T1IE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 4, 
174 
UNFRUITFUL APPLE TREES. 
What To Do With Them. 
I purchased apple trees from a reliable 
nurseryman 13 years since. The trees are 
thrifty, and should bear from two to three 
barrels to the tree. Some have blossomed 
and borne a worthless lot of fruit, not. at 
all true to name. Quite a quantity of the 
trees have never shown a blossom. Some of 
the trees I have worked over, but do not wish 
to cut them back until 1 find if their fruit 
is of value. What can 1 do to induce fruit- 
inf:? These trees are in sod along the high¬ 
way : have been manured with stable manure 
at times, but are now in stiff sod. 
New York. readkii. 
I would by all means work over the 
trees, especially those which have shown 
worthless fruit, to varieties of known 
value. H. s. WILEY. 
Cayuga Co., N. Y. 
I would take three years in which to 
topwork to desirable varieties. If heroic 
treatment is needed, plow ground during 
growing season. This pruning of both 
root and top would have a tendency to 
produce fruit buds. E. w. catchpole. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
I could tell better what to do with 
the roadside trees were I to see them, 
but judging from the description of the 
trees, and their condition, I would say, 
give them a good mulch of very coarse 
manure, enough to break up the tough 
sod. T. B. WILSON. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. 
I have been successful in throwing 
trees into bearing by partially girdling 
same with a sharp knife when the sap is 
flowing freely in June. The point of a 
knife inserted in the bark and run around 
MICHIGAN FARM BOY. 
the tree at this season I should think 
would produce the result desired. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. s. d. willard. 
I am of the opinion these trees have 
been rather severely pruned. This would 
tend to promote wood growth and defer 
fruiting, and possibly the fertilizing was 
done in the Spring, which also promotes 
wood growth. The remedy is to reverse 
the order; stop the pruning, and apply the 
stable manure in July, after wood growth 
has stopped for the season. This will 
tend to strengthen the fruit buds. Fol¬ 
low this with a good poison, spraying in 
the Spring when fruit buds are commenc¬ 
ing to swell to avoid damage from bud 
moth, and be sure not to pasture off the 
aftermath of grass that forms on the 
sod. GRANT G. HITCHINGS. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
If I wanted to find out what kind of 
apples they would bear I would cut out or 
head in the leader limbs quite severely. 
This, I think, would throw them into 
bearing the next year, but it seems to 
me the better way would Be to go to some 
orchard that had some good variety of 
apples suitable to that section, and select 
trees while in bearing, mark the trees, and 
select from those trees that bear the 
most perfect specimens of the variety, 
also the trees that are of the best type, 
most perfect shape, and vigorous growth, 
best in every way, and from them 
cut scions with which to graft or top- 
work the trees along the road. If the 
trees are adding to their growth each 
year a goodly amount of wood, continue 
them in sod; if not, mulch them with 
something to start growth. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. WM. H. outwater. 
I believe the failure of the trees in 
question to bear fruit to be a dispensa¬ 
tion of Providence to discourage the 
planting of apple trees along the highway. 
While in theory the practice is feasible, 
it is practically, in many instances, a per¬ 
fect nuisance. The average farmer who 
plants apple trees by the roadside has 
such an aversion to cutting off a limb 
that might bear him a few apples that 
they are allowed to encroach on the 
highway, and he will not cut them until 
travelers begin to break them off, and 
then cuts so sparingly that the ugly pro¬ 
jecting stubs are a greater menace to 
buggy tops than the whole limbs. If, 
however, I had these trees and was fully 
determined to keep them from intruding 
on the rights of the public, I would top- 
work them, cutting back quite severely, 
and use scions from trees known to be 
prolific and regular bearers. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. j. o. wadsworth. 
Before spending any effort upon the 
trees to induce fruiting, I should want 
to be pretty certain whether they are 
budded stock or common seedlings. If 
the latter they ought to show it by the 
looks of the wood and their manner of 
growth. At any rate, I should cut off a 
few of the twigs, both from the two-year 
and one-year-old growth, and mail them 
to the Department of Agriculture dt 
Washington, and, in all probability, tlie 
Botanist could inform the inquirer 
whether they were true to name. He 
could tell more certainly if a few of the 
leaves were inclosed also. A franking 
envelope or box would be sent the ap¬ 
plicant for this purpose so they could be 
mailed free of charge. Having determined 
that the trees were seedlings or worthless 
varieties, I should inform the “reliable” 
nurseryman that he could either send a 
grafter to come and work them over 
or bear the expense of so doing. A truly 
reliable nurseryman ought to do this, to 
say nothing about compensating the owner 
for the loss of time on the trees. After 
they are grafted they should need no 
especial attention to induce fruiting, and 
should begin to bear in three years. 
Seneca Co., N. Y. w. a. bassett. 
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