46 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE RENEWAL OF OLD FRUIT TREES. 



By George Bunyard, V.M.H. 



[Lecture delivered January 28, 1902.] 



When reading a short paper before the Royal Horticultural Society last 

 year I was challenged to give a few hints as to the renovation of old fruit 

 trees, which I will now endeavour to do. 



It frequently occurs that a halo of sentiment hangs around and 

 envelops the old fruit trees of our gardens, dating, perhaps, from the 

 days of youth, when it was a real pleasure to pick and eat a fruit (when 

 the gardener was away), and to feel that by that unrighteous act one had 

 added a mite to one's horticultural knowledge ; for, as a member of the 

 family, we felt we had rights in the fruits of the orchard and gardens 

 which were not always recognised by the reigning chief. And as we 

 grew up and came home — possibly to take the place of beloved parents — 

 a certain fondness for the well-known old trees appealed to our minds, 

 and we could not entirely yield to the gardener's suggestion that " them 

 old trees wasn't no sort of use, and had better be made into faggots," and 

 some fresh ones be purchased to put in their place. So it came to pass 

 that, after a quiet talk, we assented to half-measures and gave the old 

 trees another trial, either by grafting some new varieties upon them, or 

 by cutting away the old mossy and gnarled spurry boughs, and assisting 

 them by a liberal stimulant at the roots, and so started them into new 

 growth. 



Now it is possible in many cases thus to renew aged trees ; Pears are 

 particularly amenable to treatment ; Apples partly so. But worn-out 

 Plums, Peaches, and, in fact, all stone fruits (except Cherries in orchards) 

 are better destroyed at once, and replaced by new trees of the best 

 varieties, using a liberal supply of fresh turfy loam to start them in. 

 Under such treatment they will soon respond to the trouble bestowed on 

 them and quickly fill up the vacancies. 



Stone fruits will not endure that severe pruning which is necessary to 

 renovation, being liable to " gum " on the strong shoots produced, or to 

 "collar " at the junction of the new growth with the old stem, and thus 

 blow out under the strain of heavy winds, or choke with gum and become 

 useless. Cherries in orchards, however, never get beyond treatment, and 

 to renovate them the trees should be gone over as soon as the crop is 

 gathered, all the dead wood removed, and the boughs which are injured 

 by breakage, or " splits," from contact with ladders Sec. at gathering 

 time, or from the strain of an abnormal crop, be cut away. Then, if in 

 pasture land, the long strands of grass, thistles, and weeds should be 

 mown, and with the cuttings and primings removed from the orchard and 

 burnt. Sprinkle salt at 2 cwts. to the acre over the ground, and when a new 

 grow tli of grass has set in turn in some ewe sheep and feed them with 

 oil cake, ohaff, oats, peas, or barley once a day ; move the feeding troughs 

 BVerj other daj to fresh positions, until the new grass is fed down as close 



