iJt 5 « 
WHAT VARIETIES OF FRUITS TO PLANT. 
There is a constant call for informa¬ 
tion by those who are wanting to plant 
orchard fruits and various other kinds, 
and from all sections of the country, 
and even from foreign countries. This 
is really one of the most difficult of all 
things to give in the way of horticultural 
information, because there are such 
great variations in the behavior of the 
same varieties in the different soils and 
climates. Even within very short dis¬ 
tances there may be such differences that 
a variety will succeed in one place and 
fail in another. 
There are two very diverse purposes 
in planting fruits, and each should have 
its just and proper consideration. One 
is for home use and the other for 
financial profit. One is to grow some¬ 
thing good to eat at home every day 
in the year, and the other to produce for 
the market whatever will bring the most 
net revenue in money. The matter of 
ample provision for home needs is really 
the most important of all purposes in 
fruit growing. St. Paul says, “But if 
any provide not for his own * * * 
he is worse than an infidel.” And we 
should not only provide something, but 
it should be the best that will grow 
in the region where the planting is done 
and in abundant variety. There are so 
many good -varieties, covering such a 
wide range of season, that there is 
scarcely room for an excuse for not 
having something all the time. The 
early strawberries will start the season 
and the late Winter apples may be kept 
until strawberries come again. And by 
canning the different fruits in their sea¬ 
sons there may be some of all of them 
on hand for use any and every day in 
the year. There are more mistakes 
made in planting the home orchards and 
other fruit plantations than one would 
imagine without coming in contact with 
them as they really exist. Indeed, there 
is often almost no real design in planning 
these plantations, even by those who have 
a genuine desire to provide what is 
needed. It is often more a matter of 
luck and chance than of studied design. 
There should be a sufficiently large 
number of varieties of each species to 
cover the season of each one, but not 
many of a variety. A common mistake is 
to plant but a few kinds and too many 
trees of each. For instance, there are 
good farmers who will select for plant¬ 
ing five trees of Red Astrachan apples, 
five of Maiden Blush, and five of some 
late Fall variety. That is a rather large 
number of Summer and Fall apples, and 
yet there are two wide gaps when there 
will be none that are ripe. The proper 
plan is to have not mere than a tree 
or two of each of a dozen or more 
varieties, so carefully studied out as to 
cover the Summer and Fall, so there will 
be at least one of them in season. And 
there should be several varieties that 
ripen at the same time, for one might 
fail to bear, because of some jeculiar 
condition when others would not. Be¬ 
sides, there are different notions in any 
family as to flavors, colors, and possibly, 
historic associations that may make one 
variety much more desirable than an¬ 
other. There should be both sweet and 
sour varieties ripening all along during 
the apple season, so they may be suitable 
for cooking in different ways, eating 
fresh from the trees or in my way that 
may be most liked by each member of 
the family and some for visitors and the 
neighbors too. When it comes to the 
Winter apples there should be a much 
larger number of trees of each variety, 
because more apples will be needed for 
storing away, and any surplus can be 
sold. Fully three-fourths of an ordinary 
farmer’s apple orchard should be of 
Winter varieties. 
Now in planting for home use let there 
be no varieties of poor quality 'selected. 
There is nothing too good for the home 
folks, but there is plenty that is good 
enough. These good things must be 
hunted out and planted. Those who live 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
in the towns, and cities and buy with 
their eyes, at least nearly always so, 
may be satisfied with what they can 
get, but never should it be so with the 
growers and their families and friends. 
I would be ashamed to offer a bunch of 
Champion grapes or a Ben Davis apple 
to one of my children or to anyone else. 
We of the soil should have the best, 
whether it looks to be the best or not. 
and our intelligence can give it to us. 
For the commercial orchard an entirely 
different plan should be followed from 
that for making one for family use. 
The main idea is to get something that 
will sell. Profit, iuct profit in money is 
the leading motive, although one should 
be in love with the business of fruit 
growing really to succeed. However, I 
cannot fully agree with those who plant 
the Ben Davis apple, Kieffer pear and 
other kinds that are almost a disgrace 
to the fruit business, because of their 
poor quality. There are certain kinds 
that pay better than any others, and these 
should be sought out and planted. While 
it is well to divide those in season, in 
some degree, so that the gathering of the 
fruit will come in 'succession, it is much 
better to have very large quantities of a 
verv few kinds to handle. This is what 
the" dealers like. They want solid car¬ 
loads of one kind and very often of one 
special size or grade. And it is the 
higher grades that are most sought after. 
