The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-25

! rocky character they cannot be plowcd
! have had very successful orchard
! on just such mountain side. The
timber had been newly cleared off It,
and the soil was evidently good. But
the fast rock.; stuck out all over it,
and II was not practicable to piow it,
We did not even attempt 10 get the
trees in regular rows or at uniform
distances apart. but planted them
where the soil would allow the hole to
be dug. In the rich virgin soil they
throve finely. and that orchard made
tho largest Winesap apples ever saw
But this does not mean that it is
not better to break tho land completely
anG deeply.
Apple Soils.
Arple trees Will grow anywhere in
Virginia If they are properly planted
and cared for. But as with every plant,
there are sells better suited to apples
on commercial scale than others.
The red clay hills of the upper Pied
mont arc all we'll suited to the growth
OF the majority of The apples planted
in commercial orchards.
But as is generally known the fam
Gus AlhcmaTle pippin is rather choice
as To the soil IL Will thrive IN. The
trees Will grow anywhere, but they
VIII not bear good pippins unless they
have the soil conditions found in but
a few localities. Going up one OF the
little NalioTs in the ragged mountains
OF Albemarle. one reaches a point
where the rcd clay soil suddenly stops
short off. and tl.ic is II dark mellow
humus soil illcd with broken rock de-
hriS from the mountain sides, hut we'll
drained thereby. and At the same time
Kept pcrpctually moist from the
mountain Strings. This is pippin soil.
and while any apple will thrive there,
tho p!ppin will not thrive probably I'M
der any other conditions. The fertile
soil. the good drainage and the percn-
NAL moisture are the conditions IL
needs. and arc those 1t finds IN these
mountain coves
The same conditions that arc cs-
eential 10 success with the pippin are
ihe best for any other apple. Hence
II IS easy 10 see that a soil abound
ing in vegetable decay is as important
for orchard success as for the general
farm crops, since the one thing that is
of the greatest Importance TO the appl..
is constant supply OF moisture with
good drainage.
y hard clay soil. deficient in humus,
and hence baking hard and drying ont.
VIII not give the best results with
apples, but can he improved even after
the trees are planted.
Sandy soils with a subsoil easily
penetrable by the root OF tho trees
will be found 10 sustain the tree under
drouchty conditions better than the
poor clay soil And It, too. can be
improved while growing the trees.
The Apple Region of the south.
The Appalachian region included III
Western Maryland. West Virginia.
Virginia East Tennessee. Western
North Carolina and northwestern
South Carolina and Georgia constitutes
the finest apple growing section OF the
United states Oregon and the Pacific
Coast produce apples OF great size
and beauty, but in quality they are
poor eating in comparison with the
apples grown in the East.
Recent paintings have shown that
good apples can he produced com
mercially here clear to the coast While
the apples OF the mountain section
arc better keepers in winter, the
abundant cold storage room now TO
be had gives the Tidewater grower an
advantage. Large areas are now
planted in Delaware of the Stayman,
tho best OF all winter apples in my cs
timat'on, and these are put into cold
storage, and sold a good prices dur
ing the winter
But the Tidewatcr sections have an
other advantage in the production OF
early summer apples. AS write this,
n nelEhbor reports that ne has sold
his Yellow Transparent apples in New
York for 1915 "A bushcl. and in vari-
Gus parts OF the Eastern shore PENN
sula the summer apples. like the Vel
low Transparent Red Astcakan and a
few others, have been found more pro-
il;ablc than the winter apples. one
grower said 10 mo that he was warned
In planting his trees that the summer
apples would soon h. ovcrdone. but
he has found that on the contrary they
have proved more profitable every
wear This is especially true when
peaches are scarce.
Therefore. no matter in what part
OF The state YOU live YOU can grow
apples II you give the trees the proper
attention.
Planting Trees.
Never plant apple trees closer than
thirtY-iivc feet apart each way. Trees
i'm good soil and well cared for Will
fnally meet even at that distance
apart. and each tree should have room
for its best development As ] have
said plant only one ycar-old trees. and
YOU Will usually get better trees by
getting the hudded rather than the
root grated ones Get them from the
nearest reliablc nursery. Plant in tn"
fall rather than in the spring. for YOU
VIII always succeed better from fall
planting here than from spring plant
ing The newly planted tree must
make new root hairs. the only par; Of
the roots that take food from the soil
and which are inevitably dried up in
transplaDtinc Then If the tree is
planted 10 the fall il will 20 To work
during the winter and make new hbres
ready FOR tho swelling buds in spring,
!, while the spring planted tree has a
hard time with the buds swelling be
fore there are any feeding root hairs
made and The storoi-up supply may
Ice exhausted before the roots can
supply more
You viii often read advice from men
who should know better to get Your
trees in the fall and heel them in in a
trench during The winter for planting
In the spring ] have never been able
to see any good reason for doing this.
If 1t IS right 10 get The trees in the
fail and keep them heclcd in a trench.
II Is SIM better To plant them, for in
our climate, where the SOIL does not
freeze deeply, the trees would he
making new root hairs in the trench.
and taking them UP in tn" spring