14 BULLETIN 500, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



VARIETIES. 



A great number of varieties of apples are found in this region. In 

 the old orchards there are varieties of every season and often not 

 enough of any one to market in commercial quantities. In the 

 orchards over 20 years of age one often finds over 10 or 12 varieties, 

 and one grower in Delta claimed 161 distinct varieties. This, of 

 course, is an exception. Usually these early orchards were set out 

 for family use; hence the great number of varieties of different 

 seasons of ripening. 



For the most part the apples which were considered of commercial 

 importance 20 years ago, such as Baldwin, Ralls, Willowtwig, Smith 

 Cider, Lawver, Missouri, Ben Davis, and others, are not considered 

 as such to-day. Ben Davis, however, still is one of the leading com- 

 mercial varieties, though it is seldom found in the young orchards. 



The variety of greatest commercial importance here is the Jona- 

 than. In the bearing orchards studied this is followed by Ben Davis, 

 but in the young orchards and those coming into bearing it is followed 

 by Winesap, Gano, and Rome Beauty, each of about equal importance. 

 Other varieties of considerable commercial importance are Missouri, 

 Arkansas (Mammoth Black Twig), Arkansas Black, White Pear- 

 main, and Grimes. The younger plantings are made up of varieties 

 now regarded as commercial, such as Jonathan, Winesap, Gano, Rome 

 Beauty, Grimes, Wealthy, and a few Delicious and Banana. 



NUMBER OF TREES PER ACRE. 



There is an average of 70 trees per acre in the bearing orchards of 

 Mesa County, 78 trees per acre in Delta County, and 71 trees per 

 acre in Montrose. The trees per acre in Mesa range from 42 to 125, 

 in Delta from 40 to 133, and in Montrose from 39 to 100. This wide 

 variation is due to the method used in setting. On the farms studied 

 in Mesa County there were 8 orchards set 20 by 20 and 7 set 30 by 

 30 on the square. Several used the diagonal or quincunx system 

 of setting. In Delta and Montrose there was fully as much variation, 

 some old orchards on the lowlands being set as close as 15 by 15. 

 However, the method more generally in use now is the diagonal plan. 

 Most of the younger orchards are now set 28 by 28 or 30 by 30 on 

 the diagonal. 



ORCHARD MANAGEMENT PRACTICE. 



Under orchard practice is included manuring, pruning, hauling 

 and burning brush, plowing and all cultivating operations, irrigat- 

 ing, thinning, putting on and tending codling-mo,th bands, spraying, 

 scraping trees, harvesting labor, including all labor used in handling 

 the crop from the time it is picked from the trees until delivered at 

 the warehouse or station, and certain minor items classed as " mis- 

 cellaneous." 



