The Delta independent., 1903-08-28
Fruit AND Farm
From Field and Farm.

From Field and Farm.
In standing for short-legged peach
trees Rolond Morrill, says: "If there is
no climatic reason why tree should
have long body would give it short
one because by and by the young tree
must be pruned and every foot a tree ia
raised in the air is just 30 much more
energy expended to the end OF its exis'
tence in going up and down ladders
Every foot means increased percentage
OF extra labor for every man that got g
up and down the ladder hundreds OF
times during the life OF tree. This
means difference OF ten per cent on
expense and it may make twenty per
cent. These are little things, but they
count much. So would say. unless
there is some excellent reason otherwise
l would advocate short bodies. Another
reason is there is not the same leverage
from tho wind on the short body that
there is on the long STEM"
~
Both growers and dealers agree that
fruit boxes should be Of standard size in
cubic measurements. A box that will
hold fifty pounds OF apples OF average
weight is the most satisfactory and
measures out almost exactly one bushel.
Through the teachings Of this journal
our growers are using the following:
The standard box is lO1Sxllh and 1S
inches long in the clear. which will pack
the common sized apples, while box
1Oxl1 and % inches long will suit smaller
sizes. These dimensions mean that the
boxes must be 30 much inside, II these
sizes and shapes should be adopted
generally it would be a good thing FOR
the whole country. Some standards
will have to be decided upon. but one
shape will not suit all sizes Of fruit. The
apples must be packe in tiers. -Four
and five tiers includes everything, but
the very large and very small apples.
The lumber for ths ends should be three
fourths Of an inch thick and for the
sides inch. There are other styles Of
boxes in use, enc being II L4xl1a, inches
and l8 inches long. The different
weights Of apples naturally make the
boxes when hlled weigh differently. but
by measure We have always been getting
different weights. He who buys Ben
Davis I'll always get not only poor
apples in quality. but light in weight.
The Winesap. Jonathan, Colorado
Orange. Grimea and other good apples
weigh more and are worth more.
OF all fruits the peach ought to do
better in Colorado than anything else
for in its natal home in Asia it has
thri,en for centuries on dry soil ID a. dry
climate. Under culture in this irrigated
SOuntEyit has given best crops and
maintained most perfect health % high
and relatively dry soil. When the Eber-
IA can be grown to the sire that an
ordinary twenty poNn6 crate will hold
only twenty peaches 1t 10 evident that
this is the peach country par excellence
81 the modern world. MIR. Crowley, oi
Otero county has done this and we never
saw such peaches in our born dsye and
our observations cover the gloyies u
Delaware's greatest achievements in
peach culture. We can grow peaches
at two csnts pound and make alb kinds
Of money. This means that . twenty
pound box shall bring forty cents when
loaded 90 the cars and a. grown in
Colorado peaches usually bring twice
this figure and have never fallen below
sixty cents.
1t Is easy to tell rIpe watermelon.
but more difficult to know just when it
should be picked for shipment. An ex
pert car tell by humping the melon as
veil as seeing that the curi Dsav the
stem is dead and that the bottom Of tho
melon is Of proper whiteDess. The
melons should never be pressed with tho
hand to test them, as this Injuries the
yipenipg. In very early pickings several
nelons should be cut as samples otest
the accuracy Of appearances The stem
Of melons shonld be clipped With sharp
knife and lsft on the fruit In ioatiDg
there shoUld DO three men with each
wagon--oDe TO select, clip and place the
melons and the others TO load, The
bottom Of the wagon should be beddsd
with dry straw or hay and care shopld
be used TO prevent in jury from sides and
end oi the wagon. The car also sLoNld
be well bedded before loading.
The Nebraska experiment station has
for number 6 years tested wiDter
wheat led from different localities.
Several varieties were sopn from seed