VARIETIES OF APPLES FOR THE COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. 255 



VARIETIES OF APPLES FOR THE COMMERCIAL 



ORCHARD. 



J. A. HOWARD, HAMMOND. 



In the selection of varieties for a commercial orchard, it 

 would depend somewhat on the location, soil and whether you have 

 a good home market or have to depend on the cities for the sale 

 of everything-. In the first place, I would plant varieties that are 

 early and heavy bearers, as apples on young trees are larger, 

 smoother and will sell better in the market. 



My Borovinka have paid me better than anything that I have 

 in the orchard, as it is an early and annual bearer. All things con- 

 sidered, the Wealthy is the best apple we have for the commercial 

 orchard, but if the Patten bears everywhere as it does with me it 

 is a close second. The Longfield is the earliest bearer we have, 

 and for the home market with me it sells well. 



As far as my experience goes, any one planting a commercial 

 orchard will make no mistake in planting the varieties named. 



There are a great many more varieties worthy of mention, 

 but these I consider the most profitable. 



Mr. Lord : Mr. Howard recommends the Borovinka. I do 

 not believe that the great majority of the members of the society 

 understand that the Borovinka and the Duchess are almost iden- 

 tical. Perhaps they do. I did not until a short time ago, although 

 I pay some attention to fruit growing. 



Mr. Cutler: I think Mr. Howard does well in recommending 

 few varieties. I live in what we call the great potato belt, and we 

 find it is profitable to raise but five varieties. It is so with apples; 

 if you set out a commercial orchard you want to confine your 

 varieties so you can make up a carload of two or three kinds of 

 apples. 



Mr. C. H. True: I would like to ask why Mr. Howard has 

 not recommended any winter varieties? I wish he had recom- 

 mended a few winter varieties. I believe he has on exhibition the 

 Malinda and the Northwestern Greening. I wish he would name 

 some winter varieties. 



Mr. Howard: With me the Northwestern Greening shows 

 the best of anything I have in the orchard. I have had it two or 

 three seasons, and it is showing up in splendid shape, both the 

 tree and the fruit. 



Mr. R. H. L. Jewett: I would like to emphasize the value 

 of the Patten Greening. I find it is a prolific bearer, even in ex- 

 cess of the Duchess, and we have it in bearing only two years. 

 I have a little photograph of a Patten Greening tree with me which 

 I will pass around. This tree was set in 1897; it is only four years 

 old, and last fall we picked a half bushel of apples from it. 



Mr. Frank Yahnke: I think there are new varieties better 

 than the Ben Davis, but as they grow on my place at Winona I 



