Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-09-16
Comments on Apple Culture.

| A couple of weeks ago the Register had
an editorial on the subject of apple grow
ing in this section. One of our readers,
who is interested in fruit growing, writes
lis as follows:
There is another side TO this apparently
bright picture. Forty years ago seemed
as if all that was necessary was to select
your trees, plant them on the toughest
and poorest ground, keep the cows and
horses from eating them down, and in ten
or twelve years you had a good bearing
orchard. What few enemies there were
only appeared to act as it were to keep
the trees from growing too rapidly or by
their attacks on the fruit destroyed enough
TO merely thin the crop and so prevent
the trees from being overloaded. Even
then tree would sometimes break down
from its load. No one in those halcyon
days ever dreamed of what they would
have 10 contend with in later years.
In those days there were no San Jose
scale, no frog-eye, no blight nor leaf-rust.
The curculio would only sting the plum
or damson; the aphis did no harm, and
the coddling moth merely thinned the
fruit.
But how is II now2 To grow fruit
successfully and profitably requires eter-
nal vigilance, extensive and expensive
labor, and large outlay in money for
machinery and material for spraying, cul-
tivating, fertilizing and other necessary
appliances TO combat the above named
enemies, which, as the years advanced,
grew more and more, until instead of
being harmless they have become so de-
structiye that only wide-awake, up-to-
date men by our modern methods can
make the business success financially.
The successful fruit-grower now finds
the culture of fruit TO have become sep
arate and distinct profession that profit
only comes TO him who can and does ap-
ply the necessary time, labor and money
in the work
The demands of our markets are for
clean, perfect, fine-looking fruit, honestly
packed in substantial, neat appearing
basket, box, case or barrel, and these
must be complied with or you are left
behind in the race. Millions upon mil
lions of barrels of apples, both for home
consumption and export, pass through
our markets and the man who puts up an
honest package, labeled true to name,
is the man that finds fruit culture pleas
ant and profitable business. Patient toll
and liberal outlay only bring reward.
This you can readily realize by the dead,
dying and neglected orchards here and
there to be seen as you travel our valley
but am thankful to say that few such
are found in our own section. These
few, however, stand as warnings to the
amateur. The time has gone by when it
was only necessary to plant the tree, and
nature did the rest. II now requires
brain, Drawn and expensive outfits to
combat the vast hordeS Of insects and
ever-present fungi that prey upon the
commercial orchard.
Washing with soap suds or with lime
merely the trunk of the tree, as Our grand
fathers did, no longer SufficeS.
In conclusion, would say to the men
that plant an orchard, and many are doing
so, continue planting and give proper
care and attention, fear not TO spend your
money in up-to-date, modern methods,
and reward is sure. The greater your
efforts, the greater your success and the
fuller your purse. The culture OF fruit is
one of the most pleasant and profitable
callings, and the young landowner can
reap greater results from no other source
in his rural life than from commercial or
cllards. And, as said before, future gen.
erations will see Our sections one vast
fruit country, for our valley is the natural
home Of the apple. K.