THE RENOVATION OF AN OLD ORCHARD. 61 



and rockv hillsides, where tillage and spraying are most difficult to 

 do and in many instances entirely impracticable. Under these 

 conditions it would be best to put a wire fence about the orchard 

 and turn in sheep to keep the grass down, and to keep all sprouts 

 and bushes from growing up around the trees. The sheep will 

 eat all dropped fruit, the first of which usually contains the larvae 

 of the codling moth, and thus these insects will be kept under con- 

 trol to a certgiin extent. 



If the sheep are fed some grain while they are feeding upon the 

 hillsides they will steadily improve the soil about the trees and also 

 improve the quality of the fruit. There is value in the sheep, for 

 there is a certain demand for wool and mutton whether the apples 

 are borne or not. 



It is difficult to spray these hillside orchards, but by using a small 

 tank or barrel with a hand pump, which may be drawn about upon 

 a sleigh or stone boat, even upon pretty rough ground, the trees may 

 be successfully sprayed by hand. 



The apples from these orchards will not be so large in size but the 

 quality will be fine. No finer Baldwins are grown anywhere than 

 on these New England hillside orchards; they get all of the sun- 

 light and a good circulation of air; they are beautifully colored 

 and have fine flavor; a New England Baldwin is a good table or 

 dessert apple, so fine is its flavor. The reason why New England 

 apple orchards have lived so long and the flavor of the apples con- 

 tinued so fine is because new soil is being continually made. The 

 rocks, which are so abundant, are steadily disintegrating from the 

 action of frost and so new particles of soil are made and these are 

 carried over the land, replenishing and renewing it with excellent 

 plant food, especially in the form of potash. New England soil for 

 this reason will continue to improve for thousands of years to come, 

 while the level stoneless land of the West, which is being rapidly 

 depleted of its plant food through continuous cropping, will have 

 to be improved by the expenditure of large sums of money for 

 fertilizers, which will increase the cost of production upon our 

 western land. 



New England hills will again be covered with sheep and agricul- 

 ture will be one of its profitable industries. 



So great has grown the culture and demand for apples that pur- 



