The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1904-04-15
Horticultural Notes
By F. WALDEN.

him IN Jn6S0 Columns DeIOIS' hO
following letter from him is instruct
i've as we'll as interesting and especial
ly so when accompanied with the dia-
gram that he incloses:
"When in Portland, at the meeting
of the Northwestern Horticultural AS
ISOLATION, had a very interesting con-
versation with you in regard to the
keeping qualities of apples, with spe-
cial reference to the time they were
picked After careful observation, l
find that all the apples, as rule, on
a tree do not mature at the same time,
but like pears and plums, some rlpen
much earlier than Others And also
that after the ripe apples are gathered
those remaining on the tree grow rap
idly and often become first class ap-
pies. Here in Northern Idaho, at an
altitude of about 2,700 feet above the
sea, we pride ourselves on growing a
first class winter apple, and one
whose keeping qualities can hardly be
equaled. We further believe that our
apples, grown without irrigation, and
with adequate water supply, are SUI
peror, as keepers, to those grown in
sections where irrigation is practlced
We have kept Jonathans for one year
in our ordinary cellars in and around
Moscow Hon. Theo. Reed has sue
ceeded in keeping Jonathans, Ganos
and Newton Pippins for sixteen
month in an ordinary brick cellar
built on the ground the apples being
placed in an ordinary paper sack
Those gathered October LIST proved
much better keepers than those gath
cred November LIST. l send herewith a
very interesting table on this point"
Judge Forney in the foregoing has
made it quite clear that early picking
of apples tends to long keeping. This
position has been maintained by 9TH
ers, but so far as | know no one has
furnished as good proof as the judge
has, as to the correctness of this posi-
ton. We are glad to have such tables
as he has furnished. Actual facts dis
count guesses very greatly. | think
he is quite correct in claiming that
apples raised where he lives, il picked
at the same time in the year. will keep
much longer than those raised in the
warm valleys like Snake River Walla
Walla and Yakima. | do not believe
that elevation has anything to do with
the keeping of apples only in so far as
it affects early and thorough ripening.
The same elevation in southern Idaho
will produce apples that will ripen
earlier and will not keep so long as
those grown about Moscow. If apples
grown in the warmer valleys are
picked earlier and then kept in as cool
a place as those grown in the cooler
regions, my judgment is that they will
keep equally well. We have picked
Snow apples very early and had them
keep till the next spring. Yet ordi-
narily the Shows are all gone by the
first of December. Judge Forney's ia
BILE proves conclusively that apples
picked the first of October keep long
er than those picked the first of No
vember Why? The only reason that
can properly be assigned for this is
that there is a difference in the stage
of ripeness. If this is so when the ap-
pies grow in the same orchard then
the same principle will apply if grown
in different orchards and under entire
ly different conditions of temperature.
Here is a valuable lesson for those
who are growing apples in the warm
valleys. If they want to hold them
through the winter, they must be