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ed by some of the experienced and able writers of the present day in adjoining and Eastern States, that Wisconsin is not the place to grow hardy and healthy fruit trees for successful orchard planting, shows a higher Horticultural development than your humble servant has

attained.

I am free to admit, I think a fruit tree three or four years old, found growing vigorous and strong in a Wisconsin nursery, has as good a chance for being useful as one brought from 36°, 38° or even 40° of latitude. After settling all these queries, let us not again shift from our own shoulders the responsibility of helping make hardy and productive fruit trees. That obstacles must be met and overcome is not doubted. In no portion of the world known to the writer, can the delicious pear, the lucious plum, or the invigorating apple, in its highest excellence, be enjoyed without ceaseless care and attention.

Yours, WHITEWATER, March 6th, 1862.

H. A. CONGAR.

The Way to Have a Good Orchard.

sery should be like that for the orchard, and for the same reasons. The tap root of a tree should never be cut. The shortening of the tap root is the greatest cause of unhardiness in trees. Nature furnished it for the purpose of going down into the sub-soil, where it would find perpetual moisture, away from drouth and frost, and where it would find those substances that are needful for the healthful growth of the tree, and which are not furnished by the surface soil. The cutting off the tap root, causes the tree to throw out an undue proportion of lateral or side roots, which being near the surface, are exposed to drouth and frost, and take up too great a portion of organic or vegetable substances, causing the tree to grow too rapidly.

The first thing to be considered, is the location and soil. The location should be the highest ground upon the premises, and as a matter of course, the soil would be most likely to be the poorest, that is, it would contain the least organic matter; but in regard to richness of the material essential for the healthy growth of the trees, it would most likely be the richest. Another reason for selecting the highest ground, is on account of its being less liable to frosts. One of the greatest causes of unhardiness in fruit trees, is a too .rapid growth while young, causing the wood to be porous and spongy, and in the young shoots, an insufficient hardiness. If we should take a young calf in the spring, and feed it all the summer with the richest milk, oil-cake, and corn meal, and then when winter set in, let it go unfed, and with- | out protection; we would not think it at all strange if we found it dead in the spring. Next in importance is the manner of raising The location and soil for the nur

the trees.

The

The next thing to be considered is the proper age and size of trees for transplanting. tree should not be more than four years old from the seed, nor more than four feet high. If it is older, or larger, it cannot well be moved without too much injuring the roots. The distance apart the trees should be set, should not be less than thirty feet, and would better be forty. When a tree is forty or fifty years old, if it has not been dwarfed and stunted and crowded, its branches and its roots will each cover an area thirty or forty feet in diameter. Should we confine a large ox to the space, and allowance of feed, needful for a yearling steer, we would not expect it to thrive or be able to perform much labor.

When setting out trees, never dig the holes much larger than is necessary to admit the roots in their natural position, and never put any thing about the roots of the tree, in the hole, except the soil which came out. Do not, upon any consideration, allow a tree to form a "head" below four and a half feet, better a foot higher. Do not fail to plant corn in the orchard the season of setting it, and never sow wheat, oats, barley or timothy, in an orchard. Never allow the branches of a tree to "fork;" cut of small limbs any time of the year; large limbs only in March.

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.

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The Lawton Blackberry Again. Being duly impressed with the importance of true and safe counsel in all practical matters we endeavor to give the readers of the FARMER from time to time the results of careful observation and experience.

We have never thought of setting ourself up for a "fruit god," nor do we expect all will agree with our ideas on the subjects of culture, shelter, protection-the quality and value of various sorts of fruit and other horticultural questions.

too valuable to be occupied in reviewing criticisms. The critics and their critiques must, like our own sayings, be received according to their seeming merit. The reader must make his own deductions, draw his own conclusions, and act according as circumstances and choice may dictate.

The subject of small fruit culture is one of interest to the North-West. These home comforts it is the privilege of every farmer and the owner of every village lot in Wisconsin to enjoy if they will-home-grown, gathered fresh for every meal during the months through which the season may be easily prolonged.

Our opinion, generally given in the form of facts and statements we can ask no more for, Without perverting our remarks, no one than that they be received, first as veritablecould discover the slightest intent to disparage next as worth considering, and the reliability the old standby-the strawberry, gooseberry of our advice tested. We trust none will ever and currant. There was no thought of comfind in that "hereafter" (we suppose that parison. Our brief article was intended to means when the time for gathering the fruit convey the idea, that with winter protection, comes) that they have been led far astray. Our the Lawton Blackberry could be added to the own time and the pages of the FARMER are family supply, (other proper culture, we took

it for granted, would be given as with any nures his ground and keeps it loose and free fruit). from weeds; mulches in summer with cornstalks; prunes the canes and keeps down the suckers; in the Fall he lays them all down and covers with earth and litter. Col. Crocker does the same, and so must every one who would succeed with this fruit, and I may add, with most of the fine raspberries in the North-West.