If" it is apples they are buying, they 
would much rather pay a big price for 
fancy grades of Jonathan, Spitzenburg 
or Winesap apples, than a low price for 
Ben Davis, Gano and others of that 
class. A car or ten cars of Comice or 
Bartlett pears will be grabbed for by 
all the buyers, where a mixed car of 
several kinds, even if they are good 
varieties, will go begging, and a small 
lot of Kieffers would not be looked at. 
We must not follow' our own fancies as 
to what w r e wmuld prefer to use, but 
study the demands of the trade and 
plant accordingly. There is usually a 
superabundance of poor fruit on the 
markets and a scarcity of that which 
is really good in quality and to the pro¬ 
duction of the latter our efforts should 
be directed. There is -where the money 
lies and not in helping to swell the al¬ 
ready overloaded supply of poor stuff. 
Blit what most inquirers want to know 
is, what varieties should they plant on 
their particular spots. There is where 
the puzzle comes in. How can one per¬ 
son know the 'special conditions of soil 
and climate over a lairge territory? 
There are particular adaptabilities and 
unsuitable conditions that make success 
and failures, and that would require 
the most intimate knowledge, of all of 
them to lead to wise conclusions. The 
most sensible thing that anyone can do 
in any of these places is to go to the 
neighbors and learn of them all that 
they have learned from experience, so 
far as is possible. All that any of us 
can know about the suitability of any 
one or more varieties for a particular 
■soil and climate is from experience 
with them there, either first handed or 
by hearsay. From these combined ex¬ 
periences comes a more general knowl¬ 
edge, and the wider the scope of ex¬ 
perience. observation and report the 
more comprehensive the . knowledge. 
The closer the contact with the ex¬ 
perience or the nearer to it the more 
dependable is the knowledge. 
There are so many horticultural so¬ 
cieties and other organizations that arc 
constantly gathering information and 
distributing it that it is not very diffi¬ 
cult to get fairly good advice about what 
to plant. I might give lists of some of 
the best varieties in certain large dis¬ 
tricts, but there would need to be. end¬ 
less changes made in them to. suit the 
great variety of local conditions and 
this would be impracticable, except for 
limited districts. This would require a 
book to be very comprehensive. My 
advice is, procure and read all the 
National and State departments of agri¬ 
culture and horticulture on the subject 
of varieties. Join the societies of this 
character, attend their meetings and read 
their reports. Do not depend much on 
the traveling agent of nurseries for in¬ 
formation as to what to plant, but in¬ 
stead, correspond . directly with the 
nurseries of untarnished reputation anc 
their advice will often be found very 
good. Go to the nearby nurseries, talk 
with the proprietors and see the trees 
they have for sale, where this is possi¬ 
ble. Plant the very new and untested 
varieties sparingly. And when the trees 
or plants are well set out in good soil 
take the best care of them and in due 
time they will reward you in fruit and 
in pleasure many fold. 
H. E. VAN DEM An. 
March 15, 
We have been in 
business for 38 years and 
we want our statement to carry weight 
with you when we say that this Combination 
Assortment of forty hardy shrubs for $15 is the big¬ 
gest money’s worth that we have ever been able to offer. 
Note the sizes of the shrubs, ranging up to seven feet. \ ou re getting some¬ 
thing worth while planting. 
They’re all fine varieties and vigorous growers, selected from the best stock in 
our nurseries. . 
They go to you with splendidly-developed root systems that assure quick estab¬ 
lishment of the plants, and a beautiful and satisfying display this very season. 
By taking advantage of this Combination Offer you are not.only saving almost 
eight dollars on the price of the forty shrubs but you are getting the Assortment 
delivered prepaid to your freight station. 
This offer is being made alone to readers of the Rural New-Yorker and only 
in this issue. If you want to screen an ugly view or wish to plant a shrubbery bed, 
this is your best chance to do it economically. 
