The Republican journal., 1916-11-16
Must Old Apple Trees Co?

TDr. G. NJ. Twitchell, in the Maine Farmer ]
AT the late meeting of Kennebec Po-
mona at Belgrade, one of the speakers
was Assistant Horticulturist Sweetsir of
the University of Maine. In his address
upon cultural methods in orcharding,"
he urged his hearers to give their time
and money TO the building up of their
young orchards and 'let the old trees
CO. If this is the advice given else
where, it tallies with that given by some
others who never had experience but are
certain they have the only theory work
able.
Do the growers of Maine agree with
this young man? For one, | certainly
do not. and firmly believe that if be had
had more experience he would have hesi-
tated before urging any such action. The
hills of Maine are covered with apple
trees from rs to 100 years old. These
trees have given a good harvest and still
yield far more than one would expect in
return for the care and protection given
IN many cases.
Should we abandon these orchards and
let them go to decay while we set Others
and care for them according to later
methods? Here is the question | want
others to answer. | am writing from
experience, not theory, and lean strong
ly to position opposite from that taken
by Mr.. Sweetsr. | know the old trees |
am working over were diseased when |
purchased, and that limbs are dropping
yearly, but all the while they are doing
the best they can to help me out and
come back to health and vigor. From
100 of these tree, which prior to 1908
had not for years produced more than Is
to 20 barrels, | have this year picked $50
barrels, and the trees have very mater
tally increased their size and spread Have
L made mistake in not leaving those
trees and setting a new orchard? | don't
believe it, nor do | believe the advice
good for the farmers of Maine. Granting
all that may be claimed for the young
orchard, the first thing for US to do is to
give the trees now bearing fruit the best
chance possible to prove good. Not one
man in a hundred is doing this, and OBJ
servation teaches me that he who does
not take care of his old trees never will
do his duty by a young orchard. With
every item of expense counted, except
interest and taxes, those old trees have
cost me, for the past nine seasons, So
cents per tree yearly. This includes
pruning, fertilizing, digging borers, cut
ting the grass under the trees the first
six years, and muiching yearly since, all
labor being counted at 25 cents per hour.
The mulching used has been second crop
from the field, cornstalks and husks, po~
tato tops and ali forms of waste about
the place.
In the steady increase in crop yield |
have realized for all expenses, all over
head charges, and fair interest on the
estimated value of the trees. As bust
ness investment | am satisfied, but there
has come tar greater satisfaction in
watching those trees come back under
the treatment given, 1t will be we'll to
bear in mind that here was an old. neg
Iected lot of trees which had received no
care or attention for practically 20 years,
when / purchased them, and, therefore,
III tar worse condition than orchards on
the farms of the State. If these trees
were ready to improve as they have, and
increase growth of new wood and yield
yearly, | fail to see where | could We
found justification for Getting chem
alone while put my time and money in
to young orchard"
10 have been consistent, this State in
structor should have urged that every
Old tree be cut down and removed, for
there can be no more serious menace to
the industry than neglected trees Here
is where pests of all kinds, and diseases
OF all description, find natural breeding
place ana become menace to the whole
country about To my mind, every sense
OF justice demands that | urge, at every
opportunity, the better care of the old
trees, both for their best good, and GER
talnly as protection to all young orchards.
n nj 7 sd II
chance for success in orcharding during
the next rs years.
Save every old tree which has life in it
IT the character of fruit produced is of
value. If not, remove at once. Give
such trees just as good chance as posi-
BILE for the profit there is in them and the
assistance they will render the young
orchards. Never leave tree, young or
old, to go wrong. Only those who have
cared for, fed, sprayed, pruned and pro-
tected their trees can have any idea of
what they can and will produce. Very
few orchardists in Maine are getting all
they might, either in quantity or quality,
from their orchards, and the first lesson
to be urged, in season and out, seems to
me 10 be take care of the trees now
standing, and give them the hest chance
possible. Better fruit and more fruit
will follow any systematic method of
treatment, So long as our orchards,
younger as well as older, are below an
average yield of one barrel per tree, the
lesson of better feeding, care and treat
ment is the one to be urged, never that
Of giving up the old orchards 70 run down.
We do want more young orchards, but
they will come to their best only as men
awake to better appreciation of what
can be done with the old trees now stand
ing.
What say the orchardists of the State
who own orchards we'll grown and older?
Shall we neglect and set new, or shall we
take better care of what we now have?
No Doubt About This.