full ploxited trees living are pretty slim. 



The biggest drawback to fall planting here in Massachusetts is 

 that the season is too short between the tine v/e ccoi obtain properly naturod 

 nursery stock caid the time severe cold xveathor arrives, Y/ith the soil 

 frozen, ver^/ little root grovrth can take place and the nt-v.'ly planted tree 

 has very little chance to get its root system firinly established. Such a 

 tree is likely to be killed during the winter by cold dry winds or it may 

 be hcax'-ed right out of the ground by frost action in the spring. Occasionally 

 wo have a nild fall and winter when fall planted trees will come through the 

 winter v/ithout injury, but the current prices joid sh:irta£es of nursery stock 

 do not allow the fruit grower to take such a risk. 



Trees planted oa-Hy in the spring, just as soon as one cm get on 

 the grDund, will make gr^owth coa.iparable to that >f fc'.ll planted trees, 



W. D. V;ooks 



Fruit " Meetings - 7<"orcestor - January 1 , S, tgid 9, 1947 



APPLE ORG HARD EXPMSIOIIo ^^THY? 1/^HEN? V.^JERE? Y^Ti/iT? YffiO? 



To one who has v/atched the apple business for more than 40 years 

 it appears th.->.t this country has, in general, produced about as mraiy apples 

 as could be sold at a profit. In some yoars the crop has boon sh ^rt cjid 

 the price high; in other years more have been grown thrji the market could 

 well absorb PXid prices have been 1ot,v, The number of trees has tended to 

 decrease but tree yields have increased. This seems to indicate that no 

 material increase of orchard trees is v;arrraited. Yet trees grow old and 

 unprofitable rjid must be replaced if production is to be maintained. This 

 is particularly true in Massachusetts, Most of our :>rchards are more thr'Ji 

 20 years old cxid at ab 'ut 40 yoars trees are likely to pass into the un- 

 profitable stage. This suggests that more trees eiust be ploiited within the 

 next few years if profitable production is to bo maintained. If we expand 

 production here it must be at the e:.pense 'if othor* apple regions. Our best 

 growers can compote with ^xny othors but less skillful rjid loss lucky ones 

 are at a disadvantage. 



The last three years have emphasized the importance of sites with 

 good air drainage caid v/e know something of the import-once of good soils. It 

 is and always will be foolish to plant orchards on poor sites and soils. The 

 importance of a well organized, efficient orchard orgrjiization is not fully 

 understood. Some gr'3wers can expraid their business without a proportionate 

 increase in -unit cost ruid thus obtain more profit. Perhaps most growers 

 should plant with the expectation of removing an equal nujiier of old trees as 

 the neviT trees como into production. 



The IJcIntosh is ,and, until a better variety appears, vifill continue 

 to be our most importtuit variety. But vre need other varieties for polli- 



