A TREASURE OF A TREE
A Cortland apple tree has stood on this property for many decades. It's age is hard to determine exactly but I'm told that it is over 60 years old. Fruit trees surviving this long are considered a rarity. The Cortland has been apart of our family for generations. It has made shade for picnics on hot summer evenings when the kitchen was too stuffy from canning, it's been the guest of honor for countless "apple picking days" where grandchildren remember reaching for the loftiest prizes from a kind neighbor's tractor scoop, and its fruit has been the coveted secret to the best applesauce and pies Grandma has ever made; however, all great eras come to an end and the last few seasons have yielded very little fruit from this longtime friend.
The sweetness of the old tree's fruit is unrivaled by other Cortland apples. Knowing the heirloom was nearing extinction, I took my concerns to a trusted Amish friend. She told me that one of her apple trees had fallen in a windstorm and gave me the name of an Amish orchardist who had grafted a fresh shoot from her tree to a larger tree. Being surprised (I thought every fruit tree was started from seed) I took the name and went on. After discussing my concerns with the orchard owner, he agreed to look at the tree.
I received the orchard man's call on a sunny 50-degree day in January. Since my home was far enough away to be a daunting distance for a horse and buggy, I agreed to pick him up. We pulled into my driveway and made our way across the yard to the fruit trees. As soon as he spotted the tall apple tree he stated with solemn grace, "You have a treasure of a tree." I knew then he valued it as much as I did. He studied the trunk, the moss covered branches, and gently snapped its twigs as if he were a doctor diagnosing a patient with great intent. There was a hopeful glimmer in his eye when he looked at the healthier branches overhead. Out of the silence he spoke, "Closer to spring I'll return and clip a stem to graft onto a healthy young tree." Ahhh what good news this was. "Time will tell if the process is successful," he said. We both agreed it is worth a try.
The orchard man proceeded to visit each fruit tree in the yard as though they were his kin. He was an expert, discussing the strong and weak points of each tree with careful precision and advising how to improve their growth. The gentle Amish man spoke elegantly with immense wisdom and experience like a knowledgeable scientist or professor of the highest instructing talent. The time passed quickly. He thanked me for the ride back to his farm and said he would return in a few weeks. That afternoon the sun shined a little brighter knowing the tree was in good hands. We're anticipating the best, but only time will tell.
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