STATE POMOLOGICAL BOCIETY. ^^ 



Want of Culture the Cause of Failure and Decay, 



This being- so, however, it is undeniable that the culture of the 

 apple with us has fallen into a deplorably disgraceful state of neg- 

 lect and decay. And the pending question relates to the means of 

 renovation, for the production of fruit in abundance and quality 

 equal to those of the most favored districts. 



To this end the requisite is skillful culture. And in the term 

 culture I include, among other things, both the working of the soil 

 and the application of manure. And in the term manure I include 

 all materials used to give fertility to the soil. In the proper pre- 

 paration and manipulation' of the soil, and in the application of 

 suitable agents of fertilization, in right quantity, time and manner, 

 lies the condition of assured success. 



To find suitable rules of practice, we must study the examples! 

 within the range of experience and observation. In this matter, 

 induction, not founded on experiment, is wholly fallacious. But 

 the lessons of past experiments are accessible to all who will seek 

 them and who will open their eyes to their teachings. On the one 

 side we have examples of small products of inferior fruit, proceed- 

 ing from neglect and want of culture, to an overwhelming extent. 

 In contrast with these, we know that the apple orchards of the. 

 first settlers were of rapid growth, hard}', strong and productive. 

 They were planted upon virgin soils, naturally charged with ele- 

 ments for growth of wood and fruit. Added to this were large 

 quantities of potash disengaged by the burniqg of the forests. 



The same state of things is still found on new lands in different 

 parts of the State. There we find the apple-tree thriving and 

 bearing in beauty and abundance. But young orchards, planted 

 on old lands without careful preparation, rarely afford any satis- 

 faction. In numberless instances they are planted but to dwindle 

 and die ; while full grown orchards, once flourishing and produc- 

 tive, having remained long years without culture, have become 

 decrepit, nearly or quite barren, and wholly unprofitable, — a shame 

 and disgrace to the proprietors and to the country. 



The causes are obvious. The nitrogen resulting from the decay 

 of the organic matter of the primeval forest, the potash and phos- 

 phate of lime, have been so much diminished that the trees have 

 no longer sufficient sustenance. The soil so long undisturbed, has 

 become compact, and mainly closed against the necessary influence 

 of atmospheric action. And the tree, like an imprisoned bird left 



