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

As the time of year is here for the planting of fruit trees, I do not know of any better subject, or one that would interest the reader more than to give little practical information regarding the apple, soils best suited for the apple, se- lection of trees and the planting and their cultivation.
 In traveling over a great section of our country we find that the old orchards are giving out and that but few young orchards are being planted. so I regard this as an opportune time to engage In commercial apple growing.
 Only a little more than one year ago we heard the cry from different parts of the country that there was likely to be an over production of apples. Today fancy apples are worth $450 per bushel. Apple orchards in northwest Arkansas this year are bringing from s200 to $200o per acre. The fruit crop of Benton county. Arkan- sas alone this year has been worth $2,OO 900.
 There are many counties in North Ala bama where the soil and general climatic conditions are just as favorable for fruit growing as are the sections of Northwest Arkansas. All these sections need Is a proper development of their natural pos abilities. and I wish to give the readers of our paper information which will en-
 able them to obtain like results in Ala
 bama. This information will be given in
 serial form and will be continued from
 week to week.
 Commercial Apple Growing.
 The apple Is fruit of a rosaceous tree,
 pyrus malus, a native, probably, of Con-
 tral Asia The tree Is now cultivated
 in nearly all temperate regions in numer-
 ous varieties and it's fruit is in universal
 use. It was introduced into America from
 England in 1929 by the governor of Mas
 sachusetts bay. It is scarcely known in
 its wild state, but on It's escape from cul-
 tivation its fruit becomes small, acid and
 harsh. and Is known as the crab. The
 cultivated crabapple Is the fruit of an-
 other species of pyrus.
 The apple Is, perhaps, more extensively
 cultivated than any other of our many fruits, and is more popular than any other fruit. We could better dispense
 with any or all fruits other than the ap- pie. The fruit is healthful and can be used in more ways than any other fruit, and is more universally known and used. With the increase in population there is constant increase in the demand for fine apples, and this demand will always make the growing of apples a profitable Industry. but the foreign demand for fine stocks of American apples Is constantly increasing. Again, here in our own coun- try the non-producing class of people is | increasing 70 much faster than Is the pro- ducing class that this condition gives to all growers, not only of apples but all | farm products, a ready cash market for | every first-class crop produced on the | farms of this country. Of course there | may be seasons when we will have a re- mendous crop of appless which cannot be l handled In such a way or at such a time as to get big prices for all of the crop. | We had a striking illustration of this con- 1 dition in the Osarks in the fall of 1908. | That season there was & big crop of l apples which might have been marketed at profit if growers had not anticipated l their needs and had made necessary l preparation for storing the crop until l such time as the market would take | them. There Is no question but that this | big crop was badly managed in many 1 cases. The apples wero allowed to become damaged and great quantities were put l upon the market in an unmerchantable l condition.
 Cold Storage.
 | The losses on this crop bring mp moro | foroibly than ever the importance oi | every commercial apple grower being | provided with ample cold storage room | This seems to be the only practioal ] plan to keep our apples until we can