APPLES 



305 



stronger shoots in the tops of the trees 

 should not only be thinned out each sea- 

 son where too thick, but those remaining 

 after thinning should be cut back with the 

 pruning shears from one-third to one-half 

 their length. In a few seasons this new 

 wood, thus restricted, will begin to form 

 fruit buds and bear fruit. In the mean- 

 time, with thorough fertilizing, cultivation 

 or mulching and spraying of the trees, 

 their lower parts should be producing 

 plenty of fine fruit. 



F. H. Ballou, 

 Wooster. Ohio. 



Factors To Be Considered 



In the campaign for the revival of the 

 apple industry in New England, the first 

 item to present itself is the improvement 

 of the existing orchards. Logically it is 

 the business of the fruit grower to first 

 make the best use of what he has on his 

 farm. The interim between the planting 

 of a young orchard and the gathering of 

 its first fruit may profitably be spent in 

 improving some of the best run-down 

 apple trees. The possibility and the ad- 

 vantages of renovating neglected apple or- 

 chards have been so clearly demonstrated, 

 that during recent yea:rs many old or- 

 chards have been purchased with this 

 object in view. 



The neglected orchard is the usual 

 thing in New England and the well-cared- 

 for orchard the exception. In every sec- 

 tion can be found apple orchards that 

 are not as profitable as they should be. 

 Some, consisting mostly of small plant- 

 ings around old homesteads, were started 

 during the early part of the last century 

 and have passed their period of useful- 

 ness. Others, of more pretentious dimen- 

 sions, were planted about 1850 and, if 

 they had been properly cared for, they 

 would be producing profitable crops at the 

 present time. There are also many oth- 

 ers that vary in age from 20 to 40 years, 

 and that, under rational management, 

 should be producing maximum profits. 



Will It Pay 



In the matter of orchard renovation the 

 first question to present itself is, "Will it 

 pay?" In order to answer this question 



intelligently several points should be con- 

 sidered: 



1. The attitude of the man. The own- 

 er of the orchard should first decide 

 whether in the future he will give the 

 trees proper treatment with regard to till- 

 age, fertilization, pruning, thinning, and 

 spraying. If the orchard is under new 

 management, it is more likely to get sat- 

 isfactory treatment than if under the man- 

 agement of the man who previously ne- 

 glected it. Not every man can make a 

 success of fruit growing. Some men have 

 not the taste and would do well to leave 

 this phase of agriculture to those who are 

 more interested. 



2. Age and vigor. It will seldom pay 

 to undertake the renovation of apple trees 

 that are over 30 or 40 years of age, or 

 those that show serious lack of vigor. 

 Trees that have been repeatedly defoliated 

 by canker worms, usually lack vigor and 

 respond to treatment very slowly. Or if 

 the disease known as apple canker is 

 abundant, manifested by many dead limbs 

 and decayed spots on the trunk and main 

 branches, it would probably be more prof- 

 itable to relegate the trees to the wood 

 pile. 



3. The position of the head and the 

 general shape of the tree. In earlier plant- 

 ings, high headed nursery stock was com- 

 monly used and the close planting of the 

 trees has tended to make them higher. 

 On account of the difficulty of spraying 

 high headed trees and the added expense 

 in harvesting the fruit from such trees, it 

 is not advisable to undertake the improve- 

 ment of an orchard composed largely of 

 very high headed trees. Providing, how- 

 ever, that the trees are not too old, good 

 results may be expected from the renova- 

 tion of moderately high headed and long- 

 armed trees by severely "heading in." 



4. The stand of trees. It will not pay 

 to cultivate and fertilize an orchard if 

 there are many vacancies. On the other 

 hand, in some orchards the trees are so 

 closely planted that it becomes necessary 

 to remove a number of them, and in such 

 cases, a vacant space here and there may 

 prove to be an advantage. It is not ad- 

 visable to attempt to grow other crops 



