598 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 7 
the accuracy displayed in laying out a city. It pays 
to have such things started right.” 
The orchard, as Mr. Hale states, is laid out in streets 
and avenues, which are named after the principal 
peach-growing States, and after prominent horticult¬ 
urists like Downing, Earle, etc. At Fig. 188, will be 
seen a view taken in the main avenue (Connecticut). 
This view shows one straight mile looking north. The 
little peach in the foreground is a Georgia product of 
the highest quality, that is not for sale ! 
“ It must have been an awful job to plant these 
trees. How did you manage it?” 
“ Most of the land being clean from the cotton cul¬ 
ture of the same season, the trees were planted with¬ 
out plowing. Small, June-budded trees, cut back to 
12 inches in height, and the roots all pruned off to 
stubs about one inch in length, were planted with 
straight-backed Ames spades, the latter being thrust 
deeply into the ground and pressed forward so that 
the trees could be inserted in the ground back of the 
spades, which were then withdrawn, and the earth 
made firm with the feet about the little trees. Prob¬ 
ably such a system of root pruning and planting was 
never before practiced, except on a very small scale. 
It certainly made very quick work, at small cost. I 
have not the figures at hand just now to state accu¬ 
rately, but my impression is that the planting of the 
trees cost about $4.25 per thousand ; but as less than 
one-half of one per cent of them failed to grow, I 
was more than satisfied with this method of planting 
and its results. After planting, a mixture of cotton¬ 
seed meal and cotton-hull ashes was scattered in a circle 
of three feet around the trees, about 50 tons of fer¬ 
tilizer being used in this way. When the planting was 
all done, a light furrow was thrown towards the 
trees from each side ; following this, was ordinary 
plowing, followed by a subsoil plow for three fur¬ 
rows around each row of trees. The rest of the ground 
was mostly plowed with Clark’s revolving plow, or 
else cut up with the Cutaway harrows.” 
“ Didn't you try to grow some crop between the 
trees to pay expenses while the peaches were grow¬ 
ing ? ” 
“ The first year the orchard was planted, we had 
about 100 acres to corn, and by thorough cultivation, 
secured an average of about 40 bushels per acre as 
against 10 or 12 on the neighboring farms. About 100 
acres more were planted to nursery stock, and the 
rest of the orchard sowed to cow peas in midsummer 
for green manuring. The result was that this sec¬ 
tion of the orchard made a much stronger growth, 
and the trees in the corn and the nursery stock had 
to be stimulated the last two years to enable them to 
eatch up. I am firmly of the opinion that here in the 
South, just as well as in the North, with lively ani¬ 
mals and intelligent men, plows, Cutaway and Acme 
harrows, and plenty of fertilizer, rich in potash and 
phosphoric acid, are the things to be planted in the 
peach orchard at any time of its growth.” 
“ The fertilizer bill must be a big one on such an 
orchard. What do you use, and do you find cow peas 
and Crimson clover useful ? ” 
“ After the first year, aside from planting cow peas 
in midsummer in the whole orchard, there has been 
no general fertilizing ; but we have kept in stock, 
phosphoric acid and potash, and when any blocks of 
trees have shown a lack of vigor or falling behind in 
general growth, these individual blocks have had 
from one to three pounds of this high-grade fertilizer 
per tree, a total tonnage of from 25 to 30 tons annually 
on the entire (500 acres. We have depended mostly 
upon deep plowing and cow peas for our fertility thus 
far, for it should be remembered that, in the hundred 
years of previous cotton culture, there had been no 
plowing at a depth greater than three inches, and I 
have felt that the subsoil was still rich in all that 
pertains to the best tree growth ; results thus far 
have verified this. The second winter we were here 
I made a trial of Crimson clover, about 200 acres, 
which started well ; but most of it died out during 
the winter, from just what cause I never was able to 
decide definitely. Hut as none of the clover family 
thrives in this section, and cow peas and Soja beans 
do so well, there is hardly any need for the clover.” 
“ Before I begin to talk about the crop , I wish to 
know all about the orchard. You have grown peaches 
for years in Connecticut—how does the culture down 
here differ from Northern methods ?” 
“ The general method of culture followed by the 
orchardists here in the South, is to plow the orchards 
once during the winter, while the trees are dormant, 
and harrow or otherwise cultivate the soil through 
April and May, after which the orchards go into 
grass for the rest of the year. My own belief, and, 
therefore, practice is, that trees should be cultivated 
only during the growing season. Of course, it is easier 
for the stock to plow the orchard in the cool of winter, 
but I prefer not to stir the ground while the trees are 
dormant. I can plow late in March or early in April, 
plow the whole orchard thoroughly, and then keep up 
liberal cultivation with both Cutaway and Acme har¬ 
rows during the main growing season, which con¬ 
tinues until about August 1, when growth ceases and 
the foliage ripens and is usually all off in September. 
