[nafex] old time orchard advice

["john van hazinga" <vanhaz@gsinet.net>]

My currant philosophy  of life is that I came from the earth , I'll return
to the earth and inbetween time I garden.  However at present I remodel
houses to support my horticultural habits.  this years major project
involved tearing  out  about 350 square feet of floor in a 1820 colonial
and between  the original floorboards and a layer of oak strip flooring my
workers and I found a layer of 1885 newspapers in poor shape but with an
occasional readable section among which  was

HOW TO PLANT YOUR ORCHARD TO BE A FAILURE

    "As many persons seem to try to see how little fruit they can make their
apple trees bear, and also seem to take pride in growing worthless
varieties, I will give such men a few hints to aid them in their endeavors
to render their orchards of no value.     First crop the land where the
trees are to be set until there is no fertility left in it. A good test of
that state is to plant a few hills of white beans on it; and if it fails to
grow any pods of these beans, the land is in the right condition. Next, see
that the fences are down around the field, so that your own and neighbors
cattle can come in when the trees are planted, and browse on them, which
will save you the expense of trimming them once per year.
    In buying your trees, ask your nurseryman if he has a "cheap lot" and
say that you are setting trees for the use of others, that you are close to
dead broke,  and that you are not about to pay out much money for them..."
the original copy disintegrates here.

Seasons greetings,
Van





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