The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-11-21
TO RENEW RUNDOWN ORCII.
ARDS.
Clemson Answering Many Inquiries
from Owners of Old Orchards -
What They Ask.

| NIVt lICN ASK.
Clemson College, Nov. 1G.-Many
inquiries are being received at Glenn
son College concerning old orchards
on South Carolina farms, according to
Z. +. Ncvin, assistant horticulturist
or that institution. One man writes:
IL have an old peach orchard of
about fifty trees. These trees are
about ten years old. Never had
much attention. They bear a little
fruit every year but the fruit is not
much good. What can l do with this
orchard?
There are many orchards in the
state similar to that one, said Prof.
Niven. referring to the letter. The
trees have been neglected ever since
they were planted and have never
been pruned nor sprayed. The result
is naturally that they are weak and.
no matter how well they may be
cared for in the future, they Will
never give very satisfactory results.
The best thing that can be done fer
an orchard like this is to renew it
with young trees. Peach trees plant
ed this winter will bear fruit the
third summer following.
To renew the orchard described
above. Prof. Niven advises the fol-
lowing practice. If it is desired to
have the orchard in the same place,
remove half the trees and put out
young ones Of desirable varieties
The old trees that remain will pro-
duce enough fruit for the family t,n-
til the young ones come into bearing
ed carefully in the way of pruning.
spraying, cultivation, etc, in order
to keep them in a healthy and active
growing condition. The old trees
that remain should also be pruned
and sprayed regularly to enable them
to produce more and better fruit and
also to prevent the spread OF insects
from them to the young trees. Two
years after the young trees have been
planted, the remainder Of the old
trees may be removed and this half
of the orchard treated as was the
first. BY following this method a
farmer can renew an old orchard
with good, healthy trees and, at the
same time, will be supplied with fruit
every year. If a new location can
be procured for the young trees it
might be better than placing them
on the old orchard site, since there !
is less danger Of fungus diseases in
soil where trees have not been grow
ing for several years.
Another farmer writes: II have !
several large apple trees. Can't tell
exact age, but would guess them to
be twenty-five or thirty years old.
They seem to be healthy, but they
are getting mighty thick The fruit
is small, wormy and rots very bad. !
What can I do for them?"
These apple trees are like many to
be found in the State. In their pres
ent condition, they are almost worth
less. Yet an old apple tree that has
a good healthy trunk can almost al
ways be profitably renewed. In this
case, the farmer says his trees are
mighty thick" The first thing to
do is to thin them out. it may be
necessary to remove half the branch
es. If so cut them out. This let's in
sunlight and the tree can be sprayed
we'll to kill worms and to keep the
fruit from rotting. Thin..ing out al
SO enables the remaining branches
TO prod.,ce more ami Letter fruit.
For instructions on pruning. write
to Clemson College for Prof. f. J.
Orders hrllctin on pruning. For
spraying, write for Profs. Barre and
Conradis bulletin on spraying and
spray mixtures. An I'D arpie tree
that is healthy and of desirable
variety can almost always ha profit
a hIy ropawo1