Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-10-27
Exhausted Fruit Trees.

Exhausted Fruit Trees.
/, 1t is no uncommon thing to meet will
. single trees or even whole orchards, once
e productive, that have become barren, Ell
3 ther yielding no fruit whatever, or few
scrubby specimens-mere apologies fol
products formerly given. 10 such case;
I, you will perhaps hear it said that the
trees have failed or become exhausted
Such phenomena are viewed as among
the mysteries of the vegetable kingdom
but they ere among 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 grow
ing. u ,.r
4 A young orchard is planted out, and
forthwith sown TO grain crop in which
the trees stand during the summer months
like storks in a rush pond, their heads
Just peering over the nodding grain
Year after year similar course is pdr.
sued. The land is expected to bear as
much of some sort of crop as though
an orchard had not been thought off,
After much hard struggling half the
trees (two thirds perhaps) are found to
have survived, and they begin to bear a
little fruit. AT last, by stretch of leni-
ency, the orchard is seeded down, and al
ter few mowings converted into hard
lrun pasture. Who ever thinks of ma
nnring an orchard-or what fool would
dream Of giving up the land to the trees,
and manuring it well, and cultivating il
thoroughly? Yet, if after the worst pos
si5le usage the trees do not bear plenty
of choice fruit, eitllerthe nurseryman is
blamed, or the climate is cursed, or for
sooth the trees are exhausted In the
June number Of the Hoyhcubuna the
author Of Ten Acres Enough" cites the
case Of farmer in the best fruit grow
ing region of New Jersey, who came in
possession of farm, which thirty years
ago was used as nursery. Many
choice fruit trees were planted upon the
estate, but the new proprietor consider
ing the raising of sweet corn and pickles
the chief end of man, neglected bis trees
until they only bore meagre crops of in,
different fruit, and had made up his mind
to grub out the useless things to make
more room for "eorn and cucumbers,"
when he was successfully tempted to sell
out. The buyer determined to reclaim
the degenerate trees, being encouraged to
take this course by an account which ap-
peared in the Horticuhurist many years
ago, and which we cite as proof at once
of the extent to which soils may be ex-
hausted 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 they had exhausted the
proper elements of pear tree growth in
the soil, and these must be renewed
Determined to test the truth of this the.
ory, he set to work very vigorously
scraped off the rough outer bark and put
on coating of soft soap ;-pruned and
shortened in the trees about a third, par
ing the large cuts and covering them with /
a solution of shellac dug large trench
around each tree, cutting away large 5
portion Of the roots, and filling the trench /
with good soil, and well prepared ma {
nure. Next season the trees put on a I
rich dress of Iuxuriant foliage-the sec E
md year there was a moderate bloom, |
every blossom of which came TO fruit :
The third season the two trees bore six /
bushels Of superb fruit. $
Their vigor and fruitfulness were re- O
stored, and they literally renewed their i
youth. The theory of rotation of crops
u the general farm practice is based on
he fact that constantly growing the same b
produce exhausts particular elements in f
he soil, and this, no doubt, often ae> Il
counts for the barrenness Of fruit trees >,
md the failure of orchards. The soil is
obbed of its nutritive qualities year af> "
er year-no new supply is furnished C
md out Of nothing, nothing can come.
The practical lesson is obvious, we must
- .v.sn.k tbnc, s,l Il