The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-03-21

Our ILLUSTRATION SHOWS on the le1U une pupd,
or insect in its chrysals state; on the right
the maggot itself. They look much alike.
The maggot is white, sometimes with a
greenish tinge, and about one-fifth Of an inch
long. At it's head, plainly seen, are two black
hooks. With these the creature gouges and
tunnels our rich, mellow autumn apples
through and through. Unless his career is
stopped he will soon get into every orchard
in the country.
For large apple trees, the best distance
apart is 80 feet in all directions. For those OF
the largest size, in deep, strong soil, 40 feet
is not too much. In planting your orchard,
prepare the ground first by subsoil blowing.
1t is not enough to dig place and chuck the
nursery tree into it, roots doubled up, as
though your young fruit bearer was wooden
post in posthole. A growing tree is some
thing very different from a fence post. In
places half way between north and south,
where late frosts are apt to come unexl ectedly
and ruin all, never plant your orchard where
it will have southerly or easterly exposure.
A northern hillside is best. Many Of the best
farmers now plant belt Of quick growing
forest trees or Of evergreens as wind break
on the north side Of their orchards. You
may plant your apple trees either in late fall
or early spring. An old orchardist says: at
is better to have one tree well planted than
three planted badly, and more fruit may be
anticipated within the first ten years, if not
forever, from the first one than from all the
others" Lack of pruning and want of fertil-
izing and cultivation will speedily make bar
rem fig trees of the best young apple sprouts
nature can make. An apple tree is not pro-
duct of nature exactly, as has been well said.
1t is the result largely Of domestication and
culture by man. 1t will not, therefore, thrive
if left to itself, like forest tree. Its soil
must be enriched and its branches kept
trimmed constantly. Pruning should be done
regularly yearly No method of pruning,
either, is better than pinching of undesirable
buds when the trees are young. This method
avoids wounding the branches There is
scarcely more discouraging task before the
farmer than to climb into the trees of u stub
born, neglected old orchard and attempt to
thin out its thickly grown branches with AK
and saw. He ruins his temper, tears his
trousers, and makes his bones ache for weeks.
All this may be avoided by watching the
trees as if they were real living beings, cut
ting back the growth where they run to
wood and height, and thinning out the
branches and making the tree look ship-shape.
Attend to them every year and they will not
get ahead of you. The apple tree wants sun
light and air in all its foliage, or it will not
do its best. A choked-up treetop cannot bear
fruit. The difference between fruit buds ana
wood buds, the methods Of budding, grating,
etc, are things every farmer knows already.
II he does not, the sooner he finds out the
better. His nearest neighbor can probably
tell him.
There has been much discussion about which
is the best season for pruning. As a matter
of fact, it may be done at any time during
the season when the tree is at rest. But if an
old orchard has been neglected for any reason,
so that there are in it trees which require the
looping off of large branches, that is best
done In May or June, when the growth Of the
tree is vigorous The stumps Of the limbs
thus left bleeding must be thoroughly covered
with grating wax.
We have been at some pains to find list of
the best kinds Of apples for the farmer to
plant in a mixed orchard for home and mar
ket use. For a market apple for fall and
winter no apple is more desirable than the
Rome Beauty. 1t is surer, fuller bearer
than most other sorts. 1t also keeps in sounder
condition. For cooking purposes, no apple
could be better. But for eating raw, in some
seasons it is rather dry and tough.
The varieties named below are those that
have been tried and found good in nearly all
parts of the United States where this fruit
grows:
Summer Apples.-Early Harvest, Red As
trachan, Large Yellow Bough.
Fail Appies-Rambo, Golden Sweet,
Gravenstein, Fall Pippin.
Winter Apples Baldwin, Northern Spy,
Rhode Island Greening, Westfield Seek-no-
Farther, Russell, Yellow Bellhower and
Esophus Spitzenberg.
In various parts Of the country there was
an apple for fall and winter known among
the pioneers as the Green Winesap. As was
said of the strawberry, probably the Almighty
might have made better apple than the
Green WineSap, but doubtless He never q