■ October, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



241 



Methods of Large Apple Grower 



THE largest fi'uit farm in Ontario 

 is that of W. H. Gibson, of New- 

 castle, Ont. It comprises over 

 lie liiindred acres in fruit, of which 

 i \\ enty-five acres is not yet in full bear- 

 ing. Last year this orchard produced 

 '.■■300 barrels of apples, 1,100 baskets 

 ;■ cherries and 70 barrels of pears. 

 Fifteen years ago, ' ' said Mr. Gibson 

 I an editor of The Canadian Horti- 

 ilturist, who visited him recently, "I 

 liad tv.'enty or thirty old trees. None 

 \ of mj- young trees had come into bear- 

 ijig, and one day was sufficient for the 

 i eking and packing of the entire crop 

 ■ apples. Last year my men were 

 packing apples until the middle of 

 ' March." 



Mr. Gibson's crop this year gave 

 great proiuise during the season of 

 bloom, but will be well under the aver- 

 age on account of the hot, dry spell. 

 A wind and hail storm about Septem- 

 ber 1st took off about twenty per cent. 

 of the apples, causing a loss of about 

 $1,000. Mr. Gibson will, however, have 

 about 2,500 barrels of apples, 50 barrels 

 r'cars, and 800 baskets of cherries this 

 . ear. 



In such a large orchard one would 

 naturally expect to find a number of 

 varieties of apples. The chief money- 

 maker is Ben Davis. Stark, Spy, Gold- 

 en Russet, Baldwin, Duchess, Wealthy 

 and Mcintosh are also made leading 

 lines. The pear orchard is largelj' 

 rtlett. 



Mr. Gibson is working toward 1oa\- 

 lieaded trees by the practice of dehorn- 

 ing. Dehorning, or cutting off the up- 

 right branches, he finds, results in a 

 vigorous. growth of side branches, and 

 necessitates the heading back of these 

 branches. The lower branches are not 

 cut back, but are allowed to droop 

 over a grass strip. This leaves the 

 fruit in a more attainable position for 

 the pickers, and results in a stockier 

 and stiffer tree — one better able to 

 withstand wind and weather. 



The young orchards on Mr. Gibson's 

 farm are kept cultivated right up to the 

 trees. When the trees, however, come 

 into bearing it is Mr. Gibson's practice 

 to leave a ten foot sod strip along the 

 orchard row. As Mr. Gibson plants 

 his trees thirly-five feet apart this 

 leaves a twenty-five foot strip for cul- 

 tivation. In a bearing orchard there is 

 no good reason, in Mr. Gibson's opin- 

 ion, for cultivating closer to the tree 

 than five feet. This leaving of a sod 

 strip results in a saving in labor, for it 

 is the cultivation underneath the 

 branches of the trees which means 

 work. On the other hand, there .are 

 several benefits which accrue from this 

 sod strip. The sod acts as a cushion 

 for windfalls. Trees ripen up earlier 

 and go into the winter in better con- 

 dition than trees under complete culti- 

 vation. And most important of all— a 

 much better colored fruit is obtained. 



It will be remembered by our read- 



ers that it A^ as upon the orchard of Mr. 

 Gibson that the dust-spraying experi- 

 ments, described in the July issue of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist, were car- 

 ried on this year. With but one year's 

 results to judge from, it would be un- 

 wise to venture an opinion as to the 

 comparative value of lime sulphur and 

 dust-spraying. The part dusted, how- 

 ever, shows as good results as the part 

 of the orchard treated with lime sul- 

 phur. 4 



Mr. Gibson sells all his fruit through 

 the Newcastle Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion. This is a live association. It 

 owns a large concrete fruit house, in 

 which is made 12,000 to 15,000 barrels 

 and 5,000 boxes a year. The entire out- 

 put of this association has been sold 

 this year to McWilliam & Everest. 

 Alexanders and Wealthys are sold in 

 boxes, the rest in barrels. 



Spraying Conclusions* 



Prof. W. S. Blair, Kentville, N.S. 



As a result of experimental work in 

 the application of spraying mixtures, 

 we are safe in drawing the following 

 general conclusions : 



The spray before the leaves open is 

 not likely to give results sufficiently 

 great to pay for its application. 



Two foliage applications before blos- 

 soming are desirable. More care 

 should be given to thoroughly protect 

 the foliage up to this time. 



Two thorough sprays before blossom- 

 ing followed by two after will give 

 practically clean fruit. 



The 1.008 specific gravity test 

 strength of lime sulphur is sufficiently 

 strong to control scab. A greater 

 strength is a waste and may cause 

 foliage injury and possibly a loss of 

 fruit from burning. 



Any of the well established brands 

 of arsenate of lead seem to give equally 

 as good results when used in lime 

 sulphur. 



Lime sulphur alone is nearly as good 

 a fungicide as lime sulphur arsenate. 



Owing to insect injury the arsenate 

 cannot be safely omitted from the 

 spray. 



Lime sulphur is equally as good as 

 bordeaux for scab control. 



The greatest objection to bordeaux 

 is the russeting of the fruit, which if 

 bad will reduce the grade. 



The home-made concentrated is as 

 effective for scab control if used at the 

 same specific gravity test as the com- 

 mercial concentrated. 



Soluble sulphur alone without arsen- 

 ate of lead is not as good a fungicide, 

 evidently due to the arsenate rendering 

 it more adhesive. 



Harvp.itinn the apiples l.s comparatively easy with such low-headed trees. Photo shows a 

 Banks Gravensteln on the farm of Joseph Kinsman, LaJcevlIle, N.S. 



•Extract fromn a paper read at the last an- 

 nual convention of the Nova Scotia FVult 

 Growers' Association. 



