PHUITTREES. 97 



have not lost too much of their vitality, and if they formerly bore 

 good, fais, palatable fruit, the chances for success are altogether in 

 his favor. The trouble and expense of reclaiming an old orchard is 

 small ; and if the owner succeeds, he is repaid more than ten times 

 over for his labor and expenses. In addition to this, the general ap- 

 pearance (and appearances go a great ways,) of his estate is improv- 

 ed and beautified. 



About eight years ago, I came into possession of the place on which 

 I now live. On it was standing an old orchard, that had almost 

 ceased to bear, and was, as it then existed, almost worthless. A part 

 of the trees were beyond any hope of cure, " i« articuJo mortis,'" as 

 the doctors say, and fit only for firewood. The remainder I consid- 

 ered to be in an improvable condition. There was also on the prem- 

 ises a number of young grafted trees, not yet in a bearing condition. 

 Under the then existing state of things, I was obliged to purchase 

 nearly all my fruit, or go without any. The thought occurred, that 

 I might do something to improve the productiveness of my old trees, 

 both in quality and quantit)', so as to be supplied with fruit, while 

 my young trees were maturing, and getting old enough to bear well. 

 Accordingly, in the fall of 1845, I set myself about the task. I 

 selected twenty-five or thirty of the most promising trees, had them 

 well and faithfully trimmed of all dead, dying, unpromising and use- 

 less limbs ; being particular to leave the most thriving and vigorous 

 ones, that grew from the centre of the tree. With a hoo, I scraped 

 off the old loose bark, and moss from the trunk and limbs, and re- 

 moved the grassy turf from around the body of the trees, for a dis- 

 tance of two or three feet. I then applied from one-half to a bushel 

 (according to the size of the tree) of unleached wood ashes around 

 the trunk, from whence I had removed the turf, being careful not to 

 have the ashes approach within four or five inches of the bark. Over 

 the ashes I replaced the turf, with the grassy side down. The fol- 

 lowing spring I noticed that the trees put forth new shoots in abun- 

 dance, and large, luxuriant leaves of a dark green color, and were 

 well filled with blossoms. I gathered, the succeeding autumn, from 

 them and from a few young trees, just beginning to bear, nearly two 

 hundred bushels of apples. Fifty bushels of these AVcrc fit for the 

 fruitery or for winter use, and the others were as good as second rate 

 apples commonly are. I have since continued to apply the ashes and 

 my trees are yet in an excellent bearing condition for an old orchard. 

 My young trees are now beginning to bear a few apples. Last fall I 

 gathered two hundred and fifty bushels in all Two-thirds of these 

 were from my old trees, and chiefly from those treated as above de- 

 scribed. About seventy-five bushels of these were excellent winter 

 apples. 



I would not recommend plowing among apple trees, especially old 

 trees, at any time, nor under any circumstances. They need all their 

 roots to sustain life and vigor. The plow always breaks and bruises 

 more or less of the roots, if run ever so shallow. Some endeavor to 

 avoid this, by leaving a space untouched under and around the tree, 



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