GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF ORCHARDS. 153 



laziness had formed ; over two hundred fine young trees 

 were rotted, broken off, and destroyed by the tenants in 

 that heedless fashion." 



The probability is, that most of those trees had been 

 badly wounded with ploughs and harrows, which injured 

 them more than the ridges. Nevertheless, it is an injuri- 

 ous practice to increase the depth of the soil near young 

 trees to any considerable extent. 



Mulching Material for Apple-trees. Doubtless many 

 persons have noticed how much more productive an apple- 

 tree seemed to be, when the surface of the ground round 

 about was covered with chips, or chip-dirt so thick as to 

 kill vegetation. Tan-bark and sawdust will subserve the 

 same purpose. If those persons who live near tan-works 

 or saw-mills would get the tan-bark and sawdust, and mulch 

 the trees every year, or every second year, and pile on both 

 coal ashes and wood ashes, they would soon have abundance 

 of choice fruits, as well as thrifty trees. There is too much 

 of our woody material allowed to waste, which, if applied 

 to lands on which trees are grown, either fruit or orna- 

 mental, would soon show its beneficial effects. It is folly 

 to think of raising a bountiful crop of grass or grain near 

 apple-trees, and to get an abundant crop of fine fruit at the 

 same time. The mulching material can be applied in the 

 winter, when laborers and teams have little to do. It will 

 pay well to haul tan-bark, sawdust and planing-mill shav- 

 ings two or more miles, when a large load can be carried, 

 for the especial purpose of scattering it round about fruit- 

 trees, unless trees are standing on a deep and fertile soil, 

 so abundantly supplied with fruit-producing material, that 

 nothing more is required. It will pay to spread coal ashes 

 round about trees so abundantly that no grass or weeds can 

 come up through the ashes. Any kind of straw, leaves, 

 wild grass, sedge, or flags, may often be employed for 



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