Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-12-06
Success In Orcharding.
A REVIEW OF THE WHOLE MATTER OF
THE CARE OF TREES.

Condensation of the paper of Edward Van
Alystyne before the Maine State Pomologiea
Society,"
The apple area over the United State,
is limited. | have little fear of com
petition from the Pacific Slope. First
because many of the orchards in the
west are short lived; next, because oI
transportation charges. Only the very
best can afford TO be shipped out, anC
while they raise fruit beautiful in ap
pearance IL can never compare in quality
with that grown in the east
Again, with insects and diseases
which only the careful man will combat
il is becoming increasingly difficult t.
produce good article, which puts a
premium on the efforts of the man who
will conduct his orchard along the lines
of latest research and information.
AS TO VARIETIES.
As to varieties, | never specialize ex
cept when near my own home, where
know exactly the conditions, but l would
say this: Select those varieties, of which
there are many, which are known to do
well in your locality; such as are strong,
hardy growers, with good foliage and
plenty of bearing surface, other thing"
being equal-annual rather than bien-
NAL bearers. For the most part, red
fruits of good size and good shippers.
IL is well, too, To avoid those varieties
with short, thick stems, that must al
ways be bad droppers. l would have as
much of quality as possible, but there
must be distinction made between varie-
lies for commercial orchard and those
for family use.
AVOID NOVELTY.
| would avoid novelty. Many varie-
ties are excellent in the place where
they originate, but taken into a new
particularly a southern variety
brought north, it is extremely doubtful
they will be profitable at all.
Ii is most serious thing for man to
plant heavily of some variety and find
ten years herce when it comes into
bearing that it is not at all suited to his
condition. Then, too, | would select
those varieties that are best adapted tO
the markets, most acceptable TO the
grower, and apples that are good han
dlers.
With the exception of such varieties
as the Tompkins County King and
Twenty Ounce, for example, which are
not hardy on their own roots, and ii
grown at all must be grown on some
strong stock like the Spy or the Tallman,
would SET the varieties that are wanted
rather than try the plan of setting strong
or growers and top working. That they
are more hardy and will produce earlier
is beautiful theory, but in actual prac-
tice it does not work out. The trees are
likely to be misshapen and come into
bearing less early than where they are
root budded or grated, and with the ex-
ceptionS noted above, the only advantage
is, that one is able 10 take his buds or
scions from bearing fruits of known
merit.
Low HEADED TREES.
When l say low headed tree, l do not
mean a dwarf, but any OF the standard
varieties with the first branches from
two to three feet from the ground.
These are very much longer lived, more
vigorous, and altogether more satisfac
tory than any dwarf possibly can be.
The only place for the latter is on the
grounds of some gentleman who has
very little room and wants few trees
for his own pleasure. The notion that
they will come into bearing earlier is a
mistake, for all the evidence goes to
show that standards low headed and
properly pruned will bear as soon.
The advantages of the low headed tree
are these: The branches protect the
trunk. We are hearing a great many
complaints of damage by sun scald and
so-called "collar rust," many of which
are doubtless due to exposure. The
little tree has been forced in the nursery
row in the shade of another tree. We
set it out in the open, where at one time
the temperature is away below zero AND
a, another 100 degrees. No one saw
any trouble with a tree that came ul
wild in the fence corner. Nature took
care of that aud protected II by i'll
branches.
Next, such tree suffers very muci
less from wind, and fruit which falls car
be gathered, and is as valuable as any on
the tree. /, can be picked at very much
less expense, and with varieties like the
Macintosh referred to, often as they
ripen can be put directly in a box, and
81 easily graded. These trees, expert
ence shows, come into bearing at an
early age, and over and above all can be
thoroughly and economically sprayed.
All these reasons doubtless appeal "a
you as good, but know you will be say
ing, "How are you going to cultivate
such tree?" The point is we'll taken,
but the objection is more seeming thar
real. have done my large trees more
harm than good by deep cultivation
close up. As d matter of fact, before
these low headed trees come into bear
ing they can be worked as deep as neeo
be with a one-horse reversible beam
plough, and after the limbs get too low
with the modern orchard tools one car
do all the cultivation that is necessary
and do it well. OF course, one would
not head a variety like the Greening as
high as he would a Spy OF Baldwin
and in both cases the pruning must bs
somewhat different from the high head
ed tree.
PRUNING.
This really is a subject that demands {
lecture by itself, and l can only empha
size few vital principles. l would lay
this down as the first: Pruue just as
little as possible and keep the tre'
shapely, sufficiently opened that the sur
can penetrate and spraying can be wei
done, and remove all diseased or broker
wood. Whether to pruns when the tree
is dormant or in full leaf is wholly de
pendent on conditions. II the work il
dcne in the first case in winter, wheI
the sap is stored in the roots in proper
ton to the top that the tree had the fal
previous, and a portion of this top hal
been removed, when the sap rises in the
spring il must either force an undue
growth of the wood remaining or pro
duce a lot of suckers, both indicative ol
wood growth rather than the develop
ment of fruit buds. To prune at thi'
season, then, means to encourage growth
rather than fruitfulness.
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