The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-02
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY

L
name is all right? 1t Is yet to be
shown how 1t Will succeed In new To-
caHties. One grower on this Eastern
Shore of Maryland told me that he is
planting 1t largely, and trees that ho
has In bearing are giving fino crops.
as good rs those from tho West. and
he feels encouraged to plant 1t largely.
a grower In the upper Piedmont Sec
ton of Virginia recently sent me 81
specimen of tho North Carolina Bonum
apple and asked Its name Tho late
L. Il. Lyon. of Michigan largo and
experienced apple grower. once said
| to mo that he thought that the Bonu,n
apple of North Carolina was the finest
fall apple in tho United States. While
can hardly agree to this, 1t Is cor
tam that the Bonum is an apple OF
line havor, and Will suit those that
like an apple that Is soft and mealy
when ripe. I prefer crisp and juicy
apples.
Apples vary greatly in quality when
grown In different sections There
seems 1T, to be something in the Stay
man Winesap apple that especially
| adapts 1t to the Central Tidewater
country. i know of no apple that has
| IA moro sDrightly and spicy tartness
than n Peninsula grown Staymnn, and
yet l have seen Staymans from tho
moro elevated sections that were mcalv
and, as compared with tho Peninsula
grown Staymans. almost tasteless as
the same apple from the Pacific Coast,
and the New York Station says that It
| is not adapted to New York conditions.
But there is no better apples for this
coast section. where Il is as brittle
and Juicy as an Albemnrle Pippin.
Tho Manure Pile.
Professor Voorhees,, of the New Jer-
sey Station. says. In the Pennsylvania.
Farmer. that 'onc Of tho most valuable
assets of tho American farmer Is the
m "a n rn NIL 4
OF tho greatest liabilities OF tho Amer
lean farmer Is tho manure pile-tho
pilo that Ia heating and teaching un-
der Thousands OF tho barn caves all
over the country. Tho manure rep
resents q large part Of what we have
washed away and evaporating into the
atmosphere. Tho proper thing Is to
never have a manure pile except the
pile on the manure-spreadcr. to go out
on the land as 1oon au loaded.
l saw In ono OF tho best farming
sections OF Pennsylvania mammoth
barn that must have cost several thous-
ands OF dollars. and around the barn
yard was q well-built stone wall, and
there werc great piles OF manure I'm
the barnyard, and right through tbs
lower part of the wall there was a Gull
vert and ditch to drain the BARNARD
TO stream a little way down Hill.
Here was not an asset. but great liza
bility, for the dollars were going of
| that farm In the drainage OF the man
ure to say nothing OF the heating I'm
| the barnyard. And / saw in the same
! ncighborhood man loading manure
on wagon and hauling IT out to tho
| field and forking IL on In little piles.
to be spreaded later: and the next
time that field comes Into wheat there
I VIII be rank spots that will lodge and
spoil. and the man handled the man
ure three times when once would hav..
I "a n c raG IL
What do you consider the best win
ter-cover crop for AN orc!lardT' That
VIII depend on the age OF the orchard
| II you mean an apple orchard. During
| the earlier years OF apple orchard
"A good, vigorous growth Is what wa
want. To get this, the orchard should
be we'll fortified, and early vegetable
| crops grown, that we can use hui
mus making crops later. The cultiva-
! ton OF the orchard should not be car
| ried on later than July. AS tho wood
growth of the season has then been
made. and We should allow II TO ripen
and not encourage untimely growth
Then we should sow an early cowpea
that can be turned under In late Au-
gust. and Crimson clover, sown as the
winter cover, to be turned under I'm the
spring. In this way we can greatly
encourage the rapid development OF
the trees. But when they have attain.
| ed size that should be coming Into
fruitfuiness. we find that this rapid
growth is not conducive to EARL
! fruitlng. In fact, the varieties of APP
pies that naturally make rapid grow
Ing and handsome trees are as rule,
! the slowest to bear apples. like tho
Northern Spy and the Virginia Pilot
Then we need to put n slight check on
! this exhuberant growth by seeding the
orchard down to grass. and In n bear
! Ing orchard the best OF winter cover
| Ia n gnd Inf .I,- Ia
! there solely for the benefit OF the treos
and not for hay nor pasture but to
! be cut several times during the sum
mer and left on tho land as mulch
This with annual topdressings OF bone
and potash, VIII make far better an
pies than continued cultivation. All
| the growth OF grass goes back to the
| soil, and tho trees are mulched and
fed, and there is n green cover crop
on the land all the time. In fact, the
! bearing apple orchard be treated very
much as you would a good lawn.