Joint Conventiox. 2v9 



that a probable cause why the trees do not endure longer in thrift 

 in this country, is their close setting. They exhaust the tree or 

 plant food and cannot remain in vigor until old. I lind iu the 

 nurser}' that the elements of tree food are entirely lacking within 

 a circle of five or six feet from the extremities of the branches. 



There is a case in an orchard set by A. W. Davenport, about 

 a mile or so from here, now owned by his son, D. "L. Davenport, 

 set in 1SG3-5. There were two thonsand trees, the admiration 

 of the passers-by and neighbors as the best in the town or state; 

 but alasl in six or eight years after the orchard commenced fruit- 

 inic, sav about seven years acjo, it failed to give its bountiful 

 su])ply of large, fine apples — seven hundred dollars worth in 

 one year. Tlie foliage has a yellowish, sickly look, all except 

 the outside rows, whicli look a little better, although they bear 

 but little fruit. 



Like other nurserymen, until a few years ago, I sold trees to re- 

 set old orchards, but have not done so for the last six or eight years, 

 as the trees will die, and then the farmers curse the nurseryman 

 and all his trees, and try eastern or peddler's stock at three or 

 four times the price. Now it- is probable that some parts of 

 AVisconsin have more of the elements necessary for tree growth 

 tlian this section, but T know there is no place in this country 

 where the second settina: is not nioi'c or less affected bv a foi'iner 

 crop of trees; but I am not well jiusted in regard to the middle 

 and eastern states, in reference to the iirst crop of trees injuring 

 the second. I have a brother in Vernon, "Waukesha county, who 

 savs he has succeeded in orrowlno- a tree where a large one had 

 died out, by digging uj) the roots and cutting np the top and 

 burning the whole on the spot where it grew, and I will try next 

 year to grow a tree or two as resets by putting in })lenty of ashes 

 where we have burned the apple wood. Some of the timber 

 trees are ruinous to an ai)ple tree, if standing within two or 

 three rods of them. Lombardy Toplar is one of the worst. 

 Now, if our professors of chejnistry can iind a cheap and elK- 

 cient restorative for the exhausted tree food, they will confer a 

 great benefit on orchardists and nurservmen who wish to replant 

 on the same soil. 



