Care and Management of Fruit Trees. 
43 
Grapes. Cut off all the top, leaving only three buds ; then plant the roots, leaving two of the buds 
above ground. When these two buds start out in the spring, rub off the smaller or weaker one and let the 
strongest grow. One year after planting, cut this vine back, leaving three strong buds near the ground ; 
when these start to grow, rub off all but the strongest one and train it to a stake ; when it gets about 2J4 feet 
high, pinch off the top and keep all suckers and branches rubbed off but the two top ones, which should be 
trained to a trellis of some kind, wire being the best. The second year after planting, cut off all the growth 
that has been made, to within 10 inches of the main stem ; the third year cut of nearly as much as was cut 
off the second year, but leave a trifle more wood each succeeding year as the vine advances in age. The 
above does not apply to varieties of the Muscadine type, which do not require pruning ; they should be set 
further apart than other kinds, and trained on an arbor. 
Fertilizing. 
Growth is the important point the first year, and, while a little bone meal or compost can be advanta¬ 
geously applied when setting the trees, the most of the fertilizing should be done after the tree has become 
well fixed in the ground and growth commenced. Nothing will give such quick results in the way of fertil¬ 
izing as some of the well tested commercial fertilizers, which are rich in ammonia and phosphoric acid. 
Any standard "complete” fertilizer prepared for growth (rather than fruit), and therefore containing a high 
percentage of ammonia, will promote an early and vigorous tree growth. A pound of this to the tree, evenly 
scattered over the surface of the ground for a distance of three feet from the stem in every direction and 
raked in well, will soon be recognized by the tree. The first application to these newly-set trees having been 
made, say in March, a second one of about the same amount in July will prove advantageous, and with good 
cultivation will transform medium-sized nursery trees of peaches, plums and other young bearing fruit trees, 
into a bearing size and condition by the end of the first season, after which time fertilizers containing a larger 
per cent, of potash should be used in making subsequent applications. All kinds of .trees are greatly bene¬ 
fited by the use of bone meal, ashes and cotton seed meal. Remember, however, if cotton seed or cot¬ 
ton seed meal is used, that it has to undergo a rotting process in the ground before becoming available as 
plant food, and that it should never be placed in direct contact with the roots. Well-rotted manure and 
composts are always good for fruit trees, and should be plowed in shallow. 
In fertilizing fruit trees, certain general principles should be borne in mind. Growth is the first consid¬ 
eration. Ammonia is essential to growth. The soil must be in a proper condition as to ammonia supply tO' 
make the application of other elements effective. Phosphoric acid and potash will not produce results where 
there is insufficient ammonia. While ammonia, in the form of commercial fertilizer, is a valuable special- 
purpose application, it is impracticable to maintain an adequate supply in this way. A fertile soil is an 
ammonia-producing laboratory. A soil rich in vegetable-mould or humus possesses the ammonia-producing 
quality in an eminent degree. Mulching the surface is an efficient, and in orchard culture often a feasible 
method of bringing about this condition. A "thin” or exhausted soil can be "brought up” by applying 
fertilizer to succulent crops to grow and decay upon the soil. The primary object of fertilization should be 
to maintain this ammonia-producing condition in the soil. Special applications are then effective, and the 
orchardist will soon learn to apply them in quantity and quality according to the needs of the trees—to 
fertilize by indication. A good general rule for fertilizing bearing orchards is to apply a potash-phosphoric- 
acid fertilizer in the late fall or early winter (November or December) for fruit; and for growth, an ammonia 
fertilizer in early spring (February), and perhaps again later. 
Cultivation. 
For all young orchards we recommend frequent and clean cultivation up to midsummer, combined with 
the system of fertilizing above recommended. After July 15 we would cease cultivation, and either sow the 
land down to cow peas or let it grow up to crab grass; if there are peach trees in the orchard we would not 
recommend cow peas, on account of their liability to root-knot. Let the crop of grass or cow peas grow the 
remainder of the season and die on the ground, and plow them in in the winter; this will give additional 
fertility to th^ soil, and also serve a good purpose in shading the ground in the meantime. Never flow 
under a heavy crof of grass , cow feas or other green stuff, in a Souther71 o?'cha?‘d in midsummer . 
If it is desired that two crops should be raised on the same ground, one of fruit and one of farm crops, it can 
be done if all conditions are favorable, but one or more of these conditions are apt to be lacking at some 
time during the season ; they are, plenty of fertilizer, plenty of cultivation, and plenty of water. Unless 
these conditions can be governed, it is better to divide the land and give farm crops one part and orchard 
the other. Don’t expect to receive the best results from an orchard by saving a crop of hay from the same 
land, where both trees and grass have nothing to depend upon but the natural fertility of the soil. Space 
limits us to a few general propositions on fertilization and cultivation, which must be modified in their appli¬ 
cation according to circumstances. We are without books treating these subjects for this region ; but the de¬ 
tails of successful methods may be obtained from our excellent horticultural journals and the proceedings of 
our efficient horticultural societies. 
