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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  March, 
  1907 
  

  

  A 
  Study 
  of 
  New 
  Apples 
  

  

  By 
  E. 
  P. 
  Powell 
  

  

  FIND 
  myself 
  wishing 
  that 
  I 
  could 
  reach 
  

   apple 
  tree 
  planters 
  and 
  home 
  makers 
  with 
  a 
  

   bit 
  of 
  experience 
  about 
  varieties 
  to 
  plant. 
  

   One 
  of 
  the 
  worst 
  disasters 
  connected 
  with 
  

   country 
  life 
  is 
  the 
  very 
  general 
  ignorance 
  

   concerning 
  good 
  fruit. 
  I 
  frequently 
  have 
  to 
  

   search 
  among 
  farmers' 
  stock 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  bar- 
  

   rels 
  of 
  good 
  lot 
  to 
  rill 
  the 
  orders 
  of 
  my 
  customers 
  that 
  over- 
  

   reach 
  my 
  own 
  supply. 
  It 
  is 
  nearly 
  impossible 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  first 
  

   grade 
  of 
  fruit, 
  well 
  picked 
  and 
  rationally 
  stored. 
  They 
  are 
  

   hauled 
  off 
  the 
  trees, 
  tossed 
  about 
  and 
  poured 
  about, 
  and 
  then 
  

   left 
  in 
  piles 
  on 
  the 
  wet 
  ground. 
  Very 
  few 
  of 
  even 
  the 
  better 
  

   class 
  of 
  planters 
  know 
  anything 
  about 
  varieties 
  beyond 
  a 
  half- 
  

   dozen 
  old 
  sorts. 
  Tree 
  peddlers 
  occasionally 
  work 
  in 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  new, 
  but 
  this 
  stock 
  is 
  generally 
  inferior. 
  An 
  encour- 
  

   aging 
  symptom 
  is 
  a 
  growing 
  disgust 
  for 
  such 
  worthless 
  stuff 
  

   as 
  Ben 
  Davis. 
  I 
  have 
  grafted 
  out 
  and 
  cut 
  out 
  every 
  tree 
  in 
  

   my 
  own 
  orchard, 
  and 
  I 
  hear 
  in 
  all 
  quarters 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  no 
  

   longer 
  be 
  sold 
  even 
  to 
  Italian 
  street 
  venders. 
  

  

  I 
  should 
  like 
  to 
  recommend 
  the 
  following 
  sorts 
  as 
  worthy 
  

   candidates 
  for 
  a 
  home 
  orchard. 
  Among 
  the 
  very 
  earliest 
  

   I 
  should 
  place 
  Yellow 
  Transparent 
  and 
  Liefland 
  Raspberry 
  

   as 
  two 
  very 
  good 
  croppers 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  fruits 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  

   quality. 
  These 
  associated 
  with 
  Red 
  Astrachan 
  make 
  a 
  group 
  

   for 
  very 
  early 
  market 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  home 
  use. 
  Gravenstein 
  

   and 
  Fameuse 
  are 
  fairly 
  well 
  known, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  not 
  un- 
  

   common 
  in 
  our 
  farm 
  orchards; 
  but 
  the 
  noble 
  Gravenstein 
  is 
  

   very 
  seldom 
  found. 
  As 
  for 
  Fameuse, 
  it 
  is 
  so 
  subject 
  to 
  insect 
  

   depredation 
  that 
  I 
  will 
  no 
  longer 
  plant 
  it 
  unless 
  in 
  very 
  open 
  

   lots, 
  where 
  wind 
  and 
  sunshine 
  can 
  have 
  complete 
  sway. 
  In 
  

   the 
  place 
  of 
  Fameuse 
  one 
  may 
  plant 
  Shiawassie 
  Beauty, 
  

   which 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  seedlings. 
  Follow 
  this 
  with 
  Walter 
  Pease 
  

   and 
  Mcintosh, 
  two 
  more 
  of 
  its 
  seedlings, 
  and 
  you 
  will 
  hardly 
  

   miss 
  the 
  old 
  sort. 
  I 
  should 
  class 
  Walter 
  Pease 
  and 
  Mcin- 
  

   tosh 
  at 
  the 
  very 
  head 
  of 
  apples 
  for 
  quality 
  — 
  good 
  for 
  both 
  

   table 
  and 
  cooking. 
  Another 
  seedling 
  of 
  Fameuse 
  is 
  Princess 
  

