The Portland daily press., 1878-03-11
AGRICULTURAL.
The Russian Apple Business.
A Paper Read before the State Pomoicg-
icai Society by Grenviiie Ftrnald of
Harrison.

since the first departure was taken in the
practice of renewing or replacing the orchards
which were first established in the country by
the Introduction of nursery grown trees from
the west. La looking back ward through this
period, and making a practical estimate of
the advantages to the state, derived from the
importation of that kind of stock, I confess
that the aspect of things is discouraglDg
Probably a million If Enthusiastically several
minors, have been paid out by the farmers OF
our state for apple trees from the New York
aud other nurseries. Has this vast outlay of
money been productive of suitable returns to
the people of Maine? 1t may be there are
few orchards Of these trees in the state,
which are paying profit on the original in
vestment, but OF hundreds Of orchards COM
posed of lens of thousands of western trees,
set since they begun TO be planted here, within
tue circuit OF my acquaintance, do not know
of Que that is in Condition ofpIofIable bear
ing. You will find occasional trees of certain
hardy kinds which produce fair crops OF fruit,
bat as rule the orchards OF New York trees
in uniform healthy and paying condition
are very seldom to b. found | know of an
orchard of about 100 trees, in the town where
L reside, planted less than twenty years ago,
of trees which were picked up by the roadside
or in the pasture and field native wild seed
lings grated to Bald wins in the limbs or trunk
when small, which has borne more good ap-
plies aud brought more money to the owner
than all the New York apple trees have ev-
err seen. Yet for all these forbiddiug facts
staring at US, there never has been, within
the history of apple raising in the country,
more anxious Investigation of the subject of
orchardlng aud the production of good apples
than al the present time. At period when,
in the older states, the orchards painted by
the original settlers are sho wing unmistakable
signs of being beyond the age of profitable
fruit bearing, and are falling before the far
mers axe,or are being pulled up by the roots
aud their venerable trunks and widespread
ing branches consumed By fire or hauled
away to some by-spot, to rot ingloriously, the
demands OF the country and the world at
large, make it a question of great moment to
the intelligent and aspiring farmer whether
he will plant new orchards to replace the old
and dead ones, and supply the growing neces-
stiles for fair apples, or resort for livelihood,
to other special courses of farming, or to
growing variety OF products Such as enter
into the general wants of the country.
1t will be readily admitted by all that there
is a genuine demand for large supplies of
fruit-trees to repenish or take the place of
the exhausted and dying orchards of our
state, and the facts implied in the brief glance
have taken, at the history of the western
tree business here, will, trust, be kept in
mind, while l enter upon new departure in
the history OF apple-tree planting.
About tour years since, the tree agent COM
menced the sale of new kind of apple trees
under the name of Russian" This title i'm
piled, and it was distinctly claimed, that the
trees bearing that name, had their origin
In Russia in Europe, in high latitude;
and from this fact they were supposed
to have a greater degree of hardness
or ability to withstand the occasional ex-
tremes of cold aud sudden changes of temper
AZURE Characteristic OF our climate, so ire
qnentiy fatal to all trees of tender constitu
ton. Tue first named kinds which I
remember TO have seen We're the Tetofsky
and Pewaukee. Since the advent of these we
have had quite large list of trees introduced
to notice as class of hardy trees, which are
to be more valuable for our use than any OF
our native kluds. 1t is fact that a deter
mined effort has been made to establish the
trade aud use OF these varieties of trees at
verv high prices. WHAT has been the effect
upon the propagation and planting OF our best
cd sorts? ConterDporaneously with the intro
ductlon Of the Russians" the old kinds be-.
gun to be discarded. We We're told it would
not do to plaut the old standard kinds: that
they we're not as hardy. aud we're destined to
be superseded by the new kinds. The tree
agents are not allowed to offer for sale more
than two or three of the old famous sorts, as
the R. L. Greening, Drthern Spy or Roxburv
'sset, and say they cannot furnish standard
tres al the tofm-r prices at a profit: that the
Russians are very costly to produce and
that the old standard kinds can be more prof.
taby sold for Is cts each than The new kitd
1oi 5O cts. The average price for Russian"
Trees Tor fOur years past mas not Oeen less
tnan Is CTS oy the dozen, though sometimes
an ageut will take almost any price rather
than lose sale. IL is my opinion that the
exorbltant prices charged ior Sc trees has
had tendency to discourage and dissuade
macy persoos from purchasing at all, and
that ssch prices are out OF all proportion TO the
real cost or value OF the trees to great ma
jDfity of our farmers, With this condition of
the business IN view, let us consider other
well known facts, which are the direct conse-
quence OF the manner of prosecuting the
trade by Its numerous agents,
While the general interest in fruit cultiva-
ton IS. as has been shown, greater than ever
before; AID, while millions of dollars are be-
ing annually invested in the Establishment of
orchards and great nurseries for supplying
the increasing demand for good trees, there is
evident deep feeling of dissatisfaction with
the manner of furnishing stock to orchardlsts
for planting: sense of being wronged, vic
timzed, cheated. So intense is this feeling in
many minds, that the dealers in fruit trees
ind it very difficult to operate profitaby in
plany sections where they have sold trees
very extensively heretofore. This feeling
fluids expression often in that cry which is one
OF the popular synonyms for deception or
fraud: VIZ, "Humblgv' II is not confined
to the Ignorant man, who from lack of pre-
vious experience, too late discovers he has
been d. ceived, and vents his resentment in
this common exclamation; but we hear it
from the lips of the most intelligent men,
who, viewing the tendency of the methods
employed to effect large sales Of trees, and
the prospective Influence it is calculated to
have on the cause of pOmology In the state,
utter and repeat the ely more vehemently
and with more earnestness of indignation
than any other class. We hear it on all sides,
from all classes of buyers. Men VINO have
planted huodreds of trees only 10 see them
die without ever beholdng the color of their
FRUIT, are crying "humoug' and cursing the
''tfee-peddlers." 1t COMES from persons who
never purchased a tree in their lives, and who
are accustomed to echo the EXPRESSIONS and
use second baud, the thoughts of others.
II is not surprising that such an opposition
is manifested aud that ample causes exist
when We know the impellibg Inducements op-
Grazing upon the tree agents under their en-
gageDents with those who employ them. not
strange that the cry "humbug'' is SO often
head. Facts of every day occurrence prove
that the agents for fruit-stOck are, ON account
OF the adverse state OF tue tire business,
obliged To resort TO the most questionable
methods to obtain orders for frut-stock. 1t
is not Considered sufficient or even essential
that the lree-agent shall be man OF gentle
many mauDers and address; hat he shall
bave had any previous experience in the bus
/ ess thaL lie shall have any knowledge OF
the art Ut tree culture, or OF varieties or pc
cu'lai adoption OF soils or locations to Gel tain
kibds of tees. But be must be possessed OF
enough OF the quality of stick tu-it-Ive-Uess
TO make sales OF STOCK whether ANYBODY wants
ii or hot. He is eXoecled sell Trees to men
VITO do not need them. He must SELL and If
he hasn't the ''sick and hang Qualification
he caunot succeed as a sales mau.
Now why does such state OF things exist
Dies it not indicate great wrong some-
where aud IS IT mol d-t me ut TO the POM
ologlcal Interests OF OCT Slate aud disgrace
to sucu PERSONS as have tuI merly supplied us
with trees, that compulsory sales must be
made at exoTbitaDt prices in order to make it
a paying business? that in default OF effectlng