Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-05-16
horticulture.
For the VERMONT FARMER.
JOURNAL OF INGLESlDE, NO. 10.
ny HoRTENsIUs.


others in this region within the past three
years, invested in a little bundle of "crab ap.
pie" trees at the rate Of eight or nine dollars
per dozen. He called my attention to his pur-
chase as he was carrying it home, and graf
ifed my curiosity by inspecting the labels
attached to the trees. 1t appears that the
agent who had taken his order, an ubiqui-
tous and much talking man, had represented
the crab apples which he was selling as
surprising in size (many of them) the kinds
commonly cultivated in this vicinity, and as
being so superior in hardness, quality, beau
ty, productiveness, aud proftableness to our
Baldwins Greetings, Spys, Kings, &C., iva
rieties which we grow here in the greatest
abundance and periection,) that it would be
for the interest of my neighbor land all 9TH
ers) to cut down his we'll established orchards
Of these sorts, and plant crab apples instead,
lbuying the trees, | suppose, at seventy.iv
cents apiece of this benevolent horticultural
missionary My neighbor did not like to
destroy his fine orchard, but he thought he
would venture few dollars "just to see
what there may be in the thing
These were the labels on his trees,-Trans-
cendent, Hyslop, Soulard, and Yellow Sibe-
rian Crabs All right for crabs, and useful
in their fruit for making preserves, jellies,
&C., for use in the family, and marketable
at present at good prices but how will thea
few years hence, when the hundreds Of thou.
sands Of these trees being planted in Vermont
come into full bearing? Where will the market
be found for the crop Of that day? How will
the planter OF these fruits save himself, but
by converting his crab apples into fancy bot
tied cider, and what the consequences Of
free production of that article may be, |
leave as nut for you to crack, my temper.
ance brother.
On other labels were the names Of Tetois-
ky, Emperor and Aurora, which my neigh
Dor supposed were also " crabs Evidently
he had never been schooled in the magic Of
the word Russian The Tetofsky is very
well in its way,--a valuable, extra early ap-
pie for cold regions,-but our old and COM
mon Early Harvest is doubtless as early and
is better apple. much doubt whether
the Tetolsky will prove better than this for
market purposes; but after all there is little
money to be made here in growing summer
apples for market The Emperor, or las
often called by such tree peddlcrs) Emperor
of Russia or Emperor Alexander is doubtless
the Alexander, very large and snowy Rus
sian fruit long cultivated in this country, but
only in very limited extent because coarse
sort and only a moderate or poor bearer.
Season late autumn. The Aurora | conjec-
tured might be the variety well known under
the name Of Twenty Ounce or Cayuga Red
Streak, and lately see that Mr.. Downing,
to whom the question had been referred, is OF
the same opinion. This is very large and
very snowy apple Of only second quality, but
because Of its fair appearance it is salable,
and because of its productiveness it has been
recommended for extensive culture in Cen
tral and Western New York 1t is the best
apple in the lot Season autumn and early
winter. 1t owes its place on this list to its
attractiveness, | presume, as perhaps does
the Alexander; but should not expect it
would succeed in those localities where Sibe-
rian and Russian apples are the chief reliance,
since it does not appear on Il lists Of ap-
pies approved for culture in the Northwest
and other similar regions.
There are few points in this business Of
selling our uninformed farmers these "crab
apples, that merit special notice. First, the
selling as new and superior kinds old and
well-known sorts disguised under obscure
synonyms. Second, asking for these COM
mon varieties, abundant in all our large nur-
series, whether crab, Russian or other, three
or four fold the price at which they are COM
monty sold, when passing on their real merits
and under their most common nomenclature
Third, the representation that the trees are
Vermont grown, when, on the contrary, We
are credibly informed that large quantitie;
of them are bought at wholesale in the New
York nurseries, and if so it must be at low
rates, say from Sl2 to $50 per hundred
judging from the quality Of the stock
Fourth, the unwarranted claim, made without
having consulted the experience of our larg
est and most successful orchardists, made by
those who can have had no experience il
fruit growing in our valley, that this selec
tion, represented as possessing extraordinary
, value, and sold at proportionate prices, ii
better for our purposes than that which w
have been led by our own patient expert
ments to adopt
l have nothing to say about the adaptation
Of the apples of this list to the colder regions
beyond this valley. Without experience ii
those localities | will not undertake to judg'
! what would be the most profitable list there
. But | allow myself to speak thus severely
not from any personal interest in the matter
for | cannot say that have suffered the los
, of dollar by the operations of these agents
/ but entirely in the interests Of my brothe
. farmers and orchardists. Nor would | b,
, understood as cOndemning crab apples
} without reserve shall yet have something
to say in praise Of the Siberian apples an(
, their hybrids with the more common species