly away by inefficient attempts 

 to plant an apple orchard. We have come 

 to the conclusion, from the orchards we have 

 observed in our various travels, that the own- 

 ers of ninety-nine in a hundred had generally 

 thrown away their labors, and that the orchard.-, 

 they attempted to plant were only a nuisance 

 to their grounds. These lands were generilly 

 quite rich enough for trees of this kind. — 

 This was not the evil. The trees were not 

 well selected at the first— they were not 

 carefully taken up— they were not properly 



set in the ground — they were not tilled after 



setting, and the cattle in most cases were 

 called in to trim the trees. It was an old 

 maxim that he who plants an orchard plants 

 it for the next generation. We should say 

 for his cattle to rnb against, or for his hoga 

 that were fond of tlie bark of the trees. 



Now he that plants an orchard need not 

 make up his mind that he is necessarily at 

 work for others, and we hope, if we can make 

 him believe he is at work for himself; and is 

 not an hireling or disinterested, he will pro- 

 ceed in his labor with faithfulness and skill. 



We will warrant him, if he will exercise 

 any common degree of judgment, a good crop 

 of apples within five years of his transplant- 

 ing, and if he plants an acre, he shall have 

 winter and fall fruit enough for a dozen in a 

 family. 



Now to the work. His land should have 

 been tilled the year before setting his trees, 

 and made as rich as usual for Indian corn. — 

 It should be ploughed in the spring, before 

 setting the trees, and well harrowed. This 

 ploughing need not be deeper than for corn. 

 It is a great error to set trees deep in the 

 earth, — son-.e do it to procure moisture for the 

 tree — some to make room to thrust in a quan- 

 tity of manure — and some so that the tree 

 may have a firm support and not be racked 

 by the winds. 



Now we say to you, brethren, imitate none 

 of those modes; a tree, set deep, is set in 

 the poorest earth. Place your trees so that 

 the roots may have the richest. Never put 

 manure of any description about the roots if 

 yon would have your trees live. Place no- 

 tliiiv but good g-arden mould next the roots, 

 give them sufficient room. Make the hole 

 for them broad but not deep. 



When you have covered the roots with 

 good garden mould and spread out the fibres 

 so as not to crowd a peck of them into one 

 heap — roots aro not fond of close intimacy — 

 when you have covered these roots with good 

 soil, take from your cow-yard any coarse litter 

 that will retain moisture, and place it round 

 the tree, treading it down close so that it shall 

 form a support to the tree. This litter should 

 lie several inches thick after it has been trod 

 down. If you have none of this litter, coarse 

 manure may be used — old stack hay or straw 

 will answer the purpose. Thislitter must lie 

 here through the soason and be kept trod down 

 close. Now you need no stake to gall the 

 trees, your litter is a sufficient prop. You 

 need put no water about the roots, for your 

 litter or coarse hay impedes evaporation to 

 such a degree that the earth under it will con- 

 tinue moist through the whole summer. If 

 the tree is racked a little by the winds so much 

 the better, it is thus taught early to rely on 

 itself for support, A staked tree is like a 



