STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 7 



SiiAW. That is a fair question, but any answer I can give to it 

 would be mere theory. I have not seen an orchard cared for in that 

 wa3' long enough. I am not disposed to say much about theories ; 

 they have cost me a good many hundred dollars. 



QuES. I have heard it said that you cannot raise a young orchard 

 where an old one has grown ; that all the material that went to make- 

 a good apple tree would be exhausted after they had decayed andl 

 gone down. I don't suppose it would be proper to put out a new 

 orchard where an old one grew ? 



Ans. I advocate the idea that it needs common sense in the,- 

 treatment of orchards, as much as it does in raising corn. If youi 

 can raise one crop of corn after another has been taken from the 

 ground, you can raise a crop of apple trees. In order to roach the 

 success of our fathers, we must have as good and fertile soil. We 

 can raise as good crops as thej' did. It may cost more to keep the 

 ground in condition ; it ma}- cost us something to replace what they 

 have taken from the soil. That is our misfortune ; but that can be 

 done. The difficult}' does not exist in the nature of the case, but 

 in our misapprehension of their success. The real difficulty is in 

 the conditions. If any condition has been interferred with, it must 

 be supplied. 



Atherton. I wish to speak of my own experience in the renova- 

 tion of an old orchard. I think the trees must have been sixty 

 years old, and were mostly grafted; They had been neglected. 

 After it came into our possession w-e plowed it, manured it highly 

 and pruned the trees. Of course the effect was seen at once. The 

 leaves put out with greater vigor and better color, and the fruit was . 

 larger and better. The consequence was, that this treatment 

 stimulated the trees, and although they produced fruit heavily, they 

 began to go back, and to die faster. The limbs broke down. There 

 was an unnatural stimulation. Since that I have mulched the old' 

 trees by spreading manure under them. By mulching them and not 

 disturbing the roots the effect, so far as I have learned, will be 

 much better than plowing, and thus breaking the roots. The old 

 trees cannot stand as much they could once. I know of another 

 orchard standing on the side of a hill which, when it was young, 

 the proprietor used to plow year after year and sow with oats. He 

 used to have great crops by that practice ; keeping it under cultiva- 

 tion. The trees were old and healthy and strong. They raised 

 oats and put on dressing ; but after a while he seeded it down. 



