772 THE FRUIT INDUSTRY IN NEW YORK STATE 



soils predominate, fifteen years is usually given as the age at 

 which this variety comes into bearing; but, in the Kinderhook 

 section of sandy soils at the north end of the county, ten years is 

 the estimate. Yet there is much more enthusiasm in growing 

 Greening in the locality of heavy soils, and many more are being 

 planted than where the sandy soils prevail, notwithstanding its 

 later bearing on the former. 



In a number of excellent commercial orchards that sell Green- 

 ings from sandy soils, both in the Hudson Valley and along Lake 

 Ontario, it was found on checking conditions at harvest time that 

 the ability to sell such fruit was due solely to picking the apples 

 while still so immature that the objectionable yellowing had not 

 had time to develop, and even then a yellow blush was rapidly 

 developing. In some cases in 1913, the fruit was picked long 

 before it had reached full size. It is common practice on sandy 

 soils to try to hold off yellowing by continued cultivation, in- 

 creasing the supply of organic matter, or even by applying nitrog- 

 enous fertilizer. 



Limited space forbids the description of results in any number 

 of individual orchards, but a characteristic one in Ontario County 

 may be mentioned. On heavy loam, silt loam, and silty clay loam 

 surface soils with subsoils of about the same texture, Rhode Island 

 Greening acquires good size and matures with green color 

 thus meeting the general market requirements and it is profit- 

 able. On the same soils Baldwin is deficient in color, even though 

 tile drains have been installed for a period of several years. This 

 is an illustration of the fact that tile drains are not sufficient to 

 make a typical Greening soil equally well adapted to the Baldwin. 



In a northeast Monroe County orchard, fruit on heavy soil is 

 very green if picked at the customary time for the neighborhood. 

 The owner will not pick when immature, however, but leaves 

 them on the trees until most people harvest Baldwins. On his 

 heavy soil this can be done without any great loss from dropping, 

 but by leaving them so late some blush appears. Such fruit is of 

 good quality, keeps very late, and is less subject to scald than 

 when picked immature. On sandy soil it has to be picked while 

 immature to prevent dropping, and this brings it into the late fall 

 apple class. 



