Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-05-04
OLD ORCHARDS MADE
GOOD AS NEW ONES
What One Progressive Did With =
Bunch of Apparently Useless
Trees.

Washington, May Farmers, Rul-
letin 4S1, issued by the Department of
Agriculture, is entitled The Profta.
Bile Management of the Small Annie
Orchard on the General Farm" DIR.
Galloway, chief of the Bureau of Plant
Industry, in a note to the Secretary
OF Agriculture, says that the paper
published deals with the question of
rejuvenating old apple orchards
which has been a subject of much in.
qulry. While the statistics used In
connection with some of the discus
sions are compiled from data in a
Northern apple-growing region the ap-
plication of them is made from the
standpoint of the problem in question
and the fundamental principles in
volved.
The illustrated pamphlet of %
pages gives much valuable informa-
ton on the subject of renoyating old
orchards and the profits therefrom.
Here are some extracts from the re-
port:
"A characteristic example of orch
ara renovating in the case of a farm
er in Monroe county, New York.
four-acre orchard over so years old
containing about 100 trees. mostly
Baldwins (nearly half of the trees
had died), had had no care whatever
for at least 20 years to the writer's
knowledge. The largest income ever
obtained from this orchard in its best
year was $500, and the average in
come was probably less than 800.
Prosresslves Got Hold of Old Orchard.
Two years ago this farm changed
ownership. The new owner was a
good orchardist and began operations
to renovate the orchard at once, Sew
enty-five loads of stable manure were
applied and plowed under and the
most thorough cultivation was prac-
ticed. About one-fourth of all the
wood in the trees was removed and
the trees were thoroughly sprayed.
The first year not more than $25
worth of fruit was sold, but the sec.
ond year the response to better meth
DDS was $1,100 worth of fruit.
Pruning has cost about $50, plow-
AAS 0iN CtAbiN 90, 90U
and fertilization 500, a total of s285,
leaving the net profit for the first two
years of operating of $S40, or $21O
per acre"
The information contained in the
bulletin shows how these old orchards
can be renovated, and gives many
other valuable pointers that are be-
lieved worth looking into by farmers
in all sections of the country where
it is possible to produce apples.
Another exceptionally interesting
Farmers Bulletin (No. 4SS) just is
sued is on Diseases of Cabbage and
Related Crops and Their Control"
This is an illustrated pamphlet of 32
pages. Cabbage and related crops are
grown in almost every section of the
United States, and it Is astonishing
how many diseased plauts have been
discovered. according to the scientific
investigations made by the experts
of the Department of Agriculture.
They tell in this bulletin how the dis
ease may be eradicated. how they
may he prevented in the first instance
anu nave published lot of facts for
the s,;scsnce, especially for truck far
mers who make a speciality of grow
ing cabbage. cauliflower, Brussels
sprouts, kohl-rabi, collards and kale.
Other cultivated crucifers closely re-
lated to those already mentioned are
turnips, radishes, rape, broccoli, rut-
baga and charlock.