HOW TO GROW AND MARKET FRUIT 



try. We grow practically every tree we sell, and we have a 

 system that almost entirely eliminates any possibility of mixing 

 varieties. More than that, we handle immense numbers of trees 

 every season, and the feeding, cultivation, digging, packing and 

 shipping are done in a manner better than any firm operating 

 on a smaller scale can do these things. We know this, for now 

 we do many things that are to the planter's advantage which 

 we could not do a few years ago, when we were smaller. 



Cross pollination is a subject too little understood. In the 

 chapters on each fruit we say that the only safe way is to alter- 

 nate different varieties to a certain extent. Put a row of a 

 different kind every three, four or five rows. About one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet is far enough to depend on pollen carrying. 

 Insufficient pollination will result, first, in entire lack of fruit; 

 and second, in weak setting of some fruits, making crooked, 

 gnarly individual specimens the rule. 



Blossoms are of three kinds. One class is perfect; that is 

 it contains within its own borders both the male and the female 

 elements. This kind of blossom may or may not be able to 

 fertilize itself; sometimes it can, but often it cannot, as in the 

 case of the large majority of apple blossoms. A second class 

 of blossoms is male; that is, it has only the stamens the little 

 upright hairs that you see in the middle of the flowers. A third 

 class is female only, and has no stamens, but merely a fleshy 

 growth at the bottom or center of the flower. With the ex- 

 ception of the kinds which bear both male and female blos- 

 soms on different twigs, and a very few which are able to fer- 

 tilize themselves, all other kinds, of any class, require a variety 

 of the opposite class near enough so that some of the pollen 

 from the other kind of blossoms will reach their blossoms with 

 the help of wind and bees. 



Certain varieties have blossoms, perfect to all appearance, 

 yet are impotent in so far as their own blossoms are concerned. 

 There are many affinities among the different varieties. For 

 instance, Bartlett pear is fertilized best by Winter Nelis, Kieffer 

 by LeConte, Stayman Winesap apple by Duchess or Mcln- 

 tosh, and so on through the list. Whatever you are planting, 

 see that you set trees of different varieties within reach of each 

 other, and also that their times of blossoming come together; 

 that is, set near each other two early bloomers, or two late 

 bloomers, but not an early- and a late-blooming kind. Select 

 the varieties before you go to buy. Determine what you want, 

 with reference to all the conditions that will have to be met, 

 then get those kinds. In this way you will have no trouble 

 about substitution of varieties in filling your order. 



Select the location for your orchard with reference to ex- 

 posure; to air-drainage and other frost-damage factors; to the 

 character of the soil, and particularly the nature of the sub- 

 soil. Roots have to go down three or four feet. If there is close 

 underlying slate or hardpan, avoid that land unless you break 

 up this hardpan thoroughly and permanently. The section 

 of the country is of little real importance. Delaware orchardists 

 are near markets, and their soil is worked easily. West Vir- 



56 



