Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-03
9ortitulture.
For the VERMONT FARMER.
THE FRUIT INTERESTS OF THE
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY.

by q. q. PringIe, Esq, OF Charlotte. seere-
tnry OF the ChampIHin Valley HorticuItu-
raj Society.
Continued from last week)
The Orchards OF John Holmes, Esq, West
Charlotte.
From the extent of his paintings my neigh
Dor Holmes may justly be called the prince
Of our orchardists Certainly the most am
bilious planters of this valley, so far as am
acquainted with them, are content to aspire
to only half his number of trees. Very few
men, indeed, will be able for some time to do
more than this for it is rare that so favor.
able combination of circumstances occurs
so advantageous location, such splendid
stretch of the choicest fruit land such mas.
terly enterprise in the owner to conceive of
noble plans, and such energy and thorough.
ness, with the requisite pecuniary means, to
carry them iuto execution successfully.
For half mile westward from the railroad
station Of Charlotte and thence a mile north
ward we pass over level meadows and pas
lures, spotted in their lowest places with
swamps of black ash and on the SUBMITS Of
their gentle swells with woods Of beech and
maple. This brings us near the lake and
opposite the entrance to the grounds we pro-
pose to visit to-day. The iarm-steading is
located on a low ridge at some distance west
Of the highway, and we approach the house,
substantial brick farmhouse with hospit-
able look, along a gravelled drive through
an avenue of young forest trees.
The situation of Mr.. Holmes place is
magnificent one and the view eau hardly be
exceled along all the eastern shore The
house stands on the summit of the broad ridge,
which. crowned with orchards, stretches south
ward parallel with the lake, and for some fifty
rods northward runs out into the water as a
headlaud, around which a bay flows inland.
To the west, beyond the blue waters Of Lake
Champlain and from its fm ther shore, rise
the spires Of Essex, and high above them in
the background tower the oltiesi SUBMITS Of
the Adirondacs. Northward sweeps the
broad lake, bearing near by on its bosom a
group of wild and rocky islands, aud further
on, broader ones, fruitful and fair under the
hand of the cultivntor and eastward, over a
hundred wooded hill-tops, the long line of the
Green Mountains bounds the landscape, rs.
ing here and there into a bold and rocky peak
as Mansfield or Camel's Hump.
But our errand to this estate to-day is a
practical one, and we must not permit our
admiration of its beautiful surroundings to
divert us long from its accomplishment. So,
after an hour of fruit talk, during which din,
ncr is served, we set out unler the agreeabl c
escort of the proprietor and his two sols to
make a survey of the orchards We are first
led through an orchard north Of the house
occupying some eight acres between that and
the end OF the point, and including three
hundred and fifty trees planted in 1864
This is Mr. Holmes small beginning, The
varieties are mainly Greenings and Golden
Russets. The trees are uniformly healthy
aud vigorous, and give evidence ofintelligcnt
and constant care The heads arc formed at
moderate height-the mode of training the
owner most approves on account of his ex-
pOsure to lake winds-they are symmetrical
aud well developed, and the branches are
properly thinned out to prevent their cha6ng
or crowding. The trees are bearing mod.
crate crop of fruit which for the last of Au-
gust is large and fair, A part of the orchard
has till recently been polced by drove of
hogs who have deyourcd, as it fell, every
wormy fruit This is an aid to his fruit
growing which the proprietor proposes freely
to employ, He wntered for this summers
work thrty-live hogs. This particular or
chard had been seeded to orchard grass the
previous year, aud the forage it furnished,
together with the falling apples, helped to
support the herd while confined here. At
present they are in a distant orchard feeding
on the peas which had been there grown
ior them, and fattening on them. Mr.,
Holmes at one time tried keeping sheep in
his young orchards, but they persisted with
an abundance Of pasturage, in gnawing the
bark of the trees, aud, even after he had been
at pains to surround the trees with protec.
tion of boards nailed to stakes, they climbed
up on the barrier and nibbled the bark Of
the limbs. But swine, when allowed sufi-
cent range to obtain other vegetable food,
will not show any relish for apple-tree bark
and with a sufficient force of these the fruit
grower will keep his fruit very free from in.
sects, and thus secure an abundant crop Of
large and handsome fruit.
Gratiied to hear that this orchard already
pays expenses and begins to make returns to
its planter, having last year, i.s seventh frOm
the setting, averaged dollars worth OF ap'
piles to the tree, we pass on toward the shore