Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-16
la1lcaster fntelligel1ret.
The Original Seckel Pear Tree.


Aavised by tho Germantown Telegraph.
Tho Gardener's Aoatkly for Septembes
has full history of the original Seckel
near tree, which is still standing in the
ssNeck, {" illustrated with . cut Of tree. 1t
is only about half standing in fact, not
being much more than . shell. 1t still
bears few pears. It is supposed to be
about one hundred and fifty years old. 1t
Is copiectured that tho seed from which the
tree sprung was thrown overheard in core
from q vessel Is it passed down the
Delaware, which, being washed to the
shore, took root and grew, there being
subsequently, dykes thrown up to protect
the bank against the encroachment of the
tides. The farm ON which the tree stands
is now owned by Mr.. Bastian. We have
now upon our premises Seckel pear-tree
grated from the original tree. 1t grew
upon the grounds of the late Simon Gratz,
ESQ.,, on Broad street, whence we had it
removed when it was over thirty years old,
some twenty years ago, and it now gives
us . yearly crop of fruit OF the best
quality.
All farmers know the value of "com-
mers manufacture hundreds of loads of
the best manure in this way. They
gather together on the premises forest
leaves, cornstalks, including the roots,
weeds, vines, offal from fence-corners,
muck from ponds and bitches, occasional
sprinklings of lime through the mass,
layers of barnyard manure, and thus build
up oblong squares and let it remain over
winter. When April arrives the mass has
gone through fermentation and comminu-
ton, and presents mound of fertilizing
matter better than small gold mine would
be to the proprietor of the farm. But
we want to see these compost heaps in the
garden, and there is no reason why they
should not be there as we'll as upon the
farm. There is rubbish enough in the
garden, with the assistance of leaves, some
mold from the woods, il fattainable if not,
from portions of the premises where it can
be spared scrapings from the turnpike !;
manure from the stable, and every attain
able substance that will decay through the
winter. A little Stacked lime will be
good assistance. A half dozen to dozen
loads of excellent manure will be manu-
featured by the time it is wanted in the
spring, without incurring scarcely any ex-
pense.
Apple Culture.
If we look back only few years, when
to talk with farmers on their neglect in
planting more apple orchards and raise
moro of this the most valuable Of all fruit,
it was to bc met with the same answer
that it was entirely useless to attempt it,
as the land had run out, SO far as the cul-
ture of this fruit was concerned, and We
must depend upon other sections-the West
for our supply of apples hereafter. Ey
referring to our columns from twenty to
thirty years ago, it will be seen that we
tried our best to combat this idea, and to
show that it was not the land, but the
neglect to do justice to the orchard. The
land was not kept in good order, being
seldom manured, the trees left unpruned
and allowed to die from old age, and not
renewed by the planting of other trees,
first selecting such varieties-but only a
few-that are known to he the best suited
to the soil and the demands of the mar
ket.
In time, by this prodding. efforts were
may add that many of these efforts were
by "fancy farmers Gf We may SO call
them) from the cities, who did rot stop at
spending money in attempts to do what in
earlier periods had been SO successfully
done in apple raising. The result, in
nearly every case, has more than realized
all their anticipatiOns, and we can now see
here at our very doors he products of the
orchard in quantity and quality beyond
anything known in the past. Hence,
apple culture is fast becoming an impor-
tant branch of farming, and as profitable,
all things considered, as any followed to
the same extent upon the farm.