STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIEXr. 



87 



been a source of much discouragement. I now proceed to the 

 consideration of a few points bearing on the 



Treatmknt of Orchards. 



In the A^egetable, as in the animal kingdom, age never resumes 

 the appearance and the functions of youth ; and he who disregards 

 this natural law in his treatment of either his orchard or liimself, 

 'will inevitably meet with failure and disappointment. Orchards may 

 become prematurely old in consequence of neglect, overbearing, 

 starvation, and other causes. Unproductiveness and decay follow ; 

 and their owners, as well as others, in many cases, unsuspicious of 

 the cause, are led to regard orcharding a failure. But the observing 

 mind looks upon such failures as incentives to a more intelligent and 

 careful practice and the result will rarely disappoint the expectation. 

 The first appearance of unthrift in a tree should receive prompt 

 attention, the cause sought for, and a remedy applied if possible. 

 Sometimes it is difficult to determine in advance the result of any 

 prescribed attempt at renovation. Usually, it is believed, well 

 directed efforts bestowed upon a tree not evidently too old, will 

 prove reasonably remunerative and sometimes wouderfullv so. In 

 this, as m other matters pertaining to every day life, theory needs 

 to be supplemented by experience, to be modified and corrected by 

 failure as well as bj- success. 



No apology is deemed necessary for the introduction, in this con- 

 nection, of certain facts bearing on this subject, occurring either in 

 my own experience, or under my immediate observation. I have in 

 my mind an orchard planted about twenty-five years ago with State 

 of Maine grown nursery trees — variety, Baldwins. Receiving 

 proper care, it grew finely, came early into bearing, and has usually 

 borne splendid crops of fruit till last year. For the last eiglit or 

 ten years it has been treated with neglect. Numerous dead and 

 decaying branches, sure indications of decay, disfigure the trees 

 standing on high land ; while those on low ground, benefited 

 undoubtedly by fertiUzing material washed from above, are, as yet, 

 thrifty in tiieir appearance, and a few trees receiving an accuuuilatiou 

 of road-side washing still make a s|)lendid annual growth of wood 

 us well as fruit. The teaching of tliis illustration is, we think, too 

 obvious to be misunderstood or misapplied. 



Another illustration occurs to me foreshadowing the prol)able 

 result in the case just mentioned. This orchard was grafted in the 



