The Heirloom Orchardist

A Day of Public Praise and Thanksgiving

The following was published in the October 16, 1856 issue of the Maine Farmer, Vol.24, Issue 43:

STATE OF MAINE
BY THE GOVERNOR
A PROCLAMATION

For A Day of Public Praise and Thanksgiving

In accordance with a venerated usage, established in the first settlement of the country, by our virtuous and pious ancestors, and subsequently continued by their descendants, I do, with the advice and consent of the Council, appoint Thursday, the twentieth day of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving; and Praise, and recommend to the people of this State to assemble on that day in their usual places of public worship, and return their sincere and unfeigned thanks to Almighty God for the innumerable favors and blessings which He has bestowed upon them, not only during the past year, but for the whole period of their existence. Given at the Council Chamber, in Augusta, this second day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-first.

Samuel Wells

Biographical Information on Governor Samuel Wells

Protecting Fruit Tree Trunks from Rodents

If we peruse the old agricultural papers, we see this topic reappearing every fall.  Because late in the year is the time to protect your trees from winter rodent damage.  The following inquiry appeared in the Country Gentleman, published in Alabany, NY on October 20, 1910:

"PROTECTING TRUNKS.—Please inform me where I can obtain veneer strips or similar material for putting around trunks of young apple trees to prevent Injury from sun scald, mice, etc. E. D. C. Bantam, Conn.

 We do not know of any one in the East who is making or selling these veneer strips for tree protectors. They can be bought of the Burlington Basket Co., Burlington, LA.  With the great revival of interest in fruit growing now going on in the East, this orchard device should be taken up by some Yankee manufacturer. Perhaps it would be well in this connection to consider the feasibility of using newspapers. Three or four thicknesses of common newspaper bound about the stem of a young tree will protect it effectually from the damage sometimes caused by small rodents. New York Sunday papers preferred, as no self-respecting beast would touch one."

The Heirloom Orchardist does not recommend wood veneer strips for this application.  Nowadays, this material is too expensive, and it degrades quickly.  Fortunately, there are better products available today, from our friends at Nature Hills:

Fruit Tree Bark Protectors