On Wed, 16 May 2007 19:47:09 GMT, frank1492
wrote:

I have a couple of 50yr old Baldwin apple trees in my back yard. One
in particular is starting to suffer bark loss on some of its main
branches and some of the small emanating branches are dying.
What underlying process is causing the bark loss? I assume this
will eventally happen to all the branches and the tree will die. A
silly queston perhaps, but is there any interventive treatment that
might delay the tree's death? My conclusion is that the tree is
most likely dying of old age, but I'm guessing "old age" is just a
catch-all term for some combination of maladies that are probably
impossible to treat. Or do trees simply have a have a life cycle?
(Obviously I'm no arborist.)
Thoughts appreciated.
Frank

I think you have the right diagnosis - old age. While I hear many
stories of a 300 year old oak tree, I 've never heard of a 300 year
old apple tree. So say good bye and remove the apple trees by
digging them up and burning every single piece of them. You don't
want the diseases it harbors to infect your new stock.