Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-09
NO. 264.

borne the regular year IN unison with orchards
of every body else throughout the Union.
But after the pests had disappeared 1t was
found that the trees were fraitful on the of
year This being one of the of years accounts
for the abundant apple crop in Maine and the
dearth of fruit in other States. Thus. there
being but very few apples outside of Maine,
a scarcito of fruit results in the great cities
and prices are forced up TO $500 per hhl
which figure our orchardists are now realizing
for their No. stock.
Most farmers are awake to the Importance
| of having good, clean. well-hooped barrels
| for packing. The immense apple crop has
caused an active demand for them and or
| chardsts are securing the cities in search Of
| good ones 4 tirst.rate barrel now sells for
quarter Last summer several Of our
| long headed farmers went To the Soldiers
| Home and engaged number of hundred
barrels at II cents apiece. Since then the
Home has been offered IS cents per barrel for
| the same lot.
| II there is any part of the management OF
the apple crop which deserves to be thor
oughly done il is the packing and sorting
Many farmers regardless of this seem TO
imagine that if they can only get their apples
into the barrels in any shape and the heads
ON, they all right. But II is imperatively
necessary, if our orchardists wish to realize
frst-class prices for their apples, that they
| should be sorted into Is. IS and cider apples,
and oftcntmes they will realize more for
their No. is than they otherwise would for
their whole crop. In packing to have real
nice article, newspaper should be placed
in the bottom of the barrel and layer of the
largest and fairest fruit placed in with stems
down. truitf,r foreign markets must be
hard packed. That is, the barrel must be
fairly rounded up and with screw or lever
the head must be soldly pressed down so
that the apples cannot shake in the barrel.
This is necessary for if the fruit is not solid,
in its long voyage across the stormy Atlantic
it becomes ''mustv" and its value is lessened
to the amount of three or four shillipgs on a
barrel.
The export trade to Great Britain has de-
vcoped to wonderful proportions with few
wears the season OF lSS0-Sl being especially
favorable for the trade. 1t being the regu-
lar bearing wear of the trees throughout the
States. the best No baldwins only brought
81 % per barrel, and nj this price the supply
was so far in excess of the demand that
many would undoubtedly have remained un-
sold had it not been for the enormous de-
mand for export During the season of
ISS0-sl. the receipts of American apples at
the port of Liverpool, England, were the
largest that has ever been known and the
grand total from the United States and Can
rda amounted to So, ,975 barrels against 290,-
223 barrels in 1879. Notwithstanding these
enormously increased quantities. the Liverpool
market was always in n condition to take
everything that landed in good order at fair
prices and the result of the season has es-
tablishcd the fact that with fair stock, selling
from ] | to II shillings the demand is SO great
that practically any amount can
he disposed of at fair prices. This demon
strates to our farmers that, increase
the area of their orchards as much as they
please, the foreign demand will always pre-
vent glut in our home markets, and furnish
an outlet for any reasonable amount Of fruit.
During the season. by reason of the immense
arrivals great Inconvenience was experienced
at the port of Liverpool through want of dock
space to select the fruit thoroughly for sale.
To obviate this difficulty. a new dock was
built the past summer especially for the At
an,ic steamers. But the plans of the apple
shippers for Issl-S2 proved abortive. The
apple crop throughout the United States has
generally proved failure excepting in Maine.
and the high prices that now will have so far
stopped transatlantic movement apples that
up to this date not over 40 900 barrels have
been received At Liverpool against 200
last season.
The past season has again demonstrated
the value of the Baldwin and shown our far
mers that all things considered this variety
cannot be excelled. While the branches Of
many of the other varieties Of apple trees
have hung empty and void, nearly every
Baldwin tree has done its best. Everybody
knows the Baldwin; its reputation is world
wide. II is red apple which always sells
the best. It is not easily bruised or tarnished.
Moreover, it keeps solid and sound until
March and its quality is excellent, both as
an eating apple and for culinary purposes.
What more can one ask. Really 1t is tn.
popular apple.
1t is undeniable that orcbarding is fast be-
coming one of the leading branches of our
farming industry. Already the once pine
clad hills of large sections of the southern
and western portions of our State are dotted
with thriving orchards which are annually
increasing in size and productiveness. In
deed, there is no tangible reason why Maine
should not become in the near future the lead
ing apple growing State in the Union. In
fact. the State possesses natural advantages
for the increase Of our orchards which cannot
be excelled. Her soil. while not extremely
rich is not by any means sterile, and her new
lands covered With the ashes Of their forests,
Of which thousands Of acres are awaiting the
advent Of the settler will produce orchards
Of unexampled vigor and thriftiness. The
gentle slope of her hills afford. prime facili-
Ties iOr drainage. tlls beInK very Important,
| as no orchard will flourish on wet and heavy
soil. Maine also possesses another advan-
tage over her sister States. Her surface lays
in such high latitndes that the winters are
long and severe with the summers proper
tioDately short. These short seasons give TO
the fruit a richness of color, firmness Of
texture, an exquisite flavor, and keeping quail
tiles which apples produced in States further
south cannot boast of. This superior quality
is highly appreciated in foreign markets, Can
ada and Maine stock always selling 1t an ad.
vance over western fruit. We believe that
at the present time there is no investment
which will give better returns to the investor
than orchard well set out, well fed, and
tenderly cared for. Cast your bread upon
the waters" by investing few dollars Of your
spare capital in this industry, and it will sure
ly return to you after few years in the shape
Of a wealth Of blushing fruit, which will ut all
times he in demand at fair and remunerative
prices. N.
| Berthold Auerbach, the well-known novel
| ist, is suffering from inflammation Of the
lungs at Csnnstadt, where he has been stay