Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-07
HOW 70 GET APPLES ON "oFF" YEARS.


The past season has demonstrated the
fact that the value OF an orchard depends
very much upon whether it produces its
crop in the bearing year or in The alternate
off year. In 1850 an apple crop was CT
but little value. In 1851 it would have
been worth in very many sections Of the
country three times as much as the year
before. And the difference in the guam
tity and price that has been so broadly
marked in the two past years will undoubt-
eddy continue for some years to come, and
probably for as long series of years IN
the future as it has il the past. Any one
who will take the trouble to look over the
price current for apples for the last sixty
years will find that the price has almost
invariably been higher in the odd than in
the even years. Why it is that our or
chards have so generally grown into the
habit of producing their best crops in
the even years and remaining SO nearly
barren during the odd years ia one of
the unexplained my steries. It sometimes
happens that late frost kills the blossoms
of an orchard and changes for time the
bearing year, the trees bearing partial
and sometimes a poor crop the next year.
If no artificial means are used to encourage
the new habit, So as to render it permanent,
it usually works back into the old way.
But if the trees have sufficient encourage.
ment tie enable them to get. the new habit
thoroughly formed, they will have no dis
position to return to the old, but will con-
tinue to produce crops as regularly 10 the
odd years as they had heretofore done in
the even ones. To undertake to change
L. lnrr 81, ,lI vi 60
thing OF task. but not so great task but
that it would pay in the long run. With al
old orchard the first thing to be done is
to remove the blossoms or small fruit.
A liberal dressing OF manure should be
applied to the ground to induce vigorous
growth, and it would be all the better if
applied the fall before, as the late fall and
early spring rains will assist in carrying
the fertilizing matter down to the roots.
If applied late in the spring it will be of
but little use the first year, Different va
rieties will require different treatment, or
rather varieties that are not very profuse
bearers will require more vigorous and
thorough treatment .tian those that are.
For instance, the Famuse or snow.a apple is
a very profuse bearer, and il the blossoms
are removed the coming spring, the tree
well pruned and manure applied early so
as to get the benefit of the spring rains, it
will be very certain to bear crop the next
year, and very probably full crop. But
treatment for single year will not be likely
to fully establish the habit. If the few
blossoms that appear the following year are
removed, it will be likely to get the bear
ing habit so thoroughly established that it
will be likely to continue without further
care. With varieties that are not so pro-
fuse in their bearing habit it is frequently
necessary to resort to more heroic treat
ment. With such trees, after removing
the blossoms or small fruit, some time be-
tween the middle of June and the 10Th of
July, if the tree is growing vigorously (but
not otherwise), cut should be made en-
tirely around each of the limbs, cutting
entirely through the bark. A second cut
should be made about quarter of an inch
from the first, and the intervening section
of bark carefully removed. A new bark
will be formed in short time, but the
downward flow of the sap will be arrested,
and the formation OF fruit buds so encour-
aged that trees so treated will be very GER
tain to be covered with bloom the following
spring. To confirm the habit it may be
necessary to repeat the treatment. With
old orchards, containing large trees, few
farmers will want to spend the time neces-
sary to effect the change, but with young
trees it is but little trouble to remove the
blossoms, and by giving them the treat
ment above described for few years
thoroughly establish the bearing habit in
the odd years, and thus double the value
of their returns. If the ring of bark is
properly removed no harm will be done to
the trees, even if repeated in alternate
years for long time. 1t is a fact that the
bark can be removed from the center body
of thrifty apple tree during the latter
part of June or fore part of July without
any injury to the tree. By taking one-half
or any part of the top of a tree and giving
it the above described treatment, the part
so treated will have its bearing changed
and the tree made to produce crop of ap-
pies on one or the other part eachsyear.-
[COr. Springfield Mass Republican.