m^- 



1864. 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMER. 



109 



serves to explain the cause of that wide diflPerence 

 of opinion that exists in regard to the value of va- 

 rieties. — Ed. 



Orchards in Grass— Boot Pruning. 



"We notice an article on "Orchards in grass," 

 published in the December number of the Garden- 

 er^a Monthly, by "Dr. James weed, Muscatine, 

 Iowa," which is certainly worthy of attention. 



The writer seems to widely advocate the grass 

 for orchards, with the view of promoting a moder- 

 ately vigorous growth, as most "likely to endure a 

 severe and trying climate." It is conceded that 

 the fruit fiom cultivated orchards is larger and 

 fairer, but that from the grass orchard was of fair 

 size and " abundant." He concludes, the impatient 

 ones, " willing to incur the risk of losses from 

 blight and severe winters, will plant in corn and 

 hoed crops." Others who are disposed to be 

 always on the side of safety, and are reluctant to 

 loose valuable trees occasionally when grown, will, 

 we think, prefer grass culture." — The writer claims 

 a further advantage in the cleanness of the fruit 

 when it drops from the tree. He does not say 

 anything about mowing the grass, but leaves us to 

 infer the mowing at least once in the season, else 

 the apples could not be conveniently gathered. 



We know clean Culture with the cultivator and 

 hoe costs time--^and time is money. The grass 

 system is much the cheapest in outlay, and if no 

 other, than two to three years, in the length of 

 time required to bring a young orchard into bear- 

 ing, and a little inferiority in size of the fruit, com- 

 prised the objections to the system, its advocates 

 would rapidly multiply upon assurance of these 

 facts to the public. 



The objections named, which seem to be the only 

 ones conceded by the article in question, are not, 

 in our view, the principle ones existing agaibst 

 sowing the orchards to grass. If grass culture is 

 adopted, it must be continued, otherwise the evils 

 supposed to be guarded off thereby, would as cer- 

 tainly follow the introduction of the plow as if the 

 land had been continually cultivated. In this light 

 the evil may be seen in its most objectionable fea- 

 tures. All old meadows become hard and sterile, 

 imparting Bterrility to all crops, not excepting 

 trees, with which the grass roots come in contact, 

 and surround. — These old meadows are a paradisal 

 nursery for most noxious insects and animals de- 

 structive to trees and fruit. Plowing and culture 

 destroy the eggs and nests of the one and the bur- 

 rows of the other. Bark lice, the destroyer of the 

 tree, as the apple moth is of the fruit, seldom httack 

 to injure free growing cultivated trees, but infest 

 especially those diseased, or from any cause, mak- 

 ing a slow growth. If the writer has seen a free 

 growing orchard "fifteen years "in grass, he has 

 the advantage of us. We never did. We never 

 saw one five years in grass, which had not lost at 

 least three of those five years in gtowth and healthy 

 appearance. 



We are free to admit that trees protected at the 

 roots by an aftermath of fine grass, may escape 

 injurious freezing of the roots, which wOuld destroy 

 a subject of clean culture with the roots unprotected 

 in severe winters, during which little snow falls. 

 But this is easily prevented by mulching. 

 ^We do not consider the breaking of a few surface 



roots with the plow damaging in its effects upon 

 well cultivated trees, but rather beneficial, conduc- 

 ing to fruit-bearing, and checking overgrowth. 

 Some of our best grape growers deprive the young 

 vine of all roots near the surface, when one year 

 in vineyard, to promote these objects. If the vine, 

 with its netting of surface roots, may be benefitted 

 by surface root pruning, why not the apple tree 

 with its perfect system of downward striking roots ? 

 This method of root pruning to check overgrowth 

 and promote productiveness, if not of course tin 

 bes«^^, doing the work roughly and imperfectly. 

 The careful cultivator can, if he will, by judicious 

 root pruning with the spade and knife in mid-sum- 

 mer, check any tendency to a sappy orergrowtii, 

 and command the productiveness of his trees. By 

 root pruning he will leave no surface roots to be 

 necessarily broken, with the plow, will check late 

 growth and will fruit his trees at any age desirable, 

 and by combining therewith winter mulching, be 

 enabled to grow any hardy variety of the apple 

 without resorting to the exhaustive system of grass 

 culture to check over-luxuriant growth. Such is 

 our view of the matter. If, however, an orchard 

 may be grown and fruited profitably by sowing 

 and keeping to grass, in any part of the Northwest 

 where clean culture with mulching will not do 

 after a fair trial, let us have the facts. — Homestead 

 Iowa. 



«■» 



The London Gardener's Chrordde says of 

 the iV'ortnern Spy apple, in England: "Finer fla- 

 vored specimens we never tasted of this, the mcsc 

 delicious of United States apples, as well as one of 

 the very fiaest of table varieties. We prefer it to 

 the bust Newtown Pippin. 



say 16 feet long, 



it leans against a stable, barn 



management of Poultry. 



Almost every family, however poor have or ca:i 

 have its own chickens and eggs. And the follow- 

 ing hints will prove useful to all such of your reai' 

 ers as wish to raise chickens successfully. 



Hen House. — Your hen-houses should be roomv, 

 10 feet wide, 10 feet high, wheiu 

 or wagon shed, and 

 seven feet high at its lower side. And its front 

 face — which should face the south — should hav^ 

 glazed windows on hinges to let in the sun'.s 

 warmth and light in winter, and for the admissio;! 

 of fresh air in summer. The hen house may if de- 

 sirable, be built at the end of the hog pen, or over 

 it. 



2. Roosting Place. — ^The roosting place of your 

 hens should consist of a ladder-like frame, whose 

 slats are about 18 inches apart, that can be leano(? 

 against the rear of the house at any desired incl - 

 nation. As the hens in roosting always occupy the 

 highest places first, this will bring them close to 

 gether, and keep them warmer in winter. And \\\ 

 summer this ladder may be raised up to a level, s > 

 as to keep them farther apart and cooler. Th 

 floor should be made of stone, sand and lime, con- 

 creted or cemented together so as to form a har I 

 and dry floor and keep out rats. And a few shov 

 elsful of dry, pulverized clay sprinkled over t\ii 

 floor every week or two, will absorb all the moist 



