174 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[NoTember 



If the young trees are to be set in fence corners or 

 upoii the roadside, they must be kept thoroughly 

 mulched with coarse straw for at least five or six 

 years. An ancual spading about the roots will also 

 promote the growth wonderfully. If they are set in 

 an orchard by themselves, they should be placed in 

 rows thirty or forty feet apart each way, and kept 

 cultivated until they begin to bear. The ground can 

 be occupied by corn, potatoes or beans or squashes, 

 keeping up the fertility by the use of barnyard 

 manure. After the trees begin to bear, the ground 

 may be seeded and pastured by sheep or calves. 

 Sheep will keep the grass short, which will make it 

 eesler to gather the nuts that have fallen to the 

 ground. 



The trees will begin bearing in from six to eight 

 years from the time they are transplanted, and will 

 increase In height at the rate of one and a half to 

 two feet each year, for the first twenty years at 

 least. The walnut and chestnut will grow the most 

 rapidly, the butternut next and the hickory slowest 

 of all. They will need no pruning except to form 

 the heads from four to six feet from the ground, and 

 to cut out any limbs that may become crossed or 

 broken. 



The above directions, with many additional details 

 for which unfortunately we have no space, are from 

 the pen of Professor Satterlee, and appear in the 

 current report of the Michigan Horticultural Society. 

 The paper concludes as follows : 



" I know of no more enjoyable thing about a far- 

 mer's house than a small orchard of nut-hearing 

 trees. An acre or two devoted to this purpose will 

 do as much to keep the boys and girls at home while 

 young, and to make the memory of the old home 

 blessed in after life, as anything that I could name. 

 Do not say " it takes too long to get the trees in 

 bearing." I have young trees growing that are the 

 grandchildren of those that came from the nuts 

 that I planted only twenty years ago. I was 16 

 years old then and am not a very old man yet. I 

 feel as keen enjoyment in raking over the golden 

 leaves and searching for the rich, brown nuts as any 

 of my younger friends, and I hope to experience the 

 same enjoyment, and appreciate it, too, for many 

 years to come. 



Watering Newly Set Trees. 

 That newly planted trees in certain unfavor- 

 able seasons and certain conditions of the soil do oc- 

 casionally require watering will not be denied. But 

 the ca.<;es are so rare that they are scarcely to he 

 taken into account. A tree properly planted, with 

 the soil in the right condition, immediately goes to 

 replace roots which had been severed in removal. 

 The earth grows warmer every day, and the young 

 rootlets feel the influence of this heat, and new fibers 

 Immediately break from them, as may be seen by ex- 

 amlnation twenty-four hours after planting. The 

 soil has probably a temperature of 60° or 05°, and 

 perhaps more, but just as all is going well enough, 

 along comes the planter with a pot of cold water, 

 which bedashes around the tree, chilling the earth, 

 and, indeed, often killing the young fibers. Trees 

 can stand a great deal, or twice as many would 

 never survive. The tree leaves out with the great 

 heat of the sun upon the soil, and again the fibers 

 begin to put out ; once more comes the shower-bath, 

 often a third time, and if the tree does not die it is in 

 spite of the planter. 



It is rare that a tree planted very early needs any 

 water ; certainly only in a very dry soil, and it should 

 then be given at the time of planting. But later in 

 the season, when the sun's rays are more powerful 

 and evaporating more rapid, possibly one or at most, 

 two waterings are all any tree needs. If the planter 

 has nothing to do, and wishes to show his affection 

 for his trees, he can safely take his syringe, or even 

 a fine rose water pot, and moisten the whole top of 

 the trees, which will do far more good than to drown 

 the roots. — Canadian Fanner. 



Manuring Fruit Trees. 



It is singular how long some fallacies retain their 



hold, even after they have been disproved by facts, 



' and of these, one of the most mischievous is the be" 

 lief that fruit trees and bushes are liable to injury 

 rather than benefit from the application of manure. 

