Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-05-02
Horticultural Reaoine.
From the Ne" LIIs.1l3-
How +o treat an old Orchard.

NIX lOlAVh1
vour correspondent relative to cultivating
old orchards on poor land, / think you are
not quite thorough enough for a farmer
of the &oId Bay State" and many OF US
AWAY up here in Vermont look to you for
direction ho,c to do all things pertaining
to farming. so that mistake of yours
causes great injury. / viii relate my
experience in this matter, which you are
at liberty TO use as you think proper.
Seventeen years since, purchased |
lot in this village, one mile from, and two
hundred and fifty feet above the lake,
having a western slope. When l tell you
the owner was a sea-captain, that he had
not seen it for fifteen years, during which
time it had been rented to, generally,
yearly tenants, you can imagine its condi-
ton better than can describe it.
On this place was one and quarter
acres of what had once been an orchard
of apple trees only; more than half the
original trees had died of starvation, or
been cut down and burned by various
tenants about thirty trees remained ;
one third of them grated when young,
the others natural fruit. These were in
such condition that all my friends advised
me to cut down most of them, and plant
young trees-but, like most Yankees, be-
ing stubborn and self-willed, I determined
first to try experiments.
I made two drains through the lot, 30
inches deep, carefully completed after the
usual mode of blind drains. In the
spring, after wet seasons, water runs
freely from them, two to four weeks; af-
ter the dry season, they are dry during
the spring; summer rains never affect
them. In April, I purchased and applied
so loads of coarse manure, at an expense
of one dollar a load This was spread
evenly, the land carefully plowed and
leveled with hoe. l then applied eight
loads of twenty-five bushels each of re-
fuse lime, perhaps equal to half the
quantity of fresh slaked lime; this was
spread on the surface. The next opera
ton was to have a gardener from the
"ould eounthriee," drought up as most
foreign gardeners are at the end of a
spade-handle) dig with spade about
each tree, twelve to eighteen inches deep
] and as far as the roots extended tc
complete two trees was his regular day:
work. In the summer following, EN-.
ployed two active young carpenters tt
prune it, of course, as I directed. Large
quantities of dead and decayed limb
were removed; on many trees nothin,
, but sprouts were left some half a dozeI
trees were so decayed that as soon a
they commenced growing, the dead por
tons were loosened so as to drop out, anC
the trees needed heavy posts to sustain
them; nearly all of them were eithe,
hollow or decaying at the heart.
The next season ] commenced graft
ing; the trees being in active, CROWN,
condition, large tops were soon formed
l have since yearly applied a heavy top
dressing of long stable manure, mostl
straw or swamp hay used for beddini
horses and COWS, and as often as once i
three or four years, refuse lime or ashe
q and peat or swamp muck. The groun
has not been cultivated where shaded
nor has 1t been neeessary-the yearl
top-dressing keeping it very light an
porous. The grass has been cut ofte
every season.
c The practical result of this treatmer
- has been, that an orchard eonsidere
? worthless, has, in proportion to the nun
u Der Of trees produced more and 6ett,
d fruit than any other in this county, mol
uniformly productive, and is still in
ie healthy condition. The vacant plac,
> when purchased were filled with your
trees now IN full bearing. But one tn
has died IN seventeen years, and that
:, the winter Of 18545, after the droueI
=, of the preceding summer which was vel
destructive to trees of every description
= This may look like too much wor
a but if any farmer viii try the exper
ment, call his land and old trees slOt
per acre-charge his manure and all
9. Dor to expense account-selI all the Or
= ducts, and after fifteen years experien
ne viii find a balance of profit equal
any other part of his farm, and probab
much greater.
= c. GOODRICH.
e Burlington, Vt, March, 1856.
IT, CURE FOR THE HORN DIsTEMpER,