The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-05-22
-tnt,
s@ sfreatment OF Or.
What 10 =. aud in Age?
chards, ERsros, oo1oRA.
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at WnoQe OF treatment, TO pOlnt
the man can do in securing this
GU There have been years when
rGcullo were so numerous that
apples were the rule, smooth
the exception This has been the
more especially in our young Or
ards. | know of no remedy against
lis insect, but then assumed that if
che number of the intruders was limit
ed, his ravages would be more complete
amongst q few apples, (the product of
a young tree) than amongst many,
which might be the product of full
grown tree.
Happily, however, for few years
past this creature has done US little
damage Our apples We're, this year,
as perfect as those from any other sec
ton of the country. We have picked
many trees among the fruit of which
scarcely single specimen had to be
rejected on account of knot or worm.
While others have complained that their
Young fruit was falling off, our trees
drop very few apples until they are on
the verge of maturity. though the fire.
quent consequence is the branches
break But it is not all trees that bear,
or bear enough to be profitable. What
is to be done with such? The answer
may depend on circumstances. If the
tree be not of sort that is at least
hopeful, put on a sort that is hopeful
\ partial injury sometimes brings &
tree to full bearing, but in most cases if
they be of desirable sorts, have pa
tience Continuous years of growing
may produce tops that will at length
WELD enormously | have waited fif-
teen wears for "a crop of the Tewksbury
Winter Blush, and have seen grown
trees of that sort in the orchard Weld
ing twenty barrels at time. Have
waited twenty years for a Gravenstein
that did not report its variety by sin
gle specimen 1t since bears freely but
| would advise planting few of such as
are so long coming to profit. On the
whole, though some are long in coming
to bearing, and some take alternate
years to rest we have scarcely any in
our list that do not, in an average of
half dozen years, do their part in
afording the general plenty In
somewhat extended travel through the
States, West and North, during the
season just closed, the condition of Or
chards was made a subject of special
observation. 1t appeared the general
practice to cultivate while young, and
after the trees arrived at age for bearing,
to leave the land in sod There were
localities, where orchards thus treated
were loaded with perfect fruit. But
mark, that was where the soil was
rich mould so friable that it could hard
ly be compactcd-soil in short, of such
excellence, that the trees once planted,
if only trimmed and allowed free space,
would thrive and grow, however it were
treated. But in most places, embrac-
ing much of Ohio and Western New
Y ork, the orchards were suffering for
want of care. The trees were deficient
in thrift and the fruit defective This
was surprising in land where fruit is
speciality. The most general perfec-
ton in both trees and fruit was observ-
ed in Iowa Here, besides the fault
less soil, they had enjoyed season of
plentiful rain. In other parts the sea-
son had been very dry one-perhaps
enough to impair the fruit crop-but if
this were the case, would not mellow
culture have mitigated the difficulty?
The foregoing remarks have reference
to apple culture, but in general terms
apply with equal force to that of the
peach and pear. Indeed, in the case of
pears it may be said that unless we in
tend to cultivate and manure heavily it
were better not to plant the trees. A
well developed pear is excellent One
of the same sort of stinted growth
quite infer or. But experience has led
me to some special conclusions with
reference to the management of peach
trees. The young peach trees respond
to careful treatment with as much de-
cision as any Others With such care
they soon come to bearing, but if we
wish longevity in the peach tree, its
growth in early years should be re-
pressed. This may be done by planting
in poor soil or leaving the young trees
SOu-oouUl OuIN SCC llOlll lliuC W llIlle
that they are not killed outright, when,
after six or eight years-after highly
nursed orchard, its cotemparv, has borne
its crops and failed-af.er the trees have
become Injured to neglect, let them be
brought under care Besides barn-vard
manure and bone, | have found wood
ashes to have a good effect on such
trees. In the cases which have come
under my notice they have gradually
improved in vigor of growth and the
quality of fruit. | now have some such
trees nearly twenty years DID, large
enough to produce seven bushels each,
and quite as thrifty as ever.
There is very common error COM
mitted in planting peach trees too close
together. They are soon crowded so
that no tree can do its best at bearing
All are stretching upward in obedience
to the law of nature to grow toward
the light. The farmer can have no mo-
tive in tlling such an orchard but for
its fruit, and in regard to this he is soon
discouraged. Consequently there is an
early decline, abandonment, destruction.
Let peach orchard be set with trees
twenty-five or thirty feet apart-per-
haps it were better to make the distance
still greater-use the land awhile for
truck or field purposes, having reference
to what was above stated in regard to
early productiveness on the one hand
or longevity on the other. 1t may be
expected that the crops produced on the
intervening spaces will pay the cost of
care and culture. At length when the
trees have attained such size as to
shade much of the ground, the yield
will probably be greater than from four
times the number crowded on the same
land
The production of fine fruit requires
the utmost thrift in the trees Besides
ordinary manuring to promote vigor,
common salt has been recommended as
giving peculiar excellence to the fruit
Some experience, years ago, from ap-