Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-08
changing the Bearing Year Of Orchards.

W. y ~ g
Bearing every other year in orchards
is habitso well established, that many
very honestly doubt if it can be correct,
ed. Of course, nothing but facts car
help us to an intelligent decision of this
question. A. j. Downing wrote many
years ago in,his work on Fruit Trees
mon cultthe only tatestplaee every
other year, OWING to the excessive crops
which it usually produces, by which they
exhaust rnest yet the crganizable matter
laid up hi the tree, ! which then requires
another year to recover, and collect a
sufficient supply to form fruit-buds.-
When halt the fruit is thinned out in a
young state, leaving only a moderate
crop, the apple, like other fruit trees,
will bear, as it will also, if the soil is
kept in high condition. The bearing
year ofan apple tree, or Of a whole Or
chard, may be changed by picking off
the fruit, when the trees first show good
crops, allowing it to remain only in the
alternate seasons, which we wish to
make the bearing year."
To sustain his opinion that orchards
may be made fruitful every year, he
cites letter from r. L. Pell. Of Pelham
Farm, ON the Hudson, who changed the
habit Of his orchard Of 1000. Newtown
Pippin trees, making it abundantly pro-
ductiye every year. This was done by
pruning. manuring, and keeping the
soil under cultivation. Some twenty
years ago we visited the homestead of
David Lyman, at Middlefeld, Ct, in
the odd year, and found the ground in
his orchard we'll covered with apples.
He informed US that he pIowed the
ground frequently, MANFRED literally,
and raised paying crops Of apples with
as much regularity, as other crops upon
the farm. Some twenty-five years ago
we grated the Cogswell Pearmain into
an apple tree in neighbours garden. 1t
came into bearing in few years, and
has given regular crops annually, with
hardly a break since. The ground has
had high, garden cultivation, and the
tree has had all the food it could use.
In the orchard, this apple is a persist
ent bearer in alternate years. We
came into possession of our present
premises eight years ago, on which were
thirty pear trees, about half of them in
bearing condition. There are dozen
or more varieties Of pears, and all the
trees of sufficient maturity give regular
crops, with the single exception of a
Vicar of WINFIELD, which is now well
furnished with fruit-buds in the barren
year, and promises to give up its bad
habit. A. Young, one Of the best fruit.
grwoers in the Mystic Valley, started
his apple and pear orchard twenty-five
years ago. Among his apples are the
Cegswell Pearmain, Baldwin, Roxbury
Russell, and other varieties, maturing in
the summer and fall. He takes good
care his trees, manures and cultivates.
and has crops every year. The only
difference is that between good crops
and extra good crops. Isaac Denison
is another good fruit-grower in the same
district. Hebegan his planting eighteen
years ago, and has very thrifty and
productive orchard. Both apples and
pears bear every year with him. All
the facts with which we are acquainted
lead to the conclusion, that high cult.
walton, persistently followed, will rene
dy the baTenness of fruit trees III the
alternate years. Feed your trees regu-
| larly, and they will feed you.-Amer.
| Agricultarist. @