We continue with the last part of EVELYN’s advice on renovating an old orchard:
The New England Farmer and Boston Rambler
Boston, Saturday, March 29, 1851
Vol. VI, No. 13
Renovating Old Orchards (part 3).
MR. COLE: - We have resuscitated a few old trees by another method, which to some may appear more favorable, and where only one or two are going to decay, may perhaps be more convenient. It is simply this. After relieving the tree of the rough old bark and useless branches, take a load of any productive soil and spread it evenly under the tree. If lime ashes or chip manure are mixed with it, so much the better; but if nothing else can conveniently be had, take the soil alone. It will kill the grass, nearly or quite, for a year or two, but the branches of the tree will start in new growth, the leaves will be broader and healthier, and the fruit be increased both in quantity and quality. An easy experiment; who will try it?
Again, farmers are disappointed after grafting their old trees by not getting the varieties they expected. We have suffered none at all in this way ourselves; but we have heard, from more than one individual, great complaints in this matter, especially where traveling grafters have been employed, even where the desired varieties were obtained for them, and they were paid at the same rate as when they furnished scions. Yet we suppose that if apple trees would speak with men's tongues and teach in men's language, there are many in Massachusetts that would tell that their ancient heads were taken off simply to be restored by scions from their own sprouts. That such occurrences do take place; we must believe on the principle that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established, for we have certainly heard more than three say that they had been duped in just such ways. How vexatious it must be, after paying a liberal compensation for grafting, and waiting in hope and patient expectation until the first blossom appeared, and then watched the swelling fruit until the joyful harvest time, and then find that the graft produces the like in every respect as the parent tree! We presume that all traveling orchard renovators do not practice such degrading frauds; and that some should, may not perhaps be strange. But in order to be on the safe side we would advise farmers and fruit growers to get their scions from responsible sources, and then set them themselves, or if age or infirmity forbid this, employ those who will be found somewhere in the regions of responsibility, if there is any failure in the matter.
Yours, &c., EVELYN
Oh, boy! If “apple trees would speak with men's tongues and teach in men's language,” there are a lot of other topics I’d like to discuss with those old trees, than where their scion wood came from!
