Three hours time-on-task, five hours by the clock

I was blessed to be able to have three hours time-on-task today. 

Grafting notes

I performed the first few grafts of the season. Mrs ERJ applauded, not because I am a fabulous grafter but because it means the sticks in the refrigerator that were elbowing aside (actual) food are starting to leave the refrigerator.

Two Walnut Hill pears. Walnut Hill is a Lucky Pittman find. In Michigan it has fruit slightly smaller than tennis balls that persist on the tree until April. In fact, they would still be hanging if they hadn't been harvested by hungry squirrels.

Two "Indian Free" Blood* peaches in the upper orchard.

Two "King David"** apples on a Hazen/M-26 tree that tried to pay its rent but it fruits in the heat of the summer and then quickly turn mushy and then drop.

Two Ashmead's Kernel***. One on the apple tree in the northwest corner of the Upper Orchard. The other on a sucker on the "tall" Melrose tree.

Both Ashmead's Kernel and King David have a lot of flavor-intensity. That is, high sugar, high acid, lots of "apple" flavor. Melrose is a work-horse for production but the apples, though large and pretty, are a bit bland. My hope is to have some apples to balance out the applesauce or cider made from the Melrose apples. 

Mark my words...

If somebody doesn't put a stop to this nonsense then I will have to mow my grass before May 1st!

Miscellaneous

I cleaned out and reset the varmint traps. I replaced the rotted-out sill of an exterior door with Type S mortar (guaranteed not to rot). I dug holes and spread fertilizer. I sprayed herbicide. I dragged brush.
 

* (Indian Free Peach) produces heavy crops of large, aromatic, freestone peaches that have dark red skin and white flesh marbled with crimson stripes. When fully ripe in mid-to-late season, the rich, sweet, distinctive flavor is excellent both eaten fresh and used in preserves, chutneys and fruit leathers.  Raintree Nursery description

** For best flavor (King David) fruit should be harvested as soon as it is fully colored, but if left on the tree the apples will hang into the winter and the color will continue to deepen until it is almost black. The flesh is yellowish; its intensely tart flavor explodes with spice, citrus, and tropical notes that are deepened by caramelized sugars. The intensity can be a bit of a shock. It will store well for about two months, and will make an amazing pie, sauce, or cider.     Description from Cummins Nursery

*** Biting into an Ashmead's reveals a dense, nutty flesh bursting with honeyed zing. The flavor is intense and complex, high in both sugar and acid, and the juice is prized by cider makers. Steve Wood of Farnum Hill Ciders describes Ashmead's as "a delicious trip to that fine line between pleasure and pain," and he finds that it adds "mad florals" and tropical notes to cider blends. While the acidity of the fresh-picked fruit might not agree with some tastes, Ashmead's mellows with age, and an October harvest is best stored for eating around Christmas, when notes of pear, spice, and orange blossom will emerge.  Description from Cummins Nursery