W. VA. AGE. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 141 



Mason County, on which were about 600 apple trees, approximately 

 thirty years old and in a very neglected condition. It had never 

 been sprayed and had been so thoroughly neglected for seventeen 

 years that the trees were nearly obscured by the unrestrained 

 growth of Sasafras, Locust and Hickory (fig. 5). During the 

 winter following the purchase of the farm, Mr. Davis appealed to 



FlO. 5. Seventeen years of neglect. Condition of the Davis ore-hard before rejuvenation. 



the Experiment Station for advice and assistance. It was in re- 

 sponse to this appeal that Mr. Dacy undertook to bring order out of 

 chaos by supervising and assisting the work of rejunevation in a 

 veritable wilderness. 



The work of cleaning up the old orchard was done by Mr. Davis 

 during the winter time when labor could be secured at a dollar a 

 day. The brush, saplings, and dead trees were first cut and burned, 

 after which the apple trees themselves were pruned, the dead wood 

 taken out, and in some cases, the tops cut back. It did not seem 

 feasible to plow the orchard, so manure and straw were hauled in as 

 a mulch. 



Beginning in 1910, the trees have been sprayed three times each 

 year. Bordeaux mixture of the 3-5-50 formula was used the first 



