The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-01-13


TO other varieties worked on crab apple
stock that prove short-lived and worth
less, instead of hardy and long.lived
APPLES GRATED on WILD CRAB.
The Iowa Homestead gives the expert.
nents Of j. l.. Bndd, in grating the cul.
!ivated apple on the wild crab, which, as
our readers know, is an entirely different
species from the common apple, and the
fruit very sour and astrngent. He states
That fifteen years ago he grated the
Betblchemite apple on this crab stock,
with which it united well, aud bore good
crops Of very fair fruit. But of late
late years, while the apples have the ap.
pearance of the Be,hlehemitc, they par.
take largely of the "astringcnt pucker of
the wild crab" and are unfit for eating.
Country Gentleman.
cRAB APPLIES, AND THE CRAB APPLE HUN.
BUG"
Our readers are we'll aware that We
are not uniavorablc to the cultivation of
the improved varieties of the Siberian
apples, commonly, though incorrectly,
designated as "crabs." We believe they
constitute very useful addition to our
list Of fruits, especially for the colder sec.
ticns OF the country and they fill a
space, limited, but not unirportant, in
The horticulture OF all sections. As a
canning and preserving fruit they are bet.
ter than most common apples, and some
varieties are not to be despised as eating
apples. We have indeed taken con.
siderable interest in this species Of fruit,
aud have in our grounds, We do not
doubt, the largest variety Of them to be
found in New England, if not las we
think we have in America AT all
events cur list embraces over forty dis.
iinct varieties, gathered from all sections
OF this country, and from Europe. Quite
number Of these, and among them some
OF tho best, We were the first to discover
IN obscure corners, and introduce to the
notice Of cultiyators.
But nevertheless VIC have been a stren-
ucus opposer Of what We have called the
"Crabapple llumbug," and although in
being So we have brought down upon
0urself the wrath and abuse of interested
parties aud their bribcd organ Of the
press, We feel sure that We have won the
gratitude Of our readers aud the public.
What is the "Crab.apple ilumbug p
1t is an attempt on thu part Of nursery
men aud tree peders to sell these Siberi.
an trees at exhorbitunt prices, and to iu.
dnoe farmers to buy and plant large or
chards of them under the impression that
they ARE a valuable orchard fruit, that
will command u ready sale in any guam.
'ity, and good prices il the irui, markets
Of the country,
In tho first place there Is 10 sense nor
reaaon in selling these trees at from one
to two dollars apiece. They are the
easiest g,o@n at any species OF apple, and
there is no cause whatever why more
should be asked for them than for com.
mon apple trees. They can really be
grown at less cost. Secondly, while they
arc useful TO certain extent in the fami.
~ they can never take the place of the
common apple as a market fruit, and con.
sequently the demand for them must be
very limited, Where anything better
can be grown, two or three trees are
quite sufficient 10 supply large family
with all they will care to consume and
the experience of those vho have tried to
market them in quantity ha, ivcrsalIy
been that the demand for 'he,n in The
cities and villages is very slight 1t i.
therefore wicked fraud Ia sell -ach
trees as valuable market fruit. and would
be, even If only the usual pric wa aske I'd
for them.
But the "Crab-apple IIunbug' has
taken even meaner form than this il
attempt land quito often successful it has
been) to induce the people to believe thai
common apples grated upon the cral
stock are harder and better than upor
roots Of their own kind AS a mere
theory it is a dangerous one, entirely
unsupported By any proof. But when il
is made the basis of exhorbtant prices
and trees so grated Costing not cen
more to raise than ilgrafted in the ordi
nary way are sold through the country
Tor one and two dollars each to unsus
pecting purchasers who take in good faitf
the statements OF these peddlars and nur
serymen, it becomes the duty of .he ag
ricultural press to warn its readers tina
they are being grossly deceived ant
wronged.
This crab humbug has been worked ST
successfully that it is constantly taking
new TO- ms, and as the old veins show
signs Of being worked out, new ones ar,
opened. When it is seen that the peopl
are getting disguised at finding that ther'
is no sale for the products of their costly
crab apple trees, they are told that thei
fruit can be made into valuable wine,
iha, will sell in any quantity at two Oh
three dollars gallon, and editors who
are officers of temperance societies are
got to commend such domestic wines" t
the Dubllc and m set the oyampla n