The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-11-07
Fr.a ,As Ns. Ya.l os.ssss,.
.sge Of Apple Tfsss-Do natural Trees
onflire the Graffesi?

.sgs Of Apple Trsss-Do natural Tree
onfiire The Grafied2
aApple ireeslire laa crest sgr. Their
is = Tree on leaks Island. in Porllant
harbor. thai has bern known 70 bear lui
every season for more thsn . hundret
years."
The above paragraph was in your sum,
mary Of last werk; and - observe you
have a small agricultural department ia
Your paper. | take the liberty nf submit,
Ing Few remarks suggested BY The above
extract
The fact stated i unquesiIonsble.
can well remember, when il was com,
M thing % see apple trees not oul, O
vast age, but of immrnse stature. Nher
I was 4 chill, l candi .linctly r.colleri The
remains ofsan orchard. on my ialher',
farm. the principal part Of which the Bri
li.h had ca, down Cor fuel. EigIa Or leT
trees only remained, venerable cluster in
one corner of the field. Almost every
tree was not far fram two feel in diameter
and in form more like the lofty and wide.
spread oak, han our present apple Trees,
Sume 81 them were from fnriy 10 fifiy
fee, high, and Of proportional breadth.
can well recollecl, also. the gradual de,
cay Of these early tenants of the virgin
soil. and the remarkable tenacily Will
which they cling TO life. As one large
limb after another decayed and fell
new. aud vigorous young shoot would
,pring forth and grow with astonish
ing rspidity. I recolleet one Tree il
particular. whose limbs had all decayed
aud fell OF. one after another. till nothing
but hollow trunk, reduced 10 perfect
shell. about eighties high, remained. And
We. this apparently lifeless cylinder SEN
forth strong shoots near lis top, which
grew and bore frui. FOR many years. And
Il is now but few years, since the last
remains Of this ancient orchard were era
dicaicd from the snil.
What rendered the longevity Of thcss
venerable trees moro striking. was. iha
on this same farm there was another or
chard Of ten acres, that had been set on
with grea, care, only few years befor'
the revolutionary war. and was then to'
small To tempt the depr. da,ions OF ,h'
enemy, and III sc trees long ago put on lh'
appearance Of perina ure old age; snc nov
scarcely solitary tree remains 10 remin,
one that the ground was once an orchard
ia fact. il is many years since Il lost iha
name. This orchard. may add. had beef
grated with great care, with chnice va
riety Of fruit, and when FIRST knew il, wa
furnishing and productive.
have stated these facts with some par
ticulari,y, Tor the sake ofsuggesnng som
inquiries, as The following:
Is il common, INV a.days, To NEE
with very rye and aged apple trees, es
cept where they were set OFT on the vii
gin soil Of the country!-And il not, as
suspect will be found 10 be the TACT,
what cause is the decay Of our laler plant
ed orchards TO be asclibed ! We know
BY sad experience, that many other kind
OF trees. which once grew. in all ,hes
regions, almost spontaneously. and boz
fruit abundantly, as the peach and pluI
for instance, now require To be cultivate
with the greatest care, and even then al
exceedingly short lived. Many TIM
when | was boy, have I, after eating
fine peach, said to my companions,
will now plan, this stone. and it my lll
is spared, in three years will ca. Of i
fruit; AID as often have | realized the fu
flncnt of the prediction. In those day,
our hedges were AIDED with peache
which, from their mere abundance. the 81
ry hogs disdai.ed to eat, except TO era
the stone and ca, the pit! This fact
have Witnessed with my owne,es. VIII
then, has il become so difficult to ral'
peaches! Is it to be imputed TO all
change in the climate! or to the exhau
ton Of some particular property OF u
soil! And does not the same cause OPP
rate on our apple orchards! -
But there is another inquiry which
wish to submit. Are not all these lars
aud aged apple trees the production of
natural frnit9 Can any man point u
to an apple tree one hundred, or eve
seven,y-hve years Of age. that was giraffe
as our present me bod is, on the stuck,
that was grated in any wayl Every IN;
knows that a grated tree is merely Gu
tlnuati"n Of the ol ! one; and, therefor
through its existence be prolonged by j
sertion INTO a new stock, il will, notwii
sanding. in few years, pu, ON all d
appearances Of premature oil age; and d
sooner. as the process oi grating has be,
the mnre frequently performed with Il
same variety. We have become so fol
ofgrafting and budding, that ms, m,
dislaia y natural tree, however yigorou