The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-08-29
Eenoveling The Orchnrd.

There are many orchards which are
giving almost no returns for the land
they occupy, but which might, by
little we'll directed effort, be entirely
renovated and made to yield as large
profit as any portion of the farm.
The CHER cause of the unfruitfulness
OF many orchards is that they would
have been cropped year after year,
without anything having been re
turned to tie land in the shape of
plant food; and the trees have become
almost starved to death. Torenovate
such an orchard, first apply good
coating OF stable manure 1t should
not simply be piled about the trunks
OF the trees, but should be spread
evenly over the whole surface of the
ground. 1t should then be plowed
under rs soon as the land can be
worked. and the soil then narrowed.
1t may then be left for several weeks.
when a liberal top dressing of wood
ashes should be applied to furnish
potash, for potash constitutes u large
portion Of the wood and fruit of the
orchard. Some such crop as peas or
buckwheat should then be sown,
into which, later on the nogs may
proftabIy be turned. If the bark OF
the trees has become rough and moss
grown, the trunks should be scraped
with dull hoe. and then washed
with solution Of ashes, lime, whale
oil, soap and soda. This will de
stroy all insects which may have found
hGrbor beneath the bark.
Liberal pruning should also be
done. But if this has been neglected
for years back, too many limbs should
not he removed iii one season, as it
will cause n severe shock TO the tree,
and may do more injury than good.
1t il best to distribute the pruning
over two or three years. Large limbs
should he cut ont only when absolute
iy necessary, and the wound should
he treated to q coat of thick paint. In
pruning an old tree, cndcavor to leave
as much now growth as possible. The
tops should he well thInned out To-
permit light and air to penetrate to
the centre Of the tree This colors
the fruit and largely prevents blight.
Spraying with insecticides and
fuugicides should he thoroughly per-
formed. When an orchard is not too
old, but produces inferior fruit top
graft with sciOns of some good mar
kclable sorts. This work should be
done as soon a. the buds begin Do
swell Notwithstanding much that
has been written to the contrary, VIC
do not think 10 advisable to graft old
dccaying trees. 70 is much better TO
cut them down. make frcwood of
them, and set out q profitable young
orchard IN new location There are
some shy bearing varieties of apples.
such as King of Tompkins County.
which may be made much more pro
life by top-worlliug them upon some
other thrifty stock. I'm grating, ne
i'm pruning, the work should be dis
tributcd over several years.
Grating Us science which every
farmer should understand " is
quite simple ii few leading points
are carefully observed The buds
upon the stock to be grated should
he swelling, as this indicates n free
flow of sap. The scious ahOuld he
entirely dormant but if they have be.
come shrivolcd they are worthless
The limbs Co be grated should be
saved OF without iDiuring tho bark,
aud the wedge.sbapoj scion should
Gt evenly Ina tho cleft, so that the
bark Of stock and scion comes fully iu
contact The wound should he thiuly
covered with good grating wax We
place two scions i'm each large limb,
and leave two or thrco buds ON each.
If both scious grow, tho weaker one
is removed the following spring. FL
lis r. Augustine, i'm the Epitomist
a dealer in artificial limbs estimates