The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-10-01
HORTICULTURAL NOTES
BY f. WALDEN

friend Ralston's question: The Rome
Beauty is a strong upright grower.
know of no good apple that has a
better tree. | have never had tree
of this variety to split and it is rare
thing for a limb to break. 1t is an
annual and a heavy bearer with me
and being a good apple of large size
it is profitable. | am top-wOrking the
Rome Beauty on Northern Spy and
Ben Davis. One thing is important
for friend Ralston to know about this
apple, and that is, does it color well
in his section of the country? | know
of no apple that varies more in this
respect. If it colors well it will sell
much better than when this does not
obtain. Further down the Wenatchee
valley | am sure it cOlOrS well and
most likely does at LeavenwOrth. An
other variety that meets the conditions
required is the Arkansas Black. Nc
tree does better with us than this
coming apple The Yellow Newtown
is an upright grower. So are the
Winesap and the Northern Spy. The
Esopus Spitzenberg ought to meet the
required conditions fairly well. The
Mcintosh Red is an upright grower
and with all a very fine apple. 1t is
fall apple with us, but good seller
In the last issue of The Ranch the
"seedless, coreless, worthless apple
received some attention 1t does not
deserve much consideration. The most
surprising thing to me about the prop
agators of that apple is the claim that
it will prove to be worthless. No man
x,,;1 O,.th n1 inn MI C
is as ignorant as a horse or is a
knave. Any man who knows any
thing about the work of the cooling
moth knows that the claim that the
larvae of this moth live exclusively
on the seeds of apples is absolutely
without foundation. | pointed out this
last winter. We have one of these ap
pies on exhibition at the Yakima
county BOOTH and frequently we have
some lively discussions. A man came
along one day recently and put forth
this claim for this poor little runt
He argued that the young larvae would
crawl in at the blossom end of the
apple, and finding no seeds there il
would depart Well, for stupidity, that
takes the cake. 1t was fortunate
thing for this ignOramus that he die
not happen along there few days
after. H. E. VanDeman had about a
dozen of these apples sent to him in
cigar box. He brought them to our
booth and cut open two of them. Sew
eral other men were present. Some
one remarked as he cut open the sec
ond one: "Why, there is worm work
there" Sure enough. AOt only was the
apple all bored through with a worm
but out came the worm about full
grown. We viewed the lusty fellow
not with surprise, but with a certain
degree of amusement at the expense
of the propagators of this apple. Any
one who claims that the seedless ap,
pie is worthless is either very ignorant
or has joined the Ananiases.
People come to me almost daily and
after admiring our fine display OF fruit
proceed to tell a dOleful tale how in
former years they used to raise fine
fruit in Oregon, but with shake of
the head they say that it can't be done
now. Now, | don't believe word of
any such stuff The same conditions
that made Oregon fruit famous years
ago prevail there now. There is the
same sunshine and the same soil. The
only change is in the prevalence OF
insect pests and the fact that in many
places the trees have become old and
scrubby. The insect pests can be con-
trolled and new trees can be grown in
place of the old neglected ones. On
a recent trip from Portland to Tacoma
| made notes from the car window as
to the condition of the orchards both
in Oregon and Washington, for the
latter state is just as bad in this mat
ter as the former. There may be some
good well-kept orchards in this strip
of country, but | failed to see them
In most cases tle orchards are small
in size and consist of old trees that