6 Chapter 4 Johnny Takes Care of His Orchards

Chapter 4 Johnny Takes Care of His Orchards Johnny's orchards kept him busy year-round. Every fall, Pennsylvania farmers took their newly picked apples to the cider mills. So that's when seeds were plentiful. Johnny usually

collected a couple of bushels of them from the mills. During the winter, Johnny fixed his orchard fences. These kept deer and other animals from nibbling on his trees. Each spring and summer, he tended his orchards. He also chose sites for new orchards. He cleared the land, chopping shrubs and pulling weeds. He tilled the soil, then carefully planted apple seeds.

Squirrels and mice always ate some of the seeds before they could sprout. But he didn't mind. He left the seeds to grow and came back later to check on them.

All year long, Johnny was also a traveling salesman. He went door-to-door, visiting settlers' cabins. He sold apple seeds and seedlings.

HOW APPLES GROW EVERY SPRING, BUDS FORM ON THE BRANCHES OF AN APPLE TREE. THE BUDS BLOOM INTO FLOWERS CALLED BLOSSOMS, WHICH OFTEN GROW IN GROUPS OF FIVE. MOST APPLE BLOSSOMS ARE PINK AT FIRST BUT SOON TURN WHITE. EACH BLOSSOM HAS FIVE PETALS, WHICH FALL OFF AFTER ONLY A FEW DAYS.

A GREEN BALL, WHICH IS A BABY APPLE, GROWS IN PLACE OF EACH BLOSSOM. BY FALL, THESE APPLES ARE BIG ENOUGH TO PICK AND EAT. APPLES ARE PICKED BY HAND BECAUSE HARVESTING MACHINES WOULD BRUISE THEM. THEY ARE WASHED AND PACKED IN CRATES. REFRIGERATED TRUCKS OR TRAINS DELIVER THEM TO STORES. YOU CAN GROW A TREE FROM THE SEED OF AN APPLE YOU EAT. THE TREE WILL TAKE FIVE OR