So, really, our methods of culture and pruning here 
are practically the same as in the Connecticut orchards. 
To judge from the comments of the many fruit grow¬ 
ers and buyers who have visited us during the last 
month, I am satisfied that we are on the right track.” 
(To he continued.) h. w. c. 
A NEW DEATH FOR POTATO BUGS. 
Never, since the advent of the potato bug in this 
part of the country, has it been so conspicuously 
numerous as at the present time. This is most unfor¬ 
tunate, as this is the brood that go into the ground 
and produce the next crop of bugs. We can almost 
see in the future these pests patiently waiting for the 
first appearance of the potato next spring, when they 
will put in their fine work, and the farmers’ patience 
and ingenuity will be put to a severe test to rid the 
crops of them. If they come in the increased numbers 
that the present supply seems to indicate, one may 
well say, “ What shall the harvest be ?” I have heard 
of no railroad trains being held up by them, near 
here, but they certainly have a great fancy for walk¬ 
ing on the railroad tracks. I have seen places where 
they could be brushed up by the quart, and wherever 
the ground is bare, they may be seen traveling in all 
directions, going in no particular direction, apparently. 
It would appear that the drying and ripening of 
their favorite food, the potato, has set them to seek¬ 
ing other fields and pastures new. Egg plants are a 
great delicacy to them. They seemed to thrive on 
slugshot ; Paris-green of great strength had no terror 
for them ; they simply ate and died, and others came 
and ate and died, until nothing but bare stalks was 
left. Of tomatoes, they prefer the bark and fruit to 
the growing leaves, and it now looks as though they 
were going to take all the fruit without so much as 
by your leave. I kept my little plot well sprayed 
with Bordeaux and Paris-green, but 10 acres of pota¬ 
toes on each side that were sprayed only for the first 
crop of bugs, did the mischief. Will the time not 
come that we shall have to have, as they do in Europe, 
an insect law compelling farmers to kill, to the best 
of their ability, all such pests ? 
The lack of their usual food has developed one 
curious, and to me, new food plant for them, with a 
strange result. Along the walk by the house, I had 
been accustomed to see quantities of the bugs travel¬ 
ing. This was a very common sight, but my attention 
was attracted to one spot where hundreds lay drunk ; 
yes, 1 think so. The new policeman, when he brought 
in his first prisoner, charged him with being drunk. 
Said the Magistrate, “ How do you know he was 
drunk ?” “ Why, sur, he was laying on his back, 
feeling upward for the ground.” Well, so it was with 
these bugs, tying on their backs feeling - up for the 
ground; but before they found it, they were dead. 
On looking for the cause, every bunch of petunias was 
found to have its victims ; some were found dead on 
the leaves, but most fell off and lay kicking, and 
finally died by the hundred. I called the attention 
of our experiment station men to them. It was as 
new to them as to me, and to every one to whom I 
have shown them. They seem to eat very little, as 
all the victims scarcely mar the plants at all. Has 
any one else noticed this peculiarity of the petunia ? 
Queens County, N. Y. n. hallock. 
CARE OF AN OLD ORCHARD. 
A ONE-HORSE FARMER TALKS. 
What would I do with “an apple orchard that has 
been set 30 years and has never been fertilized ?” If 
the orchard has not been plowed in 30 years, or for a 
number of years, I would not plow it at all. If a 
tough sod has formed, which I judge is the case, I 
would sheep it early and late, putting on a liberal 
allowance of fertilizer high in bone and potash each 
year. Plowing the ground sufficiently deep to kill 
the sod, would nearly kill the trees also. To say the 
least, one would have no fruit or blossoms for some 
years to come. If possible to sheep it severely enough 
to kill the grass roots, one could then work the ground 
with an A-sliaped, one-horse cultivator, with from five 
to seven teeth one inch wide, without injuring the 
terminal tree roots that are near the surface where 
not worked for a number of years. 
Ground once properly prepared for orchard pur¬ 
poses, should never be plowed again, if one wishes to 
have healthy and fruitful trees. I have only five acres 
in my fruit farm, and am necessarily a one-horse 
fruit grower. I have ascertained that a one-horse cul¬ 
tivator will work the soil sufficiently deep for crops, 
trees or fruit, leaving the surface level at all seasons 
of the year. In fact, 1 haven’t had a plow on the 
place in 15 years, except to plow my garden where 
trees are not allowed. Although I have nearly or 
quite 1,000 fruit trees, mainly on 3% acres, I have no 
trouble in preparing my land for hoed crops, owing, 
no doubt, to my being accustomed to the management 
of a horse and cultivator. I do it as quickly as 1 
would with a plow and team, on land clear of trees. 
