APPLE POSSIBILITIES IN CONNECTICUT 49 



tilizlng now began to tell ; the trees put forth luxuriant 

 foliage and made a large growth. There was a moderate 

 crop on all the varieties except the Baldwin. The fruit 

 was large, handsome and sold for good prices. A trifle 

 over $400 was realized from the orchard, which contains 

 150 trees in all, an average of $2.75 per tree. The promise 

 is good for a crop the coming season, and I expect good 

 results if the present treatment is continued. 



There seem to be four things essential to. success in 

 the treatment of bearing orchards, namely, cultivation, fer- 

 tilization, thinning and spraying. 



Connecticut is in the apple belt, and, so far as I know, 

 we can produce just as good apples as any section in our 

 land ; but to keep up with the times and compete success- 

 fully with the fancy fruit sent in from the north and west, 

 we must adopt wise methods. 



An easy method of thinning apples was asked for. Some 

 said use a pole ; others recommended thorough pruning of 

 the tree. 



Mr. Allen : I have kept my orchards in sod and pas- 

 tured them with sheep. This plan works well. The sheep 

 destroy many insects. Have applied no extra fertilizer 

 beyond the droppings of the sheep. After orchards are well 

 started this plan succeeds well and is profitable. 



Mr. Whitehead : I have kept hogs in apple orchards 

 with successful results. 



Professor Britton spoke of top-grafting wild seedling 

 apples as resulting in good crops of fruit. 



President Hale : This plan can be followed in Con- 

 necticut, especially on the very rough hillsides where prepa- 

 ration of the land for planting an orchard is difficult. 



Many growers present agreed that the apple is the safest 

 investment in Connecticut orcharding today. 



Varieties recommended for planting for profit were Bald- 

 win, Greening and Sutton Beauty. 



Mr. Piatt spoke a good word for the Wagener apple. 



President Hale : I must urge the careful thinning of 

 fruit by hand ; it will pay. In addition to thinning, train 

 the tree in the right way, and then we shall have no ''off 

 years" in apple growing. 



