News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-15
THE APPLE ORCHARD.
WHY TREES DIE OUT WITHOUT GIVING DUE
RETURNS, WITH REMEDY.

A paper read before the Potomac Fruit
Growers at their April meeting points
out the cause ard the remedy for apple
trees that die out before giving due re,
turns for the time and land they occupy.
Mr.. Peirson began his paper with the
assumption that soil composed of clay,
with sub-soil of sand and gravel, Is the
proper composition for healthy growth
and long life of the tree.
He said if such location cannot be
had, or if an orchard is already growing
upon clay soil and sub soil, as many of
the decaying orchards are, the remedy
is to lay deep under drains near enough
together to thoroughly drain every part
Apple trees cannot long endure wet
feet. It is waste TO plant an orchard
where, however rich the soil may be,
there is cold, impenetralle mass of
wet clay. Light soils of sand or gravel
without mixture of clay are unsuitable
to the full development of the tree and
the profitable production of fruit.
It is OF the first Importance that the
varieties selected for a permanent or
chard should be such as have been
proved well adapted to the section. IA
few thoroughly tested sorts for summer.
fall and winter are decidedly preferable
to multitude of every kind advertised
by ambitious nurserymen.
Winter apples are the most desirable
to grow largely. provided we find good
varieties that will keep well. Timber
twig is placed first on the list for winter
in the Potomac region. The tree is
vigorous grower, bears abnndantly
every year the apples cling to the tree
until November, and will keap we'll
until April fruit medium size, sub
acid, solid, rich and good flavor.
The Winesap and Carthouse or
Romantic are excellent varieties trees
vigorous growers, full bearing every
year, but such extremely dry weather
as we have had last season caused them
to fall off and rot early in the winter.
The Primate is large red and white
apple, very tender, juicy, rich flavor,
bears abundantly every year, COM
nencing to ripen in August after sum-
mer apples are gone, and continues
ripening until November. The other
two varieties named are too we'll known
to need recommending or describing.
The preparation of the soil should be
thorough; by understanding if neces-
sary, as we have said; by deep cultiva-
ton and enriching, SO that the land
would raise good crop of corn. Set
the trees thirty feet apart each way if
the orchard is designed to occupy tie
land exclusively.
Mulch around the trees every summer
until the limbs shade the ground suffi-
cient TO protect the roots from the hot
summer sun. The ground may be
cropped with potatoes or corn for four
or hve years until the trees get sDfIi-
cient size and strength for bearing. To
bring the trees into bearing, seed the
land with rye, clover and timothy in
August. After the ground is well
covered turn on flock of sheep, keep
ing them on until October every year
they will eat the wormy apples as they
fall, so that what are left will be fair
and sound, and the fruit will continue
to improve from year to year; they will
keep down all suckers as far as they
can reach, and the land will become
enriched and win not need plow ing
oftener than once in four or five years.
Destroy every cocoon or caterpillar nest
as soon as they can be discovered.