Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-06-28
farm, Garaen i aJplsehOli.
From the American Agrieulturist.l }
CULTIYATING ORCHARDS.


Apple orchards left to themselves bear only
on alternate years, With such uniformity, that
hearing years have come to be regarded as
the order Of nature, rather than human de-
vice. The Trees, in average soil, do not have
Aliment enough to give full crops every year.
Cultivation and uanuring will change all this
aud give US remunerative crops every season.
Possibly manuring might do this even If the
orchard were left in grass. But the danger
is, If the orchard is left unplowed, it viii not
get the manure.
The common objection offered to blowing
is the damage done to the roots of the trees
We have no doubt thai an orchard might be
pIowed so deep and SO near the trunk Of the
trees as to damage It past hope Of recovery.
But discretion Is to be used, and the plow is
to be kept so near the surface under the trees,
as not to break Of the large roots 1t has al
50 been sscertained that gram crops are not
good for orchards We have known orchards
ln be made barren for several years in eonse-
gueuce Of a crop Of rye. Grain crops, unless
buck wheat be an exception, take from the
soil what the tree need, aud shade the land
too much. Root crons are the most desirable.
because they require a good deal of manure
and thorough tillage to make them profitable.
The frequent stirring Of the soil, and the fer
tilizers are the wants Of the apple tree, and
the root crop enables the farmer to give these
TO his orchard, and at the same time he is re-
muneraied fer his labor
Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, are all
good crops for the orchard, if you put on ma
nure enough to make them pay. surplus
must be left in the soil to make the apple crop.
But viii an orchard thus fed bear every year?
We have no doubt Of it. The apple crop may
be made as sure as the root crops. We once
plowed up beneath an old apple tree that had
an inveterate habit of bearing only every 9th.
er year, and planted with potatoes, manuring
Literally. We had full crop of apples the
second year, and shall always think the ma
nure and the cultivation made the change.
Horticulturists who make a speciality of ap-
Piles, and manure every year, succeed in get.
ting crops every season, with very rare excep-
tons. David Lyman, Esq, of Middlefeld,
Conn, stated at recent meeting of the Board
Of Agriculture, that be cultivated his orchards.
and got crops every year. They were not al
ways ful crops, but we're enough to pay for
the trouble. Judging from the appearance Of
his orchards, which We visited few years
since in the apple season, we think that a
very modest statement. We have rarely seen
so fine show Of apples, even at the county
fairs, as could have been gathered from his
trees. The secret of his success is cultivation
and manure, and a reasonable watch against
the encroaebnen of insects The plowing
late in the fall as well as in the spring, he
thinks great safeguard against their depre-
dations. Multtudes of the chrysalides are
unearthed and destroyed If this was attend
cd to, and the windfalls picked up and fed to
the Pigs, we think there would be little dam
age rom the attacks of insects. The apple
is 0 fine fruit, and SO easily kept, It is so
mEch both food and luxury, that no pains
should be spared to keep our orchards in the
Test condition. We are tired of seeing ap
pies quoted at 81 a barrel. but even at that
price they are much cheaper than pills.