1851 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
36 
A Question about Young Fruit Trees. 
Two years ago I had a small orchard set out by an un¬ 
skillful workman. Some of the trees were planted from 
four to six inches deeper than they stood in the nursery. 
Consequently they have grown very little. Would it be 
a good plan to take up these trees and reset them in the 
fall or next spring? Or is there some way of forcing new 
roots to start near the surface? An answer through the 
Cultivator would greatly oblige, An inexperienced 
Fruit-grower. Steuben , Aug. 14, 1851. 
[If, upon examination, these trees have not sent out a 
new set of roots nearer the surface, which is by no means 
probable, then the best course undoubtedly is to re-set 
them no deeper than they stood in the nursery. If done 
the present autumn, it would be prudent to bank up 
around them several inches till spring, not only for pro¬ 
tection against mice, and stiffening against the wind, but 
for shielding the tender and newly uncovered bark from 
the severity of the winter. 
Many trees are injured or destroyed by setting too 
deeply. A better practice is to dig very shallow holes 
or no holes at all, and to set the trees nearly or wholly 
on the surface, making a broad mound over the roots. 
This is the best treatment in ail cases where the soil is 
rather wet or heavy. Ed.] 
Disease in Fruit Trees. 
Can any of you fruit growers give information respect¬ 
ing a disease which has caused the death of several of 
the apple trees in my orchard during the past two years, 
and is new in this section of country? It attacks vigor¬ 
ous, growing young trees, from eight to ten inches in 
diameter, about the middle of 7th month. The first ap¬ 
pearance of the disease is, the bark for about a foot from 
the ground turns black, and upon examination I found 
that portion of the trunk and the roots entirely dead, 
devoid of all sap or any appearance of life—the rest of 
the tree retaining its vitality and maturing autumn fruit 
as usual. By the ensuing spring, the trees die. At first, 
I attributed it to the ‘ borer/ but upon the closest scru¬ 
tiny I could find no symptoms of their presence. The 
ground is in a high state of cultivation, and is occasion¬ 
ally left to grass. J. M. Quakertown , Pennsylvania. 
Correction. 
Mr. Editor —I regret to be under the necessity of 
correcting the statement I made to you some few weeks 
since in my garden, that tanner’s oil was a remedy for 
the black ant among my strawberry vines. It certainly 
seemed to be at the time, and for a week or two thereaf¬ 
ter the remedy appeared to be perfect. But alas! the 
ants have returned to the same plants, and besides I find 
the oil results injuriously to the plants. 
I am now trying a weak solution of the sulphate of 
potash, or a slight sprinkling of it pulverised, with some 
encouragement as far as I have observed its effects, but 
my continued acquaintance with the habits of the ant, 
(for it is the greatest pest I have,) will caution me 
against concluding from any present hopeful appearances 
that he can be effectually driven off with it. 
The sulphate of potash decidedly invigorates the 
plants. R. G. Pardee. Palmyra, July 7th, 1851. 
Cultivation of the Blackberry. 
Eds. Cultivator —I enclose you a slip from to-day’s 
N. American (of this city) relative to the culture of 
the blackberry near Boston. I am very desirous of ob¬ 
taining some information about this matter, and not being 
a subscriber to any Boston Ag. Journal, I shall feel 
obliged to you to make inquiry about the time of trans¬ 
planting it, method of culture, &c., of which I may 
avail myself through the columns of your Journal. Such 
information I think would be acceptable to your sub¬ 
scribers in this neighborhood. Yours, respectfully, 
Algernon Roberts. Philadelphia 
[The slip was not received. The cultivation of im¬ 
proved varieties of the blackberry is exciting increased 
attention in the vicinity of Boston. Hovey’s Magazine 
states that several of the berries lately exhibited by J. 
Lovett, of Beverly, measured one and a half inches in 
length. The same journal states that 11 a dozen vines, 
well established will yield sufficient fruit for an or¬ 
dinary family.” 
S. W. Cole, of Boston, says, 11 We have seen this 
fruit sold at $1 a quart, that was not a whit better 
(though fine) than we have picked (a quart without 
moving from our steps) on new lands in Maine. 
We have measured bushes of one year’s growth 10 
feet high. We did not dream, in our boyhood, when 
tearing our legs among thousands of brambles, of ever 
seeing this fruit cultivated, and sold at enormous prices. 
The blackberry ripens long in succession, coming in 
immediately after the raspberry. Owing to its great 
excellence, bees, wasps, flies, &c., claim a large share. 
Some blackberries are white, but they are as great an 
anomaly as a white blackbird , or white crow, which is 
seldom seen. 
Soil, Propagation and Culture. —The blackberry 
grows freely in a warm, tolerably dry or rather moist, 
deep, rich soil. It. abounds among stones, old logs, 
fences, and natural hedges. Keep the land rich and 
mellow. Besides other manures, use ashes, leaves, and 
vegetable mould. It is propagated by seeds, and by 
offsets at the roois. Train up new wood, and cut away 
the old, to keep the bushes vigorous and productive: 
High Bush, ( Rubus villosus.) Fruit large; long- 
ovate ; shining black; very tender, juicy, of a sweet, 
rich, spirited, aromatic flavor, resembling the orange. 
Growth straight and upright, then the tops become re¬ 
cumbent. White blossoms. Downing’s account of this 
fruit does not come up to the valuable wild variety in 
Maine. 
Low Bush, (Rubus canadensis.) Small; roundish or 
irregular; black or reddish-black; rather tart, but brisk, 
pleasant flavor. 
The Manettii Rose for Stocks. 
Extract of a letter from an eminent florist in the South. 
I had long wanted to get the Manettii, and w T rote to 
Philadelphia for it last spring, but failed. I confess I 
like the budded roses very much: the flowers are almost 
always large and fine ; and though not so long-lived as 
when they grow on their own roots, yet it is not much 
trouble to bud them anew as often as we want a fresh 
supply. Besides this, there are some few varieties that 
I cannot get to flourish on their own roots. The Chro- 
matella is one of these; but it succeeds well by budding, 
and produces a great quantity of fine flowers. 
[With me, the Chromatella has grown well on its own 
roots—one stem, the growth of this season, is about 4 
feet high—though possibly it might do better on another 
stock. D. T.] 
