The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-12-15

OUT IOuS6E Iudu IWO WINS. hNS 0O~~
not suit me. l want such books al
ways at hand and | want to mark
them and sometimes write comments
on the margins.
w. e. Bates, Vashon, Wash, writes:
when my Ranch comes l turn hrst
to your columns and read from hrst
to last paragraph with pleasure ana
profit. Your observation and expert
ence are of great value to us VINO nave
not had your opportunities and do not
have your ability. l know you are
very busy man but can you give me
time for a line? l want to plant on
Vashon Island 100 winter pears.
What variety would you advise? l
have thought of winter Bartlett. A
suggestion from you will be greatly
appreciated"
Personally l prefer the Winter Mel
lis to any other pear that grows. In
it's season, to my taste, it is the best
pear ever ate. The pear is small and
the tree is ill shaped, but it is an
annual and prolific bearer with me.
| am now, the middle of December,
feasting on this pear. Next to the
Nellis l would prefer the Beurre East
er. This pear is large and a good
bearer with me, but the quality is not
equal to Nellis. The Beurre Anjou
is a most excellent pear but is hardly
to be classed as a winter pear. How
ever, I saw the Anjou in the public
market booth run by the Wenatchee
fruit growers union on Dec. IA. SO
it can be seen that by careful hand
ling it can be kept till the fore part
of winter. 1 am not familiar with the
winter Bartlett and hence, can not
say whether it is advisable to plant it.
One drawback to all winter pears is
the fact that they do not keep we'll
through the entire winter. l always
put some winter pears into my ceIlar
but have never yet been able to keep
any till the first of March. In cold
storage they will keep well enough
but in ordinary storage they begin to
rot in the early winter and by the
middle of January they are gone. AnG
this suggests the idea that fruit grow
ers must devise some way to have
cold storage not only for pears, but for
apples also. Farm cold storage is
problem not yet solved.
Under date of Dec. 6, Mr.. F. S.
Hedger, Kiona, Wash, writes the fol
lowing very interesting letter:
81 have quietly imbibed the good
things from your notes in The Ranch,
for a number of years, but | wish now
to encroach upon your time and pa
thence by asking few questions.
Next spring I intend to set out
five acre apple orchard with peaches
as a filler. l have three or four acres
of mixed fruits that set out ten years
ago, so am not without some expert
ence. l have decided on the Rome
Beauty, as the apple, it being a late
bloomer and adapted to this location,
and as it is not advisable to plant in
blocks of the same variety, what
would you choose to alternate with
them? Is there any thing in the af-
finity of apples one for another, as /
understand Mr.. Stewart of Euclid,
claims?
AS for the variety of peach-would
you advise a very late one? 1t has
been my observation that the price
comes up just as soon as the main
crop is out of the way
Would also like to ask you II you
have given any attention to the smudge
proposition to prevent frost doing
damage in the spring? A California
firm claims that with their specially
constructed pots burning crude oil,
they can keep the temperature seven
or eight degrees higher than the sur
rounding atmosphere, using 80 pots to
the acre. Their main graft is an cleo
trio alarm clock that awaken you at
whatever degree it is set, but that is
a small part of it to us, if the smudge
will do the work and to that extent.
Thanking you in advance for your
courtesy, l remain. Yours sincerely,
F. S. Hedger."
Friend Hedger raises a number OF