16 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the apples by feeding the tree salts of iron and large amounts of wood- 

 ashes and other chemicals, but I have not seen any of them that are 

 entirely satisfactory, so I have almost come to the conclusion that you 

 cannot get the color on the apple in that way. But I believe you can 

 get it with a sod mulch and enough sun. There have been very care- 

 ful experiments made in New York where one-half of the orchard was 

 cultivated for a series of years with clean cultivation while the other 

 was in sod and there was a very marked difference. The apples grown 

 on the sod would have better flavor and a richer color than the other, 

 which might possibly be due to the fact that the apples matured earlier 

 on the sod than on the other, and early maturity brings color. 



Another thing is thinning, pruning and doing anything to open up 

 the tree so that the sunlight will get in. After this is done, then the 

 cold nights will do much. In parts of New York and Michigan, where 

 they have cool nigh is and the winter apples are out, they color up very 

 fast. Id high latitudes, they have a much better color then in lower. 

 In the northern part of this state, the Mackintosh, Snow and other ap- 

 ples like that take on a beautiful color; more so than in the southern 

 part of the state. 



You ask about pruning. Prune the trees so they can get a large 

 amount of sun-light. Thin the fruit and that will help. Undoubtedly, 

 large amounts of wood ashes will have a desirable effect. Michigan 

 apple growers must get that color. The western fellows have it, but 

 it comes because of the perpetual sunshine they have. 



.Mr. Wilde — These heavy cold soils, deficient in lime do not produce 

 the fruit with color that these warm, limestone regions do. I have 

 never seen a case where the soil was deficient in lime has produced 

 highly colored fruit, and 1 am not familiar with any case where specially 

 large quantities of lime have been added to bring about this change, 

 so I can not say whether it will give the desired results or not. 



Question 20 — How many have had profitable results from the use of 

 commercial fertilizers? Can we afford to buy stockyard manure? 



A .Member —We have been conducting exj>eriments on the Dutchess 

 apple and failed to get very satisfactory results. We use a complete 

 fertilizer — potash and phosphate — phosphoric acid and nitrogen. 



Question — Is your soil not naturally rich? 



Answer — Yes, it is. 



Member — Then it did not need it. 



A member — We have been using potash, phosphate and bone with 

 good results, and are well pleased with it, and we have thought we 

 secured a good deal of color out of commercial fertilizers. I know we 

 have on the peach, and I think we have on the apple also. 



Mr. 'Wilde — We have had results on plums and peaches, but what 

 about apples? Apples do not seem to respond. 



Mr. Bassett — Our experience proves that there is just one way to 

 get color, and there is no other system by which you will get that 

 apple to take on the right color except to get it under the sun's rays — 

 then you will get some color, but you can not get it by putting on 

 phosphoric acid, potash, etc. If that apple is hid away from the sun. 

 there is no way to get the requisite color except by getting it exposed 

 to the sun by cutting away the branches so there is not so much shade. 

 This is the gospel truth. 