We have surely used our influence to encourage the abundant growing of all the above in their best varieties and in the best manner.We would add, not take from, and we would not that even one such table luxury should be stricken from the list by prejudice or discouragement of any unsuccessful grower.

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We do not "mark well our doings," because we imagine ourselves on a pinacle with the "gods," looked up to as a model of infallible correctness, but because it is only by carefulness, truthfulness and impartiality that we can hope to secure the end for which we write and advise. We meant exactly what we said-all with little trouble may add the Blackberry to the family supply of small fruits; not because Mr. Merritt of Battle Creek, Mich., on his gravelly sandy loam raised 100 bushels on a little less than an acre, (we said sixty bushels; Mr. Merritt sold sixty bushels in Chicago; his crop was estimated at over 100 bushels,) or Col. Crocker, on the strong clayey soil of Milwaukee grew-I cannot exactly state at what rate per acre, certainly twice the above yield, but because we have yet to learn of the first solitary instance where the Lawton has not proved and justified all our assertions, where the right care is bestowed; and as an indispensible requisite to that care in Wisconsin, laying down and covering the canes must not be omitted.

Though we know of many instances of very satisfactory success with this treatment, not one to the contrary has yet come to our knowledge, notwitstanding the ipse dixit of one assuming the power to "to vote it up" or "vote it down again" at pleasure.

But our critic has been East and there see

ing the Lawton in perfection "voted” it was in the right "soil and climate"-he has been at Waukegan and found it equally successful"voted" there, again, was the right "soil and climate;" he might have added he found it in a garden sheltered (as we would have every fruit garden in the West) by evergreens and other trees, and he might have informed us that those very Lawton Blackberries also enjoyed a covering of straw and litter at approach of winter! He has been a few miles back of Waukegan and found the Lawton considered a humbug-"voted" it there out of its proper "soil and climate"-thereat he draws an imaginary line which we may call "the Blackberry belt"-along the lake border. Had he further continued his investigations instead of being so eager to "vote down" that which he had once "voted up" (not being in the Blackberry belt how came he to vote it up?) he would have found about the same distance West of Racine at Dr. Jas. Ozanne's, the Lawton again in perfection, and in prairie soil, and would have to draw another line and give another "vote."

Dr. Ozanne is a well known enthusiastic and successful amateur. What is his experience in growing the Lawton 7 or 8 years? For several years he did not protect in winter, his canes bore only a little inferior fruit-now In a garden only a few rods from that of they are carefully covered, and the yield last Col. Crocker, the Lawton and Dorchester Black-season was three quarts per hill, or at the rate berries have grown side by side for six or eight of about one hundred and fifty bushels per years without yielding in all that time as many quarts of fruit. Why? Simply because they are treated as too many treat their currants, raspberries and strawberries, neglect them, let them care for themselves. Mr. Merritt ma

acre.

This discussion has really given the Lawton a prominence, more than we expected in our first simple remarks. It may serve to guide some discouraged ones to ultimate success, at

least teach them that what they undertake, if ever saw made its head so near the ground worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

A, G. HANFORD.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 12, '62.

CIDER.-Resembles the St. Lawrence tree, but more vigorous, great bearer, very hardy and productive; fruit, large, oval, medium sized, red striped; stem slender, in a very narrow, deep cavity; calyx, small, closed, slight basin, core medium; seeds many, small; flesh, white, tender, brisk, sub-acid; excellent cooking and eating. September to January. It promises to become one of the few completely successful in the rich soils of the West. Has been cultivated by the writer for the last seventeen years; supposed to be some old variety by some, but has not yet been identified. We introduce it as a new Seedling, giving it temporarily the above name.

J. C. P.

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that a person can without difficulty step into the lower branches, and these branches spread so low that the fruit can be gathered without difficulty by a person standing on the ground.

They are long branches, and the top of the tree forms a symmetrical hemisphere. Neither the axe nor the saw has been accessory to forming that tree-head. The hand and the pruning-knife directed the first starting of these branches, and here they stopped, unless two combatant branches so interfered with each other's rights that one of them must be removed. This tree-top is so dense and so wide, that the hot midsummer sun can not send his fiery rays to scorch the unprotected part of the tree. They fall upon its leafy head, and the warm atmosphere is diffused along the trunk and among the branch

es.

