CAN WE GROW THE WINTER APPLE? 5 1 



One must not expect that his trees will be everbearing and long 

 lived under all conditions. He will probably, in watching and car- 

 ing for his trees, develop almost a love for some individual tree, 

 then, to him without any known cause, see it die, and he will al- 

 most feel that it is useless to try. He must not give up but reset and 

 keep at it. He will find that among the same varieties there will 

 be almost as much individuality as among people. Some will be 

 strong and bear and maintain health and vigor, while others seem- 

 ingly strong will go under, seemingly without cause. Bear this in 

 mind and as fast as one dies out replace it, as only by eternal vigi- 

 lance will you succeed. 



What varieties would you set? So far the number in my opin- 

 ion is small, and I speak only for the south midland part of the 

 state. In the bluff region of the southeast part of the state many 

 varieties can be raised that cannot be at my home. I can, from ex- 

 perience, recommend but a few, as I have but a few fruiting. My 

 own conditions are poor, and I feel that I am liable to disappoint- 

 ment at any time, but were I to attempt to set a small orchard of 

 winter varieties I would set largely of Wealthys, which with care 

 can be carried until January and perhaps later. I would set of 

 Malinda, Tallman Sweet, Northwestern Greening, Repka Malenka 

 and a few such varieties. I would set them deep in the ground and 

 as much as possible would grow them in bush form. I think it is 

 a great advantage to grow them this way and was especially im- 

 pressed with the results as I saw them in Mr. Richardson's orchard, 

 at Winnebago City. The objections to this form are, more care 

 against mice and rabbits, and the fact that it is hard to get them 

 in that form from the nursery. But if you cannot get them so, get 

 them with as short bodies as possible and keep the limbs growing to 

 the south and southwest as much as possible to protect the trunk. 



I firmly believe that the coming winter apple is going to develop 

 among the seedlings that are being or have been bred at this time. 

 Surely the thousands of crosses of pollen of trees of known hardiness 

 and quality are going to give us the desired winter apple, and pos- 

 sibly that apple is now originated that will catch the $i,ooo prize. 

 But it must take years to weed it out. Would that the state legis- 

 lature W'Ould add $10,000 to that prize. I do not believe that our 

 list of successful winter apples will ever be large, but I do believe 

 it will be ample for all our wants. 



The Wealthy Apple in Washington — Mr M. Cutler, an old member 

 of this society, lately removed to the state of Washington, writes in regard to 

 our famous Minnesota seedling apple, "The Wealthy is quite popular as a fall 

 apple; nice red stock is selling at about $1.00 per box." 



