314 



AITLF 



APPLE 



243. Baldwin. 



be set closer, as they do not attain such great size as in 

 the northeastern states. In general, it is best to devote 

 the land to apples alone; but persons who are willing to 



give the plantation the 

 best of care may plant 

 other trees between the 

 apples as fillers. The 

 more diverse the kinds 

 of trees which are 

 planted together, the 

 more difficult it is to 

 give the proper care 

 to each. Some of the 

 shorter-lived varieties 

 of apples make excel- 

 lent fillers in the apple 

 orchard; and in special 

 cases dwarf apples may 

 be used. 



Although it should 

 be the general purpose 

 to till the apple or- 

 chard throughout its 

 life, whenever the trees 

 seem to be growing 

 too rapidly, the planta- 

 tion may be seeded 

 down for a time. That 

 is, tillage is the general practice; seeding down and 

 sod-mulching are the special practices. For the first 

 few years, annual crops may be grown in the apple 



orchard; but every year 

 a more open space 

 should be left about 

 the trees. As often as the 

 land becomes crusted 

 it sho uld be tilled. 

 On strong lands which 

 are well handled, it is 

 rarely necessary to apply 

 concentrated fertilizers 

 until the trees are old 

 enough to bear. What 

 fertilizers are then 

 needed, and how much 

 to apply, are to be deter- 

 mined by the behavior 

 of the trees. If the trees 

 are making insufficient 

 growth, and the foliage 

 244. Ben Davis. ( x M) lacks color, one or all of 



three things may be the 

 trouble: the trees may need water; they 

 may be suffering from insects or disease; 

 they may lack nitrogen. If it is thought 



247. Gano. (XH) 



that they lack nitrogen, this material may be supplied 

 in the form of nitrate of soda, sulfate of ammonia, or 

 the unburned animal substances, as blood and tankage. 

 Two to three hundred 

 pounds to the acre of the 

 nitrate of soda or sulfate of 

 ammonia are liberal applica- 

 tions on well-tilled lands. 

 If the trees are making 

 vigorous growth, the prob- 

 ability is that they are not 

 in need of more nitrogen. 

 Potash and phosphoric acid 

 may then be applied. Three 

 hundred pounds of muriate 

 of potash, or other concen- 

 trated material, should be 

 sufficient for an acre, under 

 ordinary conditions. As a 

 rule, all orchards in full 

 bearing should have a 

 liberal annual application of fertilizing materials. In 

 the East, apple trees should be in profitable bearing at 

 twelve years from planting, and should continue for 

 thirty years. In recent years, lime has been applied in 

 many cases with good 

 results, about 1,000 

 pounds to the acre 

 every four or five years. 

 The two staple ene- 

 mies of the apple are 

 the apple-worm (the 

 larva of the codlin- 

 moth), and the apple- 

 scab. These are 

 readily held in check 

 by spraying, with 

 arsenical poisons for 

 the worm, and with 

 lime - sulfur or bor- 

 deaux mixture for the 

 scab. See Spraying. 

 Spraying for the worm 

 should be performed 

 as soon as the last 

 petals fall; for the scab 

 as soon as the buds 

 are well burst. In 

 badly infected regions 

 and on very susceptible 

 varieties, it may be 

 necessary to spray first 



245. Blue Pearmain. (XJs) 



246. Esopus (Spitzenberg). (XJs) 



249. Grimes. 



