The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-18
From Orchard TO Consumer.

c. H Williamson, in Orange Judd Farmer.
The man who is to improve conditions in
the apple industry is the farmer who goes
at apple growing in the right way. The
apple shipper comes too late. He generally
comes into the game under pressure and
excitement and is apt to take conditions as
ne finds them. 1t is matter of supreme
Importance TO us all that the right methods
or orchard cultivation are followed.
An American orchard needs four things.
l am the last man in the world TO dis
courage anyone from spraying. but know
the mistake can be made by growers OF
thinking that spraying is the whole thing.
L do not know that l would even put
spraying first, as l have discovered in my
experience that you cannot spray properly
until the tree has been properly pruned.
You must have the tree top open in order
TO admit air and sunlight; and you must
nave 1t open also in order TO allow the mist
from the spray pump to reach every part
OF the foliage. This Openness can be Sc
cured only by efficient pruning. BY clipping
off part of the bearing wood. we would, 1
am convinced. double the total yield of
fruit L believe by careful pruning we can
wonderfully increase the productiveness OF
the orchard, and 1 believe you can never
spray properly a tree that has not been
we'll pruned.
But spraying and pruning are not the
whole law and gospel of apple growing.
we nave beside that to cultivate and TO
fertilize. l observed a very singular phe-
nomenon in visiting orchards this year;
That was, orchards where the outside row
OF trees were bearing strong lot of apples
ana the trees beyond that were wholly des-
tltute OF fruit. L can only explain that in
each case the OUTSIDE row was next TO
cultivated field, and thus benefited by the
cultivation given those fields.
Now, regarding cultivation, L believe it
10 De carried too far, especially if d grower
uOes not prune II cultivated too much II
Will TEND TO have too great bearing surface
OF the tree, thus bringing an immense
amount OF very small fruit. Cultivation ac-
cOmpllSheS two objects. 1t improves the
health and productVenesS of the trees, and
AIDS in the destruction of insect life Be
yond mat is the fertilizing. L believe every
one should have some form OF fertilizer
that Will supply phosphoric acid and pot
ASH. Nitrogen is, of course, good for the
growth of the wood. Not so valuable for
the sake of the fruit. 1t happened in one
OF my orchards, which is located near
lime kiln, that the hard wood ashes and
lime seemed to work wonders on the bear
ing OF the trees. L have for instance, IN
year when the average orchards have no
apples TO speak of, a perfect crop of Ben
DAVIS; trees so full that | would have 10
orchard which for twelve years has failed
to bear a crop but once. There is no reason
why we should not, If we keep up the fertil-
lty, nave good crop of fruit every year,
provided we have anything like decent con-
ditions at pollination time. We have dis
covered that we secure annual field
crops by means of system of rotation.
There is no more reason why trees should
rest than why the land given to root and
grain should rest.
Continual care of your trees must be
taken i'm spraying, pruning, fertilizing and
cultiVating to get best results l know
some people think if they do these things in
a series of years that is enough. l am
quite sure IL is not If American orchagdists
would do their work of pruning, spraying,
fertilizing and cultivating, the committee
on grades Of this association would have
half their work thrown away. and I am
quite absolutely certain that these condi-
tions of affairs are not to come about very
easily.
l don't believe the ordinary American
farmer Is ever going TO do the four things
/ have mentioned. If we are to have the
proper kind of fruit we must have the
orchard in the control or ownership of bust
ness men. of men who are not afraid of
expense. if they wish to obtain good re-
suits. We want TO get into American or
chards men who are not afraid TO spend
a little money To improve the conditions
If we can once do this We Will produce a
type of fruit that will enlarge the powers
of consumption. that will go out to the
world in different ways and in wider vol
ume than anything we now dream of. But
we cannot do it by simply meeting together
like this unless conditions can be improved
manly resolutions that we will not buy any
thing but No. ] fruit. whole lot of in
dividual resolutions that are Just easily
broken, but we are not able to do what we
will or do what we ought to, because the
conditions that confront us when we enter
the field are not right or ripe.