No. 4.] THE NEW ORCHARD. 43 



are the seasons of pruning, spraying, picking and cultivation 

 (if he cultivates). During the balance of the year he has 

 practically nothing to do in his orchard. On the other hand, 

 if he enlarges his list of varieties, and still more if he in- 

 cludes several classes of fruits in his plantings, his season 

 for labor is very decidedly extended. In the matter of pick- 

 ing, for example, instead of having it all come in two weeks, 

 the last of September and the first of October, his picking 

 season extends from the last of July to the middle of October, 

 which is a very decided advantage. Another point which 

 has influenced us in increasing our list of varieties somewhat, 

 and in planting other fruits than the apple, is that this en- 

 ables one to hold his customers better. One customer may 

 want Sutton, another Wagoner and another Palmer Green- 

 ing. For the grower who is catering to a personal market, 

 the ability to offer a choice of varieties is certainly worth 

 considering. 



Looking at the subject in this way, w^hile we have made 

 apples our leading fruit, we have also set peaches, pears, 

 plums and quinces, and we expect to add grapes and cher- 

 ries. Our list of important varieties in apples is, in the 

 order of ripening: Yellow Transparent, Red Astrachan, 

 Oldenburg, Wealthy, Mcintosh, Hubbardston, Sutton, Pal- 

 mer Greening, Wagener, Rhode Island Greening and 

 Baldwin. Of course we have set many more trees of some 

 of these than of others. Probably five-sixths of the plant- 

 ings are made up of Baldwin, Mcintosh, Wagener, Rhode 

 Island Greening and Palmer Greening. 



In peaches we have set : Greensborough, Carman, Cham- 

 pion, Belle of Georgia and Elberta. This gives a good suc- 

 cession, though not a perfect one. There are breaks in the 

 line which we want to fill in ; and we especially need a variety 

 that is later than Elberta. 



A question which we have found it very difficult to settle 

 is what crops to grow among the young trees during the first 

 few years of the orchard. To be satisfactory a crop must 

 first of all leave the trees in at least as good condition as they 

 would have been without it, and second, it must be profitable 

 to the owner. This is a difficult combination to get ; at least, 



