Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-04
FARM AND GARDEN.
A WoRp ABOUT ORgHARDs.

A WORD A8DUE 0AsCktAttD3s
Frnitless attempts are made and much
valuable time wasted By many Of our farm
ers in trying to renew old orchards by the
application offertilizers, or severe trimming.
There is limit to the life of a tree as well
as TO the life Of man, and when a peach
tree reaches the sgeof twenty years, or an
apple tree of forty in our State, they are
precisely in the same condition, as when q
human being reaches the age ofthree-score
AID ten. The natural duration has been
attained, and all attempts to infuse new
vitality into them is like pumping new
blood into an old manasveins.
At meeting of the Massachusetts Board
of Agricultural, DR.. Loring, who is one Of
the most practical and scientific agricultur-
alists in the country, gives his experience
with an old ancestral orchard. This orch
ard had been planted In 1910, and at one
time was profusely prodigal in its yield
every other year, until the trees began to
decline. The trees, by the application of
Loring took charge of the farm in 1856 and
found the trees all out Of condition. He
cleared out all the dead wood and any
limbs that seriously interfered with the
rest of the tree. A good many ~ had
grated with the choicest fruit he
could find. The soil was treated
with lime, bones, etc. de spent great
deal of money on the trees, expecting not
only to preserve the old orchard for its as
sociations but to make a fortune by It.
The trees looked finely for about three
years, but the renewed vitality was the re-
suit of the stimulants which he had APP
Piled. He got one crop Of apples. But at
ter that, Notwithstanding the apparent eff
fort of the trees, the apples were hard and
scrubby and filed with insects.
DR.. Loring used the facts above stated to
show the folly Of occupying lands around
farm buildings and stables with an orchard.
The cycle, be thinks has come around in
New England when the growing of the ap-
pie has ceased TO be profitable. The time
consumed in fighting worms and insects is
worth more than the apples produced.
Apple trees on the table lands of our
State will be vigorous bearers at sixty, but
on the lowlands and upon clayey, compact
subsoils, they oftener die at ten years old
than live to forty. OF all the counties Of
l,oro opv lypnuIadpa
is the best suited for apples. The trees are
weighted down every year with enormous
loads of fruit, and their thrifty appearance
would attract the attention Of the most
unobservant. We CHANGED to visit this
county a few days ago with one of
the most eminent fruit growers in the
State, and his opinion is, that the
lands Of Lawrence county are destined to
supply the South with apples and the North
with peaches. We trust the predictions Of
this pomologist may be realized, and that we
shall cease to supply our market with apples
grown beyond the limits of the State.
Upon the mountain lands where the sand
stone prevails We have seen very thrifty
trees, and there are, doubtless, many coun-
ties in our State that viii with increased
railroad facilities become famous for the ex-
cellence and variety of their fruit.
At present the county of Davidson has a
larger orchard product than any other in
the State. The next in order are Obion
and Warren. There are more apple trees
in Warren, and most of the apples are con-
sumed in the making of brandy.