POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



WALKS AND JOTTINGS. 



BY A. M. PURDY . 



apples;— THINNING OUT ORCHARDS, EVAPORAT- 

 ING, ETC., CONSIDERED. 



" What Apple is that yielding so wonderfully?" 



" The Ben Davis, and we wish we had a thous- 

 and trees in bearing of that sort. It begins to 

 bear young and jields a crop every year, and, as 

 you see, is very productive." 



" Is it a good Apple for use ? " 



" No, it's a poor eating Apple, but good for 

 cooking after midwinter. We are now evap- 

 orating it and it makes the finest white fruit and, 

 too, is so very fair and free from worms that al- 

 most every Apple pares and there is scarcely any 

 waste in trimming." 



"Your trees are generally bearing well, are 

 they not?" 



" Yes; the best crop we have ever had from our 

 orchard. We estimate at least two thousand 

 bushels from about three hundred trees that are 

 in bearing. We gathered from ten Ked Astrachan 

 trees about one hundred and twenty bushels." 



" Is the crop generally good in York State ? " 



" It is not. The Baldwin is the great Apple for 

 Western New York— probably more of that sort 

 planted than all others together, and that variety 

 is bearing very lightly, except about here." 



" Will you sell your Apples in the barrel ? " 



"No; we shake them right off and run them 

 through our large evaporators and thus get a 

 better price than we can get by the barrel this 

 fall and save the great expense and labor of 

 picking, as also expense of barreling, etc." 



" Would you advise planting Apple orchazds ? " 



" We know of nothing in the long run that pays 

 better. Our trees will net us at least one thous- 

 and dollars this year alone, and no farm crop 

 would bring that from the same piece of land in 

 five years, and yet you see we have small fruits 

 among our trees." 



" Your trees look very healthy ? " 



" Yes; and we attribute it to the fact of our 

 having cut out every other tree two years ago. 

 The trees were planted two rods apart and grew 

 together and bore but lightly and we thought we 

 would cut down the whole orchard, but thought 

 first we would try cutting out every other tree. 

 In one year's time a change came over our trees. 

 They used to show that dry, dead appearance by 

 August of each year and this is changed to luxu- 

 riant growth, as you now see, and the result has 

 been that last year we had a fair crop and this 

 year the enormous crop you see. It wiU do to 

 set trees two rods apart, but they must be thinned 

 out by the twelfth year after setting. See those 

 Baldwins, how loaded and what a fine color they 

 have? That's because the sun's rays get into 

 them. You see, t<50, we have cut out the center 

 limb, making the tree shaped like an umbrella, so 

 that the sun can get in at the top." 



" What have you here ? " 



"German Prunes, and they are a sight to see, 

 too. There are fifty trees and you can judge for 

 yourself as to their bearing qualities, as also large 

 size of the fruit." 



" What will you do with them ? " 



" Evaporate them. The pit is small and meat 

 so thick that they make 10 to 11 pounds to the 

 bushel, and the evaporated fruit always sells high 

 — not less than 18 to 30 cents per pound." 



" How about your evaporated Raspberries ? " 



"We shall have 7,000 to 8,000 pounds and we 

 hope to get 30 cents per pound. The price is now 

 27 to 28 cents. The Gregg Raspberry certainly is 

 ahead of all other kinds with us for evaporating 

 purposes. It wiU give more dried fruit to the 

 quart and will sell for 2 cents per pound more. 

 It holds its shape perfectly when dried and pick- 

 ers can earn more picking them than any other 

 sort. We shaU get more of them on our gravelly 

 high ground than aU others together." 



"Speaking of evaporating, do you do much?" 



" We are running four large evaporators here 

 and in an adjacent town and run off about 3,000 

 to 3,500 pounds every 24 hours." 



"Do you bleach your fruit ? " 



"Certainly. It sells for at least 2 cents per 

 pound more." 



" But some say the fruit tastes of sulphur ? " 



" Bosh, that talk may do for some fine strung 

 8en.sitive city visitors, but we challenge any per- 

 son to tell the difference if they did not know 

 what they were eating, and our doctor says all 

 the sulphur they get out of the fruit wouldn't 

 hurt a kitten." 



