Middletown transcript., 1868-02-29
,9eritultnral Department.
For the Mddieto,cn Iranseript.
Fruit Culture.

al IA
Fruit culture, in this country, is yet but
in its incipient stage. The rapid growth
of all our towns and cities will cause an
ever-increasing demand for it, so that there
is little chance of the supply ever fully
coming up to the actual needs of the mar
ket Not only orchard fruit, but all the
smaller fruits Of the garden, such as straw
berries, raspberries, currants, &c. may be
multiplied indefinitely, without fear of ex-
ceeding the demand. would like to hear
the views of some of the intelligent and
experienced fruit growers Of the neighbor-
hood, as to the relative profits and advan4
tages of the Peach and Apple culture.
My own opinions are in favor of the APP
pie. l will not attempt to discuss the
matter, however, at this time, but win
only drop few lines to serve as text for
others: ,.i he @ t . ~
A farmer in Cecil county gathered forty
bushels of apples from one tree. Let us
suppose that he had an orchard comprising
hundred such trees, (and he might as
we'll have had hundred trees as one } his
crop of apples would have been 1000 BUSH
els. If gathered and sold at the low price
of 25 cents per bushel, the proceeds would
have been $1,000. Now, this yield may
be considered large, but the price is small.
An orchard of 100 trees might not yield
40 bushels each, but their yield, whatever
it might be, would bring more than 70
cents bushel; and it is no extravagant
calculation to say that an orchard of 100
trees with judicious management would
pay profit of 81 900. 1t is the impress
sion Of many persons that apples would
pay better than peaches, s,-summer and fall
apples, at least. Large quantities Of fruit
are used in all the cities in cooking, as
dessert, &c. and more would be used if 1t
could be got. Northern orchards could
not compete with orchards in this latitude
in the production of early fruit, and grow
ers here would have u monopoly OF the
market, and consequent good prices. Be
sides, apples for culinary use could be ship
ped in bulk, and the immense cost atten-
ding the peach shipment in the purchase
and loss of baskets, would not be incurred.
The cultivation and production Of
Plums, Damsons, Ounces, Pears, etc. is
we'll worth the attention of the Delaware
and Maryland farmers. All these fruits
| VI euCSS cbotSS.
The Dwarf Pear, especially, succeeds well
here, and the Ounce and the Damsoh
flourish on all the water courses. The
Ounce rejoices in the salt atmosphere of
our bays and rivers, and grows to per
fcction here, when properly treated, which
it attains no where else, And the DAM
son, in some localities, is a stranger to the
black knot and the curculio, which are SO
destructive further north. The Damson
yields largely, and requires very little at
tcntion. No fruit would pay better. Last
year there was an eager inquiry for this
variety of fruit, and a ready sale at $1S
to 800 per barrel Persons in the lower
part of this State made business Of buy
ing them on speculation and sending them
over the Delaware Rail Road to the Phila-
delphia and New York markets. And the
demand was very poorly supplied. Thou
sands of barrels more could have been
sold, if the fruit could have been obtained.
The demand for early summer apples was
equally brisk, and the prices paid for them
were highly remunerative. s-4...e.-..
l will recur to this subject again. For
the present, l have attempted nothing
more than to throw out few hints for the
reflection of others. And not wishing to
occupy too much Of your space, with, one
article, l viii, for the present, close.
ARAToR
| 7gs.f III L.. Il ft.rf o4