   Louise, 
  a 
  most 
  delicious 
  October 
  and 
  November 
  apple; 
  only 
  

   this 
  also 
  is 
  a 
  favorite 
  of 
  the 
  worms 
  and 
  moths 
  — 
  so 
  much 
  

   so 
  that 
  I 
  am 
  grafting 
  it 
  out. 
  Autumn 
  Strawberry 
  is 
  another 
  

   superb 
  fruit 
  beloved 
  of 
  the 
  insects, 
  and 
  therefore 
  suitable 
  

   only 
  for 
  open 
  lots; 
  but 
  Summer 
  Strawberry 
  or 
  Sherwood's 
  

   Favorite 
  is 
  excellent 
  in 
  every 
  way. 
  The 
  tree 
  will 
  stand 
  

   in 
  a 
  close 
  orchard, 
  and 
  serve 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  filler. 
  Walter 
  Pease 
  

   has 
  an 
  aroma 
  that 
  makes 
  it 
  delicious 
  even 
  to 
  smell. 
  It 
  

   flavors 
  the 
  whole 
  cellar. 
  In 
  October 
  the 
  President 
  apple 
  

   is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  choicest 
  for 
  desert. 
  It 
  is 
  large 
  and 
  yellowish, 
  

   and 
  for 
  flavor 
  hardly 
  surpassed. 
  It 
  it 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  digestable 
  

   apples. 
  Pound 
  Sweet 
  is 
  growing 
  in 
  favor 
  again, 
  and 
  one 
  

   can 
  hardly 
  raise 
  too 
  many 
  for 
  local 
  market; 
  but 
  it 
  should 
  

   always 
  stand 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  open, 
  and 
  be 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  tree 
  until 
  

   about 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  October; 
  then 
  it 
  becomes 
  a 
  magnificent 
  

   fruit, 
  full 
  of 
  sweetness. 
  A 
  green 
  Pound 
  Sweet 
  is 
  most 
  

   worthless 
  of 
  all 
  apples. 
  Among 
  our 
  winter 
  sorts 
  the 
  Stay- 
  

   mans 
  Winesap, 
  the 
  Grimes 
  Golden, 
  the 
  Hubbardston, 
  the 
  

   Danchy 
  Sweet, 
  the 
  Mother, 
  make 
  a 
  good 
  supplement 
  for 
  

   Spy, 
  Greening, 
  Baldwin, 
  Spitzenberg, 
  and 
  Swaar. 
  These 
  

   varieties 
  will 
  constitute 
  almost 
  a 
  perfect 
  home 
  orchard, 
  and 
  

   at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  are 
  sorts 
  admirably 
  adapted 
  for 
  market. 
  

   I 
  should 
  be 
  inclined 
  to 
  add 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  which 
  are 
  hardly 
  

   first 
  class 
  for 
  home 
  use, 
  but 
  sell 
  wonderfully 
  well; 
  such 
  as 
  

   Alexander 
  and 
  possibly 
  the 
  York 
  Imperial. 
  Neither 
  of 
  

   these 
  are 
  good 
  home 
  fruit. 
  Stuarts 
  Golden 
  is 
  a 
  medium- 
  

  

  sized 
  apple, 
  delicious, 
  and 
  a 
  very 
  long 
  keeper. 
  Then 
  we 
  

   have 
  the 
  old 
  Seeknofurther, 
  if 
  one 
  cares 
  -for 
  a 
  rather 
  mild 
  

   flavored 
  fruit. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  sorts 
  are 
  fairly 
  free 
  from 
  in- 
  

   sect 
  attack, 
  with 
  thorough 
  spraying. 
  

  

  Our 
  worst 
  pest 
  just 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  orchard 
  is 
  the 
  trypeta 
  

   fly. 
  This 
  insect 
  stings 
  the 
  fruit 
  all 
  summer, 
  and 
  we 
  can 
  

   scarcely 
  protect 
  it 
  by 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  sprays. 
  If 
  I 
  were 
  to 
  plant 
  

   an 
  orchard 
  over 
  again 
  it 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  a 
  sheep 
  pasture. 
  In 
  

   this 
  case 
  every 
  apple 
  that 
  drops 
  is 
  immediately 
  devoured, 
  

   worms, 
  eggs, 
  and 
  all. 
  It 
  is 
  positively 
  the 
  best 
  way 
  of 
  getting 
  

   rid 
  of 
  insects. 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  trees 
  growing 
  in 
  berry 
  lots 
  or 
  

   otherwise 
  among 
  bushes 
  or 
  in 
  vineyards 
  are 
  beset 
  with 
  the 
  

   trypeta 
  far 
  worse 
  than 
  others. 
  The 
  minute 
  eggs 
  are 
  thrust 
  

   through 
  the 
  skin 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  apple, 
  and 
  hatch 
  out 
  at 
  any 
  

   time 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  sufficient 
  heat. 
  The 
  very 
  small 
  worms 
  

   gut 
  the 
  fruit 
  — 
  sometimes 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  winter, 
  in 
  the 
  

   cellar. 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  compelled 
  to 
  sort 
  out 
  over 
  half 
  of 
  my 
  

   Northern 
  Spy 
  as 
  second 
  class, 
  or 
  fit 
  only 
  for 
  cider. 
  Among 
  

   the 
  varieties 
  least 
  subject 
  to 
  this 
  evil 
  are 
  Hubbardston, 
  

   Seeknofurther, 
  Pound 
  Sweet, 
  Baldwin, 
  and 
  Spitzenberg. 
  

