53 



New York to find a King tree better than any other King tree. I do 

 not remember how long he was at that, but for some years. At last 

 he found just the type of tree he wanted ; and as he was afraid 

 there would be sun scald or injury to the trunks — the King is sub- 

 ject to that in northern New York — Mr. Powell top-worked the 

 King buds on either Northern Spy or Tolman Sweet bodies ; I think 

 the former. The trees have now been in bearing for several years, 

 and the character of the fruit in that orchard is practically uniform. 

 Each package, you may say, is like every other package ; every ap- 

 ple like every other apple ; and that has a great influence on the sale 

 of his fruit. The fruit is graded before the blossoms 

 appear. You understand what I mean by that? The 

 buds are all from the same individual tree. He has good, sturdy, 

 healthy trunks in his King orchard. The trees are almost alike. 

 They, of course, have been well-trained from the begninning. Now, 

 whether it will pay to top-work on an extensive scale I am not pre- 

 pared to say. It seems to me there would be a needless check to 

 growth and loss of time. This is shown by the work of Mr. Samuel 

 Fraser, of Geneseo, N. Y. What appears to me as most practical is 

 the selection of buds from specially useful trees of desirable varieties 

 for the locality, and putting these at once upon vigorous roots in the 

 nursery. Mr. Fraser has done this with several thousand trees now 

 two or three years old, I believe, and is well pleased with the looks 

 of his orchard. 



INTER-CROPPING OF YOUNG ORCHARDS WITH SPE- 

 CIAL REFERENCE TO ADAMS COUNTY. 



Proi^. R. L. Watts, Department of Horticulture, State College, Pa. 



The development of young orchards is a business proposition. 

 There is an aesthetic side to the enterprise, but primarily orchards are 

 planted for profit and not for pleasure. 



The paramount question in the minds of most prospective fruit 

 growers is. What investment is required to bring an orchard into 

 profitable bearing ? Hundreds of people do not plant orchards because 

 of the financial burden in caring for them before they begin to 

 yield returns. On the other hand, a host of men in this state have 

 planted trees with the full intention of giving them the proper care, 

 but have failed largely because the necessary funds were lacking. 

 I am personally acquainted with young men who would like to en- 

 gage in fruit culture, but the expenditures demanded before there 

 is any return is a serious barrier. The capitalist is just as much 

 interested in this question. Three men from a Pennsylvania city 

 visited State College recently and said they had $25,000 to invest in 

 the development of a great commercial orchard, but they much pre- 

 ferred a plan and policy which would not call for the spending of 

 the entire sum. 



Planters should bear in mind that every year added to the age 

 of a well-cared-for orchard of approved varieties enhances its value. 

 There is an increasing number of men who are willing to pay a lib- 

 eral price for young orchards that have not reached a bearing age, 



