Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-01-17
Written for the Register.l
Culture of the Apple Orchard.

! Of all the fruits cultivated in thi!
country, the apple is undoubtedly the
most valuable. 1t is the fruit of thu
peasant and the president, of the rich
and the poor; and is suited to $4,000
square miles of the United States. Al
what period it became known is In
volved in obscurity. 1t is native
of several countries and especially sc
of this, and the delightful odor Of the
Wild Crab of Virginia when in bloom
is gratefully remembered by every
traveller who passes that region III
March and April. The tree is natur.
ally long-lived ; history asserts that ii
has been known to live over thou.
sand years, though | would rather
ascribe to it one-fourth of that period
There is no climate in the world where
the apple is brought to such perfection
as in this. 1t can be had in perfec-
ton throughout the year, forming al
ways an agreeable and luxurious addi-
ton to the food of man. The fruit
when ripe is laxative, and when boiled
or roasted it has been found service
able in cases of weakness and indiges-
ton, as also in putrid and malignant
fevers. The best soil for the apple is
that of loamy, friable nature, avoid
ing sand and clay, in either of which
this tree is short-lived. The finest
trees and orchards are planted on a
deep, sandy loan, either on dry bot
tom or having a good descent for car
rying off the water 1t is not my pur-
pose to go into an elaborate detail of
the management of an orchard. That
would only confuse and mystify. My
aim is to state only what is essential,
and to do it with brevity and precis-
ion. There is no country that possesses
greater advantages Of climate for fruit
culture than the United States yet,
as ! have stated, | see fine, young
trees left to the mercy of the elements
without any support. | see no dlspo-
sition to arrange or form the head, no
hand to thin out the crops; all is left
to nature. Even the soil has no an
nual or tri-annual material given to
keep it in a state to yield regular
and continued crop. The trees, in
consequence, get distorted, the limbs
broken down with their harvest to
their lazy lords, and then comes the
"besom of destruction. To annihi-
late their existences with double
face axe and a crosscut saw to cut off
their broken branches disease takes
hold of the tree and it comes to a pre-
mature old age, having not lived half
its days. Such has been the fate Of
many an orchard, and such is the treat
most frequently pursued in the pres
ent day. The first object of attention
in planting an orchard ought to be to
have the ground well plowed, deep,
even truck plowed, manure heavily
put on potato or corn crop the year
previous to planting out, and cult
vate it freely the whole season. The
soil will then be in order to receive
the trees. Plant them from forty to
fifty feet apart, giving the tree at once
a strong support to prevent its being
tossed with the winds. Tie between
the tree and the stake some soft ma
terial which will keep the bark from
being chafed. | see no reason why
fruit trees should not occupy the space
allowed for brush and saplings around
the fields and about the fences 1t
cannot be for the cost, for that is a
mere trihe. Every farmer may at least
grow part and should have few
reserve trees by him every year. 1t
is merely because it is customary to
allow these weeds Of the forest to grow
in place of luscious fruit.
P'uning.-This object is generally
considered labor instead Of pleasant
pastime. | can never admit that it is
necessary to use double-face and a
crosscut saw to prune tree, more es-
pecially fruit tree. That treatment
belongs to the dark ages, as there are
tools manufactured for that purpose.
Good hands, with a judicious head,
are the accompaniment of orchardist
Pruning the apple tree or peach should
begin in January or as soon as the
weather permits, as the bark will stick
to the tree and will not slice. In my
next letter l will write you the treat
ment of the peach tree.
GEORGE FEBREY,
Fruit Trimmer,
College st. James, Nd.
DO not wear impermesble and tight-ntting
hats that construct the blood vessels OF the