The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-01-07
agricultural department.
==s ------
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
From the Vermont Farmer
The Fruit Interests of the Champlain
valley.
ny @. @. pRINDLE, OF Charlotte,


npi,uls, t. wiito To- tLo taiuIer CONCERNING TIL
fruit interest of tais valley in general ana sum,
OF out best oichuius III la ticulai, that presum,
sou long ago ceas d to rely upon ino to keep in,
engagement. 1t is not that you did not suggtsi
10 me n fruitful theme, nor is il Quo upon wuic
do not delight to employ my pen, for fruii
growing is beginning to take rank with dai.
ry4ng, our she, p-rnisug our huise b., euing. etc
and as 1t shall have received tho benefit u
the enterprise, skin, systcin. and cU-upvratiul
which developed those interests, it will, hav,
confidence " predict, be- as widely aud iavorablJ
known. c. o. p.
VERMONT AS A FRulT GROWING STATE
Finding delight in an abundance aud
great variety ol iruit,I always sympath-
ize with those who lived 10 regions
where its cultivation is impossible. or at
las SUR unded by many dscouragemeuts
Composed for the most part Of meuil,ain
ridges with narrow frosty aud wiud.swept
valleys between them and in its northern
part an elevated plateau, Vermont on the
whole offers but ecanty Inducements to
the iruit-ground yet the farmers, even
in the most nnfavorahle locations are late
showing an enterprise in cndesvoring to
provide themselves with at least some
sort OF fruit, which ELECTS our admiration
and receives our good wishes. Whatever
~ Access 10 their efforts, the hill farmers of
Vermont attain by planting the harder
English or the still more hardy Russian
varieties Of apples, by top-graftng in a
hard stock, by turning to low heads, b,
employing in the most exposed situations
only the varieties Of the Siberian species
or by and other rational means, they will
surely add much to the enjoyment and
the welfare Of the family.
believe that family supply Of an.
Piles Tor the summer and and fall months
is within the reach of nearly every land.
holder among our hills, if he is an intel
ligeut and thorough cultivator. Many
will raise their own winter apples also :;
and some may do much to meet the de-
mands Of the local markets. But much
more than this | cauuot expect from the
majority of Vermont towns, shall be-
greatly mistaken if after this experiment
OF fruit culture has been fully carried
through, and we ascertain precisely what
We can do, and learn the full force Of the
Obstacles which we must inevitably en-.
counter.l shall be at fault ia my predict.
tion' If we do not fad, except in few
more or les" limited sections of our State.
thai there are other agricultural pursuits
more renuuerative than orchsrdiug BY
far the most conspicuous exception, both
as respects extent and peculiar adapta.
ton to fruit raising is the valley from
which | write.
THE CLIMATE OF THE CIIAMpLA1N VALLEY
Is in some respects an exceptional one
for so high IA latitude This valley, though
lying among the mountains OF the north.
many considered continuation of that
OF the Hudson. Through it course the
same south winds, its prevailing winds.
laden with the warmth of the south and
the bundle OF the sea- Its mean TEN.
peraIure during the four growing months
varies but little from that of the upper
Hudson about Troy and Albany, aud l.
often higher than that Of Rochester or
Geneva. Its mountain wall Of the Adj.
roundaks on the west banks, the force OF
the atmospheric storm waves. which dr.,
aud cold, roll over the continent, aud on
the east the Green Mouotains present
barrier to the northeasters from Lahra.
dor, which in more exposed parts of Now
Englaud blight the setting fruit
The lake itself supplies conditions IA
vorabe to horticulture. As write rhi,
November morning the ground is white
with an early snow, and the chilliuess Of
winter Is 10 the air, leaden cloud hangs
over the length of the lake, and before
the northwest wind from the St. Lawr uce
rolls back over the land. We shall not
see much Of the sun to-day. The clouds
represent the warmth and moisture given
on by the waters of the lake. Night and
day In cold weather, at this time of the
year, these lake clouds are spread over
us to check the radiation of heat from
the earth and the lower atmosphere and
thus moderate the bitterness of approach.
ing winter Earlier the evaporating does
not take on visible form but it is no
less efficient to reply autumn frosts and
proIong the season to allow the full devel.
opment OF our late fruits. The same
course also reuders spring frosts almost
unknown in belt Of country several miles
In width along the border of the lake, so
that our fruit crops are never blasted 10
the blossom by that cause. And during
the heats OF summer this evaporation from
the lake supplies to the atmosphere that
humidity which is the essential feature of
every fruit region
Unfortunately for us the waters of
Champlain are shallow and. consequent.
~, they become so chilled as to freeze
over before the winter is hardly half over;
after that We are exposed to the rigors OF
winter Incident to our latitude ouly We
do enjoy some immunity from cold hy
reason OF our law elevation, which is only
from one to three or four hundred feet
above the level Of the sea. But, if our
propltlous and almost tropical summer
has tempted US to the planting of tender
varieties OF fruit, we now see them sven,
away by excessive frost. Were this lake
as deep as some Of the smaller ones OF
Central New York, doutless we, also.
between Al aud As . north latitude
might grow peaches, ounces, grapes, ETC.,
unprotected
BONE OF THE ADVANTAGES AND DIsADvANT.
AGLs OF OUR SHORT SUMMERS.
Though thus enumerate these advan-
tages OF our climate aud our location.
would not be understood to Intimate that
our season resembles in all respects that
OF other noted fruit regions, Form our
situation in the far north vegetation beings
with us,necessarily,irom one to two weeks
later than i. does IN Central New York
or Michigan. and also brings to close
its cycle OF growth by as much earlier 10
autumn yet there are but very few var.