"How many Apples do you run through daily? " 



" From 300 to 250 bushels per day, varying with 

 the size of fruit and the weather." i 



" What is your rule for telling when fruit will 

 be sufficiently dry ? " 



" E.xperience is the best guide. In our "Cham- 

 pion " dryers, if fruit is fairly dry when it reaches 

 the first door on lower floor, it will come up all 

 right. It there are a few slices that are not quite 

 cured when they reach the top, by being scraped 

 from racks into piles and coming in contact with 

 the ' chip dried ' fruit all will come evenly." 



"Do you pack as soon as taken from the 

 dryers?" 



" No; we allow them to lay a few hours till 

 they begin to ' sweat ' and then pack. It would 

 be impossible to get .50 pounds of fruit when first 

 scraped from the racks into a 50 pound box." 



" Do you run all night ? " 



" Y^es. The fruit is pared, cored and bleached 

 through the day and sliced through our slicer 

 through the night, as needed on the racks." 



" How often do your racks go on ? " 



" When the thermometer shows 180 to 210 from 

 10 to 15 minutes, owing to weather and clearness 

 of atmosphere." 



" Is a different course required on windy days 

 than when still ? " 



" Yes; when windy the cold ail- slides must be 

 half or two-thirds shut down, but when still all 

 must be raised. To evaporate well give fresh air 

 well heated." 



"If your fruit does not come up properly cured 

 what do you do ? " 



" Take it off and put on one rack the contents 

 at least four such racks and run it in below 

 again, taking it out at fli-st door below. 



Newer Varieties of Fruits; Estimates 

 of Value by Leading Pomologists. 



REPORT ON DISCUSSION BEFORE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETT, BOSTON, SEPTEMBER 15. 



Apples. Yellim Trmisparcnt. Hosklns of Ver- 

 mont had begun its culture in 1866. Trees bore 

 in four years, Augtist being its season in Northern 

 Vermont. Good to recommend generally, a good 

 shipper; will keep three weeks if picked when 

 it begins to color. Is little injured by codling 

 moth. There are other Russians closely allied, 

 yet distinct, all of which he calls the Y'ellow 

 Transparent family. But the Yellow Transpar- 

 ent is the hardiest — an ironclad — and with the 

 same culture, of the same size. Tree is disposed 

 to l>e dwarf; has known them to bear a bushel 

 each at 6 feet high. Would plant 12x20 feet apart.. 

 Thinks it is not long lived; somewhat subject to 

 bark blight. White Transparent is smaller, dis- 

 tinct, as good as the Early Harvest, which cannot 

 be said of the Yellow, but it is good enough for 

 market. Early Harvest is not the hardiest. 

 Lovett of New Jei-sey: It had fruited in his State; 

 bearing if anything too heavy, the fruit being 

 small. Smith of Wisconsin said: Is very promis- 

 ing so far as tried. 



Delaware Wintei: Thought by some to be 

 Louver, but New Jersey delegate said not. 

 Lovett had compared closely with Louver from 

 different sections and found difference in shape, 

 foliage and growth. Pomologist Van Deman, of 

 the Department Agiiculture, said that while out- 

 wardly it resembled Louver, the flesh was yel- 

 lower, the fruit more flat. 



Wealthy. Paul of Massachusetts was very fav- 

 orably imjiressed with it on high land. Hoskins 

 of Vermont has grown thousands of bushels. 

 Like Baldwin it is not sound in the trunk, hence 

 should be top grafted, as the latter now is uni- 

 vei*sally in New England. Lyons of Michigan 

 reported .some complaints from Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota. Thinks some means must be devel- 

 oped to render more hardy. Hatch of Wisconsin 

 had found it one of four or &ve that graft suc- 

 cessfully on Crab. Observed an element of 

 weakness in winter blight, but with top grafting 

 valuable. Thurlow of Massachusetts would not 

 recommend it while haWng so many good soi-ts. 

 Marvin of New York said it was very satisfactory 

 in Northern New York, and hardier thiui Duchess. 

 A fall rather than winter Apple. Gibbs of Quebec 

 found no weak point in the tree, but it drops 

 its fruit. 



McHan'si TVTiite. Hatch of Wisconsin says it 

 has in his State made the best record of any one 

 out of 150 varieties, Duchess and other Russian 

 sorts included; is head and shoulders above all 

 others. On rich land it may blight, but not on 

 moderately rich soU. A fall Apple. He is not 

 interested in its sale. 



Walktce HoivanI, President Berckmans: One 

 of the best and handsomest for the South, and he 

 thinks also for North. Minoh of New Jersey had 

 found it a beautiful tree and desirable variety. 

