The Heirloom Orchardist

Renovating Old Orchards (part 1):

While providing advice on renovating old orchards, this writer to the New England Farmer gives more documentation that old orchards were not always made up of (what we call today) named “heirloom” varieties.  Sure, 19th century orchardists weren’t all growing Red Delicious and Granny Smith.  And yes, they were growing some interesting tasty fruit.  But it wasn’t always a known, named variety.  As we’ve found in other documents, seedling orchards were still prevalent as late as the mid 1800’s (and later?).  It wasn’t until the temperance movement garnered strength (reducing the call for cider), that named varieties increased in value and popularity.

Most likely, today’s old orchards that are in need of renovation, are comprised of old named varieties.  And it’s fun to figure out what you may have.  But this advice from “Evelyn” on renovating an old orchard (ca. March 1851) still applies, even though it was directed toward seedling trees.  We provide it in three parts:

The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 29, 1851
Vol.  VI, No.  13

Renovating Old Orchards (part 1).

     MR. COLE: - The fruit growing business is undoubtedly, under careful attention, to be henceforth a prominent employment of the New England farmer.  We infer this from the fact that the healthfulness and luxury of the choice varieties are much better understood now than they were a few years since, when our apple orchards, for the most part, bore natural and very ordinary specimens, when not one garden in half a dozen furnished a single pear tree, and these in the main produced worthless insipid affairs; - when a cherry tree, unless it were some of the old varieties, of moderate and scrubby growth, producing when they produced at all, a small inferior fruit.

     Then, in many places, the farmer who could sell his Seek-No-Furthers and Greenings for 12 ½ cents and 17 cents a bushel in autumn, thought he was doing a pretty fair business.  Now he can sell the same varieties at the same season for fifty cents a bushel.

     It is no wonder, then, that fruit culture is becoming more popular than it once was, and that many old orchards are undergoing a remodeling by grafting, and that many young trees are being set.  Nor is it strange at all that in this grafting of old trees and setting out new, that many are in the end disappointed in their realizations.  There are doubtless approximate causes for these failures in success which are so often realized.
Yours, &c.,  EVELYN

I love that statement:  “when not one garden in half a dozen furnished a single pear tree, and these in the main produced worthless insipid affairs.”  Statements like that remind us not to over glorify the old orcharding days of our farming ancestors.  Well, not too much, at least.

Grow Big Red, Get it to the Right Market, Make Money

Today, we speak of apples by their varietal names; the ubiquitous grocery store Red Delicious, or McIntosh.  Even heirloom orchard enthusiasts speak of Ashmead’s Kernal, or Bellflower.  But I think a subtle aspect of old orcharding was that many old orchards were comprised of just seedling apple trees.  These orchards not only provided the material for cider, they were also the source of the special varieties we love today.  Every once-in-awhile, in these seedling orchards, a really special apple would show up and be noticed.  We continue with Mr. French's advice: 

The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 8, 1851
Some Facts about Orchards in New England.
By Henry P. French, of Exeter, N. H.

     Now, there are scattered all over New England, orchards of natural fruit, which is either fed to swine, or made into cider.  As food for swine, sour apples are little better than nothing.  I have given hundreds of bushels to my swine, which seemed to find at least a rational amusement in eating them.  Indeed, for store pigs, they do tolerably well, but for fattening animals, I should adopt the principle laid down in the good woman's recipe for making sawdust bread, "the less sawdust the better the bread.”  Sweet apples are worth, perhaps, one-sixth as much per bushel, as food for animals, as Indian corn, and this will just about pay for gathering them.

     As to cider, we estimate that eight bushels of apples will make one barrel of cider, worth one dollar and fifty cents, which will not pay a man who has anything else to do, for his labor in making it, if you give him the fruit on the trees.  The natural fruit, then, is of no value, and the facts before stated show how readily the useless trees which produce it may be made valuable.

     No portion of the world is better, and I think none so well adapted to this fruit as New England.  Our Baldwin Apple is in perfection about the middle of January, and our Russets are in eating until June.  Indeed, we often see the old year’s fruit of our orchards, side by side with that of the new year.  So, after the apples of more Southern orchards have decayed, we have the market to ourselves.  Steam navigation renders exportation to the whole world easy for us, and the home consumption, as well as foreign, must increase beyond the supply, for a generation to come, at least.

Clearly, Mr. French had the right idea.  Grow a nice marketable apple, and get it to the market that doesn’t have apples.  Then the orchardist gets the best price, right?  I think it’s interesting that he uses the Baldwin as his example.  Baldwin is a big, red, durable winter apple.  The mid 1800’s was about the time when the “big red apple” was just becoming the signature of the industry.

Grafting: "an experiment so hopeless."

