ORCHARDS 



33 



more years, and in fact at all, as long as its growth is 

 satisfactory without. 



From the foregoing considerations it will be seen that 

 nearly every operation which is performed in reclaim- 

 ing old trees is of a highly stimulating character, and 

 when they are all brought to bear at once upon a tree 

 which may perhaps have been entirely neglected and 

 allowed to grow in sward land for many years, the 

 result will too often be of a fatal character. The bal- 

 ance of the tree is destroyed ; the new wood which 

 grows late, is not properly ripened and matured to 

 stand the winter. After the scions for one or two years 

 have made an enormous growth, and borne very likely 

 a fine crop, there will be found dead or dying limbs, 

 and often, with the pear especially, the tree lingers out 

 a precarious existence for a year or two longer, and 

 finally dies in consequence of over stimulation. 



It is therefore very important that we should not be 

 in too great haste to obtain results. Moderate growth, 

 with health and hardiness, is better than great luxuri- 

 ance with succulent, tender, and delicate wood. By 

 taking an extra year or two to bring about the conver- 

 sion of an old tree into a young one, we may preserve 

 its life, with many years of productiveness. 



Before taking leave of the subject, we desire to call 

 attention to a kind of grafting, which, although not 

 common yet, has many things to recommend it. We 

 have employed it to some extent, and feel iDleasedwith 

 the result thus far. The plan is this : A limb which 

 carries from a fourth to a half of the foliage of the tree, 

 and which may be of any size even to twelve or more 

 inches in diameter, is sawn carefully off at a foot or two- 



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