APPLES 



ISl 



VARIETIES OF APPLES TO PLANT 



In selecting varieties it is impossible 

 to give advice except in a general way. 

 The conditions of climate and soil and 

 the circumstances of the orchardist are 

 so different that each one must deter- 

 mine for himself, after a few general 

 facts and principles are presented. In 

 the first place, much depends on whether 

 the planter wants a family or commer- 

 cial orchard. If he is planting a family 

 orchard, he will probably select one or 

 more trees of the very earliest varieties 

 adapted to his section of the country, and 

 will choose varieties maturing later, so 

 that the fruit will be fit for use each 

 month until late in the autumn, when 

 he will pick and store his winter fruit. 

 If he is planting a commercial orchard 

 he may largely disregard his own taste 

 and that of his family and select only 

 those varieties that are heavy and regular 

 annual bearers, good keepers, good ship- 

 pers, and those that bring high prices 

 in the market. In doing this he is de- 

 ferring to the demands of the market and 

 is planting those varieties for which the 

 public will pay the highest price. It is 

 money he wants, and for this reason he 

 does not seek to gratify his own pe- 

 culiarities of taste. He will, therefore, 

 consult the markets and learn the aver- 

 age price paid for certain varieties. 



Local conditions often affect the choice 

 of varieties. For instance, the Wagener 

 apple is well adapted to the uplands of 

 Eastern Washington, but it is not the 

 best adapted to the lower levels of the 

 irrigated sections of that state, and pro- 

 duced under these conditions would be 

 considered a third grade apple. The 

 Wolf River may be good for certain sec- 

 tions of the country: we see it recom- 

 mended for planting in nearly all of the 

 districts of the central and northern sec- 

 tions of the United Ptates: but in the low- 

 er elevations, especially in the irrigated 

 sections, it is not considered a high grade 

 apple — it is too large, punky and lacks 

 flavor. The Rome Beauty and the De- 

 licious are among the very best apples 

 in the higher elevations of Central Wash- 

 ington, but it is questionable whether 

 as products of the lower valleys they 



will be so highly regarded. However, 

 the Rome Beauty has been before the 

 public long enough to establish itself, 

 and to make a reputation which places 

 it among the higher grades of apples. 

 The Delicious has since its introduction 

 to the markets brought higher prices 

 than any other apple, but is one of the 

 new varieties which may or may not hold 

 its place for a long period of time 

 in competition with others. There 

 are varieties that have a wide range of 

 adaptability. The Winesap, Jonathan. 

 Esopus Spitzenburg, Grimes Golden, 

 Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rome Beauty. 

 Newtown Spitzenburg and Tompkins 

 King are among the varieties that adapt 

 themselves to varied conditions from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific, and for the most 

 part to the northern and central sec- 

 tions of the United States. There are 

 a few exceptions to this rule. The Yel- 

 low Newtown is not so adaptable. It is 

 one of the best apples in the world's 

 markets; it reaches a high state of per- 

 fection in Albemarle county, "Virginia, 

 where it bears the name of Albemarle 

 Pippin. It is also one of the best apples 

 for Washington and Oregon, but is not 

 so variously adaptable as the other vari- 

 eties named. 



About the safest way for the planter 

 is to take the advice of the professor of 

 horticulture in the nearest experiment 

 station, and of his neighbors, in order 

 to know what results have been obtained 

 by those who have tested the varieties 

 of that section. For commercial orchard- 

 ing, it is argued by men of large experi- 

 ence, that it is better to plant but few 

 varieties. One man planted 100 acres and 

 chose Spitzenburgs, Newtowns and Wine- 

 saps; another similarly located chose 

 Winesaps, .Jonathans and Rome Beauty. 

 Here is a difference of opinion between 

 two experienced and educated men. It 

 is generally conceded that it is better 

 to have more than one variety because 

 the cross-pollination improves the qual- 

 ity and quantity of fruit. Considering 

 the value of an orchard of good commer- 

 cial fruit, and considering the time it 

 takes to bring it into bearing, the im- 

 portance of wise selections is evident, but 



