The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-01

find a market forsthem. When we have these big crops, if we were prepared with ample cold storage and stock to eat the culls and eYaporators and cider mills to work up the poorer grades so that none but the fancy grades would be placed in cold storage for market, we could hold the fancy grades until such a time as they were needed and when they would bring paying prices; or in other words, we should be prepared for a system of marketing our crops so as to keep off of an over-crowded market There is far more money in selling 90 barrels of apples for $100 than there is in selling 100 barrels at s100. All good apples can be sold at a profit if we can but arrange to hold them until the consumers need and want them. l do not expect to live to see the time when there will be more apples grown in the United States than can be eaten by our people. All that Is needed is time and they will eat them up. There is another point in this to be taken into consideration; when times are prosper ous and our people all have employment at good wages, they will use more ap- ples, as well as other fruits. There is no good reason why the present pros perity should not continue indefinitely, so instead of growers cutting out their orchards, as was so frequently talked of during the low prices of 1906. I think far better plan would be to go right on planting new orchards, growing a better quality of fruit. preparing cold storage to store the best grades and disposing of our inferior stock and culls to best advantage. This, again, reminds us that there should be hogs kept on all commercial fruit farms It is true that apples as a food for hogs are not worth much and should not be depended upon alone for feed, but they may be eaten up by the hogs and in this way be gotten rid of. The main idea is to get rid of all poor grades and to put none but the best on the market There are many localities and farms where caves may be made to answer as good substi- tutes for cold storage. It is very inn portant after we produce our crops to market only first class articles.
 Pays To Grow Good Stock.
 Commercial apple growing is like other industries for the reason that the grower that will study the matter and give it careful attention, which 1t deserves will always be able to get the cream of the market, for it always pays to grow first class stock and to put none but the best on the market. To enable the grower to do this, and to assist him as far as possible Is the object in publish ing these articles. We feel that there is a great need at this time for few practical suggestions along the line of apple growing.
 Much has been written on the subject of horticulture, and apple growing in particular, yet the subject is not nearly exhausted by any means. In work of this kind I shall have to be brief and confine myself to short, practical facts, which will not only aid the reader who may be seeking for a location where he may engage in fruit growing, but also, at the same time give to the be- ginner such information as will enable him to succeed in horticulture.
 Information that will assist him to do this is the kind of information that we shall try to impart in these articles. What the beginner needs is plain, prac- tical information which will enable him to take the fruit tree from the nursery and proceed with it step by step until he has from it fine fruit, ready for the market. As 1t Is commercial apple grow ing I wish to assist and encourage by writing these articles I will omit all the details of the nursery and take the tree, follow it from the time it leaves the nursery until it is bearing the ripe fruit. However, any information which will enable one to grow fine fruits for com mercial purposes will answer equally we'll for home or family orchards and vineyards All that is necessary Is to use the same methods on a smaller scale.
 Location.
 The matter of location, or the selec- tion of section suitable for the best developments of the apple, is a matter that should first of all attract the attention of the grower. In this there are many things that should be care fully considered. Climate and soil sh ould be well looked into, also the facilities for getting the fruit to both home and foreign markets should be we'll considered. There are sections where commercial apple growing may be made very profitable, and other sec tions where any effort would prove failure. The class of apples to be grown, as we'll as the markets for hich they are grown, are matters which should also be considered.
 Should the grower decide to grow early apples for the market, he should go as far sou1h there are lands suited for this class of apples. If he is to grow winter apples, he should select sections adapted to this class of fruit, and as stated before, in mak- ing these selections he must not over look facilities he will have for reach ing the markets from such sections. This question of easy access to mar kets Is one of great importance, as it largely determines the question of profits. In a broken country, where the roads are rough, transportation over SuCn T0a0B reduces the prOntS or apple growing very rapidly. With our present facilities, together with any interburban lines which are now be- ing built out into various sections of the country, we will be able to reach nearly all our better fruit growing sections, and these sections will soon be brought into reach of the markets. Bcsides the steam lines. as our country becomes more thickly populated the demand for good roads increases. and this, too, will do much in bringing our fruit growing sections into close prox- unity with our markets. With all these advantages presenting themselves the man seeking . suitable location to en- gage in commercial apple growing 1 should be easily accommodated. Ans other strong point in favor of the fruit grower ia that apples will bear long CT haul than any other of our fruits. | While we have many sections where l commercial apple growing may be made profitable. yet. l wish to attract | the attention of the reader to flow | sections which are ospecially adapted | fos thts tus7uafrv and which have 2iVoQ