1880] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



173 



tlip crops were in the olden lime, and eometlnnfr of 

 wliat tliey are now, is told in an extract from tlie 

 late revised edition of Appleton's Ainurlean Cj'clo- 

 pedia, in tlie article ciitillcd " Aiirii-uitiire." It says: 

 "It is dilHcult to asccrlain the amount of crops, 

 or the averaire yield of v^'vy distant times past, but 

 the average yield per acre of wheat in the eleventh 

 centnry was estimated liy the liiiihcst authority of 

 that day — the author of 'I'h'ta'— at only six hushels. 

 So oOl) years later, in 179(1, lifty seven acres on a 

 farm at Ilawsleady yielded only ;i(ili luishels, and on 

 an averaire of three years hut little over that. The 

 actual productive power of (Jreat Britain in the arti- 

 cle of wheat alone increased duriiii^ the half century 

 from ISOl to 1851 to such an extent as to support an 

 additional population of seven millions — an increase 

 which can only l)e ascrihed to an improved system 

 of farming. So in every country where a^^riculture 

 receives the attention it deserves, the prc^luctive 

 capacity of the soil has been largely incri^ased. 

 Even the Atlantic States of the Union, where the 

 system of cultivatins; the soil without niaintaiiiin(? 

 its fert'Iity by proper treatment prevailed for many 

 years, are not an exception, since it is well known 

 that the condition of aericulture is rapidly im|)rov- 

 inf; even in those where this system of impairment 

 was earliest beo^un, and the afenerai averaji;e of 

 crops, with the exception, perhaps, of the potato, is 

 incrcasinff from year to year, as a better system of 

 cultivation is introduced and kept up— the farmer 

 beini; led to improve his practice hy the pressure of 

 increasiuff population and constantly rising prices of 

 laud. In New England, for instance, the jreneral 

 average yield ol" Indian corn per acre has risen from 

 8 or 10 bushels to ",0 bushels, while crops of 50 to GO 

 bushels are not uncommon. In the South Atlantic 

 States, including Maryland, the increased produc- 

 tion is still more riotAh\e."^BaUi>iiore Sun. 



.Removing Small Stones. 



We have now before us a short and sharp para- 

 graph on the necessity and security of removing 

 from the highways the loose and small stones which 

 are so frequently allowed by road-repairers to re- 

 main scattered aliotit on the road-bed. The article 

 referred to says: "A single stone, which might be 

 thrown oat in two seconds, is sometimes struck by 

 wagon wheels fifty times a day, or more than 10,000 

 times a year. Ten thousand blows of a sledge ham- 

 mer as hard on one wagon would probai)ly demolish 

 it entirely, and the stone does no less harm because 

 it divides its blows among a hundred vehicles. There 

 is, therefore, probably no investment that would pay 

 a higher rate of protit than a few dollars' worth of 

 work in clearing public highways of loose and tixed 

 stones." 



In connection with this subject we may mention 

 that in passing over the turnpike running from tlie 

 Foxehase village, in the Twenty-third ward, to 

 Huntingdon valley, a couple of years ago, we no- 

 ticed a laborer gathering up the loose stones, using a 

 heavy iron rake for the purpose, and after raking 

 them into little heaps, shoveling them into a wheel- 

 barrow whence they were hauled to one side and 

 piled up to be used when there was occasion for if. 

 We stopped at the next "gate" and inquired if this 

 was the usual practice of the company, and were 

 answered that it was. We then said that no one 

 would complain of paying his toll where such care 

 was taken to protect vehicles and horses from dam- 

 age ; and besides, we remarked, that this is the best 

 kept turnpike we ever passed overiu Pennsylvania. — 

 Oermaulowii Telegraph. 



Changing the Crop. 



The advantages of a rotation, either regular or ir- 

 I'egular, result from a number of consider:itions, 

 some of the more important of which are as follows: 

 First, ditlerent crops require food elemoits in differ- 

 ent proportions — thus potatoes require much more 

 potash than'wheat, ami this crop grown for a suc- 

 cession of years would exhaust the natural supply 

 much more rapidly than when only grown with a 

 number of other crops between, not demanding a 

 large amount of potash. In the second place a ro- 

 tation, when managed properly, enables one crop to 

 prepare food for another. Clover sends long tap 

 roots into the subsoil which act as pumps to'hring 

 up food elements that may lie used by surface feed- 

 ing crops that follow. Thirdly, as "ditf-rent crops 

 require different methods of cultivation, the rotation 

 can be so arranged that there will be a constant 

 supply of labor distributed throughout the whole 

 season. For the same reason the variety of crojjs 

 permits of a better cultivation and improvement of 

 the soil, the destruction of weeds, etc. 



The Crop and Cornfodder. 

 It is not within remembrance that we have seen a 

 heavier and belter crop of cornfodder than that of 

 the present year, so far as this section is concerned. 

