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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



order to fill these spaces it would be nec- 

 essary to set new trees, but new trees 

 do not grow as well in these spaces as 

 they would in ground that had not form- 

 erly been occupied by trees. Consider- 

 able difference of opinion exists as to 

 why this is true. Among the reasons 

 assigned are that the old trees have ab- 

 sorbed a large proportion of the soil fer- 

 tility, and that insect pests or diseases 

 will attack the new tree in large num- 

 bers and with considerable vigor. These 

 pests or diseases may be on the old roots 

 where the new tree is planted. 



Fourth: The fruit grown in these old 

 orchards can not be marketed success- 

 fully in competition with fruit grown un- 

 der other conditions. 



Fifth: The life of a rejuvenated or- 

 chard, counting from the time of rejuve- 

 nation, is not long. In the nature of 

 things it could not live to bear profitably 

 for very many years, while the young or- 

 chard when it comes into bearing would 

 naturally have a long life. 



Sixth: These old orchards are gener- 

 ally not the best selections of fruit. The 

 experiences of the past generation have 

 taught us very many things, in regard 

 to the best market varieties, which could 

 not have been known when the old or- 

 chards were planted. Therefore the new 

 orchards are much more profitable than 

 the old. 



I think, ordinarily, it would pay to 

 plant a new orchard, perhaps letting the 

 old one stand until the new one comes 

 into bearing, and certainly not planting 

 the new on the land of the old one. 

 However, there may be circumstances 

 where it would pay, and where it is for 

 other reasons desirable. The views of sev- 

 eral experienced and observant men are 

 therefore given. 



Granville Lowther 



An Iiiiliiinn Tiew 



Nearly every farmer in Indiana has 

 been or is now interested to some degree 

 in fruit growing. Many have been inter- 

 ested enough to set out a home orchard 

 and then on account of the demands of 

 the other farm work have neglected the 

 orchard and have allowed it to degener- 



ate until it presents an appearance which 

 the fruit tree lover is pained to see. 

 Many an orchard, set by the passing gen 

 oration, during its earlier years a source 

 of pleasure and profit, is now apparently 

 in the "downhill of life" and to all ap- 

 pearances good for little. A large propor- 

 tion of these orchards might, by proper 

 methods, be. so rejuvenated and have their 

 youth so renewed that they would again 

 bear good crops of sound fruit. Where 

 this can be done, it is surely much better 

 than to set a young orchard and wait sev- 

 eral years for it to begin to bear. 



At the present time a revival of inter- 

 est is taking place in the question of home 

 fruit growing, and many who own ne- 

 glected orchards are seeking information 

 as to the right thing to be done to restore 

 them to usefulness and how to set about 



'J"'"^ "• J. Troop, 



C. G. Woodbury, 



LaFayette. Ind. 



An Ohio "View 



Nearly every Ohio homestead has a 

 greater or lesser number of old apple trees 

 — usually of desirable varieties. As a 

 rule they have attained such extreme size 

 and height that it is with great difficulty 

 that the all-important work of spraying 

 can be accomplished. If these trees were 

 originally headed quite low and yet retain 

 their lower branches in fairly vigorous 

 condition, the topmost branches may be 

 cut back severely, lowering the height of 

 the trees materially and rendering the 

 work of spraying, gathering fruit, etc, 

 much more readily done. The type of 

 trees which cannot be successfully headed 

 down are those which have long, naked 

 branches extending to a considerable 

 height before diverging into smaller 

 branches. In heading back an old tree it 

 is well to make the cuts just above diverg- 

 ing branches, if possible, as the wounds 

 thus made will heal much more easily 

 than if made midway between diverging 

 branches. All wounds should be well 

 painted with a thick lead and oil paint. 



Heading back large trees will result in 

 a vigorous growth of young shoots spring- 

 ing up from the upper branches, and in 

 the entire tree taking on new life. The 



