Last Earth: E. Spitzenberg is highly susceptible to fireblight, if that is a consideration. And if you live in Jersey, it might be. I took out a Spitz here because it was nearly destroyed by fireblight. Williams Pride is fine for an early apple, good for sauce and pies, but average for fresh eating, and, like most early apples, not much of a keeper. Think mealiness. When you limit yourself to one nursery, you are letting them decide what you can plant. I know it's a whole lot more convenient and cheaper to order from one source, but trees are a long-range investment, and it's worth the trouble and expense to plant what you really want. A late-ripening, long-keeping, highly flavored apple like Goldrush would be my choice for your location. It also has disease resistance, and can begin to bear in year 3 on a semi-dwarfing rootstock like M-7. My Goldrush produces apples right up there in quality with Fuji and Pink Lady, and they keep in refrigeration for 6 months. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Hi Harvestman- No need to feel bad. On the contrary, you opinion (which was shared by a couple other posters) gives me a more balanced, and probably accurate, view of Liberty. Perhaps weÂll get a couple cool summers, and IÂll wonder what the heck I ever saw in it! In addition to all the normal variables that affect an apple, (location, climate, soil, weather, etc), I think this is a good example of when we evaluate a particular apple (i.e. I like it/ I hate it), we see that not everyoneÂs criteria is the same: A) A commercial growerÂs #1 criteria might simply be the name any name that isnÂt recognized by the public might not sell well. B) Perhaps a moderately-apple-educated grower like found on this forum might have flavor to be their #1 criteria. They know how to care for apples, and they want the best possible product. C) Perhaps a home-grower might have low maintenance as their #1 criteria. After all, anything that they grow themselves will taste much better than anything found in the stores, and really, theyÂre too busy with work and taking the kids to soccer practice to worry about their apple tree. I think IÂm somewhere between B & C. Perhaps youÂre somewhere between A & B? Anyhow, in the future, I really look forward to trying some of these really exceptional flavored ones that people keep talking about! Thanks as always for all your advice (even when it isn't what I necessarily want to hear! :-) ), -Glenn

Bejay: No word on how WP would do as a cooking apple. However, Granny Smith grows in Laguna Beach, so would probably do fine for you. They are much better off your tree than in the store, but takes a few years to start bearing. Dorsett Golden is a maniac that will fruit regardless of frost or heat (we had ice on the blossoms this spring) and always, always, sets heavy crops. I've seen it as a 1-year old whip bent over with a huge apple on the tip. It usually does a good job of thinning (Thank God, as it blossoms like a crabapple), but if you want big apples off a young tree you will want to thin. Don't worry, enjoy the smaller apples, and even some off the second crop this fall, and then thin next spring. Do not worry about dormancy. My two Pink Lady on seedling rootstock never did lose it's leaves this winter, and the old leaves are being pushed out by the new leaves and blossoms (which are setting fruit). It's probably too late to thin Anna. Next year just whack Anna off at the knees and graft a Granny Smith onto it, as the quality is much inferior to Dorsett. Applenut

Those are some good ideas MileHighGirl. In particular, putting the bait under the cage makes a lot of sense, as the animal will need to work to get at it, increasing the chances of tripping the trap. It's also important to secure the trap (a rock on each side), as I've seen the trap moved to get at bait which fell through. Fred, my area is a bit too urban for guns. Besides, I'm a bad enough shot I would probably hurt my trees, house or neighbors more than the target. When I was a kid, around 8 years old, I was growing corn (rather poorly) in my parent's garden. A neighborhood kid (who I was not friendly with) helped himself and I chased him down, almost getting him with a rock. I missed him, but got his father's car windshield...Hmm...Maybe that's not a great story to drive home the point "look what can happen when you don't hit what you aim at." I finally managed to catch the ground hog. Wrapping the cage in the small tarp seems to have made the difference. Though I also used a larger chunk of apple core to make it tougher for small animals to carry away (per Cindy's suggestion), which probably helped. I may not need the cantaloupe I just bought- I got home with it to find the groundhog caught. **Knocks on wood that there aren't any more ground hogs around**