BY J. M. McAINSH, ST. MARYS, ONT.
When my apple orchard came into bearing some years ago, I found that I
had more Summer and Fall varieties than I needed for my own use. On
trying to dispose of them, I found they were a perfect drug, the market
being completely glutted with them. I grafted them with good Winter
varieties, which have done well, and are now coming into a bearing
state. I think this is a better plan than rooting them out and planting
young trees in their stead. Of course if the grafting is done in an
improper manner the trees cannot be expected to do well; and in the case
of very old trees, probably the best way would be to root them out, and
plant young trees in their stead. But in the case of young healthy
trees, say from ten to fifteen, or even twenty years old, if they are
properly grafted they will soon form large well-formed heads, which will
bear a considerable quantity of fruit, while small trees just taken from
the nursery would only be making wood growth. All through the country
there are many vigorous, healthy trees, bearing only poor or unsaleable
fruit, which, if they were grafted with profitable varieties, would in
the course of a few years be a source of profit to their owners.
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