The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-09
CULTIvATING ORCHARDS.
From the American Agriculturist.

Apple orchards left to themselves bear only
on alternate years. with such uniformity. that
''5earing years" have come to be regarded as
the order OF nature, rather than a human device.
| The trees, In average soil, do not have aliment
enough to give full crops every year. Cultiva-
tion and manuring will change all this, and give
US remunerative crops every season. Possibly
manuring hi ght do this even if the orchard
| is left unplewed, it will not get the manure.
The common objection offered to plowing is
! the damage done to the roots of the trees We
have no doubt that an orchard might be plowcd
so deep and 50 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 near the surface under the trees,
as not to break off the large roots. 1t has also
been ascertained that grain crops are not good
for orchards We have known orchards to be
made barren for several years in consequence of
crop of rye. Grain crops, unless buckwheat
be an exception, take from the soil what the
tree needs and shade the land too much Root
crops are the most desirable, because they re-
auire good deal of manure and thorough til
lage to make them profitable. The frequent
stirring of the soil, and the fertilizers are the
wants of the apple tree, and the root crop en-
ables the farmer to give these to his orchard,
and at the same time he is remunerated for his
| labor.
Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, are all good
crops for the orchard, if you put on manure
enough to make them pay. A surplus must be
left in the soil to make the apple crop,
But will orchard thus fed bear every year?
We have no doubt of it. The apple crop may
be made the root crops. We once
plowed up beneath an old apple tree that had
an inveterate habit of bearing only every other
year. and planted with potatoes, manurug lib
orally. We had full crop of apples the Sc
cond year. and shall always think the manure
and the cultivation made the change. Hort.
cultursts who make speciality of apples and
manure every year, succeed in getting crops
every season, with very rare exceptions. David
Lyman, Esq of Middlafied, Conn.,, stated at a
recent meeting Of the Board of Agriculture,
that he cultivated his orchards and got crops
every year. They were not always full crops,
bat were enough to pay for the trouble. Judg-
ing from the appearance of his orchards, which
We visited few years since in the apple season,
we think that 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 cul
tivation and manure, and reasonable watch
against the encroachments of insects. The
plowing late in the fall as we'll as the spring, he
thinks great safeguard against :heir depreda-
tons. Mulstudes of the chrysades un-
earhed and destroyed Ifthis vas attended to-
and the windfalls picked up and fed to the pigs
we think there would be little damaged from the
attacks of insects. The apple is so fine fruit,
and SO easily kept, it is SO much both food and lux
ury, that no pains should be spared to keep our
orchards in the best condition. We are tired
of seeing apples quoted at 81 a barrel, but
even at that price they are much cheaper than
pills.