The Bulletin. 21 



ket. It should have, too, the finest texture and best flavor consistent 

 with keeping and shipping quality. Some varieties of apples of 

 notably poor quality have in the past proved to be good money makers. 

 Shipping and storing facilities are improving every year, and apples 

 of fine texture and good flavor can now be placed in the best markets 

 in perfect condition. The commercial apple of the future must have 

 far better than Ben Davis quality. 



The apple growers of Western North Carolina have not been living 

 up to the ideal horticultural possibilities of their clear, salubrious 

 climate and rich mountain slopes. They can grow the best of the 

 best. There are much better commercial apples than the Limbertwig, 

 Stein and Grannie Buff. From these same slopes I have seen as fine 

 Baldwins as ever grew in Massachusetts and as big Blacktwigs as 

 ever came out of Arkansas. 



A commercial orchard, even a large one, should contain few varie- 

 ties. Many fair-sized orchards have such a desultory collection of 

 odd varieties coming on at all seasons of the year that the total output 

 is of no consequence for market purposes. If I were planting a com- 

 mercial apple orchard in Western North Carolina — and. I know of 

 no better horticultural proposition — I would plant largely of the few 

 following varieties : 



York Imperial, Stayman, 



Eome Beauty, Albemarle, 



Arkansas Blacktwig, Bonum, 



Winesap, Buckingham. 



AVOID BLOCK PLANTING. 



Varieties of fruit should not be planted in orchards in large, solid 

 blocks. Some of the most productive varieties are not readily fertilized 

 with their own pollen. Such varieties would be unproductive unless 

 situated so that their blossoms could be pollinated by other varieties 

 blooming at the same time. Old orchards teach their lessons along 

 this line. A commercial orchard under observation recently con- 

 sisted of four varieties, in solid blocks, in the following order : Bald- 

 win, Golden Eusset, Koxbury Kusset, and Spy. The Baldwin is a self- 

 fertilizing variety, and whenever there was any fruit in the orchard 

 it could always be found on the Baldwins. The Golden Russets were 

 laden with fruit on alternate years. The Roxbury Russets were 

 pretty generally productive. The Spy block was uniformly unpro- 

 ductive, except for a couple of rows next the Russets, which bore well 

 whenever the orchard bloomed. Many good varieties of fruit are 

 unproductive because they are so situated that their blossoms cannot 

 be pollinated from neighboring varieties. Instead of planting varie- 

 ties in solid blocks they should be planted in alternating rows. This 

 may make a little more trouble at packing time, but there will almost 

 invariably be more to pack. 



