Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-03-03
VOL. VIII NO. As
WHOLE NUxRlR, 413.

u iaCiy eAceilens Oome IaI0eIS nav
r. saved thres-fourths the expense Of porl
n making, by allowing their hogs the RI
}. Of part ef their orchards while tn
n autumn fruit was falling from the trses
A neighbor sold forty dollars worth O
Q pork, fattsned by the ''droppings" Of onl
: half an acre of geod grated orchard. Th,
, process was completed by q week or two
Of feeding with grain. In one sxpsr
iment, 500 pounds Of pork were made
> from l2O bushels.
While, therefore, the apple possesses q
high value from its inherent qualities for
feeding, the cheapness Of its production
far exceeds that Of nearly every other
article for that purpose. Taking as an
average the value of land at fifty dollars
an acre, we have the following estimate,
giving the actual cost Of one acre Of
orchard:
Co st of land, $50 90
Cost Of fifty apple trees, 10 %
! Cost OF setting out, . W
The crops from the land will more than
pay the yearly interest for the first few
years, and the product Of both land and
trees, will more than pay it as they be-
come larger. An acre Of full sized bear
ing trees would therefore cost no more
than sixty-fve dellars. With the selec-
ton of the most productive sorts, in
connection with the vigor impaired by the
good cultivation, ths trees will yield upon
an average, al least eight bushels each, or
four hundred bushels from the acre. The
annual interest Oh the orchard at per
cent, would bs about four dollars, the
necessary cultivation and manuring, to
maintain most fruitful condition, wou Id
not exceed six more, making ten dollars
the whole yearly cost of the four hundred
bushels, or two and a half cents per
bushel In the more fertile parts of the
country, the only cultivation required
would be one blowing and two or three
narrowing annually, reducing the cost Of
the ungathsred crop to about one cent and
half per bushel-a sum much lower than
the same value Of nutrims 1t yielded BY
grain or root crops. No land owner need
or eop.ous suppiy-heeaInS not, IKE
other crops, the yearly attention of
procuring seed and planting. Such crops
never suffer by glutted market, 50 long
as the growth, maintenance and fattening
of domestic animals form an important
portion Of agricultural economy. Nor is
the time required for an orchard to come
into full bearing so great as common
opinion regards it for through the vigor
impaired by good culture, trees will attain
Il full bearing age in third of the time
requisite where the soil is neglected, and
the trees allowed to take their own course.
As an article OF comfort aud luxury the
value OF fruit can scarcely be estimated.
The few who have learned by actual ex-
perience the enjoyment Of the best, and
most delicious sorts for the whole twelve
months, would not willingly relinquish
the privilege. Many it is true, have fur
nished themselves with occasional supplies
If their own raising-they possess only
l few scattered fragments OF the yearly
circle of fruits /; but the number is yet
much too snlall, although rapidly increas-
ng, who may place upon their tables
delicious sorts on almost any day of the
sntlre year.
Is not abundant provision for this yearly
supply an object worthy Of much exertion?
What commodity is more calculated to
the comforts Of country life, and
add to the pleasures, and to increase the
Of home to young people, than
ine and refreshing fruit OF ones oNn
raising, duringa whole season The en-
oymeut yielded BY single bed Of straw
berries, supplying few quarts daily for
the table, We have never yet known to be
despised; but this is but a single specimen
in rich and profuse cluster, when COM
pared with the whole assemblage, embrae-
ing delicious and ruddy cherries, golden,
perfumed apricots, juicy and refreshing
apples, luscious bloom-dussed plums, but
terry and melting pears, fragrant and
crimsons nectarines, clustering aud trans
parent grapes-all diversified with their
many and varying sorts.
The value Of fruit for market, Is a
sourse Of income, has been proved by
many striking instances. Farmers, whose
orchards do hot occupy tsuth OF their
land, often make NOR eby the sale Of xuis
than from all other crops besides. We
have already seen in what manner four
hundred bushels Of apples may be relied
on as an annual crop from one acre Of
land Admitting only half this amount
of good fruit for market, and that the un-
gathered crop Is worth only twelve and =
half cents Der buShel (th, Invest We have