Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-02-04
The Apple Orchard.

THERE are many farms in our pioneer
settlements upon which no apple or fruit
trees have as yet been planted, while in
the older States new orchards are annu-
ally set out to take the place of those
past their prime and going to decay
Here we have two natural causes for a
constant demand for fruit trees, and there
is another also more potent than either,
which is the increase in population.
Twenty years ago many OF our nursery
men and dealers in fruit trees predicted
that the country would soon be fully
supplied because 50 many trees were an
nually propagated and planted; but time
has shown that the demand for fruit has
kept pace with the supply, and in some
favorable localities has even exceeded
it, We can well remember the time
when the very best of winter apples, such
as Rhode Island greetings, Spitzenburgs,
and fall pippins would not bring fifty
cents per barrel in any of the Central or
Western New York markets, and farm
ers in those regions did not count their
apples as cash crop at any price. But
the increase in our population, accom-
panied by increased facilities for ship
ping to distant market. has changed all
this, and orchards have been renovated
and thousands of new ones planted. The
same thing is likely to occur in all local
tiles, and should there be any at the pres
ent time where choice fruit is not in suf-
ticient demand to warrant extended cul-
ture it must not be considered the rule
for all time to come.
Making selections of varieties is
probably one of the most difficult ques-
lions 10. Satfln rnnnontaI with f,,,it Il
ture. In the first place II is well known
that certain varieties succeed much bet
ter in one locality and soil than they do
in others in fact, there are few or no
varieties OF the apple that succeed
well in all localities. knowing this,
our nurserymen who expect TO 90 an ex-
tensive business propagate sorts adapted
10 a great variety of localities; hence the
long array of names to be found in their
catalogues. The man who only desires
a dozen sorts is frequently puzzled to
select them from list of several hun.
bred all OF which are described, and
perhaps correctly, rs excellent and de-
SirablC. The rovice in these matters
must bear in mind that the description
of varieties as given in the catalogues
must necessarily be very brief, the de-
tails in regard to cultivation and adapta-
ton to climates and soils being left out
in great part or altogether
The best apples for the Middle States
may not be the best for the Southern or
extreme Northern, specific information
on these points having TO be determined
by experiments with the varieties them
selves. We must look into our standard
genealogical works for this information,
cr TO the reports OF local societies in
order TO learn which are the best varie-
ties to plant in any particular locality.
A farmer in Minnesota or Wisconsin
would be very foolish to purchase and
plant the same varieties that be NAV
have known to be excellent in Kentucky
or Maryland. Still there are hundreds
who have done SO, and been much dis.
appointed in the result of the venture
This is one good reason why a man
should always endeavor TO obtain his
trees of trustworthy dealers, and then
if he does not know the merits of par.
ticulac sorts himself he can leave The Sc.
ection to the nurserynan.