MOWER COUNTY FBUIT IN I905. 4I3 



Mr. F. \V. Kimball, of that place, has taken much interest in 

 testing promising and desirable varieties, and his orchard is an in- 

 teresting one to visit. Most of his trees consist of Hibernals and 

 Virginia crabs top-worked to better and less hardy sorts. He is 

 inclined to think that the Hibernal is by far the best tree to plant for 

 that purpose, as it has fewer limbs to graft and gives an extra strong 

 crotch and trunk. Our crabs, as a rule, are more susceptible to both 

 blight and scab, and, as both diseases are contagious, we should be 

 more cautious about planting such varieties among those not as 

 subject to it. Many of the Russian apples, such as Repka Malenka 

 and Blushed Calville, were among his worst blighters this season 

 and the first to succumb. As a section becomes older and more fruit 

 is grown, the necessity for spraying the trees is more apparent, and 

 it is advisable to at least leave every other row far enough apart so 

 that there will always be room to drive between, the rows. Mr. 

 Kimball advises setting about sixteen by twenty feet apart, having 

 alternate rows at least thirty feet apart. The relative value of top- 

 worked trees as compared with ordinary ones of the same variety is 

 plainly evident in his orchard. It is well known that many of our 

 best late keepers are shy and tardy bearers when ordinary nursery 

 trees are set out, but when a tree is top-worked to the same variety 

 it will usually commence bearing the second or third season and be 

 even more prolific than one often desires to see. For a variety that 

 is only regarded as semi-hardy in this section, his Grimes' Golden 

 trees are models of thrift and well laden with a fine crop of fruit. 

 For commercial purposes Mr. Kimball was especially enthusiastic 

 over the Red Warrior. This variety is very highly colored and 

 comes on between the Duchess and Wealthy. The fruit is uniformly 

 large, and although not of as good quality as the Wealthy it will 

 sell on sight and commands a good price. Gilbert and Brett No. i are 

 varieties of the same season that should be more extensively planted. 



Another interesting orchard is that of Air. Thos. Lightley, near 

 Oakland. This is a seedling orchard, set out a number of years 

 ago, from seedlings sent out by the late Peter M. Gideon. An ex- 

 ceptionally large number of the trees are of high merit in both tree 

 and fruit and are well worthy of propagation. We have so many 

 fall and early winter varieties now that our nurserymen are rather 

 cautious about adding to the legion of varieties of that season unless 

 the new sort is of exceptional merit. Mr. Lightley has one crab in 

 the lot, however, that commands attention because of its freedom 

 from blight and scab. It is an upright grower, thrifty and otherwise 

 as perfect a tree as could be desired. The trees were not in full 

 bearing this season, but the crab mentioned is an annual producer 



