Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-10-20
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RAISING FRUIT PROFITABLE.
Much has been written upon tho profitable
ness of fruit culture, yet we think this matter
is generally TOO much neglected and its impor-
lance too little appreciated. One reason ofthis
is that relatively quite too much attention has
been bestowed upon raising fancy fruits. Al
most every one who has written upon the sub.
jeeis has devoted himself to describing a now
variety or to the best means of raising a small
quantity of a great number of fruits. Take APP
plies for example. We have in our apricultu-
raj and horticultural journals chapter upon chap
Ter describing the hundreds of varieties, while
little is said upon the importance Of producing
an abundant supply of some Of the leading and
long established kinds, such as The Greening,
Spilzcnbure, Boldwin, Newtown Pippin, Seek
no.further, &c. If public attention has been
rightly directed in this matter. why is il that
even at this present tine, as well as in all past
seasons, there is and has always been a scarcity
of these fruits in the market, even when they
bring prices four times more than what would
amply pay for their production
No one can sit dow and carefully estimate
the cost of raising apples, compared with the
amount yielding by other products from the
same ground and labor without being convinced
that no branch of industry is so amply remu-
uerating as this, and ye, few enter into it as a
business.
If we take fruit at its lowest market price.
the ground occupied by one apple tree can in
no way be made 10 yield for the same outlay
more than a fourth Of the value that can be
gathered from the tree, even if the fruit be used
for feeding only.
Ia addition to the causes Of this state Of things
above mentioned, i've others may be given
First, then, i, has been feared that everybody
else was going into The business and second,
the time required to raise a bearing orchard as
led most persons to seek for a more immediate
ly remnneraiing business.
To the first, it may be said that when we
take into account the value Of fruit for feeding
stock, there can be no limit to the quantities
that may be pruftably raised for home consump-
ton and to the second, that the cost of rear
ing an orchard is very trifing, before it begins
to yield returns. The ground occupied by grow
ing trees is not lost nor materially injured for
other purposes on the contrary. as we know
by profitable experience, trees will flourish quite
as well on ground that annually produces hoed
crops. We raised a thrifty orchard Of six acres
containing three hundred trees, and yet every
year gathered from the same ground large crops
OF corn and potatoes, alternately. The trees
thrive all the better from the constant c~ultiva-
ton Of The ground around them. A few loads
per acre of good manure was annually applied,
and the corn aud potatoes gave a good profit,
over and above the entire expense OF cultivation
IN addition to the cost Of plants, grating, and
he annual care required by the trees. AT The
md Of eight years, one orchard was producing
IN annual crop Of more than a thousand bushels
II choice apples, requiring only 10 be gathered
md taken to market, and yielding a clear profit
II more than fifty dollars per acre. In this or
we cultivated but six yarielies-the har-
apple, August sweet, Fall pippin, Spiiz-
'nburg, Grcening and Seek-no-further. Each,
n It's season, found a ready market, at remuner-
ding prices. The produce of thai orchard Of
TX acres, now eighteen years old, is to-day
worth more than eighty dollars an acre, annual
y, for feeding purposes only. The soil was
'oi %unusally favorable indeed, it was so rocky
hat II could with difficulty be titled except with
he hand hoe.
The process pursued was very simple. The
trees raised from seeds by ourselves.
we're planted out and allowed 10 grow a year
T two, and then grated upon the stock or larger
limbs many of them were grated by inoccu-
alton, and a few days spent each year in prun-
ng, has been the chiefcare required by the trees.
Zach Spring they were formerly well white
washed and the leaning trees tied up to a stake.
10 guard them from being barked by the traces,
our white oak stakes, split out like rails, were
Iriven around the trees. When first set out
the trees were leaned a little to the south
vest, so as to brace them against the winds
prevailing from that direction. There are few
n no soils that will not produce apple trees
WIN a little care in manuring. A cart load of
table manure applied once in ten years, TO a
'lot of ground Ten feet square-no matter how
fit it TO support a good tree.
An apple tree that costs less than two dollars
o plant and rear it, will for many years yield,
without alier expense, an average produce Of ten
usNels a year, worth for feeding alone, two
ollars a year, and fifty 70 eighty such trees
nay stand upon a single acre.
While IN this subject, we will mention a
Dung orchard that we visited last Spring.-
several hundred trees were planted upon a soil
o barren that il would braely yield grass, but
he trees were quite as large and thrifty as any :
'e have seen of the same age, We learned r
iat the only panure they used was about a T
lar' OF urine each, annually, though when first "
Ianted, a large deep hole was dug for each e.
ee' aud hlled up with surface soil, mingled e Z
nh a small quantity of chip manure. "