12 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



These produce well in northern Michigan. Then the Northern Spy and 

 the Rhode Island Greenings. This latter is one of the best sellers, and 

 are counted as good as gold. I would not plant very many Baldwins, 

 if any. 



Mr. Farrand — I would like to have Mr. Hawley give his opinion of 

 the Mcintosh Red. 



Mr. Hawley — I do not know anything about the Mcintosh Red. 



A ]\Iember — How about the Northern Spv? 



Mr. Hawley— All right. 



A Member — How about the Hubbardston? 



Mr. Hawley — That is all right — it is among the best. 



A Member — Is not the Hubbardston quite likely to wilt? 



Mr. Hawley — Not if packed early and properly. There are so many 

 points that we must leara. The Hubbardston is liable to Avilt if it is 

 not put in cold storage at once after picking. It ripens early. There 

 is a point about the Spy that I wish to mention, it will not bear until 

 fifteen or twenty years old. In my own case I have taken the bull by 

 the horns and made them bear. How? Well, my son about a year 

 ago read an article from a Avestem man who said that out there where 

 he lived, if the trees did not bear, they girdled them, and then they 

 bore. I girdled a tree, one that did not seem to want to bear — just 

 took out a ribbon with my knife, and that tree this year blossomed full, 

 and was full of fruit. The other trees did not even have a blossom on 

 them. The girdled part grew up all right and now you can hardly see 

 where it was. I want to girdle thirty or forty more trees. I want them 

 to bear, and if they do not then I will pull them out, for I will not have 

 an unfruitful tree on my place. 



A Member — What time of vear would vou do this girdling? 



Mr. Hawley — Last year I girdled about the 12th of June. It was a 

 late season. This year I think I made a mistake — I girdled on the same 

 date, but the season, as you know, was advanced about two weeks over 

 what it was the year before, so that made a difference. I should have 

 girdled them some ten days earlier. I think I will lose one tree, but of 

 course we learn by experience. 



A Member — How Avide a strip did you take? 



Mr. Hawley — Last year I took three-eighths of an inch ; this year one- 

 fourth of an inch. I had an idea that it would be better to leave a little, 

 say half an inch, so that the sap will flow better and it heal up quicker. 

 Now, I don't want you to think that I am advising you to girdle your 

 trees. If you do it, you do it at your own risk. I don't want any of 

 you to say that that old man Hawley has made you kill your trees. 



A Member — What about fall apples? 



Mr, HaAvley — If you Avant a fall apple set the Wealth}-, Maiden Blush, 

 but do not set the Duchess. I haA'e made more money out of my Maiden 

 Blush than any variety in my orchard. They have never missed bearing 

 for twenty-five years, and the Maiden Blush has a reputation that Avill 

 sell it. They never over-bear. You can thin the Wealthy heavily, and 

 if you thin properly and thoroughly when your trees are young, any- 

 thing under tAventy years, you can make your trees bear every year. 

 Then the Wagner is a good apple, and I have made that bear every year, 

 but they are a rather short li\'ed apple tree. HoAA'cver, they are such 

 a good tree to bear while they do live that they are profitable. 



