Show I CHOOSING PROPER VARIETIES OF FRUITS 1 1 mt f. f ch 41 J I z 4 I. I fr j I of 1908 Richmond Cherry Tree Planted in Spring Prepared by tho United States Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of or Agriculture Choosing the proper varieties of fruits for planting in the Great Plains region is one of the principal problems confronting the grower according to Farmers' Farmers Bulletin of the United States department of agriculture Climatic Cli ClI- matic conditions in this area are especially especially especially es es- es- es tr trying ing to fruit trees and the or failure of the grower is very apt to depend upon the care exercised exercised ex ex- in selecting varieties The following fruits many of which have been tested with fair success at atthe atthe atthe the Akron Colo Cole field station are Suggested as ns an aid to those who are arc without experience in choosing varieties vane varie ties to plant in this part pant of the country country country coun coun- try Apples Southern Section A A few of the Varieties varieties varieties va va- of apples that may well be con- con for the southern part of this urea trea are the Yellow Transparent Red June San Jacinto Maiden Blush Gravenstein Wealthy Grimes Jonathan Jonathan Jona Jona- than Kinnard Northwestern Texas Red Winesap Missouri Arkansas Black Rails Balls and for crab apples the Florence and Hyslop These varieties named approximately in the order In which they mature represent a long sequence of ripening from the early to the long-keeping long sorts Central Section Most Most of at the varieties varieties varie vane ties that succeed best in the southern part of at the area could doubtless be planted in the central Northern Section Naturally Naturally the varieties that can be planted In this part of at the area must be restricted to o the hardier sorts on account of the extremely low winter temperatures These Include the Oldenburg Wealthy Hibernal McMahon Northwestern Patten atten Malinda and the Hyslop crab There are some localities in this section section sec sec- tion however where even the hardiest sorts would be of doubtful value Pears There are hardly enough pears now growing In this area to show the range of their possibilities unless their comparative com corn absence is to be interpreted ns as signifying that they are not well adapted to these conditions The lUcifer Kieffer Duchess Bart Bart- Bartlett ett lett and possibly one or two other sorts are occasionally grown in the southern part of at the area A variety supposed to be the Warner has grown well at the Akron field station but trees planted in 1008 1908 have not yet matured matured ma ma- tuned fruit The Flemish Flemish Beauty is one of at the hardiest sorts and ond sometimes succeeds farther north than most other varieties Peaches Peach growing in this area is largely confined to the southern section where a n considerable number of varieties are grown to a limited extent These Include include In in- clude elude the Alexander Sneed Triumph Arp Carman Mamie Ross Chinese Cling Elberta Heath Lee General Lee Lemon Cling and others At the Akron field station peach trees Including a number of at the hardIer hardier hard hard- ier sorts were killed to the ground or nearly so so every winter Plums Plums particularly the native sorts are ore perhaps the most dependable of all the tree fruits for lor planting on the Great Plains The rhe following are arc adapted for the southern sections America De Dc Soto Golden Gold of Stark Bros Haimer Kroh Pooles Poole's Pride Loire Latre Potta Robinson Robinson Robin- Robin son sou Roulette Six Weeks Surprise Wayland Vayland Whitaker Wolf Volf Wooten and Wyant Vyant Among the more promising varieties at the Akron field station are the followIng following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing Burwood Cheney De Dc Soto Hawkeye Surprise Terry Wolf and V Wyant ant Most of these varieties va va- have been planted widely throughout the Great Plains areaSe area Several Se Se eral varieties of at European plums including the Lombard Arctic shire Damson and others have also be been bein n planted at this station None of them can be considered promising The Thc trees make only small growth as asa asa asa a rule and they do not withstand the winter inter conditions In a satisfactory manner Cherries Second only to the thc plums among the tree fruits for this area are sour cher thor ries rles The number of at varieties com corn commonly commonly grown is small the Richmond Early Richmond Montmorency ant and ana English Morello comprising nearly al althe all the trees that nave nave have been planted in fact there are probably to be round many mimy times i core ore trees of a single le yaI va ya- I Montmorency than of all the the Montmorency the he others combined These varieties are ire successful generally in the central cen- cen well as asIn asin trail ral and southern sections as ns northern section In n some parts of the regions regions regions re re- re- re there are large but in the latter gions where the con conditions practically It ItIs Itis Its of cherries preclude e the growing that sweet cherries are Is s not believed likely to withstand the conditions anywhere anywhere any- any where in this area Sand cherries also do well in many parts arts of the Great Plains area The fruit ruit is of value primarily for making rather than for use useIn usein usen jelly elly or preserves In n the fresh state Currants Currants appear to be one of the most satisfactory small fruits for the Great Plains Most varieties do about equally well and are generally hard hardy The London London Market Mark is perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps grown in larger quantities than sort but the Cherry VieH Vie Vie- any iny other H oria toria Red Dutch am and Norm Nonn star ton red sorts and the White Grape for white variety have done well at the Akron field station and include the sorts most commonly found elsewhere in n the Great Plains area Gooseberries In general what has been stated regarding regarding regarding re re- re- re garding currants Is true also of goose- goose berries erries They are quite dependable wherever currants are succeeding To keep them iem vigorous however the sprouts that habitually grow from the ground in rather large numbers should be je kept well thinned out Probably the Downing Houghton and P Po POorman can be planted generally in n this area with ab much assurance of satisfaction as any other varieties Raspberries and Blackberries Raspberries blackberries and dewberries dewberries dewberries dew dew- berries have not proved very successful successful success success- ful fill in this area and they have not been planted as ns a rule in the ranch fruit gardens Generally speaking they do not withstand dry weather well Strawberries Success with strawberries in this area aren seems to be more largely a matten matter mat mat- iter ten ter of at the plants becoming well established established established and having an adequate moisture moIsture mois mols- ture tune supply during certain periods than is the tho planting of any particular variety Newly set plants should be watered as needed until they are well re established after transplanting By mulching with straw during the winter to prevent repeated th thawing ing and freezing as ns well vell as to protect the plants from extreme temperatures strawberries can probably be grown almost anywhere in the Great Plains provided water can be applied during the critical periods While Irrigation might be be quite advantageous advantageous ad ad- at times In the growing of other fruits it may often be practicable ble to water a small strawberry bed that can be located near the dwelling house when it would be out of the question to wa water r a fruit garden more or less lesS' distant from the buildings As to varieties the Excelsior Beder Beder- wood Crescent and Dunlap are sug sug- Of these the Crescent is the only one that has Imperfect flowers It must roust therefore be planted with a perfect flowering sort In order to produce produce produce pro pro- duce fruit Mixed Planting Advisable Many varieties of apples plums pears cherries and other fruits are more or less sterile sterne with their own pollen Such varieties vai therefore may maybe maybe maybe be unfruitful even though they blossom bIos bbs som abundantly unless planted in close proximity to other varieties of the same kind which blossom simultaneously simul with them While not all varieties are arc sterile self and sometimes sometimes some some- times those which arc are so under certain conditions are not sterile self-sterile under others the matter Is of too great Importance importance Im- Im Importance im Im- to be disregarded when planting plant plant- ing lug orchards or fruit gardens It It-is It is therefore always wise to select at least two varieties of each kind of fruit fort for planting unless one has good evidence that under his conditions a variety which he ho desires is self |