TH tO RURAL NEW-YORKER 
30© 
1911. 
MAKING BALDWINS BEAR EVERY YEAR. 
The question is, “Is there any way by 
means of fertilizing or handling an or¬ 
chard, so that the old habit of apple 
trees bearing crops every other year 
may be broken up and annual crops ob¬ 
tained?” According to my experience 
it is very uncommon for the same wood 
on any tree or part of a tree, especially 
in our old orchards on most standard 
varieties, to produce- fruit annually. At 
the same time it is a fact that in blocks 
of trees of several acres, even of one 
variety, crops of fruit are being pro¬ 
duced each year, so that long ago we 
have forgotten which is the “off” year 
and which the year for a full crop. 
While these are the general conditions 
in the Hilton orchards to-day, this was 
not true 15 or 20 years ago. Then we 
did not expect annual crops. About all 
the orchards would bear one year and 
few or none the following. The cause 
of this change is very apparently due to 
the changed methods of handling the 
orchards. 
Most of the orchards then were in 
grass and in many of them the grass 
was removed for hay. If any cultiva¬ 
tion was given, the orchard would be 
plowed late after the farmer had fin- 
ONE-IIORSE LEVELER. Fig. 107. 
ished his sowing and planting, in June 
or later, after the trees were in full 
leaf. It is much better not to plow an 
orchard, than to plow it late. After 
the late plowing the orchards were 
often not harrowed at all, and at the 
most but once or twice. No spraying 
was done. But little trimming was 
given the trees. This was about the 
care our orchards had when we were 
getting crops not oftener than every 
other year. As a matter of fact, we did 
not get crops as often as once in two 
years. Now we expect and get, an¬ 
nual paying crops. What care do our 
orchards get now? During the Winter 
and Spring the trees are given a care¬ 
ful pruning. Before commencing to 
prune a tree, look it carefully over and 
see if any large limbs need taking off. 
Three main limbs are better than more. 
Then thin out the trees to let in the air 
and sunlight. Do not cut the fruit 
spurs on the larger limbs as many do. 
These give you the finest fruit. Follow 
each limb, thinning out by taking out 
one branch and leaving the next. Bet¬ 
ter still, instead of cutting these smaller 
branches out entirely, cut them back to 
one or two buds and these will often 
produce fancy fruit. These may be re¬ 
moved later if it is necessary. Do not 
leave stubs to decay, but cut all limbs 
close to the trunk. 
In case the orchard has been neglect¬ 
ed, the soil will probably be lacking in 
humus, ahd a good covering of stable 
manure put on during the Winter or 
early Spring will be almost a necessity. 
Nitrogen will most likely be lacking and 
10 pounds of nitrate of soda added to 
each tree in the Spring after plowing 
will start the growth. The plowing may 
be done in the late Fall or early Spring. 
Early in the Spring the soil should be 
gotten into a garden condition. Culti¬ 
vate once a week, and after each rain 
and keep this up until the first of Au¬ 
gust. Then sow some cover crop. 
Mammoth clover is a good one here. 
Thorough spraying must be given. If 
the orchard has scale, bud-moth, or blis¬ 
ter-mite, spray with lime-sulphur one to 
10 before the buds start. Spray again 
when the buds show red, before the 
blossoms come out, using the solution 
one to 30 or 40. Spray again after the 
blossoms fall one to 40 and add three 
pounds of arsenate of lead to 50 gallons. 
Do not drench the trees, but be sure to 
reach every bud with the spray. If it 
is rainy and cold after this, spray again 
after a couple of weeks. This will fin¬ 
ish the work in that orchard for that 
year and you should get a crop of No. 1 
fine fruit. 
The work in the orchard the follow¬ 
ing year will be entirely different. Do 
not manure. Do not cultivate. Mow 
clover and leave it on the ground. Spray 
a couple of times to keep the foliage 
clean and healthy. Do not expect many 
apples this year. The third year repeat 
the work of the first year. Cover the 
orchard with manure. Spray thor¬ 
oughly and trim again to give plenty of 
light. Plow early and cultivate, culti¬ 
vate, cultivate. If you have just fin¬ 
ished cultivating the orchard and a hard 
shower conies, cultivate again. Do not 
let any other work hinder your cultivat¬ 
ing. If you do not cultivate after a 
rain, the wind will come up, as it often 
does, and a crust will form and evapora¬ 
tion will begin and you will lose tons 
and tons of water and you may not get 
another rain. It is not an easy matter 
to change the habit of an apple orchard 
to bearing annually paying crops. If 
you are not willing to pay the price, do 
not attempt it. Cultivation liberates 
plant food, conserves moisture, and 
moisture we must have. The year your 
orchard is bearing you must give it the 
best of care, for you have to grow a 
large crop of apples and grow fruit 
buds for the following year. When the 
trees are loaded with fruit, some thin¬ 
ning should be done. After the June 
crop, take off all imperfect, wormy and 
scabby fruit and thin to one apple in a 
cluster. A tree cannot grow a large 
crop of small apples and at the same 
time form buds for a crop the follow¬ 
ing year. The western grower thins 
his fruit and so must we. The cost of 
thinning an orchard that produced 
1,000 barrels was $50, or five cents per 
barrel. If you follow this plan you will 
soon have an orchard giving you annu¬ 
ally paying crops. The Hilton district, 
four miles wide and five or six miles 
long, produces each year a crop of 1,000 
carloads, and the annual variation is 
comparatively small. delos tenny. 
