ORCHARDING. 



263 



cannot raise much of a crop in their shade. It is entirely useless 

 for such persons to be inquiring about the best trees to set, the best 

 location, the best varieties, the best way and time to trim, or an}- 

 thing else about orcharding, so long as they continue to neglect the 

 one thing most necessary. Before orchardiug can be generall}- 

 successlul in this part of the State people must be educated to the 

 idea, and act uj)on it, that fruit trees can no more thrive and bear 

 profitable crops of good fruit, without enriching the soil and keeping 

 it in a suitable state for the roots to grow in, than can corn, potatoes, 

 grain or any other crop. I dwell on this point because I know it 

 is the greatest, and in many cases the onl}' cause why so many 

 have failed in this vicinity. 



If you will ullow me, I will give you the result of my experience 

 and observation on these most important points of apple raising — 

 what varieties to grow and how to best raise them. I know of some 

 who have been quite successful so far as to get up an orchard of 

 thrifty trees, but they have failed to make it profitable because they 

 have gone into raising fall fruit so largely. In most seasons summer 

 and fall fruit in any considerable amount is almost worthless so far 

 as a profitable market is concerned, and it is worse than useless to 

 make into cider, unless it can be converted into jell}- or put to 

 some other use than for drinking. It would be better to have 

 some varieties that would not decay so soon. When one has spent 

 so much of his most valuable time in getting up an orchard onlj^ to 

 find that he has not the varieties that are profitable to raise, it is a 

 very serious matter. If one sees that he has made a mistake in 

 his crops that he plants annually', he can remedy' it the next season, 

 but it is not so eas}' a matter with an orchard. Therefore it is very 

 necessary that he should know what varieties he should have. 



What we want for a profitable market apple is one that is a good 

 keeper, does not l)ruise easil}, will stand up well in shipping long 

 distances, has a good color, is good for both eating and cooking, is a 

 good bearer and is of uniform size, does not fall easily from the 

 tree, and is adapted to our soil and climate. A variet}' may grow 

 to perfection and be one of the very best of apples in one part of 

 the country-, and yet be one of the poorest in another. I know of 

 no other variety that combines all these qualities to so great an 

 extent as the Baldwin, and I consider it the king of apples for us to 

 raise on all except low, frost}- locations. It is adapted to more kinds 



