The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-14
RENOvATING AN OLD ORCHARD.
Dynamite for the Old Trees, Then a
Scraper For the LOosened Bark on
the Good Ones.

ScTHpeE tut bHe bOOstutu DHrh vi
the Good Ones.
If one is the possessor of very old
orchard, or one that is considerably
run down, it would probably be more
satisfactory and cheaper in the end to
wipe it out of existence and begin
anew We can form some idea of the
conditions of the trees by the tops,
but the roots are an unknown element.
We never know how badly they are
diseased or covered with root aphis.
However, If one thinks that he would
like to renovate that orchard, he
wants first to go through and take
out all trees that are past redemp-
ton, trees that have the canker or
are so nearly gone that it will not
pay to leave them, says William IN
derwood in the Indiana Farmer.
In removing the old trees, blowing
them out with dynamite will be found
much cheaper and better than grub
bling them out. In fitting them to
blow out just as much of the main
body of the tree should be left as pos
sible The big limbs should be cut
off close to the trunk and the trunk
left about four or five feet high. Then
when the charge of dynamite is plac-
ed underneath it does not split and
in that way lose half the effect of the
charge. About two one-half sticks OF
dynamite are enough to use, and the
hole should be bored in the soil sc
that it will come just as near under
the center of the trunk of the trunk
of the tree as possible. 1t is not best
to go any deeper than necessary in
order to get under the roots. DROP
one stick that has the percussion car
and about IS or 20 inches of fuse con-
nected with it, and by putting little
dynamite on the end of the fuse it can
easily be touched off with match
The big loosened roots should be fol-
lowed up and all gotten out. The
next thing is to fill the hole with fresh
soil from an old fence row, or any
where else where good, rich soil can
be obtained, and plant young tree
in the center.
Where the benefits of blowing out
instead of grubbing come in is that
the diseases of the old tree are well
cured In the roots of the trees that
have .sbeen blown out are closely
examined they will probably be found
to be very badly diseased or covered
with aphis, and perhaps both, for one
naturally brings the other. There is
no doubt in my mind that the root
aphides on our trees cost us many
dollars, but just because they are hid.
den from sight we do not realize the
damage they are doing.
After removing all the old trees
that have passed their period of use
fulness, it is a good plan to take q
scraper which is made somewhat or
the order of a triangular hoe, with
short handle set in the middle Of
it, and scrape all the rough, loosened
bark from the trunks of those trees
that are left, and as high upon the
branches as that kind of bark ex.
tends. This will save considerable
of the spray material when the trees
are being sprayed, and it will The
better enable one to force the mix
ture into every crack and crevice
searching out every foe. Then it is
we'll to cut out all dead and decayine
limbs, cutting back and thinning a
great deal of that short, stubby
growth that is natural to an old tree
The old orchard needs plenty OF
food-making material, and it should
be given a good, heavy coat of stable
manure. Right here difference
will be noted Those old trees have
no doubt exhausted practically all the
available nutritive material contain
ed in that SOIL and they also need
considerable nitrogen in order to pro-
duce new wood and to put fresh, new
vigor into them. and therefore they
will stand lots of stable manure.