Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-12-01
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FIELD AND PIREsIDE.
How to Treat an Old Orchard.


Editor AWraI 1iElericGR All through
New England aud the middle States casual
observer may see apple orchards, either in u
dying condition or else bearing crops of small,
gnsrly fruit, that should be in healthy state.
aud annually yielding large crops of luscious
fruit. Farmers say that they can not raise
apples after few years tho trees give out.
aud they either have to cut them down and
plant young trees, or else give up the business.
Now it is well settled physiological principle,
that plants and trees cease to be thrifty when
the necessary ingredients that are required to
render them 50 have been extracted from the
soil Ii, duyisS period of forty1orsf iFty
years, apple trees have been allowed to exhaust
the soil of its potash, lime, carbonie acid, etc,
which analysis shows these trees require,
without any steps having been taken to
keep the supply good, it is not to be
wondered at that orchards should have an old
and dead look to them. No man would plant
potatoes forty or fifty years in the same field,
and expect that he would get a good crop each
year without manure. Why should not n
similar result be looked for in an orchard
Again, it may be tho case that the ground
where the orchard stands needs draining
Too much water ut the roots will as surely
kill the tree as want of proper food and when
both are the case, prompt action is required.
IlaNlus5 lOuuu out the cause oil the disease,
the next thing is the proper treatment to be
adopted. If the land is wet, it should be
drained if possible, then pillow thoroughly and
dig up the sod around the trees, that the pillow
does not reach. Prepare a compost of ashes
orslacked lime, muck or other coarse vegetable
matter, refuse of drain from the sink, etc,
with as much stable manure as may be neces-
sary, apply literally TO the soil Each YER
thereaitergiv good dressing of muck ashes,
or any thing you have that possesses fertilliz-
ing qualities. The next year after blowing,
scrapo off rs much of the old bark from the
limbs and bodies of the trees as can be con,
venicntly reached, and give them liberal
washing OF ashes and water, which will cause
them to have healthy appearance. Now
you can begin to saw OF all the dead branches,
and see that they arc cut close to.the live
wood and paint the stub with some presery=
alive mixture, so that the bark can form over
the edges. You arc now ready to graft
Remove much Of the top and center of the
trees as may be desirable, cutting off the old
limbs when practicable, aud only us many of
the new shoots Us may be necessary, and graft
only this the first season. Each season there
after cut of and graft portion of the remain
ing limbs, until all have been grated and n
new top formed. The trees are now in good
shape, and if not too far gene when the treat
meut began, you will soon be repaid for all
your and labor, by large crops ofluscious
fruit. The writer has seen old orchards that
had not borne any thing but "pig apples" for p
years, under similar treatment brought to
yield Guc crops Of the best quality of fruit.
T.: MERRIAM,
Mercer County, PennsyI vania.