Size of Orchard Trees. 
What size of trees would you plant, one 
year, two or three years? k. 
Ayer. Mass. 
We like well-grown yearlings cut back to 
a whip. With such trees we can shape the 
head as we want it. This is a great advan¬ 
tage in cases where the trees are to be 
grown for a special purpose. The older 
trees usually have the head started in the 
nursery, and this head may or may not suit 
our purpose. 
-"'l 
The Taste 
Test— 
Post 
T oasties 
Have a dainty, sweet flavour that 
pleases the palate and satisfies 
particular folks. 
The Fact— 
l “You May Send Me 
My ‘National’ 
| Style Book” 
t That is the message we 
^ are waiting for from you, 
$ that we may send you free 
your “National” Style 
yj Book. That is what your 
v ^ book is waiting for—only a 
/ word of welcome and your 
sj name and address. 
Copyright, 1911, by National Cloak and Suit Co, 
What this “ NATIONAL” 
Style Book Means to You 
We have reserved one Style Book for every reader 
of this publication because it is the most interesting 
fashion book ever published—and also because we 
know you will be delighted with your copy. 
It shows 224 pages of the new styles—and all are 
offered at “National” prices. It illustrates and 
describes “National” Tailored Suits, made to 
measure, $15 to $40. 
You can make your selection from all the new suit 
models and have a suit designed, cut, made, trimmed 
and lined to your special order—actually and in every 
detail made to measure for you. 
But even more than this. You haveunlimited choice 
of over 300 materials. And now comes the wonderful 
part—we guarantee the finished suit to fit you and 
please you perfectly—we absolutely guarantee your 
complete satisfaction, or we will refund your money 
cheerfully, and pay express charges both ways. 
In writing for your Style Book, be sure to state 
whether you wish samples for these “National” 
Made-to-Mcasurc Tailored Suits. Samples arc sent 
gladly, but only when asked for. 
And what shall we say of the new “National” 
Waists—the most charming collection ever gathered 
together—and “National” Skirts, America’s best 
and most stylish. Let us give you a brief index of 
the magnificent showing of the new styles: 
Waists . 98 cents to $8.98 
Skirts . . $3.98 to $14.98 
Lingerie Dresses . $4.98 
to $19.98 
Wash Dresses, $3.98 to $8.98 
Silk Dresses, $11.98 to $22.50 
Hats . . $1.98 to $14.98 
Misses’ Wash Dresses and 
Misses’ Tub Suits, $2.98 
to $9 98 
Misses’ Tailor-Made Suita, 
$9.98 to $17.98 
In fact, nearly everything for Women, Misses 
and Children is beautifully illustrated in the 
“NATIONAL” Style Book we have reserved 
for you, to be sent you free if you write for it. 
The “NATIONAL” Policy 
The NATIONAL” prepays expressage and 
postage to all parts of the world. You may 
return, at our expense, any ''NATIONAL” 
garment not satisfactory to you, and we will 
refund your money. 
National Cloak & Suit Co. 
273 West 24th Street New York City 
No Agents or Branches. Mail Orders Only. 
CAHOON SEED 
Saves buying expensive drills. Most 
perfect broadcast sowerforall grain 
and grass seed. Accurate, simple, 
durable. Made of steel, iron and brass. Lasts a life time. 
tI , , Saves time, saves seed and gives bigger crops. 
Highest priced sower made, but pays for itself many times yearly 
your dealer cannot supply you, we will deliver the Cahoon toai 
express ofllce east of the Mississippi River on receipt of $4. Send f 
i See . d ^ ow t e , r * tells bow to produce bigger crops wi 
less seeu. j t h Jr rcc# 
GOODELL CO., 14 Main St.. Antrim, Hew Hampshire 
that each year increasing 
thousands use this delicious food 
is good evidence of its popularity. 
Post Toasties are ready to 
serve direct from the package with 
cream or milk—a convenient, 
wholesome breakfast dish. 
“The Memory Lingers” 
Postum Cereal Company. Ltd., 
Battle Creek, Mich. 
TRADE MARK REGISTERED IN U.S. PATENT OFFICE. 
HUBBARD’S 
B°sE fertilizer 
ALMANAC 
19 11 
. . . SOLELY MANUFACTURED IIY . . . 
*The Rogers & Hubbard Co. 
Middletown, Conn., 
Send for Free Almanac telling all about 
the Hubbard “Bone Base” Fertilizers. 
Now ready for distribution. 
Mailed free to any address. 
Horse¬ 
power 
Pratt-Elkhart “40” 
is the quietest, simplest and most powerful car 
in the “40” class. They are i-n use today in over 
half the States in the Union. 
BACKED BY THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS’ 
SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE 
Made in four classy designs; 117-inch wheel base. Unit 
power plant, three-point suspension, offset 
crank shaft, Rosch Magneto, 34x4-inch tires. 
List Price—$1800.00. Top and wind shield extra. 
We Want a Sample Car in Every Locality—Write for Catalog and verv 
liberal proposition 
ELKHART CARRIAGE & HARNESS MFG. C0. t Elkhart, Indiana. 
