Smyrna times., 1892-02-03
APPLES, PEACHES And PLUMS.

Mr.. J. w. Kerr, Of Denton, Nd.
reported in the meeting Of the Horti-
cultural Society at Dover last week,
upon the results of a years investiga-
tion of apple, peach and plum culture
The Grand Snltan and Toaler
apples, of the new Russian varieties y
he said, are so nearly Identical with
Yellow Transparent in size, color,
quality and season, as to warrant the
old verdict of growers relating TO the
very early peaches: If you have one,
you have all The Grand Sultan.
however, is more vigorous in growth
in the nursery than the Transparent.
GOrdOn's cluster, from New jersey, is
OF larger average size than the Car
Olina Red June, is brightly striped
with red, Of fire flavor, a good and
early bearer, upright and vigorous in
growth, and is doubtless a valuable
market variety for this Peninsula.
GarrettsOn's Early, also from New Jer-
sey, is not a new variety but as yet is
new to this peninsula. 1t is yellow
apple, of medium size, uniformly
smooth, of rather pronounced acidity,
ripening with Gravenstein, which is
simply an emphatic proof that there is
no room for it here with us.
In winter varieties the very mark
ed improvement deserves careful con-
sideratiOn. The Paragon, known also
as Arkansas, Black Twig, Monmouth
Black Twig, etc, is a variety which in
point of real value to peninsula plant
ers, is without a superior; indeed the
| most extreme conservatism justiies
the doubt as to having an equal. The
variety being of wine sap extraction
CharacteriZes the tree with somewhat
of stragg ing dropping habit, though
it is vigorous and makes good orchard
tree if headed little higher than up.
right growing kinds. 1t comes into
| bearing when the trees are young and
! yields most literally fruit of large size,
deep, dark-red color, good quality and
will be kept without trouble until
March. Added to this is the adapta-
bility to any soil in which other vari-
eties will succeed. It's exact origin is
uncertain, two or three Southern and
! Southwestern States claiming it. Stay
mans Wine Sap, produced by Dr.
/ Stayman, of Kansas, is another variety
which ranks high in value for this
peninsula. The fruit is much larger
than the old Wine Sap, its parent, and
much Superior in quality; color mosly
an entire covering Of red. A tender
and good apple for eating out of hand
1t is immensely productive. Johnson
of Illinois, Is another fine apple that
succeeds well here. Tree upright aud
handsome, strong grower, fruit red in
color, above medium in size, quality
fine anu good keeper and bearer.
Gano, a highly praised Missouri variety
and Dtrham's s Winter a Georgia apple.
for which strong claims were mede, fall
far short of what are said to be their
merits.
"As to peaches, no new varieties
possessing qualities notably superior
to the other kinds, have been exhibit
ed. The Japan Blood is a new dwarf.
ish growing tree, ripening highly col
Ored fruit, the skin and flesh both
being red as early as Alexander and of
about the same size, quality only fair.
II was exempt from the tendency to
speck and rot, so conspicuous in the
other very early varieties"
Ia speaking of the apple, Mr. J.
Alexander Fulton said by dis
criminate selection of varieties one
crop may be made to overlap another,
80 that a careful grower of this fruit
may be able to grace mis- table the year
around. With its many merits it is no
wonder that it Is by common consent
crowned Queen of Fruits. That our
own Peninsula should be able to pro-
duce it in the greatest abundance and
Of the choicest variety, should be a
matter of thankfulluess. Nowhere in
the world are apples richer color, finer
favor or nObler size produced than
Just here, between the Delaware and
Chesapeake Bay.
Briefly, l would recommend the
following course to those about to plant
an orchard with the hope of having
handsome trees and fine fruit Choose
dry, well ldrained and rich piece OF
ground for your orchards. Land that
will produce coed crops of wheat and
clover, will hardly fail to produce a
good apple tree. Plant only young
healthy and handsome trees. Plant
: them we'll in straight rows not less
than thirty nor more than forty feet
apart. Cultivate carefully, thoroughly
: and assiduOusly, until they come into
bearing. II blowing be then cOntin'
: ued, let it be very shallow. The roots
should not be broken nor the bark OF
the trunks bruised and torn. But il
| is believed that blowing may be safely
] dispensed with after an orchard comes
| into bearing, and that an occasional
| top dressing, with barnyard manure
a lime, or ground bone, judieiously ap
3 piled, will suffice to keep the trees in
good condition.
] I'm selecting trees for planting, con
] fine yourself to a few well tested vari
q cites for each season of ripening, anC
= discard all others. 1t is a great mis-
e take to plant many varieties, and non'
but an amateur or orexperimenter should
n indulge in such a fancy. Varietie
e that form shapely heads should b.