APPLES 
stronger shoots in the tops of the trees 
should not only be thinned out each sea- 
son where too thick, but those remaining 
after thinning should be cut back with the 
pruning shears from one-third to one-half 
their length. In a tew seasons this new 
wood, thus restricted, will begin to form 
fruit buds and bear fruit. In the mean- 
time, with thorough fertilizing, cultivation 
or mulching and spraying of the trees, 
their lower parts should be producing 
plenty of fine fruit. 
F. H. BaLwov, 
Wooster, Ohio. 
Faetors To Be Considered 
In the campaign for the revival of the 
apple industry in New England, the first 
item to present itself is the improvement 
of the existing orchards. Logically it is 
the business of the fruit grower to first 
make the best use of what he has on his 
farm. The interim between the planting 
of a young orchard and the gathering of 
its first fruit may profitably be spent in 
improving some of the best run-down 
apple trees. The possibility and the ad- 
vantages of renovating neglected apple or- 
chards have been so clearly demonstrated, 
that during recent years many old or- 
chards have been purchased with this 
object in view. 
The neglected orchard is the usual 
thing in New England and the well-cared- 
for orchard the exception. In every sec- 
tion can be found apple orchards that 
are not as profitable as they should be. 
Some, consisting mostly of small plant- 
ings around old homesteads, were started 
during the early part of the last century 
and have passed their period of useful- 
ness. Others, of more pretentious dimen- 
Sions, were planted about 1850 and, if 
they had been properly ‘cared for, they 
would be producing profitable crops at the 
present time. There are also many oth- 
ers that vary in age from 20 to 40 years, 
and that, under rational management, 
should be producing maximum profits. 
Will It Pay 
In the matter of orchard renovation the 
first question to present itself is, “Will it 
pay?” In order to answer this question 
305 
intelligently several points should be con- 
sidered: 
1. The attitude of the man. The own- 
er of the orchard should first decide 
whether in the future he will give the 
trees proper treatment with regard to till- 
age, tertilization, pruning, thinning, and 
spraying. If the orchard is under new 
management, it is more likely to get sat- 
istactory treatment than if under the man- 
agement of the man who previously ne- 
glected it. Not every man can make a 
success of fruit growing. Some men have 
not the taste and would do well to leave 
this phase of agriculture to those who are 
more interested. 
2. Age and vigor. It will seldom pay 
to undertake the renovation of apple trees 
that are over 30 or 40 years of age, or 
those that show serious lack of vigor. 
Trees that have been repeatedly defoliated 
by canker worms, usually lack vigor and 
respond to treatment very slowly. Or if 
the disease known as apple canker is 
abundant, manifested by many dead limbs 
and decayed spots on the trunk and main 
branches, it would-probably be more prof- 
itable to relegate the trees to the wood 
pile. 
3. The position of the head and the 
general shape of the tree. In earlier plant- 
ings, high headed ‘nursery stock was com- 
monly used and the close planting of the 
trees has tended to make them higher. 
On account of the difficulty of spraying 
high headed trees and the added expense 
in harvesting the fruit from such trees, it 
is not advisable to undertake the improve- 
ment of an orchard composed largely of 
very high headed trees. Providing, how- 
ever, that the trees are not too old, good 
results may be expected from the renova- 
tion of moderately high headed and long- 
armed trees by severely “heading in.” 
4, The stand of trees. It will not pay 
to cultivate and fertilize an orchard if 
there are many vacancies. On the other 
hand, in some orchards the trees are so 
closely planted that it becomes necessary 
to remove a number of them, and in such 
cases, &@ vacant space here and there may 
prove to be an advantage. It is not ad- 
visable to attempt to grow other crops 
