50 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



RENOVATION OF OLD APPLE TREES 



Many old apple orchards have declined in bear- 

 ing because they have not been properly managed. 

 Usually such trees are full of dead wood, water 

 sprouts and interfering limbs which later bear fruit 

 in small amount and of poor quality. Too often 

 such trees are cut down as unprofitable without 

 first giving them an opportunity to redeem them- 

 selves. It is impossible to say how each tree 

 should be handled to bring it into profitable bear- 

 ing again, but whatever is done should not be done 

 suddenly. It should be taken by degrees. 



First, in the renovation of the old orchard, the 

 dead wood should be cut out. If large limbs must 

 be removed, they should be taken out part at a time; 

 that is, the limb should be sawed from beneath 

 18 inches or 2 feet from the main trunk. When 

 the saw begins to stick, it should be withdrawn and 

 the final cut made from above. This will prevent 

 all possibility of splitting down the main trunk. 

 When the limb has fallen, the stub may be removed 

 close to the main trunk." The closer it is the better, 

 since the healing of the wound is much quicker. 

 It is always desirable to paint over wounds larger 

 than an inch in diameter so as to protect the main 

 trunk from decay. Good white lead and linseed oil 

 is satisfactory paint for this purpose. 



After dead wood has been removed, the water 

 sprouts should be taken. If there are a great 

 many of these it is desirable to remove only about 

 a third to a half the first year. This will prevent 

 the appearance of new water sprouts at least to a 

 large extent, and the tree will be encouraged to 

 bear earlier than if it is exerting its energy to 