Here’s an interesting story of an enterprising Mr. W., who knew how to set apple scions, and took advantage of the skepticism toward grafting named apple varieties to seedling trees.  We’ve found other accounts of this skepticism.  It seemed to be prevalent during the first half of the 19th century.  This was a time when many “old timers” felt inclined to continue tending their cider orchards of random un-named seedling trees.  Cider orchards had a good history of profit, and it was hard for these old orchardists to accept change.  Particularly when that change involved a cost: the cost of grafting named varieties or hiring someone to complete the grafting for them.

The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 8, 1851

Some Facts about Orchards in New England.
By Henry P. French, of Exeter, N. H.

     How strange it is, that no more attention is paid in New England to raising Fruit, as a regular source of profit!  An instance of Yankee shrewdness has recently come to my knowledge, which well illustrates the advantages of knowing something on this subject.  In the spring of 1816 a Mr. W. was engaged in grafting apple trees, in various parts of Rockingham county, and with the rest, grafted enough to amount to about twelve dollars, for Mr. R., of Braintree, upon an old orchard of natural fruit consisting of about one hundred trees.  Mr. R. thought it rather extravagant to expend so much in an experiment so hopeless, and W. finally proposed that he would go on in subsequent years, and graft as many of the old trees as he chose, do the necessary pruning, and receive for his pay one-half the fruit that should grow on his grafts during the next twelve years, and R. should cultivate the land among them, for his own profit.  This was considered a very liberal proposition, and at once accepted, and the contract was reduced to writing, and executed.

     I happened to be at Brentwood during the past autumn, just after W. had called for his share of the fruit and learned that the scions set in 1846, for which, he had charged twelve dollars, produced sixteen barrels of marketable Baldwin Apples, worth twenty-four dollars.  Mr. R. had become so far convinced of his mistake that he offered W. one hundred dollars to release his interest in the orchard, which W. promptly declined.  I soon afterwards met W., and conversed with him on the subject, and he said that so far from releasing his interest in the contract, for that sum, he would not sell his share of the fruit for one year, for that amount, and allow the purchaser to choose it out of the term.

     He has now grafted most of the trees with the Baldwin Apple, and thinks he shall get more than a hundred dollars a year, in each of the even years of the last half of his term.  The even year is, as you well know, the bearing year for the Baldwin, throughout New England.  Mr. W. further informs me, that he has made many similar contracts in the neighborhood, and has acquired an interest in about one thousand trees; that his share of apples, grown on land of other people, the past fall, was ninety barrels, and that none of the scions which produced were set prior to 1815.  He grafted one tree in 1844, which produced in 1850 six barrels of fruit, and that he knows fifty trees which this year produced ten barrels each, worth in all, $750.

One thing about growing fruit that is different from other agricultural pursuits, is that most fruit is grown on trees.  And these trees are already several years old before they start producing. Season after season we care for them, and they pay us back.  It’s understandable that an orchardist can get emotionally tied to his/her trees.  So, I do have some sympathy for the old-time apple grower who had a nice old orchard of productive seedling trees, and didn’t want to give up on them.  But according to Henry French, profit is what we grow apples for.  And the numbers don’t lie.

Work For The Season (2) Pruning & Implements

We continue our work for the season.  I wouldn’t recommend doing any pruning at all, but it is a great time to sharpen your draw saw, or take a quick trip to the village and have the blacksmith straighten out your orchardist hook.  When you were looking for “catterpillar” eggs, you were using the hook to draw down “almost every limb within convenient reach,” and found it was bent.

The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 1, 1851
Vol. VI, No. 9

    

Work For The Season (2) Pruning & Implements:

    

Pruning. - We consider this a very unfavorable season for pruning, and we introduce this subject for the purposes of a caution, as so many select this month for this purpose.  Very small twigs may be cut from trees at any season in the year, but large limbs should not be cut off in spring; the sap oozes out, the wood turns black, and often cankers and decays.  If grape vines were not pruned in fall, the sooner they are attended to in spring the better, on account of their being liable to bleed when pruned late.

    

Implements. - Many orchardists make and repair their own coarse implements, carts, &c., and this is the proper time to attend to these things, that they may be ready when the time for action arrives, which is near at hand.  The success of a farmer depends much on having all his tools ready in due season, and having the best of every kind.  With a good implement a man can do twice as much labor as with a poor one.

You saw it here: You can do twice as much labor with a good implement.  Now get to work.

Work for the Season (1), Scions & Caterpillars

This being the month of March, it's time to get out into the orchard, and start work.  Perhaps some old seedling trees you’ve had for cider, just aren’t producing, or cider isn’t selling well (damn temperance).  You’ll want to consider “engrafting” to these trees a known variety that seems to keep well, and sell well.  Now’s the time to cut your scions.  And that insect problem you had last year?  Here’s the solution to “catterpillars.”

