The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-06-10
Agricultural.


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The orchard 20 9sestios 4 sitaatet
10 ,bo p'sasAni town q Grcespoft
Columbia eeaniy, y Y tbree Of tsui
railss tegth q tho sIiy 81 Hadson. and
L tie property q Mr. n MeKins,ry
who has owned AID cared Cor Il twsB.
ty-,brce years, daribg which il has
gr0wn 70 It's present uHequallsd d.
ncniious iFon very modest beginnings
The orchard comprises litlls les,
than 300. On ibis area there are no
less than IS. 600 trees. And fatr lot.
We mar safely say. can nowhere be
seen ca either side a the Atlantic
They have been selected aud trained
with thorough scientific care Strong
aud vigorous. their branches reach out
broadly aud symstrieally. No dead
wood q supofhaous shoots can any
where Be seen, and the bark Is uniform
i y clean and sound Twen,y-siI thous.
and Of these tree are apples sthe main
standby. Over 1000 are cherries, the
pears number 1000 plums 100,
peaches 200, crab apples % various i'm.
proved kinds 200, aud ehestnuts 1850
Besides these. there are 9 500 curant
bushes, 1900 grape vines, and straw
berries, raspberries aud blsckberries
innumerable, II all Of these $4,000
trees were planted in single row 20
feet apart the would reach from Albany
TO New York.
Among the apples, all the old stand
ard varieties may be found. There are
1000 Greening trees, 5000 Baldwins.
1000 Of lompkins County King, 1000
Re d Astrachans, 1000 Northern Spys,
400 Of the Duchess Of Oldensburg, aud
other varieties Of 100 TO 400 trees each
literally too numerous 10 mention In
details for there is not less than 100
all told These latter varieties how
ever, which are represented by COM
paratiyely few trees each, are, or have
been, cultivated more as an experiment
than as permanent additions to the
orchard. for Mr.. Mckinstry, with the
majority Of experienced fruit growers,
does not believe that too many differ.
ent kinds are an advantage from the
business stand point, A dozen stand
ard varieties whose habits and needs
are thoroughly understood can be
made far more profitable than two or
three hundred that are imperfectly
understood, aud therefore imperfectIy
cared for.
The bearing capacity Of each tree is
the all important matter TO be constant.
ly kept ia mind, The modern fruit
tree has become, 80 far az the growers
Interest in it is concerned, complex
organic machine, and his aim should be
to treat it in such manner az to get
the greatest product from it with least
waste OF force Snoie of Mr.. Mckin-
stry's trees were set out wheS he be-
gan his great undertaking twenty-three
years ago. The best of these be now
looks 10 for ten barrels OF very choice
fruit Other trees have been act each
succeeding year, and some have not yet
come into bearing, so that taking them
all together Mr. McKinslry finds tia
the average yield per tree throughout
the orchard does not exceed two bush
els. Ultimately, be thinks, the orchard
may be relied on for 10000 to $4,000
barrels per year.
But such results are not accomplish.
ed without great deal of hard work,
annually applied. The ground is kept
thoroughly worked. Every year the
pillow is busy in some portions Of the
plantation back furrowing between the
rows of trees, so that presently the sur.
face becomes a series OF broad hilllocks
the earth being thrown up against the
trees, with saucerlike hollows between.
The cultivation must be done with de-
scrimination, however. 1t is found
for instance, that too much Of it will
not do for cherry trees. 1t forces too
rapid growth, and nature gets her re
venge by bursting the bark aud killing
the trees. Apples, 90 the other hand,
Mr., McKinstry firmly believes, require
a great deal Of digging about to secure
the best results. As soon as they are
much grown be gives them the fall
benefit of the ground they occupy, and
makes no effort to secure secondary
crop. Other trees require cultivation
in different degrees, most Of them more
than cherries and less than apples. Ex.
perieuce and constant watcafulness are
the only guides.
The variations of soil, temperature,
drainage, etc., have also to be studied
with the greatest care Mr.. MeKinstry
finds that on bis 300 acres be has al
most every variety Of soil composition
aud adaptiyeness. Here the soil is
heavy with clay. and damp; there II is