Duration of Plantations 55 



plantation of Cuthbert near Seneca Lake in New York 

 state is said to be at least thirty-six years old, and is still 

 bearing large nice fruit. The practical question is not how 

 long can they be made to last, but how long will it pay to 

 keep them. Many causes tend to weaken the plants and 

 reduce their productiveness as they grow older. If they 

 are healthy and vigorous, as they should be, the constant 

 increase of suckers soon fills the row so full that they begin 

 to suffer from crowding, unless severely thinned. This can 

 be done, and should be, but is often neglected. Pulling 

 these suckers is considered better than cutting them. This 

 is readily done by using heavy leather mittens, but is not 

 easy work. As the rows increase in width, grass and weeds 

 gain entrance and are not easily dislodged. All this means 

 greater expense as the plants grow older. Diseases and 

 insects may also become more troublesome, not only re- 

 ducing the yield of the plantation itself but serving as 

 breeding grounds from which they may spread to other 

 fields. 



Considering all these factors, it is often better to replant 

 after securing three or four good crops, rather than to 

 try to keep the plants longer. The new plot can be started 

 with less expense than will be needed to maintain the old 

 one. 



Although the plants are persistent, it is not difficult to 

 rid a field of them when it is desired to do away with a 

 plantation. Cutting the plants close to the ground, fol- 

 lowed by deep plowing and thorough surface tillage will 

 soon eradicate them. Continuing with any regular ro- 

 tation will be all that is needed. 



