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Show Shall We Destroy The Old Fruit Trees There seems to be a disposition on tho part of the farmors to ostracize tho old standbys of years ago. It seems like a sacrilege to do so. Some traveling timber buyers went over our country buying old apple trees for the manufacture of tool handles. Their story was that the trees wore worthless for fruiting and the price thoy paid would replace the old trees with young stock. The grandfather of the writer planted an orchard (seedlings) 80 years ago. He gave his children the privileges of choosing a tree and naming nam-ing it. One of the boys called his tree "Bill's Apple." This tree Is still living and bearing. So Is tho boy who named It. One other of these seedlings that was top-grafted with the Pound Pippin Pip-pin Is still bearing Enough wood was taken from these two old trees to make a gavel to be used by the presiding pre-siding officer at the annual meeting of the descendents of tho old pioneer. Last August over 200 if these children chil-dren and grandchildren met to commemorate com-memorate the memory of tho planter of these two old trees and this gravel was presented to the society. Some four or five mllca from where these trees stand Is a pear orchard all seedlings planted at the same timo by a.-othcr pioneer named Harter. Thcso trees are In fair condition yet, and although seedllnss, tho fruit is Eood. Our motto is spare the old landmarks, land-marks, A young tree cix years old that grew from a graft from a tree 276 years old bore an apple last yoar and we aro sure tho fruit was of tho same quality, appearance, etc., as tho fruit that grow on the original tree in the orchard at Boston, Mass. J. H. Ilayncs, Indiana. |