 Re>d Breiti^heimer. Hoskins: An irooclad, 



Wolff River. Hoskins of Vermont said it is not 

 ironclad. Hatch of Wisconsin: Hardy in East, 

 but not in West; almost identical with Alexander. 

 Lyons of Michigan said it is so near like Alexan- 

 der, questions whether it worth special attention. 

 Watrous of Iowa finds it'not hardy, fruit much 

 like Alexander. Hoskins of Vermont called at- 

 tention to fact that Russians i-un in families. 



Fanny. An early Apple. Green of New York 

 had it sent him by Downing and thought it 

 promising. Engle of Pennsylvania pronounced 

 it a fine Apple, deep red, very showy. 



Lrnj was called, but brought forth no report. 



Barnc's Striped. Gibbs of Quebec spoke of it 

 as very handsome and of good quality. Imported 

 from England 30 years ago and prripagated as 

 Winter St. Lawrence. [Some on exhibition at- 

 tracted much attention by their beauty.] 



SaM's Winter. Gibbs of Quebec pronounced it 

 a good hardy tree, fine size, etc.; knows no other 

 so generally promising. Hoskins of Vermont 

 says keep over to Yellow Transparent and is 

 better for eating in spring than in winter. 



Shaw Apple. Shaw of New Haven described 

 it as a September variety, coming in with Grav- 

 enstein, fine striped, but more crimson and less 

 acrid than the last named. A free spirey grower. 

 Fruit, medium to large, sub-acid and comparing 

 with Fameuse. 



SaUjme. Lyon, Michigan; Medium size, fair 

 quality in February. Haight of Geneva: Would 

 put quality yet lower. 



Mann. Van Deman, of District of Columbia, 

 reported it too poor for anything. 



Nnrth Western Oreening. Van Deman, of Dis- 

 trict of Columbia: It looks like Lowell, not so 

 good, fair quality, will sell well in market. Wat- 

 rous of Iowa ad\1sed to go slow as to hardiness. 



Jacob's Sweet. Thurlow of Massachusetts re- 

 ported it as promising to become the best late 

 sweet Apple. Lovett of New Jersey said it was 

 large and handsome, of very fine quality, hav- 

 ing a kind of creamy grain. 



Mcintosh. A delegate who gave the only re- 

 port called it fine looking but otherwise faulty. 

 (To be Continued.) 



Apple Crafts on Whole or Fractional 

 Roots. 



DISCUSSION BY WISCONSIN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Floyd. — When I began to grow stock 

 for my own use I experimented on whole, 

 half and fourth roots. Through these I dis- 

 covered that Nature had made no mistake 

 in growing an Apple root from ten to fifteen 

 inches long the first year of its life; that the 

 office of the upper portion of a root is to 

 throw out brace roots or surface feeders, the 

 lower part to penetrate the sub-soil and feed 

 from below, thus being able to carry on the 

 work of growing and maturing wood and 

 fruit continuously, wet or dry, and its sap is 

 fully charged with material to start the next 

 season's growth. 



The advantages that a whole root worked tree 

 has, are the trunks are larger, straighter, with 

 plenty of strong buds from which to form the 

 best possible shaped head. You wUl never see 

 crotches, one sided, or illy shaped tops; the 

 branches of top and root are quite evenly distrib- 

 uted and uniform in size. I think I can tell trees, 

 varieties with which I am acquainted, worked on 

 whole or fractional roots, as soon as I step into 

 their midst, also those worked on the upper or 

 lower portion of a root. 



Mb. Kellogg.- I think Mr. Floyd's experi- 

 ments of no value tried on but one Idnd of trees. 



Mr. Plumb.- I have selected first, second and 

 third cuts of scions from trees, and I think the 

 question of their growth is simply one of force. 

 Otherwise than this I can see no difference in the 

 relation or form of the roots. The top will event- 

 ually give its character to the root. 



Mr. Phosnix.- One time I grafted on root pieces 

 a good deal. I made up my mind that their 

 growth was not so strong and upright as though 

 they had been made on seedling roots. They 

 were more irregular. I do not call them as good 

 trees in the nursery; not as vigorous and first 

 class as those on seedlings. I have tried it 

 thoroughly, taking long roots and making four 

 cuts of them, and between the fii-st and second 

 there was no difference at all, a little against the 

 third and still more against the fourth. Some peo- 

 ple say that buds are better than root grafts, but 

 there is no advantage except that you can get a 

 better tree the first year. When you graft Iron- 

 clads you want them to be below the ground. If 



