West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-05-02
Small Orchards.


1t will not rs rule pay general
farmers TO 20 into fruit raising on n
large scale, or attempt to do SO An
enterprise in this line OF any ma0nitude.
requires more attention than the aver
age farmer can, or will devote to it,
more than that il needs skill and edu-
cation in horticultural craft, that is only
obtained by long years of experience
and study. Small orchards. Intended
manly to furnish generous supply of
wholesome fruit for the farmers fami-
~, Will be found much more satisac-
tory on the whole than larger under
taklngs, for they can be managed with
out interfering with other farm work
to any great extent. We are all apt TO
take a little more pains with that which
is intended for our own particular
use and we feel more interest in
the welfare of the few trees that
are to furnish us with our yearly suppIv
OF fruit than we would in raising for the
market; where it is only a question of
dollars and cents, ranking the same
as a wheat field in our calculations of
loss or gain.
Certain it is, that, with perhaps few
exceptions, small orchards are more
thrlIty ana produce much more fruit i'm
proportion to the size than large ones.
IL seems, however, to be i'm the nature
Oh the American farmer and especially
the Western farmer-to enter larUeIy
into any enterprise that NAV look
promlslngly rcmuneratvc. He never
hesiatcs in doubt AZ to his can.
ability TO manage particular
undertaking, but sails i'm with ALI
his available capital, and makes thinos
gee This is a very commendabIe
qual ~, and when applied to wheat
RAISING, or any other project that will
not require v.ry extended KNOWLEDGE
or experience, il usually inSurcs sue
cess. But when we gel down into the
finer practices of agriculture. and es-
peclally horticulture, il is sometimes a
very dangerous element TO success.
The farmer, who, with but slight pre-
yious experience, LAYS out 800 or 5000
IN trees at one "swoOp'' is pretty ant IN
lose good share of the purchase money
ana an immense amount of labor alono
with it. And this is not all that he
loses, nc loses all liking for the busi-
ness, If indeed he does not contract a
hearty dislike. He failel. probably.
through pure ignorance as 10 the needs
OF young orchard. In the natural or
der OF thing, the failure. we will saw. il
only partial one Some of his trees
were set on wet. undra ned land. some
were set too deep, and were not properly
trimmed. Fresh manure NJ the roots.
no mulching, or . dozen other causes
might be given which he had never
before thought Of. Now from this state
OF partial failure quite share Of the
orchard might be rescued by prudent
and pCr-cvcrino care Blu he is dis.
gusJed with the bus ness by this time
und thinks 10 viii not pay TO fool away
any more time ON 10, so the few remain.
ing trees came up rs best they can i'm
their ragged, scattered condition.
His less vonturc-omc neiVhbor com
meucc- carly ion huying n few common
kinds, and setting them near the b0u.e
who're bee can frequently spend fny
minutes at work among them. As hc
has but few, hc can give them better
care from the FIRST than bee would bn
able 10 give If there were hundreds iu-
stead Of dozens. These icw trees thrive.
and be feels encouraged o. add "a little
more Ills CXpcrIcn e. and study kcrp
pace with the increase Of his trees. and
by iHc time Ee has q lair--Icl little
orchard Doc knows just how to take care
pi 10. and make the mos. from TO- He
knoW- what Kinds do best .n bis pa-tic-
u'ar locality. and what flc most favor
able conditions for each lrictr. lie
know- hgw 20 buy his trees economical.
ly, and how 10 start them advanla-
gHJuslv
An orchard can not Doe built up in n
month or Year Like H1rar, H.
must serve y build itscuup The FIRST
"a. u.-iuOn must furnish thc uowl-
edge for gafbc1ug others about Uaom.
zap ta. s" hurry thing, mp bite but
IL takes Imo and experience to do tuc
work perfectly
Don pat Oh starting au orchard until
another year ~pasuodIc horticulture
can not bc success. sO go steady. but
rely ~ ~ B0yWyu. 10 Pr4fyio
Tanner.