Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1877 — Agricultural Department [ARTICLE]

Agricultural Department

p -TF Management of Fruit Trees. What may lie now a fonder, nnick-growing sprout will iti Otfolter he a strong, woody branch, and perhajis a branch where it is not wanted, and which must be removed by the use of a saw or strong knife. At the right time the shoots could be rubbed off, and' not only the trouble of removing the .branch avoided, but the useless growth would have been directed to parts where it was nheded. If one has a careful eye to his young trees, he can, by rubbing off a bud or shoot here and pinching a shoot there, so direct the growth that by the time the tree comes into bearing they will be in proper forrn and very little work will be required of the pruning-saw and chisel. If large limbs are to be removed from neglected trees, this month or next (according to the locality—at any rate, when the spring growth is made and the leaves have attained full size and substance) is by many preferred for the work, as wounds now heal rapidly. Cut all large wounds smoothe with a drawing-knife and cover with shellac varnish melted grafting-wax,\ or thick paint. Borers do not breed in the tree, as some suppose. Every Inner in the tree went in. The parent winged insect laid the egg on the bark. Thp little borer hatched out at once bored its wav into the tree, and there it will stay until it comes out a perfect insect, or cut out, or is punched to death in the hole. But please observe, no patent stuff that is to be laid in the crotch of the tree, no stuff that you can paint on the trunk, no ‘‘invigorator” or anything that you apj/ly to the soil, to be taken up by the roots and thus poison the borer, will be of any earthly use. While you are fussing with such treatment the borer is quietly at work, perhaps stopping now and then to laugh at the folly of the performance. Cut with knife and punch with wire. The so-called, but which is really a caterpillar, will appear, especially, on the pear and cherry leaves, and, unless checked, often makes sad wor k. It is a dark-green leechlike creature, that leaves a slimy trail. Slacked lime busted from a course bag at the end of a pole, will soon end it. In a dry time fine dust from the road may be thrown -into the trees with good effect. —The Independent.