The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-08-09
Apple Culture.

not worthy of especial con-
~ssideration. We are inclined to think
that apples grow so plentifully and
easily that they do not need very
much attention. But there are
apples and apples. There are mil
lions of very poor apples put on the
market every rear. They are poor
Nor several reasons. The variety is
pot&ood, the soil was not prepared,
the cunpre was lacking, and insects
have put in their work. Diseases
Of various kinds have injured the
flesh, the flavor and the looks of
these apples. Some one set the tree
or 1t came up by accident and con-
tinues to cumber the ground.
The truth is that a f1rst-class apple
is scarce and quite" expensive. This
should not be so. Apples keep
well and can be shipped with safety
over long distances. 1t costs the
same to get a barrel to hold poor
fruit as to hold good fruit. The
freight is the same, the time re-
quired to handle them is the same,
and a poor tree takes as much room
in the orchard and draws as much
nourishment from the soil as a choice
tree.
When we plant an apple orchard,
we should select the choicest apples
that will grow in our section. If we
do not know, we shonld consult a
reliable nurseryman. In almost
every part of the country there are
good apples that are especially
suited to that section. AZ These local
varieties are often superior in flavor
and flesh to any Of the highest
brands. To illustrate this point, we
call attention to the fact that while
Georgia is not considered an apple
growing. State. there are several
varieties, developed locally from ac-
cidental seedlings now growing In
Georgia, that are not surpassed in
favor of flesh or keeping quality
by any apple that m into the
Atlanta market.
Several of the choicest apples that
do we'll up North will not pay to
plant down South. A fine Northern
fall apple becomes a poor summer
apple down South, and a good winter
variety becomes q failure by ripen-
ing in the fall. The difference in
the length of the seasons is an i'm
portant factor.
Having selected your trees and
your soil, you will greatly improve
your chances for success by using
dynamite to blow the holes for set
ting, instead Of digging in the usual
way. tits cheaper and better. Use
two and a half feet of fuse and four
cartridges, and you will have
a hole ~pulverized about foul feet
deep and five feet across. Put in.
your trees and fill in with nice rich
EARTH, and the tres will grow of
more rapidly and live longer and
bear more and Amer fruit.
AS potash greatly helps the trees
to be healthy, and improves the
flavor and color of the fruit, it should
be used freely around the roots of
the trees. In cultivation be careful
that the single-trees do not strike
the trees and skin them. Plant the
orchard in peas or cotton or clover,
and use potash and phosphate freely
upon these crops. Pillow deep while
the trees are small, and shallow after
they have grown large. Avoid break
ing the roots as much as possible.
AS the roots will run through all
the ground between the rows search
ing for food and water, It will be
profitable to see that they do not
strike poor soil. Use such manur
and fertilizers as will feed them
freely. Peas and clover will furnish
the nitrogen, and if you will supply
the phosphate and potash. you will
have full crops of we'll grown and
highly favored and beautifully col
ored fruit.
Spray freely, beginning before
they bloom and repeating until the
fruit begins to color for rfpening.
For the fungus diseases use the cop
per mixtures, and for insects use
kerosene and paris green.
A little space and time and intelli-
gence will enable every family to
lave apples almost the year round.
Apples I cheaper than doctors
bills and more profitable than
peaches. Plant them in the yards,
plant them along the roads, plant
them between the pecans.-J. B.
Hunnicuts, in Southern Fruit
Grower.