460 THE APPLE 



under, — a heavy chain being needed to pull the corn under, — 

 and a cover crop is sown immediately. This may be rye or turnips, 

 or some of the mixtures recommended where a leguminous plant 

 is included. 



Commercial fertilizers are being used somewhat, but many good 

 growers are meeting with success without any. Stable manure is 

 always used when available. A good many cars of this are shipped 

 into this section each year from Buffalo. It is difficult to secure, 

 and has to be ordered a long time in advance. 



Intercropping for a few years is generally practiced — potatoes, 

 beans, cabbage, peas, carrots, and other vegetables being used — 

 and the tree rows are kept thoroughly cultivated. It is unusual to 

 see a young orchard kept for any time in the sod. 



A few of our better growers are beginning to practice summer 

 thinning, which is done in July and August. The entire tree is 

 gone over, and such varieties as Northern Spy and Twenty Ounce 

 are thinned to one apple in a cluster. Not more than two apples 

 of any variety are ever left in a cluster, and all poor apples, what- 

 ever the fault, are removed. 



Most growers in this section are not enthusiastic over top-working 

 young trees, for there have been many failures. Budding high on 

 the trunk is practiced in some parts, while whip-grafting is more 

 commonly practiced, and seems to be more successful. 



Spraying is done thoroughly by many orchardists with gasoline- 

 power outfits. The San Jose scale is scattered over the whole 

 state ; this necessitates the dormant spray, consisting of lime- 

 sulphur i to 9 or i o, either a commercial brand or a homemade 

 mixture being used. The second spraying comes just before blos- 

 soming and should be finished as the cluster buds are beginning 

 to break apart. The lime-sulphur solution is applied in about the 

 proportion of I to 30. Growers differ somewhat in their practice 

 at the third application. Some employ the poison spray, using 

 enough to cover the closing buds thoroughly ; others add the lime- 

 sulphur in the proportion of 1 to 35 or 40, or even 50, and try- 

 to spray light enough so that the leaves will not drip at any time. 

 A fourth spraying is given when the apples are about the size of 

 hickory nuts, and many orchardists make a fifth application. Some 

 growers are still using Bordeaux mixture, but lime-sulphur has come 



