Oxford Democrat., 1908-05-05
The Neglected Orchard. /.

Neglected orchards are common every
where. This is especially true of the
"home orchard" Many of these or.
chards If they bear at all, have become
soil exhausted, and they produce. only
inferior fruit, and even that only in
occasional seasons. Such orchards are
the homes of worms and disease, and
serve to supply the more carefully spray
ed and titled orchards of neighbors with
these pests. Marketable fruit from
them is almost wholly unknown. They
are an eyesore and Improbable. An or
chard of this kind has recently been
made the subject of an investigation by
Prof. +. w. Card of the Rhode Island
station as described in Farmers Bulle-
tin 1859. The purpose of the investiga-
ton was to ascertain whether, with the
ordinary means within the reach of
farmerS-such as pruning, tilling, spray
ing, fertilizing-such an orchard could
be rejuvenated and put on paying
basis. The orchard selected for the ex-
pertinent was home orchard of less
than an acre in extent. 1t had been
planted for about twenty five years.
The trees had made but little growth,
and the trunks were covered with moss.
The first season the trees are pruned
and the rough, loose bark scraped off
he limbs and trunks. A half TO COM
mercial fertilizer made up of 125 pounds
of nitrate of soda, one hundred pounds
of dried blood, 30 pounds of acid phos-
phate, and l25 pounds of muriate of
potash-was applied, and the ground
plOwed and kept titled until midsum-
mer, after which clover crop was
planted. 1t was desired to get the trees
started at once into good wood
growth, hence nitrate of soda was used.
Well-rotted barnyard manure would
probably have answered the same pur-
pose very well, besides furnishing con-
siderable amount of hunus to the soil.
After the blossoms fell the trees were
sprayed twice with Bordeaux mixture
and Paris green. The Bordeaux mix
ture cleared the limbs of hanging moss
and the Paris green poisoned many OF
the worms. At the end of the first sea-
son there was 4 marked improvement in
the orchard, yet the results were not
striking. The neglect of years cannot
be remedied in single season. The
treatment the second year was very
similar to that of the first. To prevent
apple scab the trees were sprayed with
Bordeaux mixture before the buds open
ed and again after the blossoms fell.
The cover crop of the first year was peas
and oats. AS these made only a small
growth the nitrogen was continued IN
the commercial fertilizer applied, but
instead of one thousand pounds of fertil-
izer only one half the amount was used.
Good tillage was continued. The
growth of the tree the second season
was not large, yet il was thrifty and of
healthy appearance, and some good fruit
was obtained, the Baldwin and Rnsset
trees being we'll loaded The following
season, with only part of the trees
bearing, about $50 worth Of iine fruit
was obtained. Many of the trees in the
orchards were early sorts. OF the fruit
sold $50 worth came from the RuSset
and Greening trees.
During the years the experiment was
being carried on the orchard did not re-
ceiye all the care Il needed and was fire.
Quently neglected, nevertheless, the re-
suits obtained clearly indicate that these
old, neglected, moss grown and un-
profitable orchards, can in many cases
be brought up TO a thrifty condition and
made TO pay by spraying, fertilizing,
pruning and tillage.
OF course there are some orchards so
located that tillage is out of the ques-
ton. This is the case where orchards
are planted on steep hillsides or rocky
lands. In such cases the orchards may
be pastured with sheep or hogs. Ii the
grass is kept short less moisture will be
evaporated from the ground if allowed
to grow, and the stock will destroy the
wormy fruit that falls. Some growers
also report good results from letting the
grass grow aud then moving it, and let
ting it lie about the trees. at insures a
winter mulch, and adds humus to the
soil, but draws heavily upon the soil
moisture during early summer. 1t is,
therefore, not strange that its advocates
thus far seem to be those who are deal
ing with wet soil or a rainy climate"
Where cultivation is possible it should
be given. Lewiston Journal.