440 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



started young tree will maintain this appearance and condition for a 

 matter of six or ten j-ears with little attention further than the usual cul- 

 tivation given a corn tield. During this period of normal growth, however, 

 it is usual that several forms of vegetable and animal life attach them- 

 selves to the tree as a host and live on the sap and bark. These little 

 plants and animals are few and inconspicuous at first, but as the years 

 go by they become sufficiently numerous to have a marked effect upon 

 the health and appearance of the bark. If the soil about the tree has 

 been fertilized from time to time the growth may be so vigorous as to 

 withstand for a considerable period the attacks of insect and fungous 

 enemies. But, provided the bark receives no special attention, sooner 

 cr later their presence is felt, and the effect is noticed in the changed 

 appearance of the bark, the lessened vigor of the tree and the smaller 

 production of fruit. If this comes to pass when the tree is ten years old, 

 the owner lays it to bad weather, and if at twenty years the verdict is 

 that the tree is old and nothing else could be expected. 



The average productive life of winter apple trees, when properly 

 cared for, is about thirty-five years, varying somewhat with the varieties. 

 The reason, or at least one of the reasons, why this is not true for Illi- 

 nois, lies in the fact that no care is given the bark of the tree; in a 

 neglected orchard the bark appears roughened on the trunk and limbs, 

 while the smaller branches and twigs usually present a dull, lifeless 

 appearance. The old bark does not fall away rapidly, but clings for 

 months, forming excellent winter quarters for various forms of insects. 

 Fungous growths cover the limbs and branches and each tree is a men- 

 agerie of native scales, bark lice. The cambium layer is thin and in- 

 capable of carrying an amount of sap sufficient to grow a crop of fruit, 

 even if strength enough had been carried up to make a good "set." 



In remedying such an orchard the first work should be to clean up 

 the bark; not that this alone will Ining it back to vigor and productive- 

 ness, but from the fact that such treatment will remove much of the 

 most active causes of its poor condition. In the case of a hitherto well 

 cared for orchard suddenly given over to total neglect, the last part of 

 the trees to show the change would be the bark, and so in bringing back 

 an orchard from neglect it is the last part to show improvement in the 

 bark. 



Cultivation and fertilization have much to do with the vigor of the 

 bark, and are the methods best adapted to thickening a weak, dry cam- 

 bium layer. If, however, the bark is in a vigorous condition in this re- 

 spect and cultivation and fertilization have been the annual rule of the 

 orchard, it is quite possible that productiveness is being sacrificed to 

 sappy growth, and in such an instance the plan should be to stop fer- 

 tilizing and by doing no cultivating later than June check, growth and 

 cause the cambium layer to become more firm in texture. Provided 

 nutrition and cultivation are right and the insects and diseases are the 



