The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-05-01

of the Wild Rose Orchard Company,
under date of April 6, makes the fol-
lowing inquiry: 1--WE are planting
about 400 acres to fruit. l am very
DESTROYS of knowing whether or not
it is advisable to plant peaches as
filters with apples. Some horticulture
lists advise it, while others advise
against it. In talking with Mr.. Charles
H. Ross he told me that you are the
best informed horticulturist in the
state and would be glad to give me
any information l wanted"
My old friend Charley Ross-not
the lost Charley Ross"-is rather too
profuse in his estimate of my ability,
and | will not stand for all he says. l
do know something about the use of
filters and will try to make clear my
position in this matter. The object
in using filters is to have the trees
in an orchard, for a few years, thicker
than they would be when the trees
get to their full growth. The filters,
it is claimed, will utilize the vacant
space between the standard trees,
but when the trees begin to crowd
upon each other these filters should
be cut out. Another point is that
these filters should be selected from
short-lived varieties of apples or peach
trees, upon the supposition that they
are necessarily shOrt-lived.
The first objection I have to the
use of filters is that they will very
rarely be cut out at the right time.
President Dunlap of the Illinois Hor-
"ticultural Society some years ago Of
fered 500 for the picture of the man
who had cut out his filters at the
right. Some years afterward, he pub
licly stated that he still had his 500.
If trees are bearing and making the
owner money, how easy it is to say,
Well, I'll try it another year" AS
the damage is not very apparent, this
will be repeated from year to year.
Some Is years ago, while I was alb
sent from my fruit ranch, some apple
trees in my experimental orchard were
planted 20 feet apart. When l scOlded
a little, the boys said that when these
trees began to crowd they would cut
out part of them-but they are there
vet. 1t takes nerve to cut down a
good, healthy, bearing tree that is
making the owner money, and not
one in a thousand will do it soon
enough. My observation is that the
inexperienced theorizer will plant fill
ers, but the experienced horticulturist
will not. Some one may want to tell
me that some college professors will
recommend the use of filters, but my
reply to that is that while | have
great respect for our professors of
horticulture, who so ably fill their
places, sometimes l have found a few
of them long on theories and short on
experience.
MY experience is hat no kind of
fruit trees will be on the decline by
the time these filters ought to be cut
out. There's where the rub comes in.
It is not hard to cut out a tree that
has filled it's mission and is on the
decline, but when it ome to cutting
out a vigorous tree that's a different
proposition.
The suppositon that peach trees are
short-lived is By heavy
cutting back a peach tree a be kept
in a vigorous condition almost indef-
initely. Peach trees ought to be
pruned heavily unless they are on
low ground and in danger of spring
frosts, then they may be allowed to
"get up in the world" But such To-
cations are unfit for peach-growing on
a commercial scale. If the bodies of
peach trees become damaged by cold
winters, then they can be cut back to
the ground and you can soon grow
new trees The roots of peach trees
rarely ever die in ordinary soils. If
they are cut back above where the
buds were inserted they will soon
grow Up and be good bearing trees.
But if they are cut below the buds,
then grow one vigorous sprout and
bud it in August, and soon you will
haua a hearing tree Treated in this