The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-01-12
From the Field and Factory.
THE APPLE.

h
quest, the following article is submitted:
There is no great difficulty in making a
list of fine peaches and pears which will
ripen in succession through the season in
all parts of the South.
With the apple it is much more difficult;
an apple that succeeds well in one locality
and on a certain kind of soil, is a total
failure on a soil near, if of a different
order. For instance, in my orchard, on
sandy soil and red clay subsoil, the Linn
her-twig spots, and is worthless, while in
FIVE miles, on the black, rich prairies, it is
enc Of the best winter keepers.
There Is no actual criterion by which
we can be governed in the selection of
apples, but the experience gained by GER
tain kinds proving successful. In most
orchards some kinds prove worthless,
though they are known to succeed in 9TH
er orchards near.
There are, however, many fine early
apples that succeed in all localities; they
all have certain characteristics in common
that should be specially impressed on fruit
growers, -they ripen early while there is
q full flow of sap in spring growth, they
have large, rich, glossy leaves, which re-
tain their ability to perfectly elaborate the
sap until after the crop is matured.
During the summer and fall many of
our fine apples become worthless, in much
Of our country, owing to deficiency of
food, or the inability of the leaves to pre-
pare it for their sustenance. AS an evil
dence Of this fact, almost any kind of
apples growing ON a soil well drained, will
mature perfectly their crops for a number
II 10 flor fayv fatI
on others. This satisfies me that for the
want of drainage many trees are forced to
feed near the surface, the roots sometimes
covered with water, at others, not having
enough moisture from which to draw a
healthy sap. Besides, such a soil is very
liable to bake, giving neither access to the
air with its gases, nor can the dews pene-
trate as they will in porous, mellow SOIL
The Early Harvest is a large yellow
apple, ripens early in June, and succeeds
all over the South.
The Red Astrachan is a very large APP
pie, beautifully striped with red, COM
mences to ripen in June, and continues
in season for a month; the tree is very
vigorous, leaf large and rich; it is one of
the best early apples, and should be more
generally cultivated.
The Red June, the Royal Red, and
the Yellow June are fine fruits, and sue
coed every where.
Then follow the Bevan's FavOrite, a
beautiful yellow apple, with delicate red
stripes, the Early Margaret, the Scarlet
Parmain, and the Julian. So far as my
observation extends, the above list sue
ceeds every where.
The success of the following list of
apples is quite various, owing to the soil
and other surrounding circumstances.
1t is a rule that will hold good, that
almost all of them will succeed for few
crops to mature perfect fruit, and then
spot and become worthless, some suiting
one locality better than others. This is
largely owing to want of food in the soil,
to enable the tree to perfect its crop,
largely dependant on imperfect drainage,
and consequently baked soil.
If the soil is not properly prepared
before the trees are planted, it is inn
possible ever after to efectually RENE
dy it.
The Smiths Cider, generally known
as the PENNSYLVANIA cider apple, is
magnificent fruit, and succeeds more
generally than most others ripening the
last of summer.
The catalogues of our intelligent
Nurserymen furnish lists of fine fall and
winter apples, which succeed in localities
adapted to them, the safest rule is, to
plant largely those kinds known to sue
coed in any given locality; with proper
attention the following will succeed in
most localities, the Shockley, Nickajack,
Cullasuga, Yates, Stephenson's Winter
and Carter.
The small green apples of several
varieties, evidently Southern seedlings)
the Never-fail and the Russets, will sue
coed almost everywhere, with but little
preparation or attention.
Until we prepare our soil properly,
and then give the necessary culture and
attention to our orchards, we never will
have plenty of fine winter apples, no
matter what kind we plant; with it, on
almost any kind of soil, believe we can
have fine fruit the year round in any
portion of the South.
w. B. WILKES.