The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-09

Philadelphia Record.
Apple orcharding is one of the modern
farming industries. Until within the last
few years apples were raised in a small
way by farmers all over the country. but
in general this was for home or local con-
sumption. Little attention was paid to the
crop, and no one thought of devoting his
entire time and lands to it as a staple
crop. Yet conditions have so changed now
that there are many orchards in the West
and middle West, where all farming opera
tons are done on a magnificent scale which
cover not hundreds but thousands of acres
the receipts from which compare favorably
with those of some of the moderate-sized
Industrial corporations of the day. In the
meantime the demand for apples has in
creased in proportion Time was when
the apple was luxury, now il is a stapie
article of food with a large part of the
American population. Owing to the ex-
tensive display of the Department of
Agriculture at the Paris exposition con-
tinental Europe has been educated TO the
American apple, and the export demand
has markedly increased, resulting in valu-
able new markets for this, the king of
fruits
Mr.. c. 3. Bracket. pomologist of the
government makes the statement that mo
other fruit brings so sure a return to the
grower in proportion TO time and money
expended upon it's production" In con-
junction with the wide range of climate
and diversified soil conditions under which
some one of the great variety of CONNER
cial types may be grown, the cause of the
sudden rise into prominence of the apple
as a specialized crop is apparent
Planting may be done with nursery stock
from one to two years old, and in three or
four years the trees are in bearing. The
trees continue in profitable bearing con-
dition for a lifetime At forty years of
age a Baldwin tree in Monroe county New
York, produced eighteen barrels, selling at
So barrel. The original Mcintosh apple
tree-a variety that is making steady gains
owing 10 its intrinsic MERITS still stand
ing at Dundela. Ont, and is more than a
century old. With a comparatively safe
over-wintering perennial orchard that will
last a lifetime. and with crop that can
hardly be called perishabIe and a good
market at fair prices for all offerings, il is
small wonder that capitalists going
into apple culture in wholesale manner
The chief sections where this innovation
has been made are in Missouri. northern
Arkansas, known as the Ozark region,
and the elevated portions of North Caro-
lima and Virginia. where similar conditions
exist. The New England, middle and some
of the Western States are especially favor
able for producing fine crops of this fruit
of highest quality, and certain sections of
Idaho, Colorado. oregon and Washington
are rapidly coming to the front in success
full orcharding.
one of the most noticeable features of
the modern apple orchard is i'm the shape
of the trees, as a result of careful and
systematic pruning. This is done partly
for the purpose of protecting the tree from
injury. partly to make picking easy and
partly TO give light and air TO the branches
so that they may produce fruitful crops.
In the West a goblet form is very much in
vogue while elsewhere the pyramldal form
is popular. while in still other sections a
modified form Of these two gives a round.
| symmetrical shape. Formerly from four
to FIVE feet in height was considered the
| common practice OF training apple trees.
but two TO three feet is now considered
as the proper height for the top or head
of the tree.
Packing the fruit for market has also
| undergone considerable change in recent
years The standard barrel still so pre-
salent in Eastern markets, is being dis