32G 



THE ILLmOIS FAKMEH. 



Nov. 



relo. or scur cherry, if judicious Felections are 

 made, ■wi'l thrive and produce fruit. Early 

 Richmond is the best, all things considerfd. 

 Maydnke is moderafely hardy and productive 

 Othc- varieties with ■which the writer has no ex- 

 peritncf, are said to do well. 



SMALL FRUITS. 



Of small fruits, Eed and White Dutch, White 

 Grape, A''ictoria, and the common Red Currant, 

 all do weli. Houghton's Seedling Gooseb''rry, 

 American White and Brincklics' Orange ^'af-pberry 

 and Neck Pine, Willson's Seedling and McAvny's 

 superior strawberry, are probably among the best 

 varieties for this locality. The Fox and Clinton 

 Grape do well with almost no care, after the first 

 three years. Catawba and Isabella produce good 

 crops of excellent fruit, with ihe vines protected 

 in winter by a slight covering cf corn stalks or 

 straw. The grape is a delicious fruit, and should 

 receive more attention. 



It will readily be seen that much depends upon 

 profagating the email fruits, for Vc^riety. We 

 hope they may receive more attention than here- 

 tofore. First plant such as are known to suc- 

 ceed — afierwards, experiment. 



TRANSPLANTIXG AND AFTER-CULTUEE. 



Preparatury to transplanting fruit bearing 

 trees, shrubs, canes, vines, or plants, the ground 

 should be plowed at least twelve inches deep, and 

 all the better if plowed in the fall, even if the 

 planting is not to be done until the following 

 spring which time we piefer. 



If trees are to be planted, lay nflF the ground, 

 dig holes, if the soil is dry, at least sixteen inches 

 deep, and sufficiently broad to receive all the 

 roots when extended, without bending or crook- 

 ing them. If quite moist, no holes should be 

 made, the trees should be planted on the surface 

 by cover=ng the roots the required depth, with a 

 mound of earth six or eight feet broad, more or 

 less, according to the size of the tree. 



On exceedingly wet soils, a mound should be 

 raised, and the tree planted on its top. When 

 all is ready, go to the nearest nursery, owned by 

 an honpst and intelligent man, procure the sorts 

 wanted — not more than three tj four years old 

 — pay him liberally for treei with both roots and 

 branches, have them well packed in yourwajon, 

 and protected with straw or other material, from 

 the sun and wind, if they have far to go, and 

 don't tell the nurserymen how cheap you can 

 buy trees which, perhaps have neither roots nor 

 branches; for if you buy such you will find them 



deal at any price, as thousands in the West can 

 truthfully testi fy. With your trees on the ground, 

 proceed to plant by throwing well pulverized 

 earth into the centre of the whole where the tree 

 is to stand, making a Utile mnund within the hole, 

 so that when the tree is placed on the top of the 

 mound, the toots will be as far be^ow the gene- 

 ral surface, as when taken from the nur?ery. 

 Place the tree on the top of this mound in such 

 a position that all its roots shall incline down- 

 ward, naturally "is when growing in the nursery ; 

 hold it perpeiidicular, now take a shovel full of 

 well pulverized earth, lift it two and a half or 

 three feet above the roots, and shake it off grad- 

 ually, so that it will fall immediately around the 

 stem of the tree; the particles of earth will roll 

 down the eides of the mound, carrying the small 

 roots and fibres along with them into natural or 

 nearly natural positions. After the roots are 

 covered, the earth may be thrown in with less 

 care and greater rapidity, until the hole is filled 

 level with the Furface with loose mellow earth. 

 Next, stamp it down firmly with your foot, keep- 

 ing the toe toward the stem of the tree, pressing 

 the hardest with the heel, so as to avoid break- 

 ing the small roots near the stem. 



If the stamping has been well done, the tree 

 will now stand firm ; now fill about two inches 

 above the general surface, leaving it lo ^se and 

 mellow. Either before or after planting, one-« 

 half or two-thirds of the previous season's 

 growth should be cut from the end of each 

 branch. When all is done mulch the ground 

 around each tree from two to three feet each 

 way from the stem, and three or four inches 

 deep. 



AVe have been thus particular in describing 

 our mode of transplanting fruit trees, because 

 not more than one iu twenty of those we meet 

 know how to plant a tree. Many reasons might 

 be given for every part of the process we have 

 described, but thos^e advantages not already ob- 

 vious will become so, we doubt not, whenever a 

 fair trial is given. 



Cultivate the soil in potatoes, corn or other 

 hoed crops, for the first four or five years, de- 

 stroying all weeds near the trees. If corn is 

 grown in the fruit orchard, it is an excellent 

 plan to let the stalks remain standing t'^rough 

 the winter, as they will afford protection to the 

 young trees by retaining the snow, thereby pre-« 

 venting the frost from penetrating so deep as it 

 otherwise would. As the trees increase in size 

 and age*, the ground should be plowed less deep . 

 A bearing orchard should never be plowed over 



