The Grenada gazette., 1886-12-18
HORTICULTURAL HINTS.

HORTICULTURAL HINTS.
Practical Suggestions for Apple.Growera
and shippers.
In setting out new orchards of appleA
for market purposes, in the Eastern,
Middle and Northern States, first Of all
do not plant too closely. Better set the
trees twenty to twenty-five feet apart,
planting peaches or cherries between,
which can be removed when the apple
trees are ten or twelve years old, than
to plant the apple trees only fifteen feet
apart and let them at once have all the
ground. Remember that the first two
or three years. growth has much to 10
in determining the future usefulness
and prohtableness Of the orchard, and,
above all, be careful to make wise Sc
lection of varieties. In the sections
above named the late or winter var:e-
ties are the most profitable; and the
color of the fruit has much to do with
the STABILITY. red or high-colored fruit
selling more readily and at a higher price
than dull-colored sort, even though
the latter may be superior in table quail
ties. A sub-acid apple sells better than
sweet or very tart one: while from
medium to large sells better, keeps bet
ter and packs nicer than very large
fruit Very large fruit is more injured
in Transportation than medium fruit;
and when, in opening up a barrel of
extra large fruit, one or two apples are
rotten. or SO badly bruised or crushed
as to necessitate removal, big hole IS
made in the lot and it spoils the sale.
As the degree Of color Of high-colored
fruit depends so much on plenty of sun
shine, the advantage of not planting too
closely is obvious. A barrel of high.
colored Baldwins will generally bring,
in a wholesale way, from twenty-fiveto
seventy-five cents moro per barrel than
very light-colored Baldwins, oven
though the quality and size may be es-
sentially the same.
1t is scarcely necessary for us to men.
ton the names of varieties in detail, for
if the varieties selected do well in your
section-in your soil and climate and
possess the desirable qualities we have
mentioned above. the results can not
but be satisfactory, especially if the
fruit be carefully hand picked at the
proper time, properly sorted. barrelcd
and screw pressed and shipped at the
right time. Always use only full sized
and new barrels, pack always under
screw pressure, having the fruit to run
uniform in size and quality through the
entire barrel. and see that barrels as
we'll as fruit are well aired and dried
before packing. Put yourself in corre-
'pondence with some reliable commis-
sion merchant, and ask him to keen YOU
posted, or rather to write or wire YOU
when the market is in good shape to
hip. and then push them in with as lit
lie delay as possible. 1t is not always q
good plan to wait until prices are highest
'efore shipping. for by the time your ship
nent gets in, hundreds of others are
'lso in the market and then comes the
,lut and low prices. A very good plan
to watch glut in the market, which
laturally stops shipments, and just as |;
oon as the pulse of the apple market =
uickcns little. showing that the sup. !
lies arc about cleaned up. ship in your '
onsignment. and then. by the time 1t : !.
oes reach market. the chances arc !.
argely in favor Of your getting very u
satisfactory prices. Those who wait ).
ntil the highest point is reached in "
rices before shipping often get the Y
west when their shipments reach tho u
larkets. Is
And right here it would be we'll for u
,ippers and producers generally 10 o
lick q pin; for what holds so good in ie
gard to apples will generally hold a
lually as good with other produce. p
. y Independent III