need to be planted close, but there is a danger from crowding with too 

 many trees. Further mildew may be a problem during wet years where 

 poor air drainage exists in the thickly planted orchard. In orchards 

 where the spur-types are planted 100 to 200 trees per acre and the stan- 

 dard sized trees are set 50-75 trees per acre, the grower may need two 

 sets of equipment to do a good spray job. Despite all of these negative 

 aspects we believe that the use of the spur-type trees is economically 

 sound. 



"This past season the limb-rub damage on apples from our spur-type 

 trees was very small. In grading we felt that they were commercially 

 quite profitable. Tlie yield and size were good, and there was less loss 

 due to lack of red color than in any of the other Delicious strains that 

 vv/e have in our orchards . The fruit from our Royal Red and Shotwell trees 

 were larger and brighter in color than those from the spur-type trees, 

 but the loss due to pooi^ coloring inside the tree was greater. 



"The most widely planted and the oldest Delicious spurs that we have 

 is the Bisbee strain of Starking. We have some 20 strains of Red Deli- 

 cious fruiting and of these the Bisbee produces the typiest apple - 

 longer and narrower than any other. The authorities will tell you that 

 the lightness of the soil, height of elevation, and continous moisture 

 produces the longer fruit - I don't question this but I do know that we 

 get the best type fruit from the spur Delicious. The solid color of 

 this spur-type fruit is more of a dark purple than a cherry-red, the 

 skin is thicker and the fruit matures later than Starking. The spur- 

 type apples store well - coming out late in the season with good eating 

 quality. 



"Topred, a sport of Shotwell, looks good to us. Its color is bright- 

 er than the Starking sports, although the tree characteristics are sim- 

 ilar. 



"The Wellspur and Redspur sports of Starking have a slow growth 

 habit and the problem of upright limbs. In our experience they both 

 have a lower red color factor than either the Bisbee or Millerspur strains, 



"Miller Sturdyspur is so new with us that we hesitate to make an 

 evaluation. Our small trees have wider crotches and are less vigorous 

 than the standard sports. The fruit color is a good cherry-red without 

 dullness. We are told that the fruit matures earlier than Bisbee and 

 is of good size. The only trees of this strain that I have observed are 

 in their third growing season. 



"In summary; with the spur-type Delicious, we obtain a reduction 

 in tree size, early bearing is induced, good anchorage is obtained with 

 the standard rootstock and the stiff upright growth of the main limbs 

 practically eliminates propping. The quality and color of the fruit is 

 acceptable, if not quite all that might be desired." 



