Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-10-16
THOUGHTSON REARINGFRUlT I REEFS.
To the Editor oCthe Farmers Register.
Lyneabayg.
Prince Edwarl County, .July GA, 1884.

a - 1<1teVf " tt Z 81 ' Ahtktottf.
Prince EdtOarl County, JuIy GA, 1884.
Much has been said and written, and a great deal
OF useful kno Wedge has been presented relating 10
the bss, modes of rearing orchards; ye, by far the
greater part Of what | hav heard and read upon The
subject, has been but opinion bottomed upon moth
ing better than opinion, without any certain know.
ledge, or known facts, to sustain those opinions.
The truth is, tina, orchards do well in some
soils and situations, under almost any course of
management, attended with the least care Wills,
with like care and management, in other soils and
situations, they utterly fail. Few persons live
long CROUCH, and still fewer are sufficiently obser-
wing and attentive, 10 draw any JUS, conclusions,
as TO the best modes Of rearing orchards fiany
kind 81 trees, which, are long in coming TO ma,0ri.
ty, being for the most part utterly ignorant which
may be the best, Of any two modes which have
been praclised. Records have been still more rare.
ly kept, and seldom contained much useful informa.
lion, yet they mus. be the main reliance, for trans
hitting any large portion Of valuable knowledge to
pos,eri,y. upon oil subjects which require many
years to bring them to maturity.
Ii i now tolerably well Understood, and believed
TO be the fact, that the stock of fruit trees wears out,
and thu, they assume in early life, the dcerepi,ude
ofold oge, by being raised by grating repeatedly
from different SETS Of trees, raised the FIRST from a Vi
sorous seeding stock, the next from a grated tree,
the third from the second grated tree, and so on
and the i'll effects are thought to be greatly incrsns-
ed, by grating from old bearing trees ; which if
true, as ! believe il is, threatens in time 10 e1tin.
gush the different rsces OF our best fruits. Is there
any remedy known for this evil propose an o1-
deviation perhaps 1t may prove to be a remedy.
Graft "a " with water sprouts or suckers, and ne
yer use limbs from the bearing part Of he tree for
grating, nor any limbs that would probably bios
som or bear frui, tho same year they are grated,
if they had been left to grow on the parent tree.
Trees raised by grating with water sprouts, II is
we'll known are moro thrifty, than those raised by
grating with bearing twiss; and equally well
known, that The water sptonLs require much long
er time to arrive at the bearing state ftom which
it may be presumed they will be longer lived. To
those who can afford the means, | propose what
will pe,petuate the same, or in all reasonable prob
sLli,,y full as good stocks ofapplcs and peers, and
more certainly of all stone fruits. Plant seed Of
he most choice kinds in drills. say six feet apa,,
let, the trees stand 10 inches apart along the drills,
winch will give 1910 trees to the acre. At this dis
tance they may be forced TO bear fruit in four or
Ave years, when with good land and tillage, they.
wi! probably be an inch thick four feet from the
ground-w aen, as soon as vegetation begins in the
spring, cut round the bark Of the trees, quite down
to the wood, in two rings, rather less than a quarter
OF an inch apart, and take out the belt Of bark en-.
tirely to the wood. Those narrow belts will com
monty heal over before winter, and next year the
trees will bear fruit, when all the wor,hless kinds
may be destroyed, and The good may be preserved.
II the good should no: stand in such regular order as
would be desirable for an orchard, twigs might he
grated from the best kinds in regular order, as
there would be certainly a great abundanceof stocks
for the purpose. If only one tree in 100 should be
of the same, or ~ good a kind as the seed sown,
/, would give IS good kind Of trees TO the acre,
which would be more than enough to raise to full
growth in On orchard. It is doubtless known TO ma
Nv of your readers, that the discovery of forcing
young tree, prcrns,urcIy to bear fruit, is not new,
but has been published II considerable time. It's on
" use to which / have applied il, Is in forcing
young seeding end other unknown" kinds OF ltrees
10 bsar fruit early, 'hatl may NOT be al the :ssuble