Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1894 — FARMS AND FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

FARMS AND FARMERS.

Pruning Fruit Trees. In traveling through Pennsylvania and Maryland, the editor of Meehan's: Monthly has been especially struck with the want of correct information in regard to the pruning of fruit trees. In many cases apple trees are as thick with branches as if they were gigantic brooms. The branches should never be allowed to set as thick as this. Trees to be healthy require an abundance of healthy leaves. An abundance of poor and half-starved leaves is of little consequence. When branches are thickly crowded as these are, the mass of leaves are inferior and of very little good. Branches should be kept thinned out, so that those which are left have abundance of room to develop healthy leaves. In most cases under observation the trees have twice as many branches, as least, as ought to be left. It is, however, generally too late to think of pruning after trees have been left for-many years in this unkempt condition. The best -time for pruning is in the summer when the shoots are made. A proper thinning at that time, and carried on every year, would keep the omain branches in first-class condition. Pruning Ro*ei. It is often very desirable to have hybrid perpetual roses flower freely in the fall. To accomplish this the plant should be severely pruned after the June flowering. Some growers cut almost the whole of the flowering branch away, leaving fresh ■shoots from near the bottom to take their places. An abundance of flowers usually follows this treatment. Those who cut their rosebuds before mature, or as soon as their petals fade, have fall flowers freely.

Diseases of Carnatlonjs. ; During the last year or two a very troublsesome fungus disease of a rust has appeared among winter blooming carnations, to the dismay of the florist, cutting down the product of his plant nearly one-half. It has been discovered that this species of fungus belongs to the genus Uromyces, and on account of its affinity for the carnation has been named Uromyces caryophyllinus. Like so many of these, it easily gives away to the copper sulphates. Prof. Arthur says that the sulphates of iron, or green copperas have been found to be generally as effectual as the sulphate of cbpper, or blue copperas. He says that there is already prepared in the drugstores a mixture known as copperdi ne, which is ammoniated copper carbonate. This ready preparation may be of great service to those who have not the time or the disposition to make a mixture for themselves.

»’jßre-FauglngJl...... The warm summer days will cause manure in the heap to become overheated, the result being what is known vent the heap should be worked over and well mixed with absorbent material, sprinkling kainit over the materials as handled. The kainit will prevent the loss of volatile matter and also add to the value of the manure, it being a potash salt. Should the heap become too hot make holes in it with a crowbar and drench with cold water. Summer Treatment of Cows. At this season cows in full flow of milk need often to be milked, at noon especially, if the milking is done early in the morning and somewhat late at night. But when a cow thus milked three times a day will give more milk and better, she will do it at the expense of flesh Unless fed extra. There is absorption of fat from milk while it is in the udder, and if the milk is taken very frequently the cow has the greater drain on her system.

Experiments With Strawberries. Mr. George C. Butz, horticulturist of the Pennsylvania Experiment Station, makes the following interesting report upon the varieties of strawberries tested during the present season, and upon the comparative advantages of culture in matted rows and by the hill system, The lessons of the strawberry crop may be best learned while the experience is yet fresh in memory. It is customary to grow the plants in matted rows because this method requires less attention in cultivation. The berries are kept clean, no mulching being necessary, and as there are more plants per acre, the yield is presumably greater than in the “hill system” of cultivation. Arguments that carry some weight are frequently put forth in favor of the latter system, and trials are made upon a scale by the market gardener, but never with sufficient accuracy and attention to determine the relative merits of the two systems. The recent crop has afforded us results touching upon this question and they will be read with much nterest by persons cultivating the trawberry. Among 35 varieties planted side by side and cultivated in the two ways, 24 yielded heavier crops in the mat and 11 in the hills. The weights of the first picking, June 12, and the last July 5, were greater from mats in-each case by about 50 per cent. Kentucky, Cresent, Van Deman and Governor Hoard were better in hills than in mat. The heaviest yield of all the varieties tested this year numbering 40, be-

longs to the Greenville by the mat system. This variety has borne a good report as long as it has been grown here. The berry is large, ripens well, of good color, comes early and stays late. There was a quart of berries for every 8 inches of row caculated from the total figures of yield. The next in largeness of yield w-as Shuster’s Gem, another new berry of great merit. The roll of honor in yield and beauty of berry, as made up from reports of this season, is as follows: Beginning at the top with —1. Greenville. 2. Shuster’s Gem. 3. Ohio Centennial, specially noted as the largest berry which ripens well and has a fine color and flavor. 4. Park Earle, though one week later than the earliest, the yield’ was heavy and of good berries. 5. Van Deman, one of the earliest with a medium-sized berry and a constantly good yield through three weeks. 6. Crescent; this good old standard must at last -acknowledge defeat in point of yield, and . suffer greatly from a lack of quality in its berry. 7, Crowford stands next in order of yield and can boast of a good and" medium-sized berry. 8. Wilson’s Albany. 9, Governor i Hoard, and 10, Charles Downing. | The five earliest varieties were, in I the order of the heaviest yields at first picking, 1, Mitchell's Van Deman; 3, Crescent; 4, West Lawn, and 5, Shuster’s Gem. The five latest varieties were, in the order of the heaviest yields at last picking,!, Porker Earle; 2, Townsend; 3, Crawford; 4, Eureka, and 5, Ken tucky. Growing Peaches in Pots. Meehan's Monthly. One of the prettiest sights in ornamental gardening is a house for forcing fruits. It is not generally known that fruit trees can be raised in pots nearly as well as oranges or lemons—and aside from the beauty of a house filled with ripe fruit, is the satisfaction of having first-class fruits for the desert table. One of the most successful of these fruit houses, which but a few years age the writer had the pleasure of seeing, is on the grounds of the Hon. J. D. 1 Cameron, United States Senator, near Harrisburg. Notwithstanding i the ease with which fruit can be transported from southern regions to more northern ones, forced peachcan be had before the earliest southern crops are ready.

Paragraphlcally Put. The street scrapings of cities, the cleaning from gutters and ditches, and the garbage and refuse of almost every kind could be applied to our farms to their great advantage. Daily exercise is necessary for all horses unless they are sick; it assists and promotes a free circulation of the blood, creates an appetite, improves the wind and finally improves the whole system. Have- good cows and then keep them milking as long as possible each year. Especially arrange to have them giving milk through the winter months when butter is the highest. • After planting shrubs, vines, etc., watch them that they do not dry out. An occasional watering in dry weather will be necessary until they become well established.

In a comparison of silage with mixed hay for lambs at the Cornell Station, New York, four pounds of silage took the place of one pound of hay and proved cheaper at current prices than hay. This is the time of year to consider what you will do this fall about fruit planting. Keep watch of the market and see what is most in demand in your own locality and prepare to supply it. Don’t plant any thing just because all the neighbors have it. That is the way to make an oyer production. Make the milk room perfect in its .sanitary conditions. Have good ventilation, clean floors and walls, and harbor nothing that will produce bad odors. Never put milk into closely covered cans at once after milking, as by so doing it will have to retain any foul odors that it may have absorbed. By aerating, all animal and other odors may be removed, and this is the better way to treat milk that is to be set for cream in covered cans, or put into cans for immediate shipment or delivery.