Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-30
INTENSIVE APPLE CULTURE.
Experience with One Hundred Acres
Of Orchard since 1907, by e. r. Holmes


l was Interested in this orchard before
1907, but not In such a way that l could
give It the kind OF care ! knew It should
have. The hundred acres had been in
sod for years. The trees had been trimmed
and sprayed thoroughly for several years.
but the yield had never been up to the
average OF orchards in this section.
although since spraying began the quality
had been good
In the winter OF 1907, fifty acres OF
greetings we're given good mulch OF
barnyard manure as far AZ the branches
extended AS soon as frost was out Of
the ground turned this mulch under
about three inches-not deep enough 10
injure the roots. don't believe in pruning
a tree at both ends. One acre was given
a dressing Of air Stacked lime-about two
hundred pounds to each tree. l will here
say that this acre showed such marked
superiority to the rest in color and size
of foliage and in finish and texture Of fruit
that seventy acres more were lined that
fall and the remainder of the orchard
will be lined this winter.
To go back to 1877, the plowed ground
was thoroughly puverzed with disc
harrow and was gone over with spring
until the middle OF July when 4 sowed one
bushel OF buckwheat to the acre. Two
weeks before apple picking time, when
the buckwheat was in full bloom, il was
rolled with a low roller in order to break
it down and az the same time provide
a soft cushion for wndfall. and 'teep them
clean. That fall picked 900 be rrels from
the nifty acres | took care CT, and &c
barrels from the rest.
In the spring of 1875, foolistly allowing
myself to be Influenced against my own
Judgment by the opinions OF some of the
wise ones, who said tho crop of the
previous year was due to manure alone,
l dropped one-half OF the nifty acres and
cultivated but twenty-five. while manurns
the entire orchard.-We all know what n
dry season we had in 1es.--I cultivated
tn, twenty-five acres once every ten days
until the middle Of July when seeded to
mammoth clover for a cover crop for
winter The outcome Of this experiment
was. that from twenty-five acres cultivated
two years in succession GOO barrels were
picked The twenty-five acres cultivated
but one year yielded % barrels, much
inferior In size; and from the other half
Of the entire orchard got onthing.
cultivation was Of the greatest Importance,
and this year the whole orchard was
under cultivation. From inquiries coming
from all parts Of the continent II woulo
seem that everyone had heard OF the crop
Of apples which rewarded me in 1909.
OF 1000 barrels picked 800 from the
nifty acres cultivated two and three years
and OF these l didn't have ten barrels Of
cet, Va ~ saI u :
fancies nrsts and number 2s ZOO barrels
fancies, nothing smaller than 81 inches.
500 barrels firsts. nothing smaller han
Ia inches. Balance, wndfalls. tribe
small. but free from worms. The winc-
falls brought two dollars per barrel AT
the station. The others were placed in
cold storage at Troy, y Y, and are being
handled by r.. r. Looms & 90. Of New
York. Fancies are selling to-day at S.bO
and firsts at $3.50 No. 2's were sold on
arrival at s3oh
The 1907 crop netted. after deductins
costs OF picking, freight and commits
sion 80, oH 20
The crop OF 1903 Melted ...,...., .s2.oo1o>
This year tho gross returns VIII So well
peSonn .......,.....,. .Sls,""'''
III spraying use n /. l.3 horsepower
SdspiiHe SpTaNsr maze ny Nlle iVi'
Force Pump Co.. Elmira, n y. A man
| makes no mistake when he buys one OF
these. Hand power pumps are too Ia
borious and do not give fierce enough
to produce the fine spray necessary 10
reach every part of fruit and foliage.
! spray before buds open for bud moth
and cigar case bearer with Bordeaux
Lad arsenate mixture, ana again after
the blossoms fall, for collins moth with
lead arsenate and lime. Ny experience
is that this is the most important spray.
The third spray comes Just before the
apple turns down and is for blight, fun
gus and tho ccding moth Spraying at
this time ~ carefully done, nils the
calyX with II first and last breakfast Tor
The grub when he om6rfes from the
o"E, our greatest pest Is the cooling
moth but this little chap need not be
cared II the spray nozzle is pointed In
the right direction and he'd there long
-nough during the second spraying,
With good cultivation, thorough spray
ms, trimming and fertilization we have
| 'othing to fear from the Great North
est.
Last, but no, least, pack true to mark
md don't pack anything you would not
ny Yourself.
.akc View Orchard, charlotte. VT,