Orchards and Spraying Fruit Trees - With Chapters on Soil, Management and Formation of New Orchards

By R. Lewis Castle

This antiquarian volume contains a detailed guide to managing an orchard, with a particular focus on spraying fruit trees. Complete with a wealth of useful information and helpful diagrams, this text constitutes an ideal guide for anyone looking for information on orchard management, and would be of special utility to those with little previous experience. Although old, much of the information contained herein is timeless, making it both a useful resource and a great addition to collections of vintage literature. The chapters of this book include: 'The Formation of New Orchards', 'Soil and its Treatment', 'Orchard Soils', 'Arrangement of Orchards', 'Management', 'Improving Old Orchards', 'Spraying Fruit Trees', and more. This text is being republished now in an affordable, modern edition - complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on growing fruit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473382015

Book preview

FRUIT-TREES

ORCHARDS

Orchard planting has received great attention in the British Isles at different periods of our history, and for different objects. The establishment of orchards on an extensive scale dates from the seventeenth century, when the production of cider as a substitute for foreign wines was the principal aim of the planters. Many of the ancient orchards in the West of England had their origin about that time, and as the cider industry advanced in importance the area devoted to fruit-trees was largely extended. During the following century beer gradually took the place of cider as a general beverage amongst the working - classes, while the consumption of imported wines increased greatly amongst other classes, to the loss of the cider-makers and fruit-growers. Then a long period of neglect succeeded; the varieties of Apples that had been chiefly planted were not adapted for any other purpose, and in consequence a large extent of orcharding became practically valueless. In the course of the nineteenth century, however, the demand for Apples and other fruits increased as the population advanced, with the result that orchards of a different character were planted, for the production of Apples that could be utilized either for sale or home consumption in a fresh or cooked state. With this object the attention paid to orchards is increasing every year, and the subject has now assumed an importance it has never previously possessed.

It will be convenient, in dealing with this matter, to divide it into three sections: ist, the formation of new orchards; 2nd, the management of established orchards; and 3rd, the improvement of neglected orchards. Under each division of the subject some consideration will be devoted to the three general types, namely, the commercial orchard, or fruit plantation, the sole object of which is profit; the farm orchard, for home supply and the sale of surplus crops; and the garden or home orchard, which is usually on a smaller scale, and is intended mainly to furnish supplementary supplies to those afforded by garden trees, or it constitutes a portion of the garden itself.

THE FORMATION OF NEW ORCHARDS

The establishment of a new orchard is not a matter that can be lightly undertaken if success is to be ensured. So many conditions exercise a bearing upon the results that the most careful consideration is requisite to provide for probable contingencies. Even on a small scale the expense of forming permanent plantations is heavy, and a long period often elapses before it is perceived whether the outlay has been