Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-18
NUMBER 2.

years younger. The limbs, too. baino Ton
der, become distorted by the weight of fruit
and habit of early bearing being also in,
duced, there will be an annual tendency IN
produce fruit instead Of wood and foilsre
accompanied by an inability to perfect il
which will increase from year TO wear until
the poor thing dies prematurelv. Then the
short-slghtcd grower, who was in hurry
Tor iruit and profits, can plant another in its
place, and mournfully tell his neishhors of
his hard . luck" | am well satisfied that
IN planting an orchard, if the owner would
make VOW not to allow single tree to hear
solitary specimen for the first seven or eight
years after planting, and would give his
tlme and attention to perfecting the growth
OF his trees, and to pruning them properly.
he would get more money from his orchard
at the end of, say fifteen years, and have
much finer orchard than would otherwise be
the case. The trees would be more uniform
In growth, be larger, better shaped, have
much better development of roots. thus en-
a6llng them the better to withstand high
winds or tempests, bear greater crops and
look better-in short, be better in every con-
eeiyable way. If the owner wanted to sell
MS place, such an orchard-thriftv, vigor-
Gus, well-shaped, large for It's age. uniform
IN size, with clean, healthy-loOking bark,
and limbs not twisted or deformed by pre-
mature bearing-would constitute an attrae-
tlon which an appreciative purchaser would
md 1t hard to resist. An orchard of 500
such trees would have more charms for him
than one of a thou-and which had been suf-
fered to bear at will ever since Planting.
With the 1
irregular in size, and exhibiting all the other
defects peculiar to premature bearing. Some
may claim that heavy applications of manure
10 young bearing trees will make dueamends.
and maintain growth and vigor. | do not
thlnk that this Is the case at all. If a tree
Is allowed to Over-bear this year, its consti-
tuuonal vigor Is impaired it becomes SICK,
IN a measure, and it Is no more in the condi-
ton 10 appreciate the benefits of this excep-
uonal manuring than a sick man Is to ap-
preciate extra good eating while his illness
lasts. What Is important in the orchardiSt
to remember Is thar fruit-bearing and a re-
gular healthy growth in young trees cannot
90 forward at the same time that growth
Is the natural business Of q young orchard,
as It Is OF human beings, and ANIMALS and
that t-bearing-which IS reproduction of
the species-cannot safely or proftably be
attempted until there Is al least some ap-
Proclamation to a fall growth and develop
ment. This wise fruit grower will then not
neglect thinning, and now Is Just the season
for it. There l. far more danger Of leaving
too much than too little. Every imperfect
specimen, every one stung or marred BY in
seets, had better come of. What Is left viii
be the better for twill be larger, better
perfected, bring more money, more credit,
and cost less, for marketing. The trees
will suffer less because they have less seeds
to perfect. They will grow better. look
better, sell better, and make their owner
feel better. Be patient in fruit-growing as
well as other things