APPLE GROWING FOR PROFIT. 
From a New England Grower’s Standpoint. 
Part I. 
That the planting of apple orchards can be made 
a profitable investment, and pay good profits as a 
business venture the writer firmly believes; that every 
Tom, Dick or Harry who owns a farm can plant 
orchards and make money he does not believe. The 
apple orchard of the future, that will pay its owners 
good profits, will require the same kind of business 
ability in choosing a profitable location, with the 
choice of suitable varieties, their proper management 
and sale of the product, as is required to make a sur- 
cess in any other business enterprise. No business 
man goes to “way-back” to build a mill because land 
is cheap, but may build beside a competitor if the lo¬ 
cation i9 best for his business, and he will also recog¬ 
nize a water power, or a 
railroad turnout as a 
factor in his profits, but 
it is of more vital im¬ 
portance than either that 
his product meet the de¬ 
mands of the market. 
So must the orchardist, 
if he is to make a suc- 
I cess in his business, 
choose land of strong 
natural fertility adapted 
to apple growing, near 
a good shipping point, 
where he can ship direct 
and cheaply to his 
markets. Yet he will 
find the greatest factor 
in his profits will be the 
right selection of var¬ 
ieties, to suit both his 
location and markets. 
Millions of money has 
been lost to our farmers 
and fruit growers by 
setting and growing in¬ 
ferior varieties of fruits, 
and the end is not yet in 
sight. I have set straw¬ 
berries when the judg¬ 
ment displayed in choos¬ 
ing -varieties meant not 
less than a hundred dol¬ 
lars to the acre in extra 
profits, and how much 
more of importance to 
the orchardist that he 
too start right in his 
choice of varieties. Although I have had little trouble 
( in buying standard varieties true to name when 
bought by the hundreds, I have had a number of false 
labels where we bought only a few trees of a variety 
for testing or other purpose. I wish our nurserymen 
would unite and thin out their long lists of varieties, 
believing it would be a benefit to their business as 
well as to their patrons. In setting out an orchard 
I would buy first-class two-year-old trees, and would 
grow them at least two years more in nursery rows 
near where we were to set our orchard. If to be 
kept more than two years I would transplant over 
once, setting a little farther apart than at first, viz., 
transplant after making two years growth. I adopted 
this plan from a little experience I had some fifteen 
years ago. I sold trees then, and after placing my 
orders, I was informed I could have 500 more apples 
quite cheap if I could handle them. The trees were 
much better than I expected, and I did not care to 
cut prices; they were largely Wagener, Wealthy, Mc¬ 
Intosh, varieties not well known here then, and I set 
at least half in nursery rows. Later I set about 200 
for myself. I never had trees do better, and saved 
not less than two years time in the growth and care 
of the orchard, and every tree was a good one. In 
the rows they can be easily taken care of, and kept 
thrifty and strong. I also start their heads generally 
by severe pruning, to suit my ideas of how a tree 
should grow. And when taken from the rows I set 
no tree in my orchards which has not a top and root 
growth to suit me, neither do I set those which ap¬ 
pear sickly or weak in growth, and if I find one later 
I prefer to pull it up rather than try to doctor it. 
To adopt this method will require the buying of 
from 10 to 25 per cent more trees than one wishes to 
set. I also save a few trees to replace any needed in 
my orchard for the first few years. I have never 
had any trouble to sell at least for what they cost 
any trees I had left to persons who preferred a cheap 
tree to looks. I also prefer to top-work weak-grow¬ 
ing varieties or others when I cannot get trees to 
suit me on some good straight thrifty-growing var¬ 
iety. I have used for this purpose Hurlburt, Spy and 
Walbridge, either is good; the Walbridge makes an 
especially straight tree. I prefer to do this the second 
year trees are set in orchard, setting plenty of buds. 
I do not wish trees with three or four main limbs, 
but twice that number, not starting in a bunch, but 
well placed on the body of the tree from two to three 
feet from the ground. My land is light, and I set 
quite a little deeper than when in the nursery. 
About a dozen years ago I set an orchard, using 
apples as fillers at 18 feet. I have since set at 20 
feet, and on strong land would set still farther apart. 
One-half should be very early bearers, and trees 
which do not grow large, and if the permanent trees 
are very strong growers one-fourth could be of a 
type like McIntosh, Hubbardston, etc. This is a 
matter the orchardist can best decide for himself. 
I believe this is the most profitable method of 
handling an apple orchard, as very soon the orchard 
will pay all running expenses, and in favorable sea¬ 
sons give good profits, long before the permanent 
trees are paying any profit at all. I believe that an 
orchard so set that the permanent trees will have an 
opportunity for full development will in the long run 
prove most profitable, and in setting with the filler 
method the surplus trees must be removed before 
they injure the permanent ones. Partly from the 
pleasure of seeing them fruit, and also that I might 
find something of value, I have tested a number 
of varieties and have more to fruit. They have been 
grown mostly on light land, and some of the newer 
varieties on grafts, where an apple at first generally 
does its best. As my 
conclusions are drawn 
from my own experi¬ 
ence in fruiting the var¬ 
ieties mentioned, the 
reader should keep in 
mind the fact that in 
another location and 
under different condi¬ 
tions some varieties 
might do differently. 
CHOOSING VAR¬ 
IETIES.—To the grow¬ 
er situated near our 
large cities or local 
markets there are num¬ 
erous varieties which can 
be grown and sold in a 
limited way at good 
profit, as there is little 
competition if the prod¬ 
uct be high class. This 
will also apply to Sum¬ 
mer and Fall apples, and 
is especially well adapted 
to the men who sell from 
their own teams, as it 
adds to the length of the 
season and the more 
profitable handling of 
help; the bushel box 
proves here a better 
package than the barrel 
in selling such apples. 
To the orchardist who 
must depend upon 
freight shipments a very 
few standard varieties 
will prove most profitable. An apple well known in 
our markets is a better seller than one equally good 
with which people are not acquainted and do not call 
for. In reporting on the value of apples as they 
have done here I will try to place them somewhat 
in their order of ripening: 
Yellow Transparent.—One of the earliest; if picked 
before maturity a fair pie apple; light color; bruises 
easily. Would recommend it as a filler only, and valu¬ 
able to the orchardist who markets his own fruit 
in a limited way. 
Astrachan.—The demand for this apple has in¬ 
creased within the last few years. When it can be 
picked and immediately put on the market it has 
proved a profitable apple for local growers to com¬ 
mence the season with; sells well both for eating 
and a pie apple. 
Williams.—A good eating or dessert apple. This 
has proved a profitable apple here; an annual bearer; 
sells well in our local markets, and some years has 
WHEN UNCLE SAM GIVES US PARCELS POST. Fig. 70. 
