l8o FRUIT FARMING 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



FRUIT GROWING IN THE FUTURE. 



Extract from a Paper read by Mr. George Bunyard 

 before the Society of Arts. 



Without in any way venturing to prophecy, we have 

 seen enough of the success attained by the best fruit 

 growers to outline in some degree the probable course 

 of commercial success in the future, for it is to the 

 newly planted orchards, where the sorts are of the 

 best for their special purposes, and where clean cul- 

 tivation obtains, that we must look for our chief supplies 

 in time to come. In America and Canada they 

 consider 15 ye,ars the average life of a paying orchard ; 

 the trees are then destroyed, a fresh plantation being 

 started to come into bearing order before the older 

 one is destroyed. In this country 40 years may be 

 considered as the outside limit of a Plum orchard, 

 50 for Apples, 60 for Pears, and 80 for Cherries, and 

 by that time the available nutriment in the soil may 

 be considered to be exhausted by the standing trees, 

 though with liberal surface manuring they may 

 continue fruitful for many more years. Apples, Pears 

 and Cherries are the longest lived. 



It will therefore be well, before that time expires, 

 to provide other growths to replace orchards that 

 are exhausted. This may appear to many a drastic 

 proposal, but the stimulating manures now given tend 

 to strong sappy growth, therefore I think I have not 

 over stated the probable paying life of Trees, Again 