I have had no experience in what is called mulching, 
or with the disc or Cutaway harrows. I fertilize with 
stable manure, well rotted, if possible, spreading on 
the surface and cultivating it in; also with commercial 
fertilizers, when stable manure cannot be obtained at 
paying rates. 
I would set trees to fill vacant spaces in an orchard. 
Better cut out a few more of the shy-bearing trees, 
giving the remainder an opportunity to occupy more 
space as they grow. Usually the best-bearing apple 
orchards are those that have lost the greater number 
of trees, and the owners failed to reset at the time of 
the loss. Apple trees require more square feet of soil 
and air for the purpose of perfect fruitage and growth, 
than any other fruit trees, three to one. 
Cultivation of the soil leaves the ground in better 
condition each time over, although at the commence¬ 
ment the ground may have been too wet to plow. A 
well-pulverized surface is required for a seed bed, and 
also for tree growth and fruitage ; consequently keep 
the cultivators moving every week in the season up to 
the middle of July. After that, I would advise sow¬ 
ing the ground to strap-leaf turnips, at the rate of 
one-half pound per acre. Going over the ground with 
a log arranged for that purpose, assists in securing 
a good catch, resulting in the surface of the ground 
being effectually shaded for the rest of the season, 
and preventing the too early ripening and dropping of 
fruit. m. n. cook. 
Genesee County, N. Y. 
TOP-WORKING PLUMS. 
It is a fact that some of the very best plums we 
have, arc either too tender in their bodies or are such 
slow, scraggly growers that one can hardly wait for 
them to grow into decent trees. Among the former, is 
the Reine Claude. I know of no better light-colored 
plum, or one that is a better bearer ; in fact, over¬ 
production is one of its most prominent faults, and 
probably one of the reasons why it is so tender in its 
body. But of all the plums which I have, none is 
more tender in the body. The top is all right, but I 
never saw a tree a dozen years in bearing, with a 
healthy body. The trees are cracked and sun-scalded, 
and most of them die after a few years’heavy bearing. 
Of the latter class, the Grand Duke, Monarch and 
Fellenberg ai-e notable examples. While their bodies 
are healthy enough, it seems to take a lifetime almost 
for them to grow into good-sized trees. 
On the other hand, there are plums that are rapid 
and strong growers, and with healthy bodies, but which 
black-knot so badly as to make one discouraged who 
tries to keep them clean. Of this class, the Lombard 
is a notable example. Of all the trees I have in my 
orchards, the Lombard beats them all for black-knot. 
I had trees last year from which I cut more knots 
than I picked plums. The branches were literally 
covered with knots not larger than a cherry. I have 
found these Lombard bodies capital stock on which 
to top-work the two classes above named. The Reine 
Claude top on a Lombard body makes a typical tree. 
It is healthy and vigorous in growth, and the Lom¬ 
bard roots and body seem perfectly able to furnish food 
for, and carry the enormous crops of fruit which they 
will put on. The same is true of the other slow, 
crooked-growing kinds mentioned. Worked on top- 
high, they soon push out and make respectable tops, 
and produce abundant crops. The Bradshaw or 
Niagara also makes a good body for the above pur¬ 
pose. It is a strong grower and healthy, and the 
above kinds take very kindly to it. I am now plant¬ 
ing both these kinds largely, and top-working them 
as above. 
I set my trees one spring, and either bud them the 
succeeding autumn, or let them go over and whip or 
splice graft upon them the following spring. If to 
be grafted, of course it must be done early in the 
spring, at least, before the buds have made much de¬ 
velopment. I can see no practical difference in these 
methods of changing, but much prefer either to let¬ 
ting them go until large enough to saw off and cleft 
graft. The smaller they are when worked, the more 
peifeet the union, and the better and more loug'Tived 
will be the tree. While the Lombard, when left entire, 
is so very subject to attacks of black-knot, when top- 
worked with any of the above mentioned kinds, 
which are all very free from this disease, I have 
never seen a body attacked with knot. Of the two, 
I prefer as a stock for top working, the Lombard. It 
is a stronger grower than the Niagara-Bradshaw, and 
trees worked on it produce larger tops and bear more 
fruit. One of the finest orchards that I know is 
one of Reine Claude on Lombard bodies. 
Why would 1 cut off a Lombard orchard to top- 
work it into the others ? First, for the reason that, 