   The 
  Swaar 
  also 
  comes 
  out 
  solid 
  and 
  clean. 
  The 
  Fameuse 
  or 
  

   Snow 
  is 
  so 
  badly 
  infested 
  that 
  sometimes 
  the 
  whole 
  crop 
  

   goes. 
  

  

  I 
  wish 
  to 
  add 
  a 
  note 
  concerning 
  the 
  Spitzenberg. 
  This 
  

   magnificent 
  fruit 
  is 
  supposed 
  by 
  many 
  to 
  be 
  run 
  out. 
  The 
  

   same 
  impression 
  has 
  gone 
  abroad 
  concerning 
  the 
  Swaar. 
  

   The 
  truth 
  is 
  that 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  apples 
  will 
  grow 
  just 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  ever, 
  and 
  give 
  their 
  glorious 
  fruit 
  in 
  profusion, 
  if 
  

   treated 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  by 
  our 
  fathers. 
  They 
  must 
  be 
  grafted 
  

   high 
  on 
  old 
  trees. 
  If 
  root-grafted, 
  they 
  stand 
  on 
  their 
  own 
  

   trunks, 
  and 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  winter 
  scald 
  very 
  badly. 
  The 
  

   result 
  is 
  short-lived 
  trees. 
  The 
  King 
  is 
  another 
  sort 
  that 
  

   needs 
  high 
  grafting. 
  On 
  its 
  own 
  roots, 
  or 
  root 
  grafted, 
  its 
  

   limbs 
  sprawl, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  short 
  lived. 
  This 
  variety 
  is 
  also 
  

   very 
  subject 
  to 
  insects 
  when 
  growing 
  low. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  men- 
  

   tioned 
  Jonathan, 
  and 
  only 
  referred 
  to 
  Grimes 
  Golden 
  or 
  

   Golden 
  Pippin, 
  simply 
  because 
  these 
  varieties 
  are 
  unfit 
  for 
  

   clay 
  soils. 
  They 
  thrive 
  best 
  in 
  the 
  sandy 
  soils 
  of 
  Southern 
  

   Ohio 
  and 
  West 
  Virginia, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  

   Valley 
  States. 
  They 
  are 
  both 
  of 
  them 
  woefully 
  subject 
  to 
  

   the 
  trypeta 
  fly. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  tried 
  in 
  these 
  notes 
  to 
  give 
  such 
  accurate 
  informa- 
  

   tion, 
  in 
  brief, 
  as 
  will 
  guide 
  country 
  home 
  makers 
  in 
  securing 
  

   a 
  thoroughly 
  good 
  orchard. 
  Wismers 
  Dessert 
  perhaps 
  ought 
  

   to 
  be 
  added 
  to 
  my 
  list, 
  on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   growers; 
  while 
  Delicious 
  and 
  Senator 
  are 
  coming 
  to 
  the 
  front 
  

   wonderfully 
  for 
  quality, 
  and 
  Black 
  Ben 
  and 
  King 
  David 
  for 
  

   quality 
  and 
  beauty. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  chief 
  things 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  in 
  apple 
  rais- 
  

   ing; 
  excellence 
  of 
  stock 
  and 
  care 
  in 
  growth. 
  And 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  

   doubt 
  but 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  very 
  first 
  and 
  more 
  important 
  is 
  ex- 
  

   cellence 
  of 
  stock. 
  It 
  is 
  never 
  worth 
  while 
  to 
  grow 
  a 
  poor 
  

   fruit. 
  This 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  true 
  of 
  other 
  fruits 
  than 
  apples, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   apples 
  only 
  I 
  am 
  now 
  considering. 
  A 
  poor 
  tree 
  gives 
  no 
  

   satisfaction, 
  it 
  takes 
  up 
  valuable 
  space, 
  and, 
  when 
  neglected, 
  

   is 
  a 
  breeding 
  place 
  for 
  all 
  manner 
  of 
  disease. 
  The 
  difficul- 
  

   ties 
  that 
  most 
  growers 
  have 
  with 
  fruit 
  trees 
  come 
  from 
  

   bad 
  stock, 
  and 
  nothing 
  is 
  more 
  discouraging. 
  My 
  object 
  in 
  

   this 
  article 
  has 
  been 
  to 
  condense 
  some 
  experiences 
  with 
  grow- 
  

   ing 
  apples 
  and 
  to 
  name 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  varieties. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  

   culture 
  of 
  deep 
  interest 
  and 
  one 
  that 
  will 
  well 
  repay 
  the 
  

   trouble 
  put 
  upon 
  it. 
  

  

  