The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-12-13
BEST CROPS TO Be
GROWN IN AN ORCHARD,

~ W. q. wILKIxsoy, ST. louIs.

orchard. All OF you WIN likely ngreo
with me thai q crop OF big red apples
should DO of first Importance, aud all
other crops should be Of secondary
consideration. consider that au an
NAL ernn al hogs shenla he Of ..=x.
Importance, together with such grain
and forage crops as will produce food
for both hogs aud land.
My first planting Of apple trccs was
made In 1873, and includes 900 trees,
situated on the bluffs overlooking tho
Mississippi river, IN Perry comfy,
Missouri. Owing TO the extreme In
clemcncies OF the weather, this orch
ard has, since In bearing. produced
only three full crops. ! have kept
record OF receipts and expenditures
for one ycar only, 1889, when The
block Of trees Melted Dic si9s.I5 per
ACRE iOr one years. crop.
In February, 1898, was called to
New Orleans to look after my milling
interests, aud my attention was called
TO the price Of both -four and apples
IN that market. best patent -four was
selling for $500 per barrel sud Mis-
souti apples were selling 10 car load
lots for 5000 per barrel; and to-day
the price Of apples Is fully as high as
-four IN that same market. speak of
this market because 1t Is most access
ible TO my orchard, being reached by
boat. Those Of you who have orch-
ar,ls In The interior Of tho State, near
railroad communication, need never
worry about markets; the South from
the Atlantic to the Pan Handle Of Tex
rs is rapidly filing up with desirable
population who cannot raise apples In
their section, and who will be In the
market for all the apples Missouri
growers can raise hence, don't fear
oyerprpdurlinn.
On my return home from New Or.
leans bought more land adjoining my
orchard, cleared same and plated 100
acres TO apples, and continued my
planting until now have an orchard
Of almost $4,000 trees, n large portion
just coming into bearing.
Now as 10 the crop Of most inpor.
lance, Red Apples, would suggest
that after orchard Is in bearing such
crops be grown as win permit contin-
ual cultivation after beginning Of the
drouth season, which In that section
l. from the 18th Of July TO to the 10th
Of September. ! do not favor early
cultivation, as most growers do, as the
cultivation has too much stimulating
effect, causing too much growth, aud
prevents fertilization Of fruit buds, alsc
canscs fruit to drop prcmaiurely. AZ.
ter July LIST land should bo thoroughly
plowcd, followed by frequent shallow
civilizations after each rain or at inter.
walls OF ten days. No crop grown of
the farm shows good effect Of cul,iya
ton more than fruit trees, and no go0t
fruit can be expected without thorough
illlsgo
For young trees II is essential tha
cultivation begin carly In the sprin,
and be continued during the Who'll,
season from April TO September. Sucl
seasons ~ trees fail TO bear, | woult
advise cropping to COW peas or othct
leguminOus crops TO add needed fertil
! ity 10 the soil.
Now rs to the sccond--mDncy crop
Hogs, consider n most valuable al
iuncI to fruit growing, rs they destroy
all fallen fruit during tho season, to
gether with all insects and noxious anC
injurious weeds. Since have bref
and raised hogs in connection will
apples, | have dispensed with th,
spraying machines. have not en-.
iireiy eradicated the insect pests, bu
my orchard is freer from them thar
those who do not raise hogs; IN fact,
for the last few years have sold nj
my Gull apples TO farmers having or
chards, being within radius OF 20
miles, they not raising enough TO sup.
ply themselves with fruit for apple
butter aud for family use. attribute
their failure 10 lack Of cultivation al
the proper time aud no attention paid
TO discriminating insect pests. People
IN Perry county who thought that
was 1T subject for the lunai,c asylum
for planting so many fruit trees, are
now paying me sl.00 per barrel for
Gull apples and hauling them many
miles to their homes.
Now ms TO the crops that arc beneii-
eial to both hogs and land. We should
have crops that would give US a rota-
ton OF feeds from early spring until
winter ] have ms orchard divided
iEio lots or plais Containing 20 TO 80
acres each. 1 have two Of these plats
sown to red clover, which gives very
early green feed lasting unli mid. sum.
MGR, aud with but little grain food
will put hogs 10 good growing condi-
lion and add humus and fertility to the
soil. ! would MT advise growing this
crop on same land longer than Two
years In succession, a. 10 causes the
trees to grow too near the surface end
prevents needed cultivation.
The second crop ! am now growing
In my rotation Is Dwarf Essex Rape.
This should be sown as soon ms land
can be titled IN the spring. II broad
easied, four or five pounds should be
sown TO the acre, or II can DO drilled
In rows aud cultivated. This will pro-
duec more green feed to tho acre than
any crop know Of, and hogs do bet.
ter on Il than on clover. IL grows
very rapidly and luxurisnlly and will
be ready for pasture Ia Two months af-
ter serdIng. The sred costs about 10
cents per pound retail; the crop will
be generally grown for hogs and sheep
when its merits are more universally
known. Ii could be rro@n either ~