Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-08
Experiences in Growing Hardy Fruits.

xrNnuR rwo-EENARKs Oh yAulEtrs.
The best known of the truly hardy or
iron-clad apples are the Russians. OF
these the largest in cultivation are the Tetof-
sky, Red Assrachan, Duchess of Oldenburgh
aud Emperor Alexander The White AS
trachan is also somewhat known, and four
or five years ago the national department Of
agriculture imported large number Of new
sorts from the Russian dominions, and dis
seminated the scions throughout the colder
sections of the country.
1t is a noticeable popularity Of the Rus
sian apples that, so far as tested, they EN-
brace no winter kinds. 1t is hoped, how
ever that among the recent importations
some useful winter varieties will be found,
sufficiently meritorious in other respects to
gain general acceptance
In regard to bookkeeping apples, suf-
ficiently hardy for the coolest sections, we
have as yet to depend upon native seedlings,
collected from Maine, Vermont, Canada,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Finding and
collecting such as are hardy, we have then
TO sift them, so as to select these that are
good bearers of good fruit, thrifty, and
adapted to general cultivation on variety
of soils. This is no uncomfortable task. 1t
has only been begun, but results already at
tanned give good hope that we shall find
strain of hardy winter fruit that will make
orcharding a safe and profitable business lin
careful hands,, through all the sections
named above, where as yet the dependence
for winter apples is upon less severe regions.
Coming to the consideration of particular
kinds, it must be noted that the term
hardy as we find it applied to the apple
in standard works on pomology, has no sig
ni6cance for the fruit grower in a sub-arctic
climate. Excluding the Russians, not a
single variety denominated "hardy" in
those works is truly hardy with us, SO far as
tested. The Tolman Sweet, Blue Pearmain,
Westfeld Seek-no-Further, Pomme Grise,
Black Oxford, Williams Favorite, Sops
Of Wine, Golden Russets, Yellow Bell
flower, Nodhead, and long list of other
so-called hardy apples, utterly fail in our
more exposed localities, and survive pre-
cariously even in sheltered spots. The
Tolman Sweet, Fameuse and Red Astra-
chan Qhe latter Russian, but all r issians
are not equally hardy belong to a class that
may succeed, but are not safe to set on a
large scale until the location has been tested
carefully. Even then, after ten or fifteen
years of apparent thrift and productiveness,
winter that will sweep off the Baldwin
orchards of Southern Maine New Hamp-
shire and Vermont, will equally ravage the
Tolman Sweet, and Fameuse farther north.
In the point of proper care, while this is
important everywhere to successful orchard
ing, it is absolutely essential in the "cold
belt" No careless man can hope 10 make
orcharding pay there. The minor injuries
from insects, winds, deep SHOWS, mice, rab
bits, plows, harrows, pruning, cattle, and
robbing the soil with other crops, from
which an orchard may recover in more ia
vored places, will render them utterly abor-
tive in the "cold belt" Here even the
hardy varieties must have fair treatment, or
they will not pay. More than this, they
must have intelligent treatment, and a
watchfulness not elsewhere so necessary,
though undoubtedly profitable everywhere.
SUMMER APPLES.
Tetofsky-A yellow apple with red check,
of medium size, mild, sub-acid flavor, good
for cooking or dessert A thrifty, erect
grower when young, with very large leaves
somewhat difficult to transplant. Bears
in year or two after setting out, and is
thenceforward so large and regular a bearer
that the tree grows slowly, unless well fed
Perfectly hardy. Ripe early in August.
Summer Hdrpey-A large green apple,
ripening off light yellow. Pretty sour but
a very nice cooking apple. Fruit remarka-
bly, fair. Tree low, struggling grower, but
vigorous. An early and large bearer. Nearly
as hardy as retofsky. Ripe late in August.
Red Asirachm-Large red apple, very
beautiful and very sour, except when dead
ripe. Truit rarely fair, and a shy bearer
with us. Just not hardy, ye, succeeds fairly
in some spots. Ripe late in August
Sops Of Wine and IViAiams' Farorle, are
dessert apples Of the same season as Red
Astrachan, and about as hardy These sub
hardy sorts will generally do tolerably well,
grated into the tops of the perfectly hardy
kinds, or on the Crabs and Siberians They
are worth trying for family use. We know
Of no hardy summer sweet, though there are
probably some among the new Russians.
FALL APrLEs.
Duchess Of OidenJurgl- apple has
been considerably disseminated in this sec
ton under the name of Brunswicker." 1t
is large apple, with greenish yellow skin,
abundantly marked, in the sun, with bright
carmine stripes. Generally classed as too
sour for dessert, but is not So far north
With us it is mild acid, and may be called
very good. Thrifty grower when young
begins TO bear as soon as established, bears
large crops every year, and then does mol
grow rapidly, unless in good ground Fruit
very fair and uniform. Perfectly hardy
the most profitable and satisfactory single
variety for cold regions, as it has no bad
qualities, except not being winter fruit
is excellent to dry, makes good cider, and
sells well Tor all purposes as long as it lasts
Ripe in September
Peach APple-The variety under this
name grown in Canada and Vermont does
not correspond with the "Peach apple" OF
the books, which is winter fruit, nor, fully,
with the "Irish Peach" or Early Crofton,"
Of the Pomologists. BY some it has been
regarded as identical with the " Paper.skin,'