PRUNING BEARING TREES. When we pass from orchard to orchard we are impressed with the fact that much bad work has been done with the pruning saw. Many trees are stripped of their lower branches and only three or four upright limbs rise from the trunk, and nothing short of a ten-foot ladder would make it possible to reach any fruit. Again, we see the effect of utter neglect of pruning, in trees whose tops are a tangle of branches and water sprouts. There are some trees which require little or no pruning after they have reached the bearing age, because of their symmetrical growth, while others require some attention annually to keep them in the best shape for growth and fruit. There is nothing mysterious about pruning. It is only necessary to regard the several reasons for it to do it properly. 1st. To remove all dead wood. 2d. To thin out interfering or crowding branches, to let light into the fruit bearing portions of the tree. 3d. To maintain the symmetry of the tree. It is better to prune away small branches frequently than large limbs, which have been long neglected. TOP GRAFTING OR DOUBLE WORKING. A practice is springing up in some apple sections of planting seedlings or budded stock of some variety making thrifty straight growth, maintaining a sound trunk and when these trees are well established in the orchard ground, say in two years, they are top grafted or budded with the varieties to be fruited in the orchard. In Vermont, Prof. F. A. Waugh, says, native stock, top-grafted, is thought to make hardier trees for exposed situations than the ordinary low budded stock from the nursery, and that one grower plants all Tallman Sweets and top grafts. Prof. Bailey, of New York, recommends Northern Spy for stocks. For Delaware, G. Harold Powell recommends Ben Davis for winter varieties and Red Astrachan for early apples. Northern Spy is a clean, straight, thrifty tree, and could be profitably used in Pennsylvania. The Tallman Sweet has the same vigorous growth. The advantages claimed for this practice are: More uniform trees, earlier fruiting, longer life for certain varities and the opportunity of selecting all buds or cions from particular trees of special merit for the quality and quantity of their fruit. There are many midde aged trees in good health, which would be better if top-grafted with more profitable varieties, and orchards be thus greatly improved. CHOICE OF VARIETIES. The most frequent query which comes to the Experiment Station about the apple is concerning the best variety to plant. The advice usually given in reply is, to consult the neighboring orchards and select upon the basis of local experience. This is the most satisfactory method of solving the problem, only with reference to the varieties which happen to be in the local orchards. There are, however, certain varieties of apples which have the necessary traits of a profitable commercial variety, such as early fruiting, heavy bearing, good color, size and keeping quality, varieties which have already a reputation in the markets. Each planter must work out the problem of "best varieties" from a number of circumstances which he alone can properly estimate. There is so much variation in the soils of the State that the same list of varieties would not succeed equally well in all sections. In 1888, the State Horticultural Association prepared, through the aid of correspondents, a list of the ten best varieties of apples for market in each county of Pennsylvania. More than one-half of the counties placed Baldwin as a first choice. The other nine varieties were in order of prominence, Northern Spy, Greening, Fallawater, King, Ben Davis, Smith's Cider, Bellflower, Twenty Ounce, Newtown Pippin. This list would be greatly modified, if revised at this date. For many orchardists have discovered that since the Ben Davis apples of the west have made a reputation in the markets, Pennsylvania has a variety of superior quality, better color, equal productiveness and that keeps as long. This is the variety referred to in the letter of Woodall & Co., as "a favorite," namely, the York Imperial. It originated in York county and, therefore, is peculiarly a Pennsylvania apple. The prospect is now good for this State to become prominent for its yield of York Imperial apples. There are extensive orchards, principally of this variety, in York, Adams and Cumberland counties-some quite young, others just in bearing. It has been highly recommended in the northern and some western counties. It is being planted largely in New York, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. In Kansas, it is growing in popularity. E. J. Holman, of Leavenworth county, Kas., said of it last December at a meeting of the Kansas State Horticultural Society: "The York Imperial is new to many of us, because of its late sudden popularity. It has been sent to Europe, holding its own with Missouri Pippin and others. It is large, a good keeper and growers always seem pleased with it. It seems to be growing popu lar." Our fruit growers have been contending that we have no variety of apples that is well suited to commercial orcharding in Pennsylvania, and yet in the face of this contention, other States have taken up the York Imperial and made for it a reputation. It is encouraging to be able to report, however, that in Adams county, there are about 200 acres of apples in bearing condition, the principal varieties being York Imperial and Ben Davis. There are also about 400 acres of younger orchards in that county in which York Imperial predominates. This apple is highly recommended for great profit by such experienced fruit growers as Hon. G. C. Brown, Yorkana; Hon. S. B. Heiges, York; Noah Sheely, Cashtown; John Shull, Cashtown; Samuel Graham, Biglersville, and C. W. Good, Waynesboro. I have purposely said much in favor of the York Imperial, because it has seemed to me that its value as a money maker has not been fully appreciated. It is a common error, when discussing varieties to bring forth a long list of very good apples which are good only in consideration of the fruit, its flavor, color, size and keeping qualities, and when we consider the respective trees, we declare them unsatisfactory because they are poor growers, light bearers, susceptible to diseases, etc. In this connection, I will make a brief description of such varieties of winter apples as might be considered as candidates for the commercial orchard in this State. York Imperial.-Sometimes listed in catalogues as Johnson's Fine Winter, and in its native county sometimes referred to as the Shep apple, Shep being a word of the Pennsylvania German having reference to the oblique shape of the fruit. The tree is a vigorous grower with slender drooping branches after the manner of Ben Davis. It comes into bearing at four years from planting, bears regularly and heavily. The foliage and fruit are remarkably free from scab. The fruit is of medium size, oblong, angular, oblique, smooth, skin yellow and almost wholly covered with two shades of red, the darker one disposed in indistinct stripes; basin deep; cavity deep and narrow, stem short; flesh yellow, juicy, firm, sub-acid, good; season, late winter. A good shipper, bringing high prices. Baldwin.-This variety needs no description. There are many sections of the State where this apple is grown with profitable returns particularly in the western and northern counties. Jonathan. This variety is a heavy bearer, often too heavy, causing small fruit; size, medium to small; skin, nearly covered with stripes of brilliant red on a pale yellow ground. Flesh white, very juicy, spicy, moderately rich; keeps through winter. A New York apple, recently come into favor in some sections of Pennsylvania. Smith's Cider.-A favorite fruit for near markets in Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Lancaster counties. Medium to large. Shaded or slightly striped with light red on pale greenish yellow; often quite green or lacking red coloring; frequently smutty. Flesh, whitish, tender and crisp; sub-acid. A native of Bucks county. Stark.-A vigorous, upright and spreading tree. Fruit large, roundish. Nearly the whole skin is covered with two shades of dull dark red; the dull color is an objection. Many light brown dots. Stalk, short. Flesh, yellow, a little coarse, moderately juicy. Good. Season, January to May. Recommended in southern and western counties. |