APPLE 



region, the last oomprismg the foothills in California and 

 the country to the northward. All parts of the United 

 States north of Florida and the Gulf borders, and exclud- 

 ing the warm-temperate parts of the Southwest and the 

 Pacific coast, are adapted to the apple in greater or lesser 

 degree. North America is the leading apple-growing 

 country of the world. A full crop for the United States 

 and Canada, of all kinds and grades, is probably not less 

 than 100,000,000 barrels. The apple is a cosmopolitan 

 fruit ; and since it thrives almost anywhere, it is com- 

 monly neglected. The plants which are most difiicult to 

 cultivate are the ones which are best cultivated. 



The apple was early introduced into this country. In 

 the early days it was prized chiefly for eider. It is an 

 ancient and common notion that any apple is good enough 

 for cider ; and this is one reason for the neglect in which 

 the apple plantation is commonly allowed to stand. The 

 best results in apple-growing are to be expected when 

 the land is tilled. The reasons for tilling the orchard are 

 those which apply to other crops,— to make plant-food 

 available, to extend the area in which the roots can grow, 

 to conserve moisture. It is especially important, in our 

 hot and sunny country, that the roots extend deep enough 

 to escape the disastrous effects of drought. The ideal 

 treatment of orchard land is to tit the ground deep before 

 the trees are planted, to plow deep for a year or two or 

 three in order to force the roots down and to thoroughly 

 ameliorate the soil, and to practice shallow tillage in order 

 to conserve moisture. {See Tillage.) Since trees make 



APPLE 



77 



105, 



A e:ood New York apple orchard at 25 years. 



most of their growth early in the season, the tillage should 

 be begun as soon as the land is fit in spring ; and it may be 

 discontinued by midsummer or August. This cessation 

 of the tillage allows of the growing of some cover crop 

 or catch crop (see Cover Crops) late in the season, in 

 order to secure humus and to improve the physical tex- 

 ture of the soil. If the land is well handled in the first 

 few years, it will not be necessary to turn a furrow in the 

 orchard thereafter, but merely to loosen the surface in 

 the spring with a spading harrow, spring-tooth harrow, 

 or other tool, in order to reestablish the surface mulch. 

 The only reasons for turning a furrow will occur when 

 the land is so hard that the surface tools cannot mellow 

 the surface, or when it is desirable to turn under a green- 

 manure crop. Even hard lands may be got in such con- 

 dition, by means of tillage and green-manures, that they 

 may be worked up with harrow tools when the orchard 

 comes into bearing. Plowing the orchard, therefore, has 

 two legitimate objects : to mellow and ameliorate the 

 land to a considerable depth, so that the roots may forage 

 deep ; to turn under a cover crop. The former purpose 

 should not be necessary after the first few plowings. An 

 incidental object of plowing is to facilitate the making 

 of the annual surface mulch ; and this mulch is to save 

 the moisture. 



The apple thrives in a variety of soils, but it is most 

 productive and longest-lived on land which has a con- 

 siderable original admixture of clay: that is, in a clay 

 loam. Lands which yield good crops of wheat and corn 

 may be expected to be good apple lands, if other condi- 

 tions are right. Rolling, inclined, or somewhat elevated 

 lands are generally considered to be most desirable. 



106. Apple badly attacked by 

 the scab. 



Their value lies in the better drainage of water and air. 

 The trees may be set in either fall or spring. Forty feet 

 apart each way is the standard distance for apple trees : 

 but some varieties, as the Wag- 

 oner and the crabs, may be set 

 closer. In the South and on the 

 Plains, trees may be set closer, 

 as they do noc attain such great 

 size as in the northeastern 

 states. In general, it is best to 

 devote the land to apples alone; 

 but persons who are willing to 

 give the plantation the best i 

 care may plant other trees 

 between the apples, as fill- 

 ers. The more diverse the 

 kinds of trees which are 

 planted together, the more 

 difficult it is to give the 

 proper care to each. Some 

 of the shorter-lived varieties of apples make excellent 

 fillers in the apple orchard ; and in special cases dwarf 

 apples may be used. 



It should be the general purpose to till the apple 

 orchard throughout its life; but whenever the trees seem 

 to be growing too rapidly, the plantation may be seeded 

 down for a time. That is, tillage is the general practice ; 

 seeding-down is the special practice. For the first few 

 years, annual crops may be grown in the apple orchard; 

 but every year a more generous open space should be 

 left about the trees. Till as often as the land becomes 

 crusted or baked. On strong soils which are well han- 

 dled, it is rarely necessary to apply concentrated fertil- 

 izers until the trees are old enough to bear. What fer- 

 tilizers are then needed, and how much to apply, are to 

 be determined 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 trouble : the 

 trees may need water ; they may be suffering from in- 

 sects or disease ; they may lack nitrogen. If itisthought 

 thatthey lack nitrogen, this material may be supplied in 

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

 unburned animal substances, as blood and taukage. Two 

 to three hundred pounds to the acre of the nitrate of soda 

 or sulfate of ammonia are liberal applications on well- 

 tilled lands. If the trees are making vigorous growth, 

 the probability is that they are not in need of more nitro- 

 gen. Potash and phosphoric acid may then be applied. 

 Three hundred pounds of muriate of potash, or other 

 concentrated 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 10 years from planting, and 

 should continue in that condition for 30 years. 



The two staple enemies of the apple are the apple- 

 worm (the larva of the codlin-moth ) , and the apple-scab 

 (Pig. 106). These are readily held in check by spraying, 

 — with arsenical poisons for the worm, and with Bor- 

 deaux mixture for the scab. (See Spraying.) Spraying 

 for the worm should be performed as soon as the last 



107. Ready for the first general spraying. 



petals fall ; for the scab as soon as the buds are well 

 burst (Fig. 107). In badly infected regions and on very 

 susceptible varieties, it may be necessary to spray first 

 for the scab before the buds swell. Since there are insects 

 (as canker-worms, case-bearers, bud -moth) which appear 