 All sorts of disease, such as canker and other ail- 

 ments to which fruit trees are liable, are set down as 

 the result of applying manure to the roots ; whereas> 

 in nine cases out often, it arises from poverty of the 

 soil, causing the roots to run down into the bad sub- 

 soil. I am continually hearing complaints from 

 owners of fruit trees as to their unsatisfactory con- 

 dition, and on examination have invariably found 

 scarcely any fibres of any kind, nothing but long, 

 thong-like roots, that run right down to the subsoil. 

 On inquiry I have usually found that manuring or 

 top-dressing had not been practiced for many years, 

 their owners having come to the conclusion that 

 such practices were dangerous. 



I do not say that manure will prove to be a cure 

 for fruit-tree ailments of all kinds, but I will briefly 

 detail a few facts that have come under my observa- 

 tion at various times, to prove that starvation of the 

 roots is a far more prolific source of injury than 

 abundant feeding of the surface roots, both with 

 solid and liquid manures, and growers must form 

 their own conclusions as to the best course to pursue. 

 The fruitful or unfruitful state of orchard trees in 

 nine cases out of ten is entirely dependent on the at- 

 tention which they receive as regards manuring. 



In fruit growing parts of Kent, where large orch- 

 ards of standard trees planted on grass land is the 

 rule, it is a well-established fact that if the grass is 

 cut for hay and carried away, the trees soon become 

 unfruitful and die out ; while, on the contrary, if the 

 grass is fed off, so that the nutriment is returned to 

 the roots in the shape of manure, the trees keep truit- 

 ful and healthy. I have seen some of the most 

 moss-grown, miserable specimens of starved orchard 

 trees restored to fruitful condition by making the 

 ground beneath them the winter quarters for sheep 

 and pigs, feeding them at the same time as if they 

 were in the farmyard with roots and corn. 



The finest old specimens of apple and pear trees 

 are generally those in an orchard next to the homej 

 stead that is used as a run for calves, sheep, pigs 

 and poultry the whole year around. In these orch- 

 ards the turf is short, and being full of nutriment 

 the trees keep healthy and prfolific for an indefinite 

 period. Ashes, garden refuse, or any kind of road 

 scrapings, or even scavengers' rubbish may be util- 

 ized for increasing our supply of orchard fruits. 

 They should be spread roughly on the surface in 

 winter, and in spring harrowed and rolled down 

 firmly. The result will soon he a marked improve- 

 ment in the size and quality of the crop. Difference 

 of opinion prevails as to the pruning or non-pruning 

 of trees, some adopting one system and some another; 

 but, be that as it may, I never knew fruit trees con- 

 tinue to yield good crops for any length of lime un- 

 less the roots were supplied with manure in some 

 form ov othar.— London Garden. 



trees. An orchard, properly treated, may be made 

 profitable if the fruit is sold, dried or "evaporated," 

 or converted into cider or vinegar. There is no bet. 

 ter time to prepare for an orchard than during the 

 fall months of October and November, whether the 

 planting is to be done this fall or next spring. The 

 most important work of preparation is drainage. 

 Trees are planted upon soil that is too wet, with the 

 intention of laying the 'drains afterward. It is much 

 better to drain before planting.— «<?/ and Country. 



Household Recipes. 



A New Orchard. 

 There is no more profitable use to which a farmer 

 can devote a share of his land than to orchard plant- 

 ing. If he intends the fruit for his own use only, it 

 will be in the bgst sense of the word profitable, as it 

 brings health, comfort and enjoyment. Many plant 

 trees without properly considering the varieties, and 

 then grudging the land thus occupied, ask of it what 

 is required of no other field upon the farm, viz : 

