Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-10

SQOulQ DO 70 uOupto ioois e"oA'S .SA
apart, on the same general plan as tn
sides. Then double doors, and us
every precaution to keep the house coo
as possible. Then place the apples O
shelves or in apple boxes. Have vent
lators to use at night. There is anothe
important thing relative TO keeping ar
pies which ought to be known-tha
winter apples should be gathered as 500
as they are done growing, not ripe a
least month before they are gathered
in ordinary years in this county.
Apples gathered, from the 10th
| September to the 10th of October, ar
firm aud hard and will keep well If pu
in cool place. In marketing apples
let fruit of uniform size be put in tast.
packages or boxes, and made as attract
i've as possible. 1t is necessary tina
apples should be assorted, the larg'
from the small. the defective from th'
smooth, and the hard, firm ones, from
those which are too ripe. Skillful mar
keters will discover that apples of tive
sizes will bring better prices when sepa
rated than when left together. A few
small apples iu a box may prevent thu
sale of the whole box. Now will name
a list of apples, which have been testeo
most thoroughly, and are good to best
and are good bearers, and regular, ex
cept such years as this is, which is Ger
tainly an off year. At least l have mo-
known such a year for apples in the last
sixteen. In fact, 1 have not known
such a year in California IN the last
twenty-five years, as the apple, crop,
am informed is short all over the state
Well now as to the varieties, l viii
commence at summer apples, naming
the best of summer, then fall and win
ter apples. Red Astrachan, and Early
Harvest; these two varieties will last
from four to six weeks. Then early fall
and fall apples are Gravenstein, Skinners
Pippin, Fall Pippin, R. I. Greening,
Yellow Bell Flower, Smiths Cider, Jo'
nathan and Ben Davis. For winter
apples White Winter Pearmain, Yellow
Newton Pippin. and in some localities
the Baldwin. For market Red Astra-
chan, Gravenstein, R. l. Greening,
Bell Flower. Jonathan, Ben Davis, w.
w. Pearmain and elbow Newton Pippin.
1t would be worse than folly to have
any more varieties. This list gives a
succession of fruit from July until
March. Now, was requested to give
the names of the best twenty-five vari-
cites of apples. Now l could give
twenty five or fifty best varieties, but l
will not do any such thing, for it is not
to the interest of any one to spoil or
waste his land in planting out so many
varieties of apples.
l have tested some $50 varieties, hop
ing to find some one which would sup
plant some of our old, well.known vari.
eties. Have sent East to various States,
and especially to the Sou hern States,
hoping could find an apple that would
keep until April or May. After waiting
for years for all to bear, must admit
that | have not succeeded in fin ding
any apple that is superior to the varie
ties we have. The fact is that many
varieties that are winter varieties East
are fall apples here. l am well per.
suaded that no one wants to plant
twenty five or fifty varieties of Apples
after they know that it is useless. One
word more as to the profit or pay in
an apple orchard. Apples can be
produced greater distance from
market than many other fruits. An ap.
pie orchard planted twenty-five feet a
part contains to the acre sixty-nine
trees. Now these trees, well taken care
of, at the age of six years, should pro.
duce fifty pounds to each tree, and when
eight years old 100 pounds per tree, and
at ten years $50 pounds. Now, every
year after that for long time to come
the tree will yield more apples each
year. have gathered 800 pounds from
trees ten years old. A tree ten years
old should pay at least one dollar to the
tree. Prices of apples heing low, am
purposely making the profits smaller
than think they should be. | do not ap-
prove of exaggerated reports going out
to the public In regard to the profits of
fruit raising. think it is better to
underestimate. The facts are good
enough. Producing fruit will pay
at least double what ordinary farming
will, providing the orchardist will plant
very few varieties and plant enough of
each to make it an object for the buyer
to look after the fruit. In closing this
essay on the apple, l would suggest to
any one who intends to plant an
orchard, not to plant any one kind of
fruit, but to find out just what kind of
fruit his land is adapted to, that is which
will do the best, and bring the best
returns. If he concludes that his land
will pay best in apples, pears, apricots
and peaches, then plant only those kinds,
and plant only Bartlett pears, as there is
always market for them, and four or
five varieties of peaches is enough, and
the same with ali kinds of fruits. Plant
only a very few of the best varieties and
take the very best core of them, and you
will be we'll repaid. And aside from
profit In fruit he is helping to develop
the country, to enhance the value of his
land and his neighbors, and make his
home more attractive, and have spread
on his table the beat that the land af-
fords-good enough for king.
MILTON THOMAS.
Mr.. A. E. Davis then read the follow.
ing paper on fig culture, prepared by
Mr.. James Stewart.