J90S. 
WHO SAYS “SOD CULTURE DOESN’T PAY?’’ 
I have been interested in reading the different opin¬ 
ions in The R. N.-Y. regarding cultivation vs. mulch 
system of working an apple orchard. I have had a 
little experience regarding a sod-covered orchard. It 
might be well to give it in full detail. My grand¬ 
father bought a place containing 50 acres of sandy 
limestone soil, situated two miles from Holley Station, 
New York. There are at present 400 apple trees; 
303 of them have been set about 35 years, the re¬ 
mainder are maybe 50 or 60 years old. Grandfather 
rented this farm to “A” for cash rent until his death 
in 1894. Grandmother then rented the farm to “B” 
for the term of three years at $66 a year for the 
whole place (50 acres). When “B’s” time was up “B” 
rerented for two years at $125, “B” paying the taxes. 
At the end of “B’s” time “C” rented until 1907, giving 
$150 a ’-ear and paying taxes. Grandmother died be¬ 
fore "C's” time was out. The place was left to mother 
for her life. After “C’s” time was out I rented it 
from mother for cash rent; my lease commenced 
April 1, 1907. This orchard was in terrible shape. A 
man couldn’t fall from the top of trees if lie tried, 
because the trees hadn’t been trimmed. I hired four 
or five men to help me trim the trees, and for actual 
fact we had to cut lower limbs, get down on ground 
and pull them out before we could get into the trees 
to trim. We trimmed about 35 cords of wood out 
of the brush. Next came spraying. I purchased a 
three lurse-power gasoline engine spraying outfit. I 
had good nozzles, making a fine spray. The first 
spraying we put on 2,300 gallons of Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture with one pound arsenic to 200 gallons of Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture; the second spraying same mixture as 
before, putting on 1,300 gallons. I only sprayed twice. 
The old orchard has not been plowed since grand¬ 
father’s death in 1894; I do not know how long be¬ 
fore. “B” plowed the young orchard the first year 
he rented it (1895). I do not think the orchard has 
had any manure or phosphate of any kind (except a 
few trees that I put a few loads of pea vines around 
last year) since the world was formed; by this I mean 
applied by man. “B” and “C” kept a few sheep in 
orchard (while they rented the farm), but only a few, 
for there was not much pasture, the grass being mostly 
June grass. I cannot tell how many apples the 
orchard has produced, except the years 1906 and 1907. 
“B" had a crop nearly every year, one or two large 
crops. “C” had two or three large crops; in 1906 
they barreled over 900 barrels besides nearly as many 
drops. Last year, 1907, I sold for $3 a picker’s barrel. 
I furnished the barrels, picked and drew the apples. I 
had 1,400 barrels, 15,660 pounds drops that I sold for 
$1 per 100 pounds; 4,300 pounds at 40 cents per 100; 
5,320 pounds at 25 cents per 100, making a total of 
$4,387.10. 
T intend to cover this orchard with manure this 
Winter and cultivate half of it next Summer. The 
old saying is let well enough alone. I am not satis¬ 
fied; if it pays to cultivate I want to cultivate. I 
visited the Auchter orchard last Fall while they were 
demonstrating the difference between the mulch and 
cultivating. I think if the grass had been cut before 
WAUGH AND MILTON PLUM TREES. Fig. 142. 
it had reached such a growth there would have been 
better results. The grass grew to such an extent that 
it took the moisture from the trees. Prof. Hedrick 
said: 1 he grass was as high as the buggy wheels.” 
How could you expect a crop of apples from such a 
growth? For instance, take a flock of sheep; three 
or ^ our this flock are weak and in poor condition, 
kan the weak ones do their best while the others are 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
knocking them around and taking all the best food? 
I think this will hold true with the Auchter orchard; 
the grass that was high as the buggy wheels was tak¬ 
ing the best food (moisture) from the trees, while 
if the grass had been kept cut and not over six or 
eight inches growth, the trees could have had some¬ 
thing to drink. 
You might ask how I managed my orchard. I cut 
about half of the orchard, the remainder I left stand- 
ITIILIIT’INE LILIES IN TIIE GARDEN. Fig. 143. 
See Ruralisms, Page 340. 
ing, but there wasn’t over a ton of hay on three 
acres. Part of the way there was not enough to say 
hay. I could not see any difference in quality or 
quantity on the plot where I cut the hay and the plot 
where I did not cut. Prof. Hedrick told me that if 
I had cultivated the orchard I would get more apples. 
If that had been the case I would not have had any 
trees for next year; as it was this year I had to prop 
a good share of the trees. It might be well to say 
that we picked all the young trees and part of the old 
ones with 18 and 20-foot ladders. At the time of 
grandmother’s death (1905) the executor of grand¬ 
mother’s will had an offer for this place of $3,000. 
He thought best to sell. Figuring as Prof. Hedrick 
did in The R. N.-Y. on the Auchter orchard, what 
interest did this sod-cultured orchard return? 
Orleans Co., N. Y. Herbert allis. 
