Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-15
EXHAUSTED FRUII TREES.

1t IS no uncommon thing 10 meet with sig
gle trees or even whole orchards, once pro-
ductive, that have become barren, either
yielding no fruit whatever, or few scrubby
specimens--mere apologies for products for
merly given In such cases you will perhaps
hear it said that the trees have failed or be-
come exhausted. Such phenomena are view
ed as among the mysteries Of the vegetable
kingdom, but they are smong the simplest and
most easily explained facts to be met with
out of doors. 1t would be difficult to find
anything more irrational than the course
pursued by many in regard to fruit growing
young orchard is planted out, and forth
with sown to grain crop in which the trees
stand during the summer months, like storks
in rush pond. their heads just peering over
the nodding grain. Year after year a similar
course is pursued. The land is expected to
bear as much of some sort of crop as though
an orchard had not been thought Of After
much hard struggling half the tress--two-
thirds perhaps-are found to have survived,
and they begin to bear little fruis. Atlast,
by stretch Of leniency, the orchard is Sc, d.
ed down, and after one or two mowings con-
verted into bard run pasture Who ever
thinks Of manur;ng an orchard--or what
fool would dream of giving up the land to
the trees, and manuring it well, and cultivat-
ing it thoroughly Yet, il after the worst
possible usage the trees do not bear plenty
Of choice fruit, either the nursery man is
blamed, or the climate is cursed, or forsooth
the trees are exhausted la the June num-
Der Of the Horticultural the author of " Ten
Acres Enough" cites the case OF a farmer in
the best fruit growing region Of New Jersey,
who came in possession Of farm, which 80
AZ
choice fruit trees we're planted upon the es-
tate, but the new proprietor considering the
raising Of sweet corn and pickles the chief
end OF man, neglected his trees until they
only bore meager crops of Indifferent fruit,
and had made up his mind to grub out the
useless things to make more room for corn
and cucumbers," when he was successfully
tempted to sell out. The buyer determined
to reclaim the degenerate trees, being encour-
aged to take this course by an account which
appeared in the Horticulturst many years
ago, and which we cite as proof at once of the
extent to which soils may be exhausted by
neglect, and the manner in which reclamation
may be effected.
Two outcast pear trees that had once borne
fine fruit, had for some years only produced
worthless specimens. The owner was told
shSy h"o thc proper elements oil
pear tree growth in the soil. and these must
be renewed. Determined to test the truth OF
this theory. he set to work very vigorously
-scraped off the rough outer bark and put
on coating of soft soap ;--pruned and short
ened in the trees about third, pareing the
large cuts and covering them with a solution
OF shelae dug large trench around each
tree, cutting away large portion Of the roots
and filling the trench with good soil and well
prepared manure. Next season the trees put
on rich dress of luxuriant folisge-the sec.
ond year there was moderate bloom, every
blossom of which came to fruit. The third
season the two trees bore six bushels of su.
perb fruit.
Their vigor and fruitfulness were restored
and they literally renewed their youth. The
theory of rotation of crops in the general farm
practice, is based on the fact that constantly
growing the same produce exhausts particu.
lar elements in the soil, and this, no doub
often accounts for the baroness OF fruit tree.
and the failure of orchards. The soil is rob
bed OF Its nutritive qualities year after year
no new supply is furnished---and out of moth.
ing, nothing can come. The practical lessons
obvious, we must feed our fruit trees If we
expect them to iced u.s. The Canada Farm