 It is clean ai.d bri:rht, never having been touched 

 with a heavy rain-storm, by which it is sometimes 

 thrown down dnd dirtied. It is also more carefully 

 put in shucks than was formerly the case ; and now 

 if the crop is busked and secured before it shall be- 



come moulded by being too long kept closely Ijound 

 and exuluded from the air, there will he a sup]ily of 

 cornfodder which, lor quantity ami quality, the far- 

 mer has rarely seen. For cattle it is exccdient, even 

 milch cows thriving well niion it, especially if it be 

 cut and steamed and sprinkled with a little corn- 

 meal. The leaves, too, for driving-horses are excel- 

 lent. In putting in stacks, either in the field or 

 near the barn, after being husked, it is not necessary 

 that it should lie under cover, provided it is pii'-ked 

 with the huts in the centre, and thus buill up and 

 given a slight descent to the outside of the stack to 

 carrs'offthe ra.in. ~~(fe}'tnatilo"'n Telegraph. 



Horticulture. 



Fall Transplanting. 



As between fall and spring planting of trees each 

 has its disadvantages as well as advantages. One 

 of the great diflicultics to success in fall planting is 

 that the soil at that season of the year is apt to be 

 too dry, and thus, the soil lacking moisture, the 

 natural moisture of the tree is called on to supply 

 the exhalation constantly going on from the st.em. 

 Consequently the trees go into winter in a more or 

 less exhausted condition, and if not entirely killed 

 have their vitality .so impaired that their recovery is 

 slow. 



Another objection to fall planting is that the trees 

 are more or less liable to be shaken about by the 

 winds of winter, always hurtful, unless they are 

 firmly rooted. It is true the first of these objections 

 may be partially prevented by a thorough watering 

 at the time of setting, and the second disability may 

 be met by careful staking and laying— both of which 

 expedients, however, are slow and expensive. But 

 the best way to obviate these objections is to order 

 your trees in the fall after the foliage has been killed 

 by the frost and the wood thoroughly ripened, and 

 then to heel them in carefully until spring, taking 

 care to plant them out when the ground is in the 

 best condition to sujjply the needed moistute, but not 

 too wet. 



If one could find time to go to the nursery with 

 his team in the spring, procure his trees and plant 

 them immediately, the spring is no doubt the best 

 season for the business ; but, owing to the press of 

 other work at that time of year, there are few that 

 can do so. It would seem, therefore, that the best 

 time to procure the trees is in the fall, and then to 

 heel them in for the winter. The heeling-in process 

 is best done by plowing a deep furrow, turning it 

 towards the south, and following it with another 

 still deeper but narrower furrow alongside of it, and 

 then with a little use of the hand-shovel, a trench 

 and bank can be made exactly to suit. This done, 

 place the roots of the trees in the trench, with the 

 tops leaning against the bank at an angle of about 

 forty-live legrees, and fill in about the roots with 

 fine earth, tramping it firmly, but taking care not to 

 bruise or break them. If necessary, finish by throw- 

 ing more earth over the roots, and if the tops are 

 covered nearly or quite up to the limbs, so much the 

 better. If the soil is dry, wet the whole thoroughly 

 with water ; for, as stated before, nothing is more 

 fatal to newly-dug trees than a lack oftnoisture at 

 the roots. When all this is satisfactorily accom- 

 plished, throw some hay or rotted straw over the 

 roots as a mulch and to prevent the ground from 

 freezing too deeply. If there is danger from mice, 

 examine occasionally, and if any indications of their 

 presence appear, poison or entrap thetn. 



Having done all this you may rest secure that 

 your trees will not only winter in the best possible 

 condition, but be all ready for growfbgin the spring 

 when planted. We omitted to statethat the first 

 thing to he done upon receiving the trees is to cut off 

 with a sharpe knife any portion of the roots that are 

 broken or lorn, for the ragged surfaces of roots can 

 no more heal over than those of broken limbs. 



A Wet Cellar for Apples. 



One of the conditions which has long been con- 

 sidered necessary for keeping apples is dryness. This, 

 however, is now disputed by many of the largest 

 fruit-growers in the country, among whom Irving D. 

 Cook, a leading orchardist, of (Tcnesee county. New 

 York, gives his opinion in the New York Tribune, as 

 follows : 



"In view of the constantly increasing production 

 of apples, and the remunerative prices at which 

 those kept longest are sold, it is of vast ifuportance 

 that we practice the best known me(ho<is of pIckifiL'*, 

 packing and storing. In this matter many pet 

 theories are advanced directly in confiict with those 

 of others. For instatice, a recent correspbtidcnl 

 states that among the essentials for keeping apples 

 is a dry cellar with cement bottom. This is directly 

 opposite the experience of all fruit -dealers with 

 whom I atn acquainted, among them two frotn West 

 Virginia, who tiatidle thousands of barrels of apples 

 aniiUally. One of th m retuarked when inspecting 

 my cellars that whenever he entered a cellar and 

 was compelled to walk on boards to keep out of the 

 water, (as was the case in mine,) he was sure to 



find the fruit in good condition, providing, of course, 

 that the temperature had been kept as near the 

 freezing |)oiiit as possible without encountering it. 

