114 ORCHARDS. 



the nature of the trees, our first orchards grew with a thrifti- 

 nei^ aiid vigor that is now unattainable in most parts of the 

 country ; unless, where the soil is properly enriched, and the 

 lost ingredients restored in a suitable or scientific manner. 

 The original vegetable mould that has been worked out, must 

 be replaced with manures, swamp mud, ashes, lime, mulching, 

 littering with leaves, &c. When this is properly done, and 

 our improved varieties planted, (many of which are superior 

 to the old ones,) we shall have fruit to equal, if not surpass, 

 that of the oldeji time. But this is not all that is required. 

 We must cultivate, and we must fight insect enemies, from 

 which the old orchards were entirely exempt. 



If we do these things, we will find that the good days of 

 fruit growing have not departed, and our trees will bend with 

 fair and profuse crops of luscious, excellent fruits. But 

 trees will not take care of themselves ; and, the sooner we 

 discover this fact, the better, both for us and them. Every 

 tree exposed to stock,* except hogs and sheep, should be pro- 

 tected in some ' manner. Do all this, (and it is light work,) 

 and our reward in teeming showers of delicious, mellow fruits 

 will exceed all that we had ever imagined of their value and 

 perfection. 



THE BEARING YEAR. 



Most authors on apple culture are very brief in their re- 

 marks on the subject of the bearing year, or alternate year 

 bearers. This is a matter of some consetjuence to the fruit 

 raiser, who always wishes to have some fruit every year, if 

 possible. 



Dr. E. S. Hull, of Alton, III., in a lecture on Orchard 

 Fruits, delivered before the Illinois Industrial University, 

 Jan. 19th, 1868, has some sensible remarks bearing on this 

 subject. He says, "It is wholly within our means to prevent 



*" The farmer will expend hundreds of dollars in fencing out in- 

 truders from his corn and wheat: but he thinks it a hardship to devote 

 half an hour each morning to crush the circulios. or clipping incipient 

 caterpillars' nests from the shoots. The great point Is to bring the mind 

 to the -adoption of the truth, that vigilaisce and attention are necessary 

 to secure and preserve fruit as well as other crops " — Rural Annual. 



