Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-23
Orchards.

Among the addresses before the Ohio
State horticultural Society, recently, was
one on the care of fruit trees by Prof. L.
H. Bailey of New York. 1t was on the
whole the most instructive and interest
ing of all delivered on that occasion.
Prof. Bailey took the ground that the
fundamental cause of failure in orchards
was lack of tlllage. The filming of soil
multiplies the chances for the roots to
obtain mineral food many fold. For
instance ball Of potash of one inch in
diameter placed in the soil would be en-
veloped by mass of roots covering 80
square inches of surface. If that bal
was divided into four parts, the surface
area would be multiplied sixteen times.
Continual suhdv ision would increa Sc
this area until hundred times the
chances for obtaining food would be
obtained over that if the potash were not
in large Jumps. Clay soils might be
made too fine, and would run together.
Orchards should be planted on dry land.
1t was easier to conserve the moisture
that fell than to carry off or drain the
surplus water in wet soil.
Prof. Bailey said he was setting nearly
his whole farm to apple orchards, beli'v V
ing that the future promised fruitful
results. He was first getting his ground
into condition by thorough underdrain-
ing. He did not believe in subscribing, as
in two or three years time the ground
becomes solid again and the value of the
subsoiling ceased Tile draining, how
ever. induced deeper roofing, gave a
reservoir for the water to the depth of
which the tiles were laid, and thus we
were able to conserve the water nature
gave us. The natural place for roots was
downward. They should be deep enough
to gather moisture when the surface of
the ground was quite dry. For this rea
son, he advocated blowing young orchards
from the very start, and giving cnntln
uous cultivation until the close OF each
season. He gave illustrations OF the root
growth of several trees. A Howell pear
tree seven feet across top had roots run
ming out 81 feet each way. This tree was
on high. poor ground, which had not been
cultivated. The roots were long and
slender, with few feeders. They had run
n long distance in search of food. Had
food been at hand, the roots would have
been short and compact. In rich gar
den they had dug the earth from the roots
of a tree with the top about the same
width and found the roots had only RON
ten feet; the food being close at hand,
there was no necessity for their going
further. The roots of still another tree
were examined. which stood in sod. The
roots were quite near the surface ard the
blowing of the ground would have cut
most of them. These trees were set in
1889.
He discussed TOP. gr .fting as means OF
bringing trees into bearing. Top grated
trees always bear more aoundsntly than
ront grated. but many did not begin top
grating soon enough Instead of wait
inc Is. 90 or 25 years, the tree should be
rn9rafted as soon as proved unproductive
mr. il was seen that it bore the wrong kind
of fruit A man who waits 20 or 20 years
before he does anything for an unproduc-
tive orchard is like man who breaks
horse when he is 10 or IL years old with
farm crops or berry crops, the rotation
was short, one to four years. with NUT
serv stock. where rotation was only five
wears ground often became entirely void
of bumus. The trampling of the ground
n,,ltIled it, and it was found necessary to
change entirely the growing of nursery
stock To new fields after one crop had
been taken. until the ground had been
cultivated in clover or rye or some other
farm crop. This was because the nursery
trees exhausted the humus of the soil
He thought it possible that the non
bearing of many trees was possibly be-
c,use grated from non bearing trees.
In eases of buns, sprains, scalds, or
any of the other accidental pans hkeiy
| to come To the human body. Df. Inoinas