R. N.-Y.—Prof. Hedrick said that Mr. Auchter 
bought his orchard at the price of common farm land. 
After several years of tillage it is paying 10 per cent 
on a valuation of $1,000 per acre. 
DISEASE-RESISTING PLUMS. 
From my experience I should conclude that there 
is more variation in the disease and insect resisting 
power of the plum than in any other species of fruit. 
Some of the Japan varieties and their hybrids rot so 
readily that it does not pay to grow them here. 
Spraying is not a complete preventive, being effective 
only to a degree according as conditions may happen 
to be. The Burbank and Wickson have been the most 
disposed to rot, every plum falling a victim to the 
fatal fungus. Only in the record-breaking drought 
of about nine years ago, when there was no rain all 
Summer, did those varieties permit us to see what 
their ripened fruit looked like, and even then it was 
found only on trees standing uncultivated in a sod. I 
have therefore cut down all my trees of those varie¬ 
ties. The other Japans, such as Abundance and Red 
June, are not so susceptible. When we look to dis¬ 
cover those varieties that exhibit the greatest resisting 
powers to the rot, we find them in the large family 
of native plums of which the best known in this 
latitude are the Wild Goose and its numerous seed¬ 
lings. How valuable a quality this hardiness is can 
336 
only be realized by a grower who has had to fight the 
rot and curculio. On the other hand, the Japans seem 
to transmit their weakness when crossed with the 
native sorts. I have the Gonzales and the Waugh, 
neither one of which is of much merit here under 
average conditions. They are susceptible to both rot 
and curculio, the Waugh especially so. The fungus 
and the insect vie with each other to see which can 
secure the greater crop, and the victory does not 
always lie with either one. 
Fig. 142 shows a tree of the Waugh, a hybrid of 
the Japan Chabot and the native Wayland, growing 
side by side and interlocking branches with the Milton, 
a Wild Goose seedling. They are about seven years 
old. From the time they were four years old they 
have never failed to set a full crop. Each year they 
are loaded with plums, but not a single one of the 
Waugh has ever arrived at maturity. The rot and 
curculio allow none to escape. The Milton, on the 
other hand, has never failed to yield a good crop of 
marketable plums. Against the curculio they seem 
almost proof, but would succumb to the rot if it were 
not for spraying. Two or three sprayings with the 
Bordeaux Mixture, however, have always proved suf¬ 
ficient to rescue not only this tree, but all the others 
on the place from the rot, but the same spray applied 
'on the same day has proved of no effect in the case 
of the Waugh and others. Some Damson trees a 
few yards away from these two are regularly destroyed 
by the curculio, often falling off only after they are 
full grown and colored. These inherent qualities 
should be closely studied by those who seek to improve 
our plums by seedlings and hybrids. The value of a 
natural resistance to insects and disease can hardly 
be overestimated, and the fact of its existence in some 
varieties will ever sustain the hope that it will even¬ 
tually be extended and bred into new and superior 
varieties. l. r. Johnson. 
Missouri. _ 
PACKING APPLES IN YATES COUNTY, N. Y. 
In this section, as well as many others, the buyers are 
doing their own packing, and I for one consider it a most 
unfair and unjust way, when it conies to the consumer. 
The very largest and linest apples are selected, and the 
barrel is double faced, that is, two layers instead of one 
are placed at one end and a few more of that quality 
put in upon them, requiring one-half bushel or three 
pecks. When it's opened at the retailers, the first pur¬ 
chaser, if he takes a bushel, gets the cream of that 
barrel; the other consumers pay just as much for the 
remainder of that barrel of fruit, and get less in quality. 
For a number of years I packed and sold my fruit to a 
local dealer, and instead of taking the largest, I selected 
an average of size but with perfect exterior for facing; 
the remainder of that barrel I would guarantee to equal 
the face. At delivering few were ever opened except to 
look at some varieties, but never failed to receive a com¬ 
pliment from that dealer when those apples were taken 
out of store and sold. Of what benefit was it to me? 
I was laughed at for my pains, others brought far less 
■ n quality and received as much. The method of buying 
was very unfair; the honest packed fruit helped make 
up for the loss sustained in dishonest fruit, an average 
price paid for all, and thus dishonesty was practically 
rewarded. Now I let the buyers do the packing, and I 
have seen fruit put in the barrel and marked choice when 
I would not want my name on the end of the barrel. 
But what is going to be done In the near future, with 
MARCH DAY ON A MICHIGAN CANAL. Fig. 144. 
so much of the poorer grades of fruit? How can a buyer 
come into the fruit section and pay a good price for first 
quality and then the fruit growers barrel and ship enough 
of the inferior to keep the markets down? Wo will soon 
be without buyers at our orchards. I believe more care 
should be taken in estimating the crop on the trees. 
Last year the buyers were certain there was an immense 
crop and the growers gave too low an estimate, and both 
were discredited. The above was written after reading 
the article in The It. N.-Y. of March 21. The apple situ¬ 
ation Is in rather a critical condition. a r. 
