The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-17

Care of Orchards.
Many persons who set out orchards labor un-
der the impression that the kinds of fertilizers
that are applied to ground intended to produce
corn, potatoes, small grain, and garden vegeta-
bles are the reverse of beneficial to fruit trees
They have been taught that the fertilizers in
general are on farms and are productive of all
sorts of diseases in fruit trees bushes and vines
They attribute the presence of black knot and
fungus to the application of manure. They be-
lieve that strictly healthy trees are only found
on land to which no stable manure was ever ap
piled or on that where the stable manure has
been decomposed and taken up by quick-grow-
ing plants like corn, small grain and clover.
They accordingly plant fruit trees on land that
is too poor to produce ordinary field
crops Some refer to the trees in for
ests as affording evidence that sound
vigorous trees produced on land that
has never been fertilized artifcially. They do
not take into consideration the fact that these
trees have required a century or more in which
to attain their present size, nor do they ask
themselves whether they are willing to wait
even half of that time for fruit trees to attain "A
size that would enable them to produce good
crop of apples or pears.
Most have observed that wild apple aud plum
trees are OF very slow growth. They have seen
some whose size has increased but very little for
thirty or forty years Many of them appear to
be at q complete "stand-still." They have also
observed that the fruit-trees in nursery grounds
make a very rapid growth, and that the ground
where they stand is highly MANFRED resembling.
IN respect to the liberal employment of fertil
izers the land occupied by farm gardeners.
They have also noticed that the trees that re-
manned in these nurseries, for lack of purchas-
ers, till they were too large to transplant were
very productive, as well as vigorous. The at
tention of many has been called to the vigor,
rapid growth, and great producSiveness of APP
pie, pear, cherry. and plum trees in village
gardens where large quantities of manure were
annually placed on the ground. Many have
also noticed apple and pear trees of remarkable
size standing near barnyards or near the out
lets of drains leading from sinks These large
trees are ordinarily very productive, and
their fruit is generally very large and fair The
trees themselves oxhihis no appearance of dis
ease. They continue to grow, although they
were planted out many years ago and have pro
duced annual crops of fruit.
These observations should convince any per-
son that fruit trees more vigorous and pro-
ductive when the ground where they stand is
well supplied with fertilizers, such as are fur
nished land intended to produce ordinary field
and garden crops. Persons who plant fruit
trees desire returns from them as soon as posi-
bic. They may wish to have their heirs sup
piled with fruit. but they are not averse to hav-
ing some for themselves; they are well aware
of the fact that the principal cost of obtaining
bearing orchard consists in the loss of land that
is withdrawn from cultivation. The sooner the
trees can be made to attain a large size, and to
produce crop of fruit, the less will be the loss
from land that yields no annual returns. If
apple, pear, plum ana trees cOulu De r6Leu
upon to produce crops two three years after
they are set out very few farmers would hest
tate about planting an orchard. 1t is the long
delay that discourages them A system of treat
ing fruit trees that would insure their bearing at
a very early age would result in greatly increas
ing the number and size of orchards, and would
make the larger fruits very common in a few
years. The prospect of immediate gains is sure
to stimulate persons to timely exertions.
That fruit trees require a large amount of
food is obvious The tree itself takes from the
soil much material When a large tree is cut
down or removed the ground where it stood is
site is bad place in which to plant another tree
of the same or of a different species. The
ground long occupied by an orchard under the
ordinary management is generally found to be
in very poor condition to produce ordinary field
crops. 1t must be well MANFRED or devoted to
what are known as resting crops" such as
clover and grass, before it will produce good corn
or small grain The plant food taken from the
soil to produce an annual crop OF apples is
enormous Single trees have been known to
produce, on an average, twenty bushels per year
for long period 1t is obvious that such trees
have robbed the soil of most of its fertility for
the entire distance traversed by their roots. If
no new nutriment is afforded the trees must
cease to grow and stop producing fruit. The
trees can not move in search of food as animals,
birds fishes and insects do The food must be
brought to them. or they will die of starvation
or become victims of disease.
While it Is obvious that fruit trees must be
fed, considerable Judgment must he exercised
in the selection and application of it. Green,
unfermente6 stable manures must not be EN-
ployed. Stable manure, however, if thoroughly
fermented, is excellent 1t is improved by
stirring it during one entire season, and by fork
ing it over two three times A compound
formed of stable manure, forest leaves, muck
and turf is also excellent. Ashes and ar-slacked
lime are also highly beneficial Good results
are often obtained by Incorporating these fer
tilizers with the soil by means of spading fork
When this is done the ground should be after
ward tramped nearly as hard as it was before
the manure was applied Good results are
dinarily obtained by applying the manure in the
form of top-dressing Little labor is required
to apply manure in this manner and no injury
is done to the roots of the trees. The soluble
portions of the manure are carried downward by
every rain, and in time reach the soil that is
occupied by the roots