Milford chronicle., 1923-05-04
della. APPLE FARM
A THING OF BEAUTY
Blossom Time In Delaware Apple
Orchards Is A Beautiful Picture
Worth Going Miles To See.
ORCHARDS AT BRDCEVILLE
Now In Bearing And In High State
Of Cultivation Under Management
Of Experienced Orchardists.

Delaware produces many beautiful
scenes in fruit growing as well as in
the grain and other avenues of agri-
cultural products, but none of the
pictures made by nature are more
beautiful than the splendid apple or
chards of the lower counties of Del
aware.
Worthy of especial mention is the
Delaware Apple Farm, a large tract
entirely given over to apple growing,
located upon the concrete highway,
leading from Bridgeville to George
town. In this block of apple trees, one
thousand acres of land are set with
the various kinds and varieties Of ap-
pies to the number of seventy thOus-
and trees, now in bearing and the en-
tire tract the last word in apple grow
ing, so far as culture, pruning and
spraying can build up.
Oliver A. Newton, who resides near
Bridgeville, and a member of the State
Board of Agriculture, has been the
manager of this business for the past
two years and under his guidance the
production of apples has gone forward
rapidly. This year Mr.. Newton has
divided the thousand acres into two
units, so as to make easier the gen.
eral control of the business from pru-
ming and spraying, to gathering and
packing the apples for market. Each
unit has it's foreman, its army Of lab
orers and equipment to carry on the
operations.
The large spraying system has been
reconstructed and steam is now used
to cook the chemicals used in the
spray mixtures. Large concrete tanks
have been supplied in which to store
the spraying material after prepare
ton. From these tanks the spraying
machines can be quickly filled auto
matically. It requires seven spraying
machines to make a complete spray
of all the trees in eight days. These
seven machines carry three hundred
gallons of spray at each filling. The
trees are sprayed several times with
different kinds of materials, for the
various diseases and fungi that the
apple trees and fruit are subject to-.
These are done at different seasons.
After the trees have set their fruit,
the liquid spray is. discontinued, to
prevent any damage to the fruit, from
the passing of the large spraying
machines through the trees; the later
spraying is by the busting" process.
The farm as a whole is in a won
derful state of cultivation. Recently
stumps have been removed from sixty
additional acres. Eleven tractors are
used to furnish the power for oper-
ating the farm and only one pair Of
mules are kept on the farm.
At present the prospect is that the
crop of apples grown in 1928, will be
one hundred per cent of full crop.
Many of the trees are now in full bios
som and the scene is one of spectacu-
lar beauty.
Visitors are welcome and the man
agement is always glad to have any
comment made on the production of
apples at this or any other Of the
many apple farms in Kent and Sussex
counties.
Mr.. Newton has a model farm, where
he resides, near Bridgeville, which is
of especial interest to all farmers
and even those who can appreciate
modern systems of producing poultry
on a commercial basis, as well as
fruits and grains. For that reason, it
is only to be expected, that the Del
aware Apple Company Farm should
be a model. sghac.