Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-09-29

Big Orchards
Winchester Fruit Growers Visit
Several and Get Practical
Points.
MILLER, THE APPLE KING
From Winchester Star. |

1918 lew days ago visited sew.
eral OF the largest orchardists in
Berkeley county.
| The first orchard visited was
that of Hon. Gray Silver. Mr..
Silver has large crop of apples,
but they are infested somewhat
by the bitter rot and he was
spraying the day the orchard
was visited with the Bordeaux
mixture, 4 lbs. of blue stone and
6 lbs. of lime and sulphur to 50
gallons of water.
GOLD MILLER's ORCHARD.
| The next orchard visited was
that of Mr.. D. Gold Miller who
very kindly explained to the WIS.,
tors very fully in regard to his
orchard methods.
Mr.. Miller has about one hum
dred acres in orchard in first class
condition and was then picking
a splendid crop of North Western
Greetings. Mr.. Miller is great
believer in the use of Atomic
Sulphur for the control of the
cedar rust and he believes TIL t
an orchard infested with cedar
rust should be sprayed before the
bud opens and just as the leaves
come out.
Mr.. Miller also believes in
clean cultivation and his entire
orchard was given a clean culti-
yation up to July list,
He believes in the liberal use
of fertilizer and has found the
following formula to be very
effective, applied to one thousand
pounds to the acre: 100 pounds
of raw bone, 100 pornos of
Nitrate of Soda, 400 pounds of
Muriate of Potash, 400 pounds
OF frst-c,ass tankage. This mix
ture costs about $50 a ton.
Near Mr.. Miller's orchar d
stands the original York Imperial
which was planted in 1889 and
is now 50 years old. This tree
is owned by Mr., James Campbell
and continues to bear good crops
and is in a thrifty condition.
THE APPLE KING.
The next orchard visited was
that of Mr., Miller, who has
properly earned the title of the
Apple King of the Shenandoah
Valley.
Mr.. Miller has been in the ap-
pie business on a more extensive
scale longer than any other or
chardiSt and is now considered
one of the richest men in Berke-
ley county. AT one time he
owned about eight hundred acres
in orchards, but has recently
sold some of his holdings and
now has about $50 acres of bear
ing orchard.
He marketed a crop of Is, ZOO
barrels last year and will have
10000 barrels this year. He has a
large crop on parts of his old or
chard this year and he has certain
acres from which he will pick At
least one thousand dollars
worth of fruit.
The original thirty acres in
apples that he planted forty
years ago has made him a great
deal of money. On this thirty
acres from the age Is to IS years
he has received S150,000 which
is about $40 per tree per year.
Mr.. Miller believesin extensive
making total of 1000 pounds
to the acre.
Mr.. Thatcher sprayed three
times-once in the spring with
lime and sulphur for scale, and
then for codling moth with lead,
and again about the first of July
with Bordeaux mixture.
The apples were practically all
No. is without defect or blemish.
The returns from this orchard
show the large amount of money
that the growers of Frederick
county are losing on account of
lack Of cultivation and fertiliz-
ling.
Experience has shown in or
der to get the best results, it is
absolutely necessary to fertilize
and cultivate extensively, This
method has been practiced in the
west and the apple orchards in
the west make much larger re-
turn per adre than the orchards
in this sec4on.