Smyrna times., 1902-02-26
L. Mason is = w
ton, Del. an 4
and recei "
ms Eftw left wiOF Ap (,
dvano' FOR l,s:lIs
q WARE APPLE CULTURE
IT
= INTERESTS MANY FARMERS
INTERESTING PAPER WRITTEN BY Mr..
S. II. DERBY. OF wOODSIDE.
His Plan of Growing Apples Was Discussed
Before the Session of the Farmers 10.
stitute Recently Held at Dover.

ho ia" vi OiV"inX AppleS was DlSCuSSeu
Before the Session of the Farmers 10.
stitute Recently Held at Dover.
The following address was given by
Mr.. S. H. Derby, of Woodside. sue
cessful grower of apples, before the re-
cent session of the Farmers Institute
at Dover:
Apples IN the past have been a fail
ure in Delaware. We ask why? In
the first place the varieties they have
been planting are not adapted to our
climate. We have the northern tree
agent coming down here showing us
the fruit grown there and the people
buy those northern trees and plant
them here. The Baldwin is all right
in the north, but of no account here.
Then, after the apples are planted they
are neglected. But we have now found
varieties adapted to our climate. We
have the Lily of Kent that has proved
to be bearer right along under prop
er conditions. We have the Winesap
that has proved to be adapted to this
climate and many others. In speak
ing of those trees that are adapted to
our climate and are successful, | do
not mean those that bear every. two or
three years. 1 mean those that bear
close to each year. Fourteen trees
that we had two years ago bore 500
baskets of apples. Winesap trees for
seven years have had a good crop
every year.
The first of August is quite early to
cease the cultivation of late varieties
of apples. If it is a wet season we
must keep the cultivator going in or
der to keep the ground from packing
down and if dry it preserves the moist
ure. 1 feel as though the orchards
needed air as much anything, and that
cultivation is the easiest way for us to
give the trees air. We begin cultiva-
tion early in the spring. I think we
should keep it up all the time. We
should not cease for two or three
weeks at time but should keep at il
continually. If we could have but
one, manure or the cultivator, 1 should
choose the cultivator.
Attention to Pruning Apple Trees.
As to pruning, 1 think we should
take off the superfous brsnches of the
trees, so that the fruit spurs may have
the sap that is going to make wood. Ii
-:ame examinations that we have mad,
1 think we began to take buds almos
as early as May, and as soon as they
were of any size they began to show
whether they were to become frui
buds or leaf buds. When we prunt
the trees in the spring so that air anC
sunshine may reach every limb ant
leaf we are helping the fruit crop fo
the next year. 1t is a question per
haps when to trim, but it seems to M
now, that our pruning should be near
ly all done while the tree is in a dor
mant state and that all pruning tina
we do in the summer season is in th
nature of a,check. Some trees shoe
up and make a great wood growth, bu
grow no fruit, then the question comes
how to throw these into bearing. 1
almost every catalogue that you tax
up some nurseryman will be givin
some directions as to how to thro
trees into bearing. 1 have yet to tr
anything that was positively SUI
would do it. We have trees that wei
II years old before they bore at ALL
placed wire around some of the tree
through the orchard and l left tw
rows that were not checked. I'll
checked trees seemed to have no mo-
fruit than the others. Then we trit
trimming in June and July so as
check the growth, it now seems to n
that the promise is greater for fru
crop this coming season than it w
last. 1 have also tried taking off Il
bark in rings, but so far it has bet
without any success.
The Use of the Bordeaux Mixture.
There is another reason why '
should trim our trees so that they q
open, and that is for spraying.
cannot grow apples with any succe
in this State without spraying, thouI
spraying is not everything, but in {
der to reach the trees we must ha
them open. When we spray for
sects, we use Paris Green-I am spea
ing of chewing insects pound to
gallons of water. We tried some ne
experiments in spraying this year, l
ing lead poison with success.
spray with Bordeaux mixture for ri
and the leaf blight. Most of us KIN,
what these are. The apple rust is
fungus trouble that comes where Gee
trees are growing near, you will fl
your apple trees are turning yello
Between Dover and kits Hammo,
I noticed apple trees growing near