The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-03-11
ABOUT THE APPLE.
TT IS THE MOST EXTENSIVELY USED VI
ALL THE FRUITS.
The crou Failed This Season Along INC ~
lantic Coast and the Easfs supply s'"~'
from the Central West.

The Crop Failed This Season Along W.
,.utic Coast and the Easts Supply eome'
from the Central West
When the people living along tne I
Atlantaic coast from Maine W w I
evoke one morning last April 10 sec
a fuIl inch of snow on the ground ie"
rooIizad how much damage had Deen
done by the storm. All throusn -.
farming districts the fruit trees VIZ
either in full bloom or the BUDS wen
advanced. so that the snow lay IKE
cold wet blanket on the buds anu
killed nearly all of them, thus Destroy
ing or brghting the fruit crop. wheh
the peaches in Delaware and MARY
land were reported killed by this frost'
# was still hoped that the apple trees,
which bloom much later, would De III
right. but, as the season advanced J.
was found the buds had been injured
and the years crop would be INFERIOR
and in many places complete 1aliure,
The apply is the most USED OF al
tho fruits grown 1t Is world re-
nowned, and has figured in history ana
the lives of most nations since the
earliest record. Poets and phlioso-
piers have told of it, and mythology
has endowed 1t with wonderful VII
tues. The golden fruit of Hespefus
was an apple; also the famous tree Oh
knowledge bore apples.
The apple Is a native OF all TEN
perate climates, and although most OF
the kinds cultivated to-day in this
country are from seed brought from
some part of Europe, the trees nave
so adapted themselves to our soil as
oftentimes to bear better In this coun-
try than in their original homes. 1t is
a very hardy and somewhat slow Dear
ing tree, but very long lived. In many
cases trees will live and bear for
century, and when well cared for even
longer. Naturally, the apple tree bears
we'll only every other year. This,
however, is remedied by helps given to
| the fruit by the farmer, so that the
tree is able, by means of extra fertil-
izing and careful pruning, to overcome
the debility caused by putting so much
strength in the crop, and, unless ell
|
full bearing one in good orchards.
Young trees are raised from seed,
the pulp Of the cider mills being sent
to the nurseries for this purpose. The
seedlings grow unhindered for year.
when they are sorted and transplanted
in the nursery After this they are
grated and left to grow for at least
another year before being put out In
the orchard Then they are set out In
rows about forty feet apart, where
they will continue to grow slowly and
bear good crops until old age or some
blight destroys them. The custom OF
planting apple trees in rows originated
with the ancient Romans. and has
been followed by all farmers since that
time. Almost any kind OF soil will
, suffice for the apple, but 1t thrives best
in a strong, sandy loan and in mod
crate climate.
The growing of apples for market II
the most thoroughly carried on Of al
fruit raising industries. The mai1
. part of the crop for the New Yorl
l. market comes from New York Stat
Z and New England. There are man.
u fine apples shipped from Ohio, Mis-
souri, and that part of the country
u while this year, owing to. the partia
l. failure of the crop in all these places
Il fine apples have come to our market
'e from Oregon, as well as Michigan an
q Kansas.
- The apple is popular on account o
y its variety of uses and its adaptabilit
for use as a food, both raw an
cooked, and the kinds most in deman
are those that can be eaten in eithe
Of these ways. A few apples ripe
to early in the summer and in the earl
J. fall months. but the majority Of tn
u crop reaches maturity during til
8, months of October and November, an
In even later in the season. These VIII
to ter apples are picked when full grow
and colored, being allowed to stay o
the trees as long as the frosts will pc
NIT without doing injury to then
:. when they are packed and sent I
market. Many are reserved for DIR.
Ing. this part of the apple consumptio
being larger than would appear froa
: the small quantities used in our ma
kets. The dried apple is shipped a
over the world, and when cooke
!. makes a very palatable dish, especia
ly in those climates where the fires
fruit will not keep. Many crops
whole regions are used by the drier
- and large plants are established
q carry on this industry. South Anne
:. lea and other southern countries a.
I, the chief market for apples thus pr
- pared, although a large part Of eac
. years crop is consumed in our ow
"A Southern States. Then the cider mil
:. absorb part of the crop, usually Il
~ smaller, uneven shaped fruit beir
= sent there, with the sour varieti
e which of late years do not find
= ready market among the fruit so
"A for eating purposes.
~ There are almost as many kinds
=, apples as there are orchards, so n
n merous have the new graftings b
"a come. All, however, are descenden
Of two or three families, as the gree
a. ings, the pippins and the spitzenbere
:. which were brought to this count
- from. Germany, Holland and Englal
nv the early settlers. Many Of the