The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-10-15
ADDITIONAL HORTICULTURE
+. Walden.

A man came to me the Otner DAY
and asked me what is the legal weight
of a box of apples. He seemed much
surprised when l told him there is
not any. Then he asked me what is
the legal weight of bushel of apples,
and he looked at me with much sur
prise when l told him l did not know.
There possibly may be some states
having a standard in weight for a
bushel of apples but if there is l do
not know it. 1t is not best to have
any such legal weight for apples, be-
cause they vary so in weight. A meas
ured bushel of apples will vary from
80 pounds in the case of the lightest
to Sc pounds with the heaviest. This
is according to Prof. Baileys Horti-
cultural Rule Book, which should be
in every fruit growers library. Nearly
all nations settle the cubic contents
of a bushel by inches. We follow the
English in part at least. They have
two bushels by measurement, one is
called the imperial bushel and con-
tains 221S.2 cubic inches, the other
the Winchester bushel, containing
21504 cubic inches. We use in this
country the Winchester bushel. Our
standard apple box contains Fl cubic
inches more than a bushel. So in US
ing this box we give full measure. But
if we were to measure a bushel OF
apples according to the common prac-
tice of heaping the half bushel meas
ure we could not put them all into
our box.
4
1 have been telling the readers of
The Ranch that apples would be high
this fall My predictions are more
than verified. l have never sold ap-
pies as high as they are going now.
We have an offer for all our apples
ranging in price from 81 per box for
five tier Ben Davis to 81 for four tier
Winesap. We have sold part of our
apples at these figures and could
close the deal any day for all our ap-
pies if we cared to do so. Last year
we sold most of our Ben Davis and
Missouri Pippins at so cents per box.
The price on these cheap apples is
more than double this year. The price
on high grade apples like Spitzenberg,
Arkansas Black and Winesap has not
increased in the same ratio as on the
cheaper grades. 1t is my intention to
make the reports on the condition OF
the apple crop reliable. The readers
of The Ranch will bear me witness
that | have not missed the mark very
far any year on the estimates of the
apple crop.
+
A man came to me few days since
and wanted some advice as to the best
time to set out young trees-fall or
tIo 1~i11or mr.
winter. Where my orchards are the
ground thaws out and is settled as
general rule by the middle of Febru-
airy. | have found that as soon as the
ground is in suitable condition then is
the best time to set trees. | do not
recommend late setting though some
times we have to practice it. A tree
should be taken up and set during the
dormant season. l would not advise
taking trees up in the nursery till the
leaves are off. AS pointed out in these
columns some time since, all trees
store up elaborated sap during the lat
ter part of the growing season. This
stored up sap is reserve supply OF
food material that enables the tree
to start growth in the spring whether
it is transplanted or left standing. MI
triton does not begin to flow IN
through the roots till the leaves begin
to grow. Natures arrangement is a
peculiar one The water in which the
nutriment is held in solution is forced
in through the root hairs by what is
called osmotic pressure. This pres
sure is very great and may very prop
erly be compared to a force pump.
But this force pump arrangement can
not force water in through the root
system unless it can get somewhere.
The only way for water to escape from
IL Aa-r of q tron nxcant q Very small