The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-02-20

we'll and look as if they would keep for
months yet with no signs Of decay. As
to the matter of dying in the top of the
tree; the way | account for that, is that
it is very brushy growing tree, of very
small, fine limbs and the wood does not
mature and retains the sap too long and
is injured by freezing. l think ii the
trees were pruned out in the early fall
these limbs would grow stronger and
thicker and they would stand the
weather better. 1t is the trees that
bear the most fine wood that dies back
the most. The Spitzenbergs were a
late keeper formerly, but of late my OBJ
servation has been that it is fall apple
proper and not good keeper, These
two varieties are my favorites,
Mr.. Hunter-Yes, | have been in the
business two years and have sold 20
boxes of apples, while here are Mr..
Brown and others who have been rails
ing apples for 20 years, but by interchang-
ing ideas we will all gather something.
Of course | could talk in general about
apples but want to talk Mosier apples.
l will tell you something about New
towns. | will tell you why it dies in
the top. Mr.. Mosier, where does that
one tree of yours stand that dies the
most in the top, does it stand in an I'M
derground drain?
Mr.. Mosier-No, think not.
Mr.. Hunter have tree that re-
ceives lots of sub irrigation and that is
the only one l have that dies in the top.
My brot1er's orchard has hard pan un-
der it and under ground irrigation and
his trees die in the top. In California
their walnut trees die in the top in cer-
tain locates, and this is the reason they
assign for that, and l think ours are due
to the same cause. The Spitzenbergs
have done nicely for me. My Spitzen-
bergs are keeping well enough for Win
ter apples.
Mr.. Mosier-When | first noticed this
top dying took number OF twigs and
sent them to Corvallis asking them the
cause. They sent back quite lengthy
answer saying it was due to immature
wood and cold weather bursting the
sap cells and killing the wood. Theil
remedy was stripping the leaves or Sc
we're pruning in the fall.
A. |. Mason-I think the last two gen.
tlemen have unraveled the secret of the
dying in the top of the Newtowns.
have in my orchard two draws running
water through it. have put in some
drain tile and ordered more and will
put in enough to drain it thoroughly
| have running water in both these draws
When | have tree that dies in the TOP
it is in these draws where the water
runs. | think it is on account of the
immature wood as the Corvallis man
said. | got my finest apples on these
trees in the draws, but they will not
keep till spring. They are all right tc
take to the apple show, then they should
be sold to the Davidson Fruit Company
or some one else as soon as you can gel
them off your hands. will state in re-
gard to the Newtown Pippin keeping
when properly grown, that made g
present to friend of box of New
towns a year ago last fall and this fall
in October he told me he had one o.
those Newtowns in his cellar yet, that il
was perfectly sound and been lying ul
on shelf without any protection at all
in any way.
Mr.. Evans-The Ben Davis apple
think is profitable in this section as any
other variety; if we will just keep the
worms out we will have a profitable crop
This year think l have learned a les
son. / have 13 or IA tons of apples.
sprayed six times. | got my leg broken
last spring and did not get sprayed good
then, and there are lots of worms IN
them. If we don't get the spring spray
ing done well we will have worms il
them. The Ben Davis is the most prof
table for one reason, they bear every
year while the Baldwins and other va
rieties every other year, and think the
apple TO make the money is the Ber
Davis.
Henningsen-What's the matter with
the Red Cheek?
Mr.. Middleswart-Well, l have moi
been in the business very long, bought
an old orchard when | came here anC
I have a young orchard also put out il
the spring; Spitzenbergs, Newtown'
and Red Cheeks, and the Red Cheek
was the profitable apple in the siA
crops l have taken off of the orchards
| have sold some Red Cheeks and
Spitzenbergs in the Portland market
and at the same price. The Red Cheek
is good keeper and profitable apple
My Newtowns are doing nicely. Some
of them have nice large apples but some
of them are not doing quite so well, anc
although growing side by side, while
some have fine large apples others beal
small ones only. Some of my trees are
right by the side of running water, bu
| never noticed that there was any spe
cial damage from water. There wai
some dying in the top but those were NJ
worse where the water was than the
others. The only trouble l find from
the water was that the trees grew toe
much to top, made too much wood
Some people think the Ben Davis are
not fit to eat. l have taken such peo
pie Ben Dayis apples all pealed ready tC
eat and when eating them they though
they were Red Cheeks.
Mr.. Root-What Newtowns l have
don't do very well. | don't know
whether it was the sol, location or what
they were always small apples, ThC
trees were thrifty and looked vel
but the apples were always small. The
Spitzenbergs | could never keep the
worms out Of.
Chairman-There are two distinc
breeds of Newtown apples in Mosiel
valley as well as in Hood River. One
variety bearing fine large apple while
the other kind planted along side bear 6
small greenish apple.
Mr.. Mason-ln my orchard, which is
just beginning to bear. have two kinds
OF Newtowns. At least | have trees thai
are not as yellow as others. People
who know more than do, say that it i:
because the trees are not mature enough
E. L. Smith says there are no green
Newtowns in the valley. About the
Ben Davis, would say would like tC
see the Bens out of the valley. | will
admit that you can raise, ten boxes o.
Bens where you can only raise five oI
the Spitz or Newtowns; you get twice
as much into the market, but you get
twice as much per box and more foi
| your NeWtuWns and SpitZ, For instance