The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-20
PROBLEM OF GROWING FINELY
COLORED APPLES.
(Ry w. s. Teator.)

III
fronting the apple grower Is now 20
get color in his fruit: while n or
chard is cultivated color IS too duiL
We NAV some day know more aDout
it. / find that a few kinds will color
we'll naturally when under uilaSe-
The Jonathan is an eminent
With Baldwin and most other KINDS
he color remains dull unless they
hang until fully ripe: even then there
must be plenty of sunshine | hno
that color is added very apldf our
ing the last three or four days pre-
ceding the correct picking tune A
tree in enfeebled heath or whose leaf
functions are in any amer disturb
ed will grow highly colored fruit, but
these are conditions that we naturally
do not want. / will cite rs a notable
Illustration a Northern Spy crop that
1 grew two years ago me trees
we're very vigorous and under cufu-
walton. They received two drench-
ings of a strong solution Of lime
sulphur just before budding time;
the first. applied during a heavy wind
was not deemed sufficient as we
could not do good back spraying. A
day or two later the spraying was re-
peated with an opposite Wind, n
they were o~verdOsed, no doubt of 1T.
The result was that the foliage did
not develop we'll Fifty per cent Of
II never got more tI1du HAIL Size, IN
remaining leaves never became large,
but they had good color. The trees
produced a heavy crop OF wonder
fully beautiful fruit of the highest
! color and flavor. I felt that it was a
marvel that they could carry through
SO fine a crop with this scarity OF
| foliage and hat it would be such a
! drain upon their vitality that they
| would never owe but there were
| Soonpin DIV no ill efforts for these trees
had more than ordinary foliage and
growth asst year.
Would this serve as d hint? Can
we got fine color through the means
Of Eme-sulphur in the de-
scrihed It might be dangerous to
put through such an experiment in
a wholesale way out [ would like to
know more about it.
Sprayed.
The crying need Of our markets is
for apples with their color. The bulk
OF the Baldwin crop doe not nave a
chance to get it's color as it is gath
cred too OOn n this is a situation
that the orchardist cannot always
help. The fruit must be gathered be-
fore the storms come or there will be
great loss. If the crop is large the
work must begin early unless help is
abundant enough to care fox it in q
Not Sprayed.
limited period. However, color is the
thing to strive for and it may some
times pay to take a little risk in wait
ing for more maturity. l feel that
much "a be done in this way to i'm.
prove the selling qualities Of apples
The grower who has a few Of the
standard kinds following each other
in the natural order of ripening has
an advantages: he has a more extended
picking season.
l make a close study Of the exac'
time of maturity Of the various kind!
and aim to gather each kind as ear
ly as possible at This precise period.
Our spraying operations are mos
thoroughly done and in consequence,
San Jose scale and coddling moth al,
having a pretty hard struggle for 1if'
!, in our orchards. Our worst insec
| disturbed is the aphis, and we hav'
| not done much Of Importance to
wards its control. The leaf roller
r the red bug and the apple scab fungu
} IN u particular section have not a
5 yet given us any serious trouble
: they cor1e the work will b
much harder. We fully realize tina
: these and other bad things may reacl
us at any time and are watchful. TIL
: fruit grove must be ready at a mo
s ment's notice to meet his enemies.
: is never in any case plain sailing a
r in the old days when the market
I were less critical n any sort Of a.
9 apple would do; and the man VIII
q now comes out winner by producin;
n a crop OF perfect apples either mus
have a marvellous lot Of natures as
t s~istance, or must be a good fighter
g It is not alone a matter Of knowins
but of doing.
In the matter of picking apple
it is difficult to explain and describ
r when the time has arrived that a
apple has acquired all the perfectio
that nature can give it. 1t is some
n what a matter of feeling. Yet Their
e are signs which may be read by a
expert and | believe that it is rattle
e a matter OF hour thar Of days. Som
y have said that an apple is rip
enough to pick when the seeds ar
d black; but that is not altogether tr,,
e Watch the coloring process; it is yer
rand ON the last DAYS and uhon =