XX. 



ON THE LONGEVITY OF APPLE TREES.' 



Much is said concerning faihires in apple orchards, 

 and it is commonly supposed that apple trees are 

 shorter lived than formerly. Many causes are held 

 to account for these conditions, but there have been 

 no definite attempts toward an elucidation of the sub- 

 ject. Any study of the subject, even a mere collo- 

 cation of opinion fi*om various sources, will be useful 

 in calling attention to facts and in giving direction to 

 argument. In this paper I have endeavored to collate 

 all the opinions of any importance upon the subject 

 of comparative longevity of apple trees, and I have 

 also attempted to analyze them, and to determine 

 their value. In order to obtain as many opinions as 

 possible, I addressed a letter of inquiry to representa- 

 tive men in various parts of the country, with the 

 following requests : "I wish to know if apple trees 

 in your state or region are shorter lived now than 

 formerly. If so, what are your opinions as to the 

 causes ? Is the failure due to change in climate, to 

 deterioration of varieties, to methods of cultivation, or 

 to ways of propagation ? Do you think that under 

 the better cultivation of later years, apple trees pro- 

 duce more in a short lifetime than formerly in a long 



1 Read before the Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Kansas State Horti- 

 cultural Society, at Topeka, Kansas, December, 1890. Printed in the society's 

 report, vol. xviii. 75 (1889-90). 



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