Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-03-20
CAUSES OF FAILURE.
How Apple-Growing in the West Can BE
Made Profitable.

|
We do not wish to even intimate that
there has been no sufficient cause fol-
the failures that we have experienced
in apple-growing in the West. But in
all cases of failure, of whatever kind,
there ought to be a thorough investi-
cation Of all the attending circum-
stances. 1t is not proper to always lay
the blame upon our cold winters or
any other demonstration of nature. u
may be that nature is at fault. We do
not affirm to the contrary. In fact, we
know that to be true generally, so far
as the present condition of our orchards
is concerned, But what we are getting
at is this: There are a distressingly
large number of apple trees in this
country that have been ruined by utter
neglect. As Josiah Hopes remarks,
| Out of ignorance spring the prevailing
idea that trees and plants will take care
/ of themselves, and if they do not thrive
the loss is attributed to poor luck.
The excuse so often offered by the
unsuccessful, that trees will not grow
now as they did for our grandfathers,
has no truth in it. What man has
done man can do, and, more than that,
man does do. Our best fruit growers
obtain results to-day better than our
grandfathers ever hoped for Or dreamed
of.
Parsimony in the use OF fertilizers, as
well as in the employment of labor, is
another cause of failure. Many farm
ers begrudge the smallest amount OF
manure to their fruit trees. and yet will
lavish it OF crops that fail to pay the
cost of cultivation. The mere men
ton of top-dressing the orchard is SUI
fcient to induce an incredulous smile,
if not a long argument. on the
extravaganza of book-farmers. with
more cash than sense. And yet
the dying and unproductive trees
that have been left 10 neglect and
starvation prove that this parsimony is
in fact Il waste, and examples of such
orchards are seen in every county
while the orchards that pay are those
upon which labor and manure hay,
been used without stint. Here. as il
many another place, liberality is tru'
economy.
: Worthless orchards can often be rem
} ovated. This is not Il novel idea, no.
: is the work of bringing these neglecte,
trees into the fruitful condition Of thei
youth an expensive or difficult one. |
} the branches are cut severely back, tn
: old dead bark scraped of of truni
a and branches. and this followed by
: thorough washing with soft soap an,
a sulphur, new bark will form AS smootl
and soft as that ON a Young tree. Tn
: soil needs restoring as we'll, and as tn
. roots are presumably in the same cou
G dition as the branches, it will be wei
n to stir the surface of the ground b,
l. meath the tree as far as the limbs eN
|, tend.
n This will not only have a tendenc
l. to start root action, but it will perm
the fertilizing material when reduce
IS to a liquid form to enter the surfac
Is more readily. Stimulating growth b
the application of any kind of plan
N food should be done literally. Goot
u rich, decomposed manure is the mo
le certain in its effect at once. Groun
t bon,, and unbleached wood ashes Al
Y, indispensable, they can not be sn
5 passed for imparting health and Wig
le to tagging vegetation. Laugh as 4
1T will at the old-fashioned plan of whit
'e washing trees, the practice is one to
l. recommended. Lime destroys insec
In the earlier stages Of life, restor
health and acts as an incentive
10 growth Western Rural.