THE APPLE IN OREGON 



Extracts from Bulletins of the Oregon Expe7-im,ent Station, Preparei by 

 Prof. E. R. Lake. 



THE PROBLEM OF PLANTING. 



Before the question of what to plant arises in the mind of the person 

 about to engage in the growing of the apple, there have come those other 

 questions: Shall I grow apples? If so, to what end? For home, local 

 market, or shipment? And it is presumed that to these suggestions a 

 final answer has been given. Whether this reply makes the one or the 

 other object the purpose of the planting matters little, so far as the real 

 work of planting and future care is concerned, though too offen the 

 plants upon which a crop is grown for home use are given little or no 

 intelligent, appreciative attention. There is no adequate excuse for the 

 usual neglect of the trees, shrubs, and vines that produce the fruits for 

 home use. Only clean, healthy, vigorous trees may be expected to produce 

 choice fruit, and what tiller of the soll would that his family should have 

 fruit of an inferior quality? The plea that is usually offered in extenua- 

 tion of the offense of an ill-kept, fruit bearing plantation is that "We 

 can't take time from the regulär work to look after it." This is the 

 merest absurdity. An essential part of man's duty to himself and family 

 is to maintain good health. No Single part of our usual diet does more 

 to promote this condition than wholesome fruit. It is only with the best 

 of health that the soil tiller may expect to successfully compete with his 

 fellow; hence how important that he avoid, as far as possible, all demands 

 upon the physician's Services, for such demands mean a lessening of his 

 earning capacity, as well as an increase in financial expenses. Not alone 

 this, for the growing of good fruit for home use gives a tone, keenness 

 and enthusiasm to the family such as many times repays the outlay. The 

 man, woman or child who works much out doors craves a good supply of 

 f resh fruit, and such an one works harder and more cheerfuUy when 

 liberally supplied with it. Reasons enough, certainly, why the fruit 

 garden about the home should be cultivated and the plants otherwise well 

 treated. 



And thus it should appear evident that there is really no essential 

 difference between the problem of planting for home and that of plantin"- 

 for the market, except so far as relates to the varieties most desirable for 

 the particular purpose in view. 



Location. — -From several points of view the problem of where to locate 

 the apple orchard is one of considerable moment. Now that good, clean 

 fruit, free from worms and fungi, is to be secured only at the expense of 

 liberal and effective spraying, it is imnortant that the orchard be located 

 so that this work may be done to the best advantage. Other conditions 

 being equal, one should locate near the home buildings and water supply. 

 For the home orchard it will not be difRcult to group the trees about the 

 buildings in such a manner as to make them easily accessible for spray- 

 ing, the most important, yet the most neglected, part of the orchard's care 

 at present. But for the commercial orchard the question of location 

 assumes various other phases, such as the cost of land; access to shipping 

 points; facility of tillage, depending upon character of soil and climate; 

 the inter-adaptability of climate and varieties, and the prevailing climatic 

 conditions of the locality. 



