Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-03-14
SAYS ORCHARDS
AREFARM ASSET
Manager of Cone Estate Says Apple
Trees With Proper Culture May be
Made Source of Much Additional
Revenue to Watauga Farmers.
RUPERT GILLETT


one of the largest apple orchards in
the south.
Mr.. Underdown was very frank in
saying that he did not advise farm
Yes to make apples the main crop,
because of the uncertainty involved
as a result of the late freezes that
sometimes occur in this climate. He
was emphatic in recommending di-
versification of crops, so that, if one
crop fails, the farmer will be able to
fall back on another. For this pur-
pose, apples are an excellent aid to
diversification.
Farmers who have not already
pruned their apple trees, Mr.. Un-
derdown said, should do so at once,
before the buds come out. This may
be expected in a week or two, if the
present weather continues, and after
the buds come out, it is too late to
prune.
Pruning should never be neglect
ed by farmers who expect to make
a success of apple culture. Just
because tree is grown and is bear
ing, the farmer should not fail to
prune the branches properly, be-
cause pruning stimulates the tree
and makes it bear better than it
does without pruning.
Mr.. Underdown added caution
about pruning, however, because
there is often a tendency to prune
too heavily. Bearing trees, he said,
should be pruned very lightly-just
enough to thin out the branches.
About half of the previous years
growth, he explained, is enough.
Horticulturists have long ago stop.
Red heavy pruning Of bearing trees,
because it stimulates the tree too
much and has the opposite effect
from the one desired. The object
of pruning is merely to stimulate the
growth a little and to keep the
branches from getting so thick that
they will interfere with bearing.
With proper care in this respect,
apples should bring in a material ad-
dition to the farm income, granting,
always, of course, that there is not
a late freeze to kill the buds.
To the farmer prearing to start an
orchard with young trees, Mr.. Un-
derdown advised the selection Of
certain types that do best in this
climate. These, he said, are the
Jonathan, the Grimes Golden and
the Stayman Winesap. Of these, the
Jonathan is the best bearer, and for
that reason the most profitable for
commercial planting. The Grimes
Golden is also an excellent bearing
apple and a good selling apple.
Mr.. Underdown did not recon-
mend the Virginia Beauty for COM
mercial purposes, because it does not
bear heavily enough for substantial
profit, but for home use, it is one of
the best apples.
In planting your trees, the farmer
should dig his hole deep enough to
cover that part of the tree that has
been under ground in the nursery.
The topsoil should be laid aside in q
separate pile, and when the hole Is
deep enough, the topsoil should be
I put in the bottom around the roots.
A little fertilizer may also be added.
Then, the clay can be put on top
Young trees should be pruned
carefully each year until they begin
to bear, and then pruned as advised
for bearing trees. About half of
the previous years growth is the
proper amount for pruning young
trees.
Each winter, before the trees be-
gin to bear, the roots should be
covered with pine needles or straw,
and the next spring more fertilizer
shosld be added. This should be
continued scrupulously until the
trees are large enough to take care
of themselves.
For keeping apples during the win
ter, Mr.. Underdown advised the
farmer to build small storage
house. There are several ways to
build satisfactory storage house,
but Mr.. Underdown emphasized the
necessity of good ventilation, no
matter what the type of storage
house built.
If the house is built of lumber, It
should be of double construction
and lined with building paper or one