No insects have ever disturbed the tree, unless it were. some straggling worm that so far forgot the rules of propriety and honor as to commence its web among its branches. And what is far better, it has never failed of a crop since it commenced bearing."

The editor of the Horticulturist remarks that low-headed trees also come into bearing earlier.

| The Farmer, Setting out Fruit-Trees, Mulching, &c., &c.

EDITOR WIS. FARMER:-Enclosed you will

find $1 00 for the WIS. FARMER for one year. Though the times are hard, I am not willing to dispense with so valuable a paper as yours, I find in it much valuable information in the

many departments that interest the farmer. In the matter of loss and gain I think the farmer is much the gainer by the knowledge he may acquire by a candid perusal and thorough practice of the teachings of the FARMER. I have derived much information from it myself. So send it along, it is our own paper adapted to our peculiar wants in this State and none other will answer our purpose so well.Allow me in writing, to mention one thing learned from experience, that I have never seen in any of the agricultural papers, and that is in relation to setting out young fruit

"The best specimen of an apple-tree we trees.

"Now Mr. Editor, we are somewhat" sanguine in most "branches of fruit-growing," and it grieves us to see such a communication as this on the Lawton; "it does more hurt than good," especially in this early period of its introduction, and when so few careful experiments have been made to demonstrate the conditions of success which it requires. To say "our soil and climate are not the thing," is presuming too much against its success, when it is well known that the wild blackberry

and groves of the interior, remote from large bodies of water.

When I set out my first orchard, being inexperienced, I was advised to mulch them as the spring was dry. I did so, and left it to remain through the summer. The event was, as the manure became rotten, the white grub became so numerous that they ate the bark off around On the roots and killed many of the trees. inquiry, I found that others had suffered in the same way, without knowing the cause, but became convinced, after a close search, that the cause was as above stated. I think trees that are mulched should be mulched with un-is completely successful in the timbered regions rotted straw, which as soon as it begins to ferment, should be taken away from them so the grub cannot have a chance to work. I keep my orchard tilled and well manured, and do my pruning in the summer. I take pains to keep my trees free from worms, and have the most thrifty and best bearing trees, according to age, of any in my neighborhood. I have a poplar and locust wind-breaker on the West and South, which I think is indispensible on the prairie. I am satisfied that if we observe this rule-that is make a good wind breaker on East, West and South-get the hardy kinds of fruit, and when one tree is lost, replace it with another, and take good care to keep the trees clean from its enemies-every farmer can have plenty of good fruit, even on the prairies.

LA PRAIRIE, Feb. 14, 1862.

R. M.

That Blackberry Talk. What is in it, that friend O. S. W. should raise three exclamations(!!!) and corresponding interrogatories? Is it because sixty bushels per acre, or twelve quarts per square rod, is a remarkable crop even for the wild berry, or in fact any other fruit?

Is it because that at some points on the lake shore, it has succeeded finely, and that reasoning from analogy A. G. H. argues that "with very little trouble all might add this delicious variety to their fruits?"

Strawberry culture has been attempted the last fifty years, but it is only quite recently, and since the sexual fertilization theory has been understood, that complete success has crowned the effort, and the strawberry become a berry for the million.

Again, the wild blackberry when cultivated in the rich garden soil and left without winter protection, is as tender as the Lawton and fails

to fruit.

It blooms and sets its fruit at a time when

hot, dry weather often prevails, and probably requires moisture in the soil and atmosphere beyond that of open field culture; and tho' a lake side atmosphere may be very desirable, its place will be supplied by some simple system of culture, mulching and shade, which will adapt it to the rich prairies of the West.

If the nurserymen is looked upon as a "fruit god," then by all the Divine attributes he should not condemn one of his deliciously good children to the regions of "humbugs," but teach the million how to adapt it to their wants. The spirit of the age demands no crab progression, and no “retreat," no loping off the varieties of small fruits, especially this one, which nature in the wild variety, supplies so universally in the Northern States.

J. C. P.

We earnestly hope that the war and the hard times will not deter the farmers of Wisconsin from doing a good business this spring in the way of setting out a good lot of fruit

Or is it, that after having himself voted it down, "our mutual friend" should have the temerity to slightly commend it, and advise how it can be saved, to contribute to the lux-trees, black and raspberry roots, currant cutury of the dessert.

tings, strawberry plants, &c.

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