The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-16
Apple and Other Trees on Wet Land.

Referring to the contribution of a
correspondent in q late issue, describ-
ing the healthy condition of the fruit
trees at Tolono, H., and the country
east from that place to Danyille, H.,
thirty-siX miles. as being more than
half under water where he passed over,
l am able to report from personal in
spection made within the month, that
the oldest, largest, most healthy and
fruitful apple trees there are to be
found in the lowest portions. Only a
mile or two east of Tolono, and within
pistol shot distance of the Wabash rail
road, on a piece of low, fiat prairie
land. is a small orchard where l found
water had stood between the trees until
the vegetation had been drowned and
rotted, and still the trees were very
heavily laden with fair large fruit, had
made good wood growth, and bore full
and healthy foliage. Ten miles further
east, on the east side of the salt fork of
the Vermillion, found old orchards
planted thirty and sixty years ago.
The trees were large and aged, but
healthy and laden with fruit, and
rivalled in size and grandeur the
gigantic and venerable burr oaks,
black walnuts, blue ashes, water elms,
hackberries, bitter-nut hickories, ana
other trees common to deep, rich and
moist soils, their near neighbOrS ard
companions for years. 1t occurred to
me if forest trees of the number and
variety named, portion of which
furnish the most valuable timber, make
so large and healthy development on
land always moist, and half the year
with their roots under water, it would
not be strange if apple trees were suited
to the same soil and water conditions.
At any rate, found the largest, health
lest and most fruitful trees, were in
every case situated in a depression
Switch gave their roots more than an
average share of the overflow and rain
fall.
But in these portions of Champaign
and VermiiliOn counties, as well as
others visited at other times, the small
or large orchards browning the eleva-
tons near or remote from the farm
houses. were in large majority OF
eases in an unhealthy and barren state,
the trees having 4 sparse, unhealthy
foliage. or so nearly deprived oil
it, rs to suggest the epithet of
..bald headed" Indeed, half the
orchards in the black soil counties of
Illinois are in condition well de-
scribed as s.bald headed" Mr.. Whit
ney, the well-known orchardist OF
Franklin Grove, H., was partly right
and partly wrong, when he said, as re-
ported by a contemporary: ''Uriess the
farmers of the.West commence. to plant
orchards of varieties of apples which
have proved hardy and reliable, it will
not be long before we shall experience
an apple famine in this country" In
this be is right, so far as the decay and
death OF the average orchard Is con-
cerned, but wrong in respect to the
question of varieties and location, for
l can show him Baldwin4 and other
supposed tender varieties. aged from
twenty-five to thirty years, with spread
of more than two rods of limb on each
side. healthy, vigorous AMI bending I'M
der enormous loads of fair fruit. bat in
every case. with their feet in the mud,
just as sure as their head. or top are in
the sky. The Baldwin tree, bearing
the best of all apples, seems to 90 best
where such noble timber trees, as the
blue ash. the burr oak sad blackwell
nuts thrive, very naturally, too, for
birds of afeather flock together whether
the feathers are worth their weight in
golG or lead.-CoHntry Gentleman