The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-03-17
AGRICULTURAL.
Mismangement with Apple Trees.

mlSmanSeMeuL Win Apple lreeS.
Four.Gfths of the apple trees that have
died in Northern New York during the last
twenty years, have died Of starvation and
IMPROPER pruning. There is scarcely a
man that has followed huSbandry ten years,
who does not know that it will not do to
take oil more than FIVE or six crops Of grain
in succession from piece Of land without
manure; but he will take of fifteen crops
Of apples from his orchard without adding
any manure, and when the crops begin TO
grow light, the fruit small, and OF inferior
quality, he begins TO inquire Tor the cause
Of such light crops. He asks his neighbor
what is the matter with his orchard. lie
tells him il needs pruning lie being very
much afraid Of present cost, strives to find
n man that will do it cheap. (Mnst far
mers If they are obliged to have leg cut
oil, employ the most skilllul surgeon they
can find, who performs the operation with
the sharpest OF instruments; but the same
men generally employ the cheapest bung-
lers they can get TO cut of the limbs OF
their apple ,rees,) He soon finds cheap
bungler, who knows scarcely enough to tell
live branch from n dead one when the
leaves are of; and to make it come cheap.
or he hires him by the job, and gives him
all the branches 10 pay tor hi labor. This
induces him 10 cut oil twice as much as he
otherwise would. He now commences the
work Of death upon The orchard, and with
an axe or dull saw cuts or haggles of hal!
OF the branches. The mex year the apples
being much larger, Mr.. Unthrifly thinks he
has accomplished the great object. The
reason why the apples are much larger, is,
the few branches receive the same nu,ri-
meni tina, the whole received before. The
branches being improperly cut of, the
stocks do not heal over, but soon die, roi,
and form holes into the trunks Of the trees
these holes let in the water, which soon de.
siroys the inside Of the trunk. this, iogeth.
er with the want Of food, acts so powerfully
upon the vitality Of the trees that after
vainly struggling for few years, they give
up and die; and who blames .hem? No
man OF sense can.
This man finds his plans frustrated, and
again inquiries Of his neighbor what has
caused the death OF his oIchard. He tells
him II must all be laid to the climate, and
the only thing that he can do is to set out
ayoung orchard. He says to himself this
will be of no use TO me, for am now sixty
years old; but as have children who are
fond Of apples, will SC, out few trees 10
crafty them. The first step hc takes is 10
find where he can get the trees cheapest,
without any regard 10 the manner in which
they have been trained. Unthriny being n
man who deals mostly in cheap articles, he
employs man to furnish the trees and sci
them by the Job. This he does for I 6 cents
n piece. Ii Is frequently tho case that peo-
PIE who work by the job slight their work
he is therefore very careful not to dig the
holes too deep, nor too large. He digs
them about as large as peck measure in-
10 these small cavities he Grams in the roots
OF the trees, and ifhc cannot get them all in
abe hole, he cuts of part Of them with his
shovel. He then throws back the sods and
Jumps around the trees, and pronounces
them set in 6rst.raic order. He then re-
ceives his money and is oil in haste. I'm
thrifty soon expects TO see thrifty orchard,
but IS greatly diappoin,ed. The trees be-
ing improperly trained, and improperly set
one-half oil them die the first season. The
remainder being sickly, languish for three
or four years, during which time one-half
Of them die. OF all he trees set in this
way, not more than one in ten is ever profit.
able. About this time Mr.. Unthriity dies,
leaving his un,hriity orchard for his child.
Ien, who are not very thankful for the or
chard which their father has lett them, at
the same time thinking him TO be nearly
as wise as any man in the United States
This is the way many men manage with
their orchards, who boast Of being enlight-
sned, and who are living in these free and
enlightened States Of North America. i
would like to say more on this subject, but
will deier IT Till a future period, well knowing
that the minds Of men are much ike their
siomachs,
n crammed to full, they throw on, the whole.
Bot if fed by degrees, they diges, all with ease.
Hoosiek, Rens Co, N. Y. ELmu Cross.