Renovation of Old Orchards 285 



ist. It is somewhat surprising in visiting well-known 

 commercial regions to see a large number of orchards which 

 receive little or no care, yet which under proper manage- 

 ment could be made to yield a profit. The above state- 

 ment is not to convey the idea that it is profitable to at- 

 tempt the reclamation of all old farm orchards by the 

 process of renovation. Very many trees are beyond the 

 period when they may be reclaimed profitably. 



It requires considerable experience and nicety of judg- 

 ment to determine what orchards may or may not be suc- 

 cessfully renovated. In the first place, it is essential that 

 the orchard should be large enough to meet the expense of 

 proper equipment such as the spray-pump, and to warrant 

 some detailed attention from the owner. It is doubtful 

 whether an orchard of less than five acres, or one in which 

 many trees are missing, can ever be renovated successfully 

 and put on a profitable commercial basis. Smaller or- 

 chards, of course, might well be restored for home use. 



Commercial orchards to be renovated should include 

 varieties for which there is a demand. Plantings should 

 be accessible to market and labor. However, one might 

 profitably restore an old orchard in a locality in which it 

 would scarcely be advisable to set new plantings. An 

 established orchard always enjoys an important advantage 

 from being already in bearing. 



The following suggestions are offered with regard to the 

 process of renovating an old orchard and apply as much 

 to the home orchard as to commercial plantings : 



General treatment. 



All dead wood and cankers should be cut out and the 

 trunk of tree thoroughly scraped with a hoe or similar 



