268 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



and popular apple; and, notwithstanding its antics in bearing, no one 

 seems willing to ostracise it. The Northern Spy completes the trio of 

 popular winter apples. A very good reason for setting largely of these 

 varieties is, that while all are really good, consumers have learned their 

 names and ask for them, often because they do not know the names of 

 other varieties. The pippin family contains some excellent fall varieties. 

 Chief among them is Hubbardston. They are mostly good family apples, 

 trees vigorous growers, and are good bearers. The Chenango is an excel- 

 lent late "harvest" apple. For an early harvest it is rather unfortunate 

 that we have nothing better to offer than the Red Astrachan. Like most 

 of its Russian neighbors it has nothing to recommend it, save hardiness , 

 and color. 



For a permanent orchard of 1,000, I would set the following varieties: 

 Five Astrachans, 25 Chenango, 50 Hubbardston, 50 Twenty-Ounce and Fall 

 Pippin, 100 each of Greening, Spy, and Jonathan, 500 Baldwin. I would 

 set a few Seeknofurther for those who believe it to be the best eating 

 apple on earth. The remainder I would set to new varieties, as an educa- 

 tional feature. I have given more early varieties than are generally grown 

 for an orchard of this size, because there is a dearth of really good early 

 apples in this locality. 



The time is at hand when good early apples will be in demand. A fruit- 

 grower in the state of Vermont said he had no trouble the past season in 

 selling such apples for one dollar -pev bushel. 



The distance apart to set apple trees in an orchard can never be arbi- 

 trarily fixed. The difference in soils and treatment is so great that what 

 would prove too close in one case might give plenty of room in another. 

 Trees should never crowd one another in the orchard. When they do so 

 it is economy to remove some of them. 



The distance varies from two to four rods apart. There are some 

 varieties for which two rods are far enough. Mr. John Granger has a 

 scheme for utilizing the ground while an orchard is growing, by planting 

 between the trees that make up what he calls the permanent orchard, 

 varieties that bear early in life, notably the Wagener, to be removed when 

 they crowd themselves or the other trees. In this way he recommends 

 setting the trees not further than one rod apart. This, to be practicable 

 and economical, should be followed by good tillage. Before commencing 

 on this part of the subject, however, let it be understood that the great 

 object in tillage, aside from destroying the weeds, is husbanding the 

 moisture of the soil, the importance of which may readily be seen if we 

 consider only briefly some of the functions of water in vegetable life. 

 Water enters largely into the construction of all living plants, and forms 

 upward of one half of the newly gathered vegetable substances we are in the 

 habit of cultivating. In the midst of abundant spring showers, plants 

 shoot forth with amazing rapidity, while they wither and die when water 

 is withheld. It contains great solvent power over solids, and especially 

 decayed animal and vegetable matter. Its great affinity for substances 

 such as are supposed to be capable of ministering to the growth of plants, 

 brings them within easy reach of the roots. It is only by having water in 

 excess that the circulation of the sap of plants is carried on, and the 

 exhalation of a medium-size apple tree on a hot summer's day, is truly 

 astonishing. It is quite evident, then, that water is a very necessary 

 article to have and to husband, for every owner of an apple orchard. 

 Indeed, I believe the primary cause of the disastrous failure of apples 



