The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-08-12
The Prince of Apple-Growers,

IVA di dppie pFince,
whose income from his handsome
apple orchard on the banks of the
Hudson river, exceeds that Of many
bankers. The Troy Times, in de-
scrlbing a visit to his place, says it
IS interesting as a matter of record.
illustrating how a man may make
money by building up reputation
for hls produce. Here is the letter:
III You should be walking with
me on almost any pleasant day in
Fifth Avenue, near Madison Square.
might point out the most success
ful pomologist (or apple-grower) in
the world You would in this case
see a large and fnely-built man,
tastetuIly but not showily dressed,
whose manners are suggestive oflhe
old school, and who mingles literary
and social culture with the biph.st
art i'll agricultural He is scion of
British nobility, and the chief among
American farmers; that is, his lands
are made to produce better return
to capital than in any other instance
on record. Robert L. Pell, the gen
tleman to whom reference is now
made, is the lineai descendent of
Lord Peli, peer Of the realm, v no
obtained patent for the vast tract
OF land IN Ulster county, near the
old town of Esopus Mr.. PelI oc
cupes the ancestral farm, which
contains 1900 acres, all of which
he cnItivates by his own personal
attention. During the spring.
summer and autumn he resides upon
the place; but when winter an
proaches he removes to his Fifth
Avenue palace, and thus becomes a
resident of this great city.
"Mr. PeIps f4thcr, who was noted
tor his good judgment in agricul-
tural matters, stopping many years
IN the little village of NewtowH. T..
l., observed two pippin trees of
Eng gllsh origin, whose fruit was
much sought for. The one pro-
duced an apple tinted with yellow
and red, and the other Of green
hue, the difference in coor being
solely caused by the difference in
soil. He was so much pleased with
the fruit that he determined to Gre
ate "n extensive orchard OF n eini
lar kind. The cuttings were ob-
tanned from time to time, trees were
planted and grated, and after many
years of perseverance and labor the
grand orchard was in existence.
Mr.. Pell then could show go acres
planted with the Newtown pippin
alone and containing 2l,OOO trees.
H. then remarked 'if each tree
should yield his son one dollar a
year, it would be a handsome in
come" His plan, however, has
been greatly exceeded, for some of
these very trees have yielded eight
ecn bushels at a picking.
"While so many rich sons fall vic
TINS to THEN own wealth by the
vices that haunt prosperity, Robert
l.. Pell found his tastes better salts
he'd with his country seat and lis
enormous crops. He studied the
arts OF pomology and learned how
to assist Nature in her efforts to
support mankind. Commonly
speaking, the apple tree bears every
alternate year. Mr.. Pell deter
mined to have an annual harvest,
and, to give his orchard handsome
start, he sacrificed the crop of
bearing year. All the apples were
picked green. He bad discovered
that the germ OF the next years
fruit was in existence at the time of
the apple harvest; but that the tree
would be 50 exhausted that this
germ would fail of development,
and a year of rest would follow be
fore another crop could be produced.
Having stopped his trees from fruit
ing III the manner have mentioned,
he was sure of crop on what was
generally the off year, and he de-
termined to follow this up by a
treatment that should abolish the
off year.
"He learned that trees require a
variety Of food, the chief of which
is potash, lime and soda, and his
orchard has been thus fed, with all
the success that could have been
anticipated. The potash is found
in wood-ashes; lime is obtained from
oyster-shells at low cost (Stone lime
being undesirable), while soda is
supplied by common salt. An
orchard thus fed and judiciouSly
pruned cannot fail to succeed. His
plan is TO fill is barn yard with
swamp-muck in the tall. This ab-
serbs the drainage, and it is at the
same time supplied with the above
mentioned ingredients In the
spring il is hauled to the orchard
which is piowed and sown with
clover, as an additional fertilizer.
a nursery for the purpose of renew
ing the orchard is part of the schemo.