 that it shall annually support two crops, the trees 

 and grass, grain, or something else which usually 

 has the land all to itself. This treatment is mainly 

 the cause of the " giving out " of fruit, about which 

 we hear in some of the older states. While we ad- 

 vocate the planting of orchards, we have too much 

 regard for trees to wish them to be submitted to such 

 treatment. Unless one can be content with one crop 

 from his land, and be willing to give it up to the 

 trees, he had better not plant them. Of course, 

 while the trees are young, a wide strip between the 

 rows may be occupied by a croj), but when they 

 come into bearing, the trees should have the whole 

 land, and all crops, such as clover and other pastur- 

 age for pigs, should be grown for the benefit of the 



Tea No. 1.— If one is to have the deliciously flav- 

 ored and delicately perfumed beverage called Tea 

 known, alas ! to so few Americans, one infallible 

 rule must always be followed, viz : Never allow it to 

 boil. Said an epicure of long residence in China : 

 " you Americans know nothing about tea ; you not 

 only boil it, but you make it far too strong, thus 

 ruining its flavor. If you would have it perfect it 

 should be made as follows : 



Firstly, make sure that your tea-pot is perfectly 

 clean, for one stray leaf from the last brewing will 

 Injure the flavor. Then let me say that the tea-pot, 

 if of metal, must never be washed with soap or 

 scoured inside, only washed and scalded well in 

 clear hot water and put away, ready for use. Take 

 freshly boiled and actually boiling water, scald the 

 tea-pot, to make it quite hot, then put into it a half- 

 teaspoon of tea for each cup, pour over it the boiling 

 water and let it stand five minutes, when it is ready 

 to pour. If you would have the perfection of tea, 

 never spoil it with cream. Russian tea is delicious 

 to serve for 5 or 9 o'clock tea. Prepare as above, 

 then put a delicate slice of peeled lemon into the 

 bottom of the cup, laying on top of the lemon one or 

 two lumps of sugar and pour over this the hot tea. 

 Of course, no cream can be used with tea. Every 

 good housekeeper will see at once how impossible it 

 is to have the tea brewed properly anywhere but in 

 the parlor or at the table, and by the lady herself. 

 The great variety of spirit-lamps and kettles renders 

 it impossible for everyone to do this, and it adds, 

 also, very much to the grace of the table. A little 

 spirit-lamp can be bought for thirty cents, over 

 which the water can be heated in the teapot, it first 

 having been boiled in the kitchen; it will then re- 

 quire but two or three minutes on the lamp before it 

 begins to sing. For twenty-five or thirty cents more 

 a pretty Chinese teapot can be bought, to make the 

 tea in. When the kettle commences to sing, pour 

 into the new pot a little water and pour out again ; it 

 is now scalding hot and all is ready to proceed as 

 aljove. The tea saved by this process will pay for 

 the small amount of alcohol required by the lamp. 

 Then, there are the pretty bronze and brass and sil- 

 ver kettles which come for the purpose, all of which 

 are more or less expensive. A very pretty one can 

 be had for about $3.50, and almost every one has 

 pretty teapots, which have been put away as orna- 

 ments, not liking to trust them to the careless hands 

 of servants. 



A " cosy " thrown over the teapot while the tea is 

 brewing will keep it hot longer. 



As to varieties. Oolong and English breakfast are • 

 best. The much-abused English breakfast tea, made 

 in the above careful manner, would scarcely be recog- 

 nized by its abusers. 



Tea (No. 2.)— No beverage, perhaps, is so varied 

 in quality as tea, from the cup of lukewarm water, 

 with a faint seasoning of boiled hay, to the smooth, 

 rich, amber fluid that seems to act on the jarred 

 nerves like an emolument, and sends a stream of 

 fresh life coursing through the veins. This grade, 

 however, is almost as rare as a four-leaved clover; 

 and yet, a cup of t(a is considered " the easiest thing 

 in the world to make." 



That is just the trouble, and Bridget's style of 

 making it is to drown it in water that does not boil, 

 and serve it up hastily, a weak, lifeless decoction ; 

 or she puts in twice the amount of tea needed and 

 lets it boil for an indefinite time. The dull, black- 

 looking fluid which results is neither cheering nor ta- 



