Fruits, Vegetables and General Interests. ij 



''The distance at which trees are planted is an ever varia- 

 ble one. Orchards situate near centers uf population are 

 planted at 12 to 17 feet apart, but in the more rural districts a 

 greater width is given, principally to allow tillage by horse 

 power, in which case root crops are grown between. The 

 style of tree most in favor, and which is almost universally 

 adopted, is what is termed the dwarf, with short stem and 

 twelve to fourteen cordon branches. The principal advan- 

 tages in this system are (r) ease of pruning, (2) fruit is better 

 protected from wind, and (3) fruit can be gathered with greater 

 care. 



''When trees come into bearing, and how long they bear 

 profitably are difficult questions to answer. It would be 

 almost impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule on 

 either of these points, so much depends upon the variety of 

 tree, situation and soil of orchard. Generally speaking, taking 

 the assortment as given above, the average yield obtainable per 

 acre in fifth year after planting is fifty bushels, and about 100 

 bushels in the succeeding (or sixth) year, gradually increasing to 

 tenth 3'ear, from which latter date to twenty-fifth the tree may 

 be said to be in its prime or best bearing period. As regards the 

 age at which our trees cease to bear profitably, this question 

 cannot, as yet, be answered from experience. In twenty-five 

 to thirty years a general decline is noticeable, gradually de- 

 creasing thereafter, although several instances have come 

 under m}^ notice where trees are bearing profitable crops in 

 their fiftieth or sixtieth years. 



" Fruit gathering begins for the earlier varieties at the end of 

 February, but many crops are not ready for picking till end of 

 March and month of April. The careful handling of fruit is 

 one of the most vital essentials to the realization of successful 

 apple farming. Hitherto growers have not sufficiently realized 

 the imperative necessity of having each individual apple care- 

 fully picked and placed in a lined basket or case before re- 

 moval to store or packing room. At present the fruit is gath- 

 ered and placed in cases — in some instances packed in orch- 

 ard — conveyed to receiving house, and there packed for ship 

 ment. 



"No point in fruit industry has received more attention 

 than that of exportation, so far as having matters publicly dis- 

 cussed in the press and at various meetings of the growers is 



