The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-05-13
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AcRicULTURIsTs.
some up-ta-Dass Hats About cai-
tisafien % the Soil add Yields
Observation-Disclosures vIileaitars and
Horticulture.
Mined PIantIas Of Frul, rree..

Mined Planting of Fruit Trees.
o.-should varieties Of app.cs be
planted separately or mixei 70 get best
resultsG
Prof. BurriIl-I do not know. There
are quite a rumber OF facts In favor
Of mixing them. Il has been well prov
ed that some varieties Of pears DO a
great deal better when 30 planted. But
do not know Of facts that prove the
same in regard TO the apple. Some
times the branch on the eastern side
Of tree will bear well for a year or
two and the branches on the other side
Of the tree be barren. The inference
has been that the pollen had been car
ried by the east wind from the tree 20
the east. but. after all. that IL only
guesc. a few years age there used 70
be things talked Of In our horticultural
meetings that appear not 10 be well
settled. How frequently Il happens
that a tree blossoms well. sets its fruit
well. but often drops IT, Now. this
would occur II the pollen fertilization
were not full enough. But whether
that dropping Is really caused by that
Is a thing We have not been able 10
tell. ! think II Is an important ques-
ton, but can't give the information
desired.
OIL you were 10 plant an orchard
Of nfty acres. and were 10 plant but
two varieties. and we're going to put
them In two separate fields Of twenty
i've acres each. and suppose the varie-
ties were the Missouri Pippin and the
Ben Davis. and supposing your helds
were two miles apart. would you plant
one variety In one Geld or would you
mix them?
Prof. Burrill-I think would want
TO be on the safe side and pa, some
OF each in each field. though mixing
them would make some difference
when ! came 10 gather the apples. for
mixed apples are harder 10 gather, as
they have 70 be kept separate. The
apple bloom Is fertillzed both by the
pollen carried by the wind and by in
scots. when weather Is fine Il is largely
by Insects. Now. these insects may
carry pollen farther than We some
times think: and yet / would rather
have the two varieties In adjoining
rows.
Owe sometimes find m apple that
has Get and grown TO maturity and
yet has no seed at all: could such an
apple have been properly fertillzedf
Professor Burr.ll-Yes. sir; there are
some apples that are entirely seedless
suppose. however. that there Is
enough pollen to fertllize the seed. but
that ths latter has been injured In
some pay. and does not develop. !
also think. as 4 general thing. that APP
pies will no; grow without being fer
tilted: but I do not say that some
varieties might not get into the habit
Of developing fruit without seed.
l.. II. Read raised a squash this
year that grew 10 maturity and was
Of good quality for cooking. and yet Il
had no seeds In Il.
Mr. Johnson-I have tried the ex-
pertinent OF mixing trees. have an
orchard composed OF Maiden Blush.
Ben Davis and Jonathan. have an
other that Is made up Of odds and
ends. and there may be In that orchard
a hundred varieties. hardly more than
two Of kind. Then have an orchard
that is wholly Ben Davis. ! think
that have not gained anything by
mixing the trees, but have rather Lost.
The orchard OF mixed trees do not
bear any better than the other or
ehards. and do not sell as well. be-
lieye that apples are sufficiently self
fertillEing.
c. @. wlnn-Thls year ! ran across
a seeding that was one-fourth Of a
mile from any other tree. II was on a
hill. and It's apples were as red as ap-
Piles could be. used 10 think that
they would fertillEe better by being
mixed, but now think that do not
krow.
sir. Riehl-I DO not believe that the
apple needs cross fertilization. but |
believe that the pear does.
II. Augustine-And so does the plum.
Mr. Riehl-i will not say as 10 the
plum. but know the pear does. As to
apples. the oross-iertilizing has been
tried FOR long years and has been
found OF no value. That eroSs-fertil-
king does affect the pear Is abundantly
demonstrated by the history q the
seedless pears. From time to time
nurseries have set out pears that were
said TO produce seedless fruits. And
they did when frs; set out. Especially
dld they bear seedless fruit II they
were set out BY themselves. But II
they were set out near other pear trees
N a few years they began to bear
seedy fruit. the result OF cross fertili.
sation. But Ne have never seen any.
thing OF variety OF apples that have
no seeds unless grown near other trees
We have. In tails and other states. hun.
dreds OF acres Of Ben Davis apple trees
growing by themselves and bearing al
well as Il Is possible for apple tree,
10 bear. IS they are not near Other
,roea q canno. be said that they ar,
cross fortified. would plant each va.
rioty by itself.
Potato Culture Preparing the soil.