The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1880-06-17
for the Farmer.
THE APPLE ORCHARD.

One of the most important questions connected
with orchard planting is the selection of varieties
| II is matter that calls for more Thought, and
| the exercise of better Judgment than any other
/ connected with the planting of orchard, and
ON which the profit of the orchard largely de-
Ponds. In making your selections il will not do
TO depend on the fruit book. the advice of
nurseryman, unless he knows all about your soil
| and locality. For example, | planted one hun
| dred apple trees twenty years ago, and As the
Northern Spy WAS recommended As 4 late keeper,
set about one-siXth of the orchard in this varie-
| ~. After waiting twelve years for them to come
| into bearing, find that in my latItnde they
| Fall apple and must he marketed at time when
there is glnt of fruit, and they will not pay for
handling. We have some varieties of apples that
will do well ON rich loamy soil, that will not he
profitable ON thin clay, and vice versa. The best
advice can give the farmer tho is about to plant
| an apple orchard is, that he spend day or two
| in his own neighborliood investigating this mat
ter. Visit Just as many orchards possible, and
find ont what varieties bear best, keep best, and
sell best. One thing you may he sure of, that
any apple of moderately fair appearance and fla
yor, that will keep till Spring, will bring good
price. The ordinary farmer wants but little early
fruit for unless he is a city market it will
not pay expenses. ! do not propose 10 give
list Of varieties, for the simple that two
localities would be likely TO want the same, but
/ will say that a very large proportion of the
chard should be planted in Winter fruit
most important thing is the of the
ehard for the first few years, and after long
periencc in which have thoroughly cultivated
my trees for at least four years after planting
and an equally extensive observation of orchards
where cultivation was neglected. have come to
the conclusion that young orchard needs Guilt
walton rs much rs corn, and that it pays largely
TO cultivate bearing orchards part of the time
at least do not call it cutiyating an orchard
10 put small grain in it, and for young orchard
particularly think it if anything than
grass. Corn is less Objectionable, but if you
want the best growth, do not allow anything in
some crop of this kind. have made this an in
variable rule in all my oreharding and the result
has been satisfactory. ! would advise that es-
pecial attention he paid to forming sueh a head
to your tree as you want while it is young and
small. While the system of low heading has its
advantages and is strongly advocated by many,
/ find that we want trees headed high enough
50 that we pillow under them without the
limbs being in the way of the horses. In prun-
ing a tree, we must always look ahead and see
what a branch is likely to become in the future.
The best way TO remove suckers 1 think is to rub
them off with the hand through the Summer
In gathering Winter fruit which is to be mark
eted would sort out all inferior fruit. A peck
Of small knotty apples in barrel of good fruit
will take more than twice much from the price
as the extra peck would bring in other words,
ten barrels Of apples all first-class will bring n
good deal more money than eleven barrels with
peck of poor ones in each barrel. i do not
think it advisable to pasture orchards with hors-
cattle, as they will browse the lower branch
| es and also trample the ground too hard around
| the roots. am satisfied, however, that hogs in
the orchard, if properly managed, are Of great
benefit, and il has been my rule when l stopped
cultivating my orchard to sow in clover and pas
ture with hogs. One great advantage is that
they eat all the windfalls and wormy fruit, and
thus destroy myriads of insect enemies. j would
not let hogs run in the orchard in Winter or
Spring when the ground was soft, and would
carefully watch that they did not damage the
trees.-COrTespoRden Of Ohio Farmer.