The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-20
A FRUIT PACKING FARM.

A FRUIT PACKING FARM.
Four miles west of Batavia, on the
broad State Road, lives John Peirson,
an Orthodox Quaker Of the progressive
type, who believes in beautiful home,
handsome grounds, and the best fruits
of life. His farm Of two hundred and
seventy-five acres is one of the finest in
all this region--a garden in richness,
and as prolific in its producing. The
soil is a uniform sandy loan, absolutely
free from stone. heavy enough to stand
drought well, fertile enough for any
crop. Mr.. Peirson has owned and
worked this farm sixteen years. For
long time he devoted 1t to the usual
crops in the ordinary rotation, but CIV
ing 1t, as we infer, rather more than
usual cultivation. Then it seemed to
him that such fertility ought to be more
particularly applied, and he went to
growing small fruits. OF course he
soon had the local market overstocked,
and remote markets did not satisfy. He
must abandon small fruits, or find some
other outlet for the enormous returns
his acres yielded, so three years ago he
went to canning.
Mr.. Persons packing establishment
is very modest one in appearance, but
has every faculty for rapid and good
work. He makes his own cans, and Is
putting together 800, 900 for this seasons
use. Even the charcoal consumed for
soldering purposes, is made on the
place, a matter of fifteen hundred bush
els being required annually. All the
e, IAs ~, xlt,e
preserving the fine flavor, and keeping
each individual Characteristic intact. To
every pound of berries is added half
pound Of sugar; tomatoes receive only
little sugar and salt; corn has nothing
added TO it, and asparagus, we believe,
is treated same as corn. Two-pound
cans are used altogether.
All Mr.. Persons farm is devoted to
raising produce for packing, except so
much area as is needful for keeping the
necessary stock. He raises little grain.
Corn leads the list. One hundred and
forty acres are devoted to growing
sweet corn for him-about one-half be-
ing on his own place, and the balance
distributed about in the neighborhood.
1t is all drilled in, and at intervals dur
ing month. so as to afford ample time
for the Gamers. Tomatoes are next in
importance, and forty thousand plants
are raised each year, started in a cheap
hot-house, then lifted up on to the shell
YES into more sun and freer air, and
transferred to the field at proper size.
In transplanting the greatest care is ex-
ercised. The boxes are taken to the
pump and flooded with water until the
earth round each will cut like putty,
when it is cut into squares with plant
in each, and SO no roots are disturbed.
Round each square of earth other wet
ted soil is put, and as result of such
precaution nearly every plant lives.
On several acres we found few missing
hills. Mr.. Peirson puts tomatoes after
corn to avoid the cut worm. He saves
all green fruit and ripens it under, thus
realizing from two to three thousand
bushels additional every fall. His
plants are now thriving finely, and
show tomatoes an inch in diameter.
There arc six acres in strawberries,
and ten in raspberries. The former
have yielded well-Wilson's being the
chosen variety-and the latter are set
for heavy fruitage. Tho Naomi red
flourishes excellently, but the Clarke,
near by, under same care and ON same
soil, Is a failure. Five thousand currant
bushes are loaded, mainly with the
large Cherry variety and the Versailles.
Lima beans occupy three acres-part to
he poled with long round poles and part
with short lath, the vine headed in.
Another three-acre patch Is devoted to
asparagus--Conover's colossal-and the
bed has somewhat peculiar treatment,
being summer fallOwed two or three
times each season, the plants set deep
enough to be out of reach Of the plow.
The only fertilizer used by Mr.. Peir-
son Is mixture of muck and manure,
there being an inexhaustible supply of
the former on the farm. 1t is drawn
out and piled in large heaps, layer OF
barn-yard manure alternating with q
layer of muck. That the land is not
tired out by fruit raising is shown by a
small wheat field, several years in Der.
ries, now carrying a heavy growth OF
straw and fast-yellowing weight OF
grain.
We have thus briefly summarized Mr.
Persons operations to give some idea
Of their extent. To look over the large
area set in fruit, ETC., one would almost
wonder where so much canned goods as
these promise could have market. Ever
Mr.. Peirson himself became doubtful, {
year or two ago, and went down tc
New York to judge whether there was
really any danger of over-supply. Aftel
spending some days in the great mar
kets there he came home rather disposed
to laugh at his half-formed fears. TIL,
way in which the Metropolis swallowed
carload after carload of fresh and can
ned fruit, convinced him that this is ,
great country, and he plants and cam
now In full faith that demand will ex
haust supply. He expects to have hi
seasons production all in trade hand
by January l. Soon the brisk season
will begin, and then he will have eighty
persons steadily canning for severa
weeks.
Pembroke, the nearest village anl
railroad station, is two miles away, bu
in the immediate neighborhood is
pretty little Quaker church, with bel
on 1t, too), and school-house, and nea
these q snug parsonage just erected
where the lady preacher lives; and goo(
people who know how much Mr.. Peir
son has had to do with establishing thes
helps to the community's welfare, affirm
that, like his farm, he can and doe
bring forth good fruit.-[Rural Home
QUANTITY OF RooTs IN THE SOIL
From the experimental determination