186 



THE HOME ORCHARD— APPLE, PEAR, QUINCE 



112). If this growth is likely to be sufficiently stimulated by 

 pruning and cultivation, omit most of the nitrogen but feed the 

 trees with phosphate and potash. 



4. Spraying is always necessary in a neglected orchard. Follow 

 a good annual spraying campaign as given in a later chapter. 



5. Working over the trees to change the variety to a more 

 valuable kind is sometimes advisable. This takes more time and 

 delays the results longer than the four preceding operations. For 

 methods of grafting and budding old trees see Chapter VI. (Fig. 113) 



Harvesting the Apple Crop. — Some varieties of trees will bear 

 after five or six years, while others will require several years more 



Fig. 112. — When corn or other crops are grown in old orchards the trees may be starved 

 and diseases of foliage are commonly found. (Ohio Station.) 



■for their development. Too often the fruit is allowed to drop to 

 the ground and is gathered after it has been injured by falling. 

 On the market wind-fall fruits are considered as culls and are 

 hardly worth handling. They are so badly bruised that they will 

 not keep long and the bruised side at least has to be wasted by the 

 consumer. The rot started by the bruising soon destroys the 

 whole fruit. 



Pick fruits from the tree when they are nearly mature, and keep 

 them in suitable places until used or sold. A good plan for picking 

 is to use a half bushel basket with strong, rigid handles which can 

 be suspended on the left arm or may hang from a hook on the 

 ladder. This basket should be lined with a heavy bag or cloth. 