The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 1, 1851
Vol. VI, No. 9

    

Work For The Season:

    

Trees and Scions. - Cultivators should look over their notes and memorandums and see what they want in this line.  Scions may be cut at any time in this month.  Lay them in a tight moistened box, with moist saw dust or moss at the bottom; or moist mats or cloths will answer.  Lay moss, a cloth, or mat, moistened, over the scions, and set the box in a cool place in the cellar; and if dark, the better.  Do not apply water to the scions, as, they are often injured by keeping them too damp or wet.

    

Catterpillars. - By examining the lower branches of apple trees, near the extremities, on a bright morning, the eggs of catterpillars may be seen in clusters on the branches, which may easily be taken off with the fingers.  They should be destroyed.  By a crook, the length of a common cane, almost every limb on which they are found may he drawn down within convenient reach.

Today, I think some backyard orchardists have a romantic view of organic fruit production, the way it was done by our ancestors (myself included to be honest, and I know better).  But can you imagine going through every tree in your orchard, every branch, looking for caterpillar eggs?

Partridges in the Orchard!

In 1884, the Cultivator and Country Gentleman published a short inquiry on how to keep pesky partridges out of the orchard.  Apparently, that small entry received quite a response, and the Cultivator published some of the responses in the March 20 issue.  But what's wrong with partridges in the orchard?

The Cultivator and Country Gentleman
February 21, 1884, Albany, NY
Vol.   XLIX, No.   1621

Partridges. - How can I keep partridges out of my orchard near the wood?  I have failed to do it with a gun. H. M.  Searsmont, Me.
Can some of our readers tell us how to get rid of these intruders? – Ed.

    

The Cultivator and Country Gentleman
March 20, 1884, Albany, NY
Vol.   XLIX, No.   1625

Partridges in Orchards.

- If your correspondent who, on page 167, wishes to know how to get rid of some few of the partridges which trouble him, will allow myself and friend to hunt on his grounds next fall, and give me directions to get to his place, I will ask no better sport. This is the first instance I have ever heard of partridges being a nuisance.
F. M. P. Madison, N. J.

- I notice in a recent issue that H. M. is very much concerned how to keep partridges out of his orchard, having failed to do so with a gun. If H. M. will lay his gun aside, and use his plow and harrow with half the energy and vim he seems to have used his gun, he will find that after thorough tillage the birds will soon disappear, as they never stay in fields except where they have a covering of plenty of filth and weeds.
R. L. N. Middletown, Del.

- A fox chained within sight and smell will keep partridges away; so will a couple of ferrets kept in separate cages, with open wires. In Canada I was overrun with poultry and pigeons on my premises. I got a female fox, tied her with a long chain, so as to give her a good run, and in three or four weeks she had captured quite a number of pigeons and poultry, which she buried. The rest kept away  from my house entirely ever after.
WM. HORNE. Janesville. Wis.

- I saw on page 167 of your paper a question asked, how to keep partridges out of an orchard. Take some wheat and soak it in alcohol ; then clear a conspicuous place in the orchard, and scatter the wheat on it. The birds will partake of the bounty, and will become drunk, and when they become sober they will leave and never return.
L. V. R.  Goshen, Ky.

   

We're thinkin' maybe Mr. Goshen got it wrong.  Perhaps the birds would partake in the bounty, return, and never leave?

Origin of the Baldwin (Pecker) and the Russeting Apples

Not only were many of our old Heirloom Apple varieties simply discovered, or stumbled upon (as opposed to the current process of designing hybrids), the naming of these classic varieties was also an informal affair.  Here's an interesting brief account on the origins of the Baldwin and Russeting apples as provided in 1825 by our "obedient servant," a Mr. Joseph Harrington:

The New England Farmer
Boston, Friday, March 24, 1825
Vol. IV, No. 35

In the New England Farmer of the 17th instance I noticed an interesting account of various fruits giving their true names.  Some embarrassment, it was stated, has arisen by reason of two names being given to the same kind of fruit, and particularly, the Baldwin Apple.  I beg leave to explain this difficulty.  This name was given to this apple, in honor of the discoverer.  The grandfather of the present Col. BALDWIN was surveying in the wilderness late in autumn, when he discovered an apple tree baring this fruit; upon examination he found its qualities so superior, that he procured scions from it and introduced it into better company.  This tree was defective on one side, and a wood-pecker had made a hole into it.  Mr. BALDWIN from this circumstance, named the apple the Pecker apple.

The Russeting was first found on the farm in Roxbury belonging to the WARREN family, and on which were born the late Dr. WARREN, and his brother the General, so conspicuous in our revolutionary history.  Hence this valuable fruit is sometimes called the Warren Russeting.  Names are of little importance if the things intended to be made known by them are well understood.  But when the reasons are at hand why things important in life are understood by different names, it may be well to give them; and though the intelligent will not be edified by the information, yet the ignorant, who have yet to learn the history of the most common things, may be essentially benefited.

Your ob't serv't,    JOS. HARRINGTON