248 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ^ 



has been lost. The tender flowers are attacked on the ovary or pedicel 

 and almost invariably they drop from the fruit spurs. 



In the weak condition of the trees, the foliage is often severely injured; 

 if any of the fruits set, they are likely to be attacked and, unless 

 fungicides are applied, will be small and misshapen. 



Some have ascribed the failure of the apple crop to the changes in 

 climate due to the cutting off of the forests, and from the above it 

 may be seen that indirectly this may have had much to do with the loss. 



NOTES ON APPLE CULTURE. 



The question of apple-growing interests nearly every farmer, apples are a 

 crop that is easily grown, succeeding in most localities and furnishing, at a 

 small expense in time, a large amount of nourishing and healthy food for 

 the family. 



While it is desirable that every person who is the owner of even a vil- 

 lage lot should have trees enough to supply fruit for his own use, it is not 

 wise to undertake the growing of this or any other fruit for market, unless 

 it is quite certain that the natural conditions are favorable and one is 

 well posted as to the best methods of handling the orchard. 



Success in apple culture for commercial purposes can only be secured 

 when one chooses a suitable location and soil, selects good varieties and 

 good trees, properly plants and cares for them, supplies the needed plant 

 food, fights the insects and fungi, and harvests and places his crop on the 

 market in good condition, and it should not be expected unless the above 

 conditions are complied with. 



Letters of inquiry upon one or all of the above points are frequently 

 received, and, as they indicate a wide-spread desire for information, the fol- 

 lowing notes have been prepared. They contain not only the results of 

 our own experience, but the methods recommended are those practiced by 

 our most successful orchardists. 



ADAPTATION OF MICHIGAN TO APPLE CULTURE. 



Michigan has for many years held a high place as an apple-growing 

 state, as her success at various national and state fairs, when her apples 

 came into competition with those from other states, abundantly testifies. 

 The fruit is large in size, of high color, rich flavor, and has good keeping 

 and shipping qualities. For a number of years, for reasons mentioned 

 above, the crop has been but a partial one. 



While suitable locations for an apple orchard can not be found on every 

 farm, there are few townships in the counties south of Gladwin where 

 apples can not be grown successfully. In the northern and central coun- 

 ties in the lower peninsula, while the soil is generally rather light, there 

 are some orchards that are in a fairly flourishing condition. Many orchards 

 in the upper peninsula also seem to be doing well. 



For the past four or five years, the better part of the apple crop has 

 come from the counties north of Muskegon, taking about two tiers from 

 the shore of lake Michigan. Among the reasons for this it may be men- 

 tioned that the soil is new and has not been robbed of its plant food by 

 grain and other crops. The trees are generally young and vigorous and 

 are seldom started by warm weather in winter. Growth begins in the 