 Anoiher hn-L'e orchardist, Oliver (.'. Chapin, of Kast 

 nioomlield, N. Y., rather startled the members of 

 the Western New York Horticultural Society by 

 averrinL' before them, on a recent occasion, that 

 apples in his cellar kept just as good over a cistern 

 of water as in the dryer parts of it. .\ow, both of 

 these gentlemen are enthu.siastie in their thories. 

 Are they correct ? As an experimfml , in the fall of 

 1X7!* I nnide selections of the Northern Spy and 

 Yellow Bellllow.)r, handleil each specimen carefully, 

 wrajipcd them separately in paper, and stored Ihcin 

 in my cellar, where, (owing to the springy nature of 

 the bottom,) water settled on portions of it during 

 the spring months. The result was that we had 

 samples of the Spy in a good state of preservation 

 as late as .July, anil of the BelMlower till June. 

 Taking in consideration the fact that neither of 

 those varieties are classed as long keepers, they 

 being generally termed "liolliday Iruit," I am fully 

 convinced that by carel'ul and judicious handling, 

 and observing all the other conditions favorable for 

 keeping fruit, damptiess, or in other words a wet 

 cellar, is not detrimental to the long keeping of 

 fruit." 



Mulching Newly Set Trees. 



The benefits of mulching for newly-set trees, 

 whether fruit or ornamental trees or hedges, cannot 

 be overestimated, especially for our chanireable lati- 

 tude. Our wet and cool s[>rini:s are almost invari- 

 ably followed by a severe summer drought, and, 

 unless in locations that are naturally quite moist, 

 these periods of hot, dry weather through the 

 months of July and Auirust give a severe trial to 

 newly-set trees. The rootlets that are put out as 

 the tree begins to get settled in its new position sus- 

 tain a check from the severe drying through of the 

 soil which summer brings, atjcl the tree begins to 

 lag, in consequence. This is the cause of the failure 

 of many newly-set trees, fruit and other, and the 

 reason why they do not gain vitality sufficient to 

 carry them through the llrsi winter. 



Now, the universal and easily ajiplled remedy for 

 tills serious trouble is mulching; and, havidg lately 

 talked with many farmers with special reference to 

 this point, we are satisfied it is the main cause of 

 success with young orchards, ornamenia! trees, 

 hedge -plants, and such shrubs and small IVuils as 

 currants, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, etc. 

 Several orcbardists whom we have recently visited, 

 and wno make a liiixiiKxx of taking care of their 

 trees, have informed us that their success depended 

 almost wholly upon mulching. .\nd a gentleman 

 who haa one of the healthiest and best kepi arbur 

 rita hedges we have ever seen — strong, compact, 

 and beautiful in foliage — tells us he attributes his 

 success with it when young, which gave it its good 

 start, wholly to the fact that it w ;is mulched thor- 

 oughly for two or three years, until the trees them- 

 selves produced sullicient growth to do their own 

 mulching, by affording ample shade.— .V. E. 

 Kartner . 



Enriching Orchards. 



Any farmer who has been accustomed to raising 

 apples and has been unil'ormly suceessliil, will 

 doubtless say that if he expects to get good crops he 

 treats the orchard as he does for any other crop — he 

 manures it, and he finds that a manure tliat will do 

 for most other crops will do for tqc crop of apples. 

 It is the neglect to manure oridiards at all that 

 causes tliem to bear so poorly and the trees to look 

 in bad condition. There is nothing better than 

 wood ashes lor orchards, if we had the ashes ; but 

 nearly everybody burns coal except in certain out-of- 

 the-way sections, and we must therefore resort to 

 something else. Next to wood ashes there is no 

 otiier fartilizer better tlian barnyard manure. A 

 liberal applicalinn of this, if only once in three years, 

 with careful pruning and s "raping- of the trees, and 

 ferreting-out the borers and all other insects which 

 lay concealed under the bark, will soon make a 

 change in the pnuluetivenessof the orchard. October 

 and November are the best months to apply the 

 manure and to give the trunks of llie trees a good 

 seraping-oir of old bark. If the trunks were washed 

 with whale-oil .«oap, say one pound to an ordinar)'- 

 sized bucket of water, there would not be many 

 insects left alive after the operation. — OennautomH 

 Telegraph. 



A Great Orchard. 



The I'arnur'n Jicrinr puljlishes a detailed account 

 of the orchard of A. K. Wliimey, of Illinois, who 

 has 155 acres in apple trees, he set the first 400 

 trees in lS4:i, and now has 1(),0II0 in bearing. He 

 began with 14t sorts, though only SO are left, his 

 object being to test them. For summer and autumn, 

 he chooses lied Astrachan, .Maiden's Blush, Snow A 

 Bailey's Sweet, and for winter and spring, Doininc, 

 Jonathan, Willow Twig. Ben Davis and Winesap. 

 His largest crop in 1S75, was 26,000 bushels, one- 

 half of which was shipped to market, and the other 



