What 6'/tall be 2)ohc wil/i Old Aj^ple 'Irces. 23 



What Shall be Done with Old Apple Trees. 



BY WM. H. YEOMANS, COLUMBIA, CT. 



EDITOR Western Horticulturist : In all of the older portions of our 

 country are to be seen many old orchards of apple trees, that are in a dilapidated 

 condition, and hence the question naturally arises as to the disposition to be made of 

 them. In some cases the attempt has been made to rejuvenate these, by means of a 

 systematic pruning, followed by a cultivation of the field for a short time, with the 

 view of giving new life and vigor to the tree, in the hope that thereby a new lease of 

 fruitage may be gained. 



May it not be supposed that the apple tree, like all other natural objects, continue 

 to grow to maturity, which, having attained, must of necessity pass to the decline of 

 life ; also that as it requires, according to analysis, large quantities of potash, soda, 

 and carbonic and phosphoric acids, in order to insure a full development of the fruit, 

 if these are not restored by a systematic fertilization, the soil will be greatly 

 exhausted of these elements, and so unable to grow fruit to any perfection, and as 

 another effect, the tree must feel this want of natural sustenance, and so be hastened 

 in its journey to decay ? And when this is once commenced it is " love's labor lost " 

 to attempt any permanent restoration. This is one apparent cause of the decline and 

 feeble condition of so many orchards. While it is by no means agreeable to attempt 

 the cultivation of such fields, there are ways and ipeans by which this may be accom- 

 plished, such as pasturage by swine, the spreading of ashes, salt, and other manurial 

 substances. Now although there are many who favor the attempt to restore old 

 trees, it is very evident that it cannot be accomplished with any hope of success, for 

 if the seeds of decay are once planted in the parent stem, this must, in a certain 

 measure, be imparted to every part, as is seen in the want of vigor and fruitfulness 

 of the tree ; then if felt in the growth of the branches, it must extend to the perfec- 

 tion of the fruit, which will be found to be sadly wanting. This being the case, how 

 much better for the farmer to secure some favorable locality, and therein plant an 

 orchard which shall be full of vigor, being on an unexhausted soil, and which, by 

 proper care, will survive for years, furnishing valuable and perfectly developed fruit, 

 and hew down the old orchard, " and cast it into the fire," that it may give room to 

 a more desirable, and less unsightly production. The attempt to preserve the old 

 trees that have passed their prime, and the reproduction therefrom, by means of 

 grafting, is one great cause of the decline of some of the old established varieties, 

 which are rapidly giving way to those of modern time, and which give promise of 

 better success in their cultivation; because if the proposition that "like produces 

 like " is true, a tree grafted from one past its prime will never develop so perfect 

 specimens of fruit, as from one full of thrift and vigor, so that fruit, like all other 

 vegetable productions, must be reproduced from seed in order to maintain a good 

 degree of strength of growth, and productiveness of fruit; and the more this is 

 practiced, the better it will be for the fruit raiser. 



