56 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



planted among tlie trees for several years; but in this I make it a point 

 never to plant nearer than four feet to the trees. I find beans the best 

 crop to plant in young orchards, as the right cultivation of them is season- 

 able for young trees, cultivation ceasing in time to give the trees ample 

 time to ripen before winter. The next best crop is corn. Never plant 

 potatoes in a young orchard, as stirring the soil in digging the crop stimu- 

 lates a late, soft growth, to be injured by winter. By all means never 

 plant the orchard and sow in grain, unless you wish to throw away so 

 much money and have a continued reminder of your folly. 



Trees need but little pruning if attended to yearly, cutting out small 

 limbs that are likely to be thick and crowded as they grow. I find it nec- 

 essary to do most of the pruning and some shortening in on the east side 

 of the trees, to keep them properly balanced, as our prevailing winds are 

 westerly. 



The selection of varieties depends quite largely on the soil on which they 

 are to be planted and the object of the orchard, whether mainly for home 

 use or for market. We have some varieties that do fairly well on any good 

 soil, while some others of our best apples are unsatisfactory unless planted 

 on soils just adapted to them. As an illustration, the Rhode Island Green- 

 ing, every one knows, is of the very best and always brings the highest 

 price when well grown, but is not profitable unless planted on the best 

 strong soil. I have frequently replied, when asked the question, what would 

 you plant in planting 1,000 apples on a place on which there was no apple 

 orchard, " I would plant one half Wagener, and would plant these between 

 trees planted for permanent orchard, or on ground I might want in the 

 future for some other purpose, and would plant them twenty feet apart to 

 obtain best results." The Wagener is a fine apple in quality if kept well 

 pruned, so as not to set too much fruit, for, as usually managed, it will bear 

 itself to death before the Spy and Greening begin to bear. 



For a summer apple I know of none equal to one originating in Kala- 

 mazoo something over twenty years ago, with Mr. McSweeney on Park-st. 

 It is a seedling of the Sweet Bough, which it much resembles in appearance, 

 but is very tart and is the best cooking apple of which I know, being much 

 superior to the Astrachan in bearing qualities, bearing very young and pro- 

 ducing good crops every year, while the Astrachan only bears alternate 

 years. The past year was an off year for apples, but I had trees of this sort 

 on which limbs were broken with the load of fruit. We call it McSweeney. 

 I began propagating it some fifteen years ago, and now it can be found in 

 either of the nurseries in Kalamazoo, but I am not aware that it has been 

 propagated outside of the county. 



Oldenburgh, Gravenstein, and Maiden's Blush are reliable fall apples. 



Among some of the best winter apples that succeed on medium soils are 

 Wagener, Hubbardston, Grimes' Golden, Northern Spy, and, for extra-strong 

 soil, Rhode Island Greening, Jonathan, and Shiawassee Beauty. 



The Baldwin is losing some of its former popularity for market, on 

 account of the bitter spots under the skin. In the east, Sutton's Beauty 

 is taking the place of it, being a good, strong grower, of good size, and 

 bright red. For sweet apples, Talman and Bailey's succeed well. 



For extended planting for market, of varieties that have been well tested 

 in this state, where soil is favorable, I think the following will be found to 

 pay the best with intelligent management: Spy, Rhode Island Greening, 

 ■Jonathan, and Hubbardston. These are all apples of good quality. I 



