314 



APPLE 



APPLE 



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

 the northe;istern states. In general, it is best to devote 

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



give the plantation the 

 best of care may jilant 

 other trees between the 

 api)les as fillers. The 

 more iliwrse the kinds 

 of t rees w h i c h are 

 planted together, the 

 more difhcult it is to 

 give the proper care 

 to each. Some of the 

 shorter-lived varieties 

 of apples make excel- 

 lent tillers in the apple 

 orchard; and in special 

 cases dwarf apples may 

 be vised. 



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 Lild be t iUed. 

 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 

 lacks color, one or all of 

 three things may be the 



243. Baldwin. 



244. Ben Davis. 



247. Gano. (XH) 



trouble: the trees may need water; they 

 may be sufTering from in.sects or disease; 

 they may lack nitrogen. If it is thought 



that they lack nitrogen, this material may be supplied 

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

 the unburneil 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 phosjihoric aciil 

 ma>' then be ai)plieTt". 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- 

 snab. These are 

 readily held in check 

 b y spraying, — with 

 arsenical poisons for 

 the worm, and with 

 lime - sulfur or bor- 

 deaux mixt.ure for the 

 scab. See Sj>raying. 

 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 



24S. Blue Pearmain. ( X H) 



246. Esopus (Spitzenberg). (XM) 



249. Grimes. (XH) 



