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Show PLAN TO SET APPLE TREES NEXT SPRING There are thousands of farmers at this time who are planning to set apple ap-ple trees next spring, encouraged by the bountiful crops or fruit of last summer. And this is a work which ought not to be undertaken hastily, hut to avoid costly errors there should be "some knowledge of varieties, their season and quality. First of all, earnestly resolve that you will not plant any of the early varieties, like Duchess and Yellow Transparent. In a good fruit year you may get all you need of these sorts just for picking them up of your neighbors. neigh-bors. Vy should you grow more of the unsalable kinds? This is said under the supposition that you are planting an orchard for home use chiefly, says Iowa Homestead. Of course, if you are planting a commercial orchard, or have facilities for shipping to a big city market, that alters the case, and you may make good profit from the early varieties. But as matters stand In our rural communities com-munities it would be better if two- opinion of any writer as gospel, but visit some orchardist who is near to your place and has similar soil conditions condi-tions and ask him about his experience. experi-ence. He can give hints of very great value. And do not plant any crabs. Forty years ago it was the fashion to plant various kinds of crabs and before apples ap-ples were plentiful they did have some value. But we have passed by the crab age. There are still some housekeepers house-keepers who want a few crabs to jell, pickle, etc. If your wife Is one of that class and you want to indulge her do not plant more than one tree. The question is often asked: How many trees should be planted for 8 family orchard? That is one of those general questions which requires a variety va-riety of answers. Some families use many more apples than others. It may be said ten good trees, when they come to full fruitage, will supply an ordinary family in all good fruit years. Some would say that five trees were enough and others would increase thu APPLES DISPLAYED AT ILLINOIS COUNTY FAIR. thirds of our early apple trees were cut out for firewood. The Wealthy is a standard apple for early fall, but unless you have facilities facili-ties for cold storage do not plant it largely south of the latitude of southern south-ern AViseonsin, central Iowa and central cen-tral Nebraska. North of that it has some keeping quality and the farther north it can be grown the better it keeps. Even in central Iowa if picked in early maturity just as the seeds turn brown it will keep until midwinter. mid-winter. Plant Ben Davis, N. W. Greening, Salome, Minkler or Black Annette and you will have fruit which will keep until you have time to sell it. But take another hint do not take the number to twenty. Get good, thrifty two-year-old trees and set them 25 feet apart. The ground may be planted plant-ed with corn or potatoes or some other hoed crop for the first five years. If you are planting simply for home use, not intending to market, one tree of the Wealthy is enough. If the Jonathan Jon-athan and Delicious succeed in your neighborhood by all means include them in your list. Black Annette and Salome are good keepers and are hardy in tree in the north middle sections sec-tions of apple growing; and they are also very good apples in quality. Then, with the N. W. Greening and the old reliable Ben, you will be sure to have fruit, if anybody has fruit. |