The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-10-06
RENovArIrG AN OLD ORCHARD.
Dynamite ror The Old Trees-Then a
scrapcr for the ..ooaaned lark on
the Good Ones ana Then tie
Spray and Manure.

r one is the posseaor Of very Old
orchard. d one that i considerably rrn
down. it would probably be more salts
factory and cheaper IN lie end 10 wipe
i out Of existence and begin anew. We
san form some idea Of the conditions
81 the trees IN the tops, but tie roots
are an unknown element Ne never
know h0w badly they are diseased 81
covered with root aphis However. II
one thinks .het be would ike to re-.
novate that orchard. he wants FIRST TO
20 through and take out oil trees that
ARE past redemption, trees That have
the canker 81 arc 80 nearly gone that II
win not pay 70 leave them. says VIII
liam Understood il tie Indiana Farmer.
m removing The Old trees. blowing
them out with dynamite will be found
much cheaper and better than grubbing
them out IN fitting them to blow out.
Just as much Of the main body Of the
tree should be left al possible. The big
1 limbs should ba cit OH close to the trunk
and tlie trunk left about four or FIVE
feet high. Then when the charge u
dynamite i placed 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 10
use, aud the hole should be bored n the
soil 20 that it will come lust as near
under the center Of the trunk IF the
tree as possible. 1t Is not best to 10
any deeper, than necessary in order 70
set under tile roots. Drop one stick that
has the percussion cap and about Is
or 20 inches Of fuse connected with it,
and by putting a little dynamite on
the end of the fuse it can easily be
touched Of with match. The big
locsenea roots should be followed 40 and
al gotten out The next thing is 20
I'LL The hole with fresh soil from an old
fence row, or anywhere else where good
rich soil can be obtained, and plant a
Young tree in the center.
Where the benefits OF blowing out in
stead Of gruDping come IN is that the
diseases Of the old tree are well cured.
III the roots of the trees that have been
blown ont are closely examined they
viii probably be found to BE very bad
" diseased on covered with aphis. and
perhaps both, for one naturally brings
the other There is no doubt in nv
mind that the root aphides on our
trees cost rs many dollars. but Just
because they are hidden from sight We
do not realize the damage they are
doing.
After removing all the old trees that
have passed their period Of usefulness,
1 il is a good plan to take a seraper
which is made somewhat on the order
Of triangular hoe, with a short handle
set in the middle OF it, and scrape all
the rough, loosened bark from the
trunks 81 those trees that are left, ana
os high upon the branches as that kind
Of bark extends. This will save CON
siderable Of the spray material when
the trees are being sprayed aud it will
the better enable one to force the mix
tilre into every crack and crevice,
searching out every foe. Then it is we'll
TO cut ont dead and decaying limbs,
cutting back and thinning great deal
Of that short stubby growth that is
natural to an old tree
The old orchard needs plenty Of food
making material, and Il should be given
good. heavy coat of stable manure.
Right here difference will be noted.
Those old trees have no doubt exhausted
practically al the available nutritiye
material contained in that soil, and
they also need considerable nitrogen in
order to produce new wood and TO put
fresh. new vigor into them. aud there
fore they Wa stand lots OF stable man
ure.