THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



319 



as convenient, but never during the heat of the 

 day, and all the trouble and expense will be 

 amply compensated by the grateful return of 

 improved fruit and an increased crop. 



Manure for Fruit Trees. 



Many persons in this State, perhaps it would 

 not be amiss to say, must, when they have 

 planted out trees in what they term orchards, 

 neglect them altogether, as if they could thrive 

 well enough without attention. Such fruit 

 growers do not seem to consider that the trees 

 draw all their sustenance and nourishment 

 from the soil, and that this continual waste if 

 not as constantly repaired, will inevitably soon- 

 er or later exhaust all these qualities upon 

 which the tree must depend for its vitality and 

 fruitfulness. They know that in order to make 

 good crops they must manure the land on 

 which they grow wheat, corn, tobacco and the 

 like crops, but they seem totally unconscious 

 of the desirableness of similar applications to 

 the orchard. 



A friend living near Richmond has a num- 

 ber of well grown, healthy, thrifty apple trees, 

 which after bearing plentifully for some years, 

 all at once became barren, much to his sur- 

 prise and chagrin. After pondering the matter 

 awhile, he resolved to see what effect manur- 

 ing them would have. Accordingly he hauled 

 manure to the spot, and after pulling up the 

 soil, scattered it about the trees. The result 

 was an abundant crop of fruit the ensuing 

 season. 



The best season for this application is the 

 autumn, but where it was neglected then, it 

 may be done with advantage now, and it is 

 never too late to do well. Our advice is, al- 

 ways before putting the manure about the 

 trees, fork up the earth well, as then the rains 

 will dissolve it and carry it in a solution to the 

 roots of the tree. 



And this suggests the remark that liquid 

 manure is the best kind for the orchard, and 

 the further suggestion that soap suds, slop wa- 

 ter and similar things which the farmer wastes 

 usually, is an admirable manure for fruit trees. 

 With but little trouble and less expense enough 

 of this could be saved to answer any purpose. 



It is proper to add that all fruit trees do not 

 equally require manuring. Thus we all know 

 that peaches thrive much better in poor soils 

 than apples would, and this fact must not be 



overlooked. Excess here would not be less fa- 

 tal than total neglect, and the quantity must 

 be left to the sound discretion of each individ- 

 ual. Be it remembered meantime that some 

 is absolutely indispensable, and the farmer who 

 would have good fruit, must not altogether ne- 

 glect his orchard. Of this let all take heed. 



Encourage Home Production. 



It is our purpose at some future day, when 

 we have obtained the requisite data, to give 

 some account of all the Nurseries in this State, 

 with J the varieties and quantity of trees on 

 hand in each, and we hope to be able to show 

 that there are enough fruit trees raised here at 

 home to supply the demand, and to save our 

 farmers the trouble and risk of going out of 

 the State to get orchards. The object we have 

 in view is certainly praiseworthy, at least we 

 trust our readers will so consider it. They can 

 but agree with us in the sentiment, that no 

 Virginia farmer ought to buy abroad, what he 

 can get on as good terms within the borders of 

 his own State. A just pride demands this, let 

 alone that his own interest demands it, and we 

 ask all to wait until they have seen this ex- 

 pose, before ordering their supplies for the en- 

 suing fall. Trees raised here in the soil and 

 latitude in which they are to reuiain, must be 

 better suited to the wants of Virginia fruit 

 growers than those raised in a different climate 

 and soil to that to which they are to be trans- 

 planted. This we could prove to the entire 

 satisfaction of every unprejudiced mind, but it 

 looks so like an axiom that it is perhaps use- 

 less to elaborate the argument. All we ask is 

 that fruit growers will look at home before they 

 resolve to buy abroad. Is it an unreasonable 

 request ? 



Frosted Vegetables. 



If vegetables, such as radishes, beets and the 

 like, have been frosted by the cold weather 

 which has visited us during the last month, we 

 advise all persons to sow another crop immedi- 

 ately, even where those before sown have not 

 been entirely killed. Our reason for giving 

 this advice is, that such vegetables will soon go 

 to seed, and unless others have been put in, 

 they will last but a short while. Without at- 

 tempting now to explain the why, we merely 

 remark the fact, that nearly all our edible roots 



