We called
the orchard old, but it was so only by comparison, for it was not out of
its teens; and I did not wish to deal harshly with it. A good many
unusual things were being done for it in a short time, and it was not
wise to carry any one of them too far. It had been fertilized and
ploughed in the fall, and now it was to be pruned and sprayed,--all
innovations. The trees were well grown and thrifty. They had given a
fair crop of fruit last year, and they were well worth considerable
attention. They could not hereafter be cultivated, for they were all in
the soiling lot for the cows, but they could be pruned and sprayed. The
lack of cultivation would be compensated by the fertilization incident
to a feeding lot. The trees would give shade and comfort to the cows,
while the cows fed and nourished the trees,--a fair exchange.
The crop of the year before, though half the apples were stung, had
brought nearly $300. With better care, and consequently better fruit, we
could count on still better results, for the varieties were excellent
(Baldwins, Jonathans, and Rome Beauties); so we trimmed carefully and
burned the rubbish.
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