The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-01-14
[Continued
CHARACTER OF DIR FRuIT


Every one knows that the fruit grown
on the stony soil of the Eastern States
differs much in appearance and quality
from that produced on the fat and peaty
soils of the West. The distinctive char.
acters OF our fruit are rich, high quality
and fine flavor; those of the other are
large size and attractive appearance. A
neighnoring olchardist is wont to main
tain that our fruit is superior in quality
to that OF Western New York and Ohio;
and from my own observation | think he
may be correct. | believe the skin of
fruit is less affected here by fungoid
blotches than in the districts around, and
as regards its size and color we have
nothing more to desire. With the prop.
er attention bestowed upon the manage
ment OF our orchards, the cutivating and
feed'ug OF them, as well as the subduing
OF their insect enemies, the character and
appearance of our fruit is in the fullest
degree satisfactory. Upon the varieties
OF apples which we may plant with sue
cess, our winters place very little restrc-
ton: So, nearly all the sorts popular in
market are freely employed, as well as a
long list OF fancy and table apples for
every month in the year A few sorts.
as Baldwin and Hubbardston Nonesucb.
do not endure long, where planted in cold
soils or at some distance from the lake
but the question,-Is it hardy,-is not
the first one asked respecting new fruit.
PEAR ruITupr
undertaken in small way by very many.
IN various exposures and soils throughout
the valley, has met with so good success
that the attention of fruit men is turned
IN that direction; and number of pear
orchards Of some acres in extent have al.
ready been put out Here as every.
where, great difference is observed in
the behavior of various sorts of pears
but only few are found unworthy of
cultivation by reason of their tenderness.
The Bartlett, and few others require
warm soil or a situation near the water
but great number of varieties, early
and late, succeed perfectly under that
care which it Is always found expedieut
to bestow upon this fruit Whether the
plan found necessary to adopt in growing
apples must be extended to pears also,
and whether the late winter pears will all
OF them attain in our short season full
development, are questions which only
further experience will determine. The
prospects of pear culture in this valley
are especially flattering, since the two
diseases of the pear, blight and the crack
ing OF the fruit, are hardly known here
AS respects the latter, the White Dow.
enne and the Flemish Beauty, varieties
whose culture has been abandoned in the
Older States on account Of their liability
to crack, arc still among our most popu.
lar varieties. Still, | have known instap-
ces of their cracking, as | have seen cases
OF blight, and both may increase upon us
under neglect.
PLuMs AND CHERRIES.
Both these fruits are liable to have
their f-uit-buds killed by cold, if the
thermometer falls to 2Oo or 25 . below
zero Some varieties of plums, notably
the Lombard, are less liable to suffer
from this cause than others SO we en-.
JOY artial crop of plums nearly every
year, and are satisfied with heavy crop
every second or third year. The Duke
and Morello cherries bear nearly as often
as plums; but the sweet or Heart and
Bigareau varieties, though perhaps yield.
ing light crop every other year, only
give full crop occasionally On the
whole there is no money in them.
PEACHES, OUNCES, &C.,
we sometimes have The trees will sur.
vive some time and occasionally bear
Shelburn Point peaches for cooking are
some years in Burlington market.
1t Is not all seasons that are warm
enough or long enough to ripen the latter
GRAPES
In close proximity to the water, how
ever, even the Catawba will ripen nearly
every year; and were it not for the fact
that nearly every good grape here re-
qulres winter protection, grape culture or
the islands and shores of Champlair
might become an extensive enterprise
AS it is we ought to raise the grapes W,
require-xnd so we ought to raise ou
own small fruits, our
STRAWBERRIES. RAsPBERRIEs, &c.
But a small part of the amount of thes,
fruits consumed 10 our towns and village
"grown in the vicinity, The fact hard