The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-07
Agricultural Department.
BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
Lesson ON Fruit Culture.


sprung up and. after few years of
neglect, and more or less injury from
cattle, became a mature tree and pro-
duced fruit in abundance, not of the
best quality, perhaps, but free from in
sects. The country was new, the for
ests covered large portion of the hills,
and the cold winds were partially
checked in their course over the coun-
try, and the orchards were conse-
quently somewhat protected from the
severity of the climate, while the origi-
nal fertilit, of the soil promoted a
healthy, vigorous growth without
special efforts at cultivation or fertiiza-
ton. The majority of the trees to be
found on many New England farms a
half century ago, were produced spon-
taneously or without the aid of human
labor. Many came up in the fields and
pastures where cattle were allowed to
roam, and received their first start i'm
life through the fondness of cattle for
the fruit of the parent trees. Some of
these "natural'' fruit trees were grated
to Greetings or Pearmains, but the
greater number were allowed to bear
the grabbed, pickering. natural fruit,
fit only for the cider mill But most of
the fruit, though inferior in quality and
flavor, was free from insect depreda-
lions. Many of the insects which now
infest our apples were brought here
from abroad and some of them did not
arrive till after the trees had been bear
Ing for some years.
With young, healthy trees, good, fer
tile land, and comparative freedom
from insects, fruit was both abundant
Sat al L.,
greater or less abundance nearly every
year. Unti,nely frosts, hail storms, or
extreme cold may have cut off the
crops in limited territories, but there
was probably 10 such marked differ
ence between the bearing and barren
years as has been observed during the
last quarter of a century.
With the introduction of new and
more desirable varieties from Europe,
came also the introduction of the cod
ling moth and numerous other insects
which make fruit growing much more
difficult than formerly. Now the fruit
grown in the older portions of the
country is nearly all injured by some
of the many insect pests which infest
our orchards. The borer gnaws at the
wood, the caterpillar attacks the foliage
as soon as the buds begin to swell In
the spring, and the canker worm fol-
lows few days later. The curculio
puncturcs the young fruit, the codling
moth makes its attacks early and late.
While the fall caterpillars, borers, and
canker worms can hardly be said to be
of any practical use whatever to the
orchardist, the curculios and codling
moths, if not too numerous, are deci-
dedly beneficial, as they thin the fruit
and thus increase the size and value of
that which remains. The objection to
these insects is that they are apt 10 give
us little too much of a good thing.
1t Is we'll to thin the fruit when it sets
In too great abundance, but our insects
have habit of continuing their labors
after their aid is no longer needed or
desired
During the past fny years, many
new and valuable varieties of apples
have been introduced or have been orr
ginated in our own country, some of
which have qualities that commend
them to the masses cvcrvwav. The
Baldwin, Porter, and Gravenstcin are
among this number. The two former
are prodigious bearers, so much so that
full crop produced in one year reduc-
es the tree to barrcnness the next.
This is also true of a few other kinds,
but the Baldwin, besides being q great
bearer, Is also very popular apple
both in market and mt home, consc-
quenty. the orchards of the country
have been overstocked with this vari-
ETY., and since its general dissemina-
ton, the difference between bearing
and barren years has been more notice
able than ever before.
1t has been observed for many years
In New England, ana perhaps farther
west, that our bearing years for apples
are the even years, as lS60-G2- G4-72-74
and '76, while the barren years are the
odd years. rs 1873-75. Now we can
see no connection between an even fig
IRE and full crop of apples, but we
can see why, if all, or nearly all the
trees over large territory should, from
frost or other causes, be prevented
from bearing fruit on one year, they
should bear full crop OH the year fol-
lowing. And we can see how one
overcrop should be followed by a wear
of baroness, especially if the varieties
principally grown are those which arc
over-abundant bearers.
If we have an orchard of q hundred
trees, and at least one-half of them are
Baldwins or other enormous bearers,
and the wind falls are not picked up or
destroyed, we shall propagate an army
ofinsects, such as the curculio and cod
ling moth, every bearing year, and
these insects will be on hand the fol-
lowing year ready to attack the fruit
on such trees as may be inclined to
bear moderate crops every year. And
as there will be few or no Baldwins to
attack, the whole army will be concen-
trated upon limited number of apples,
so 1t is no wonder that the fruit on such
years should be unusually gnarled and
wormy. Gnarled fruit is the result of
partially healed wounds and scars
made by the curculios IN their endeavor
to find suitable places for depositing
their eggs. They either make many
punctures where no eggs are laid or
they lay many eggs which never hatch,
but every puncture leaves a scar which
disfgures and Injuries the character of
the fruit attacked.
So if We would control the bearing
Of our trees and secure moderate crops
every year, we must either have a por-
tlon of our great bearers changed in
their habit, or we must depend upon
other varieties less subject to over-pro-
duction. But in either case, we must
control tho insects or we shall ineyita-
bly, fail. We get full crops now, only
because in alternate years there are so
few apples that large number of in
sects cannot be matured, and carried
through TO the following year. Such
insects AS the curculios and codling
moths would be our friends and COLA
bOrers VI we could only control their
numbers, for they can thin our fruit
much cheaper than we ourselves. The
drawback TO their assistance is their re-
luctance 10 stop when we desire, but,
having thinncd the fruit sufficiently,
they keep at work and propagate a sur
plus of Larvae on their own account and
responsibility. We pay too little aiten-
lion to inTects at the proper time. In