miSH GARDENING 



Apples for Profit. 



By Sir F. W. Moore, M.A. 



Readers of Irish Gardening who are 

 interested in fruit growing for profit must feel 

 indebted to Mr. F. W. Hammond for the two 

 interesting and practical articles which appeared 

 in the November and December numbers of that 

 periodical. As many growers are now ordering 

 trees for planting and getting the ground 

 prepared, a few criticisms and supplementary 

 remarks may be useful. Mr. Hammond frankly 

 states that he has not had much experience in 

 Ireland, and adds that his remarks are "of a 

 general character, and applicable to almost all 

 localities."" Nothing could be more practical 

 and sound than the suggestions and directions 

 as to soil, situation, preparation, cultivation, 

 exposure, and selection of plants, and all 

 growers can with advantage study these 

 portions of the articles. During the past ten 

 years a very extensive and practical series of 

 experiments in fruit growing for profit by farmers 

 have been conducted in Ireland by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and some instructive 

 lessons have been learnt, and carefully noted 

 for future guidance. These experiments prove 

 that local conditions have to be seriously con- 

 sidered, and that no general fixed regulations 

 as to suitable varieties, nature of soil, and aspect 

 of orchard can be accepted. In certain 

 localities where ever}'" condition seemed suitable 

 the prevalence of spring frosts has, year after 

 year, done irreparable damage to the flowers, 

 and ruined the prospect of a crop. The life of 

 a bush apple on the Paradise stock is, I consider, 

 generally under estimated, as is also the size 

 to which the bush grows. There are instances 

 of Bramley"s Seedling, Blenheim Orange, and 

 Bismarck on the Paradise stock, twenty-tMO 

 years planted, which are in full health and 

 vigour, and which are producing excellent crops 

 of sound marketable fruit, quite as good as 

 fruit from similar varieties of the same age on 

 the crab, or free stock. Further, in many 

 districts it has been found that apples on the 

 Paradise stock, ten years planted, and now at 

 their prime, which were planted 12 feet apart 

 every way, are now inteilaced, and some have 

 to be cut out. These were not neglected plants, 

 but plants which were carefully pruned and 

 handled by skilled operators from the beginning 

 up to the present date. In planting a per- 

 manent orchard I am convinced that better 

 results will be obtained from planting the bushes 

 15 feet apart every way, and the half standards 

 on crab or free stock 30 feet ajaart, the other 

 disposition of the trees being as described by 



Mr. Hammontl. In no case of orchard planting 

 should the bushes be only 10 feet apart. It is 

 very d.ifificult to induce a farmer to cut out a 

 bush tree ten years old which is carrying better 

 crops than a half standard, because it is injuring 

 its neighbour, which is destined to be the 

 permanent tree. 



In the orchards originally planted under the 

 supervision of the Department twelve varieties, 

 including both eating and cooking apples, were 

 put down, and it is now apjiarent, and well 

 recognised, that this is at least six too many. 

 Six, or at most eight, varieties are ample for any 

 orchard. The diflficulty is to ascertain which 

 are the best varieties. At the conference held 

 last October in connection with the fruit show 

 some valuable information was given ; and with 

 the object of getting clear and definite informa- 

 tion from as many districts of Ireland as possible, 

 I requested j^ractical men who Avere well 

 acquainted with the fruit industry to send nie a 

 list of the best varieties for commercial work 

 in their several districts. I asked them not to 

 name varieties which gave good results only 

 in small private gardens, or walled in highl_\' 

 protected enclosures, but to name the varieties 

 not exceeding six which succeeded in ordinary 

 orchards. Twenty-two have so far responded 

 to my request from all parts of Ireland^ — 

 Donegal to Kerry, Galway to Dublin — and I 

 append the list of names sent in, ^ith the 

 number of votes given to each varietv : — 



