The Republican journal., 1909-10-28

L
than any other food, and is the only fruit
that one can enjoy every day in the year.
The apple tree, moreover, is the hardest
of fruit trees, and in New England
thrives and bears without any special
direction of an orchard, the production
is sure and very large. That the use Of
fruit has increased to wonderful degree
is within the common knowledge of every
person of mature years. Thirty years
ago fruit was a luxury, rarely INDUCED
in except by the well-to-do; today it
forms part of the bill of fare of every
hotel, and every boarding house above
the lowest grade, and has recognized
dietetic value in home economy"
GOVERNOR DRAPER's EXPERIENCE.
Gov. Draper, who gave cup as prize
for the best exhibit of baldwin apples,
said he hoped the show would bring about
the rejuvenation Of neglected apple or
chards.
''Some time ago l bought farm in the
country town where live" said the gov
ernor. cit contained an orchard of bald
win apples, but paid little attention to
the apple crop until two years ago, when
my manager told me the trees were in
tested with scale and needed treatment
| told him to find out what ought to be
done to restore the trees to vigor and to
use the most improved methods. He did
so, and the following season, as result
of spraying, cultivation and proper
trimming, that orchard produced the
most magnificent crop of baldwin apples
l have ever seen. 1t is not a large Or
chard, yet | took It's barrels from the
trees.
cit occurred to me to make an expert
ment to see what could be done CONNER
cially with apples grown in an old orchard
under scientific treatment. l sold 100
barrels of those apples right at my door
for So a barrel. 1t has occurred to me
that if l could realize such profit in one
season of intelligent cultivation of an old
orchard, there was no reason why any
New England farmer could not do the
same.
81 want to see the apple industry of
New England stimulated by the en-
enlargement which this show is bound
to offer. Ihave been asked many times
to invest in the securities of corporations
organized to own and conduct apple Or
chards in the west. One proposition
recently presented to me was for com
pany with capital of Sc, 900, 900. But
cannot see why New England does not
offer better opportunities if l want to in
vest in orchards.
The New England Yankee has been
accused of many practices, but he has
never been charged with being fool l
do not believe he is any more fool to-
day than he was 10 generations ago. All
he needs is to be shown opportunity, and
| think the fine exhibition of New Eng
land apples here is an impressive dem
onstration of the opportunities we offer
to farmers.
'Ten days ago l bought farm of $50
acres, and the reason bought it was be-
cause there are 200 apple trees on it. The
trees are now in bad condition, but a
year from now l propose to have every
tree flourishing, and l will guarantee to
exhibit fine crop of apples after only
one year of treatment.
TALK BY GEORGE T. POWELL.
Wednesday afternoon a large audience
listened to lecture on the culture of
apples in New England by George T.
Powell of Client, n Y, who owns TO-
600 acres of orchards. Mr.. Powell said
in part:
''The first great essential in the sue
cessful culture of the apple is the i'm
of the soil. In selecting a
site for an orchard the best land on the
farm should be chosen, as only under the
most thorough tillage may the best
apples be grown. The higher elevations
are better than the valleys, for the at
mospheric conditions are better, while
the fruit will obtain higher color than on
the low lands.
''In planning for an orchard the entire
land should be given up to trees, and
to no other crops. Permanent trees
should be planted A feet apart and of
the best standard varieties such as the
Rhode Island greening, baldwin and
northern spy, and the space interplant-
ed at % feet each way, with early
bearing varieties, which after Is or 20
years or so, when they begin to crowd
upon the space needed by the permanent
trees, are to be. taken out. Early bear
ing varieties are duchess, wealthy and
wagner, all valuable market kinds.
This will give 80 trees to the acre, which
under the best methods of culture,
should produce large profits.
''The first principle to be applied in
the improvement Of the soil is that of
tillage. Every time the pillow or harrow
is run through the soil plant food is made
more available, hence with some modifi-
cations orchards should be titled from
the time the trees are planted until theH
are century old. Leguminous crops,
such as clover, COW peas and vetch
should be grown and plowed in annually.
The great need of New England soil is
humus to hold moisture, that the plant
food, of which there is yet an abundance,
may be made available.
1.-THE cultivation of an orchard should
begin in early spring, and should be con-
tinued up to the middle of July, after
which eight pounds of crimson clover and
eight pounds of common red clover should
be sown to grow and cover the land for
the balance of the season and through
the winter. Clover fails to grow on many
farms, but the prime cause is that much
of the humus of the soil is worn out and
an acid condition exists that is detri-
mental to clover. A liberal application
of lime will be beneficial, and by thorough
and having the clover seed in
oculated with nitrogen at the time it is
sown, as luxuriant clover may be grown
on New England soil as has been done in
the past.
IA very important essential in New
England apple culture is that of spray
ing. The San Jose scale is spreading
over every section of the country. A
new fungicide has been brought out the
past season that gives promise of very
valuable results Rordaauy rpivt,,ro hoe