38 



business at No. 154 Dock Street, Philadelphia, Pa., has charge of 

 selling all of the fruit from the farm. I thank you for your kind 

 attention. 



The Chairman. You are invited to ask Mr. Repp any ques- 

 tions desired. 



Member. What fertilizer do you use, and when applied ? 



Mr. Repp. In the spring of the year we put on two or three 

 handfuls to the tree — 2V2 per cent ammonia from fish and blood; 8 

 per cent phosphoric acid from rock; 10 per cent potash from muriate. 

 We have been using muriate for 15 or 20 years. We plow that 

 down and keep our orchards clear until the first of July; and then 

 let the weeds go. We use 100 tons of basic slag (used 40 last year) 

 and we get good results. If you want to give the fruit a better color, 

 you can put the color in with a chemical of your own make, or some 

 other. I use lime stone dust. I used 250 tons last year (about one 

 ton to the acre). 



Member. Is that ground lime stone? 



Mr. Repp. Yes. 



Member. Do you see any difference from the use of the lime 

 stone ? 



Mr. Repp. Yes ; it runs right to the roots. We get color and 

 size, and crops, too. 



Member. How much slag to the acre? 

 Mr. Repp. Six hundred (600) pounds. 

 Member. When ought it to be put on ? 



Mr. Repp. It ought to be put on now ; but I cannot get it 

 until March. 



M.ember. How do you prune your apples ? 



Mr. Repp, The apples we set out from the nursery, cutting off 

 a few bottom limbs. We thin at four or five years. 



Member. I mean on your bearing orchards. 



Mr. Repp. My father, years ago, used to trim very heavily. 

 We are trimming- less and less every year. 



Member. What makes color but sunlight ? How about giving 

 the trees sunlight instead of chemical? 



Mr. Repp. You get a crop with my methods — lower limb lying 

 on the ground — and that is somewhat of an item, is it not, when ap- 

 ples are bringing a good price ? 



Member. What variety of Pears do you grow ? 



Mr. Repp. We grow Bartletts, Sickle and Kieffers ; but Pears 

 will not produce enough to the tree. They do not grow wide 

 enough. 



Member. How far apart do you set your trees? 

 Mr. Repp. About twenty feet apart. 



Member. Is this Wine Sap, that you showed us, an early 

 bearer ? 



Mr. Repp. Bears in about five or six years. 

 Member. What varieties of apples do you grow? 

 Mr. Repp. Wine Sap, Maiden Blush, Star, Early Ripe, Ben 

 Davis — most of them ; York Imperials won't bear at all. 



Member. How old are your Wine Saps when they bear? 

 Mr. Repp. Four years. 