Here are the shrubs we will send, prepaid to any freight station, east of the 
2 Old Fashioned Lilac 
4 Great Panicled Hydrangea 
2 Pink Weigelia (Diervilla) 
2 Forsythia “ Golden Bell ” 
3 Pink and White Deutzia 
2 White Flowering Dogwood 
1 Single Japan Snow'ball 
2 Old Fashioned Snowball 
4 Althea or Rose of Sharon 
3 Mock Orange • Philadelphia) 
1 Golden Leaf Elder 
2 Red Barked Corn us 
3 Summer Flowering Spirca 
3 White Spirea Ivar. Reevesiana) 
3 Purple Leafed Barberry 
3 Ibota Privet 
Size 3-4 ft. 
Rec. Price $ .50 
3-4 ft. 
“ .50 
14 
5-7 ft. 
“ .50 
** 
3-4 ft. 
“ .35 
41 
5-7 ft. 
“ .60 
(1 
5-4 ft. 
“ 1.25 
It 
5-6 ft. 
“ 
“ .75 
“ 
4-5 ft. 
" 
“ .75 
• « 
5-6 ft. 
" .75 
44 
4-5 ft. 
“ .60 
44 
4-5 ft. 
“ .50 
• 4 
4-5 ft. 
44 
“ .50 
44 
3-4 ft. 
•• 
“ .25 
• 4 
4-5 ft. 
" .75 
44 
2-3 ft. 
44 
“ .75 
*• 
3-4 ft. 
“ 
•‘JHI.50 
To each purchaser we supply planting instructions and a planting plan, \\ith 
which these shrubs can be placed to best advantage. Whether you wish to screen off 
neighboring buildings, hide a fence, round out an empty corner or improve a view 
from your windows, you can do it best with our shrubs and our planting system. 
Send full shipping directions. Send the $15.00 by money order or check. 
The William H. Moon Company 
MORRISVILLE, PA. 
Our catalogue "Moon’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs 
for every Place and Purpose ” contains most 
valuable information and suggestions for using 
t rees and shrubbery—tree ou request. Mention¬ 
ing this publication. 
^tarkyfearJ^oofA 
1910 
is ready to mail. It will be sent to any person interested in 
fruit-growing on receipt of 7 cents to cover postage.. The 
Stark Year Book for 1910 represents an entirely new idea in 
nurserymen’s literature—it is a work of art as well as a 
catalogue of Stark Nursery products. Within its covers are 32 full-page illustrations of 
fruits and flowers, representing 175 varieties, done in four colors, and exactly reproducing 
nature. 84 pages are devoted to descriptions, prices, and records. 
Stark Delicious, the apple that has revolutionized orchard planting and established a 
new standard of apple values (selling at $10.00 per bushel box this year); Stark King 
David, another apple of wondrous quality and merit; Stark King Philip, a hardy black 
grape of California grape quality, and dozens of the very best things in the horticultural 
world are fully described, illustrated, and priced. 
To any one planting one tree or many, of fruits or ornamental, this book is ot 
inestimable value—a horticultural text-book—a guide to proper selection. 
Stark trees have stood the supreme test of actual planting for 85 years they are the 
yard-stick by which all other nursery products are measured—they are the first choice of 
this country’s most successful orchardists. The success of the orchard is dependent on 
the kind and quality of tree planted. Stark varieties are the best of the best. Our record 
of 85 years of successful selling is a positive guarantee of tree quality. 
Before you decide to buy, send 7 cents Tor the Stark 
Year Book—do it today before the edition is exhausted. 
Stark Bro’s Nurseries and Orchards Co. 
Lock Box 35, Louisiana, Missouri 
APPLE TREES FOR SALE, Jrf&l 
Bartlett Pear Trees, 10 car loads for sale. 
g car loads Peach Trees. 
12 car loads Cherry Trees. 
10 car loads Plum Trees. 
Many car loads of Small Fruit Plants 
and Vines, Grape Vines, Berry Plants, 
Ornamental Plants, Shrubs and Vines, 
All at 'Wholesale Prices. 
Send to-day for our big FRUIT CATALOG 137 
fruit pictures, etc., and a copy ot IslAv nuju 
STRUCTOR, all a gift to you. . . 
Established 30 years. Capital, $100,000. 
llook worth a Dollar for 10 Cents 
Send 10 cents for postage and mailing Green S Book 
on Fruit Growing. 
GREEN’S NURSERY CO., Box 22, Rochester, N.Y. 
