Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-09-28
The "Ten Best Varieties"

The state society at their recent exhibit
tion offered three premiums, silver medal,
bronze medal and diploma, for the best
ten varieties of apples for Vermont, en-
bracing a succession from the earliest to the
latest keepers; value of varieties as well as
perfection of specimens TO be considered"
The committee whose duty it was TO make
these awards allotted them, as we under
stand, to collections embracing varieties
which cannot be grown successfully in more
than one-tenth of the territory of the state.
There was nothing in the exact terms of
the offer, as above given, to make this
award unlawful but there was want of
intelligent comprehension of the facts of
the case on the part Of the committee which
justified the indignant protest which we
understand was made by Mr.. Ball of d ,rby,
Mr.. Webster of Roxbury, and other exhib-
itors, who had taken the pains to exhibit,
for the first time, carefully made collections
from the colder parts of the state, and who,
by this Interpretation, were etfectualy ruled
out OF tne contest.
As matter of fact the best apples for
Vermont are such as can be grown most
successfully and proftably in Vermont. In
the southern or small end of the state, up as
far as Windsor in the Connecticut valley,
and as far as Shelburn on the shore of Lake
Champlain, the standard apples of southern
New England, of which the Baldwin, the
Rhode Island Greenipg and the Roxbury
Russet are types, can be grown with sue
cess. But the area upon which this can be
done to profit embraces only small fraction
of the total area of Vermont-probably less
than one.tenth. All of the state north Of
Burlington and White River Junction in
the two valleys, and the whole mountain
region from south to north, is unable to pro-
duce that class of apples proftably. In the
whole northern, or big end, of the state it is
as impossible to grow Baldwins, Greetings
and Russets for market as it is to grow
peaches in the south part. As we go north
other sorts take their place, but these, un-
der the ruling of the fruit committee at the
state fair (approved, we are told, but can
hardly believe, by Judge Miller. the SUPER
intendent0 are entirely excluded from any
hope of an award for the /" best ten varieties
of apples for Vermont"
The disappointed contestants for these
prizes are angry and indignant at this deci-
sion. We think they have a right to be.
Because Baldwins, Greetings and Russets
are the great commercial apples of more
favorable localities, is no reason why they
should receive the only awards as the best
kinds for Vermont" when as matter of
fact, they can be profitably grown in but a
few limited and favored spots within the
itism (Which we are 10th to believe), or
stupendous blundering and incompetence on
the part of the committee which practically
ruled out of the competition nine-tenths OF
served on this committee we do not know,
and our remarks are therefore not personal
There are two names of men &C. G. Pringle
of Charlotte and j. ii. Putnam of Grafton)
on the committee as appointed who were toe
good pomologists to make such mistake
but we presume they were not there. The
whole committee, with two exceptions, Mr.
Huse and Mr.. Field of Montpelier, were
from the little end of the state, and of these
two Mr.. Huse at least does not profess any
knowledge of pomology. Had DIR. Hoskins
known Mr.. Field he would have put his
name in the same category with that of Mr.
Huse. Whether either served on the com
mittee we do not know.-ED. Waterman.
To illustrate the folly of this award We
have only to note that in the report of the
pomology of Grand Isle county recently
made to us (as acting chairman of the fruit
committee of the American Pathological So
ciety for the state of Vermont), by Mr.. j. II
Macomber, he does not star either Baldwin
or Roxbury Russell marking each, "tret
TENDER" and he gives but single star te
the Rhode Island Greening with the re
mark tree becoming tender" But four o.
the standard winter market apples received
two stars from Mr. Macomber, the Fameuse
the Jonathan, the Tolman Sweet and thu
Esopus Spitzenbergh, the latter with tn,
note tree too tender for this place." Tn,
same remark was added TO the names O
the American Golden Russet, Hubbardtor
Nonesuch, Northern Spy, Peck's Pleasan
and Ribston Pippin.
Now Grand Isle, though az the north ent
of the state, is considered, by reason of it
position in the middle of Lake Champlain
as the fruit garden of Vermont. What i
too tender" there must necessarily be to,
tender in all the rest of the northern par
of the state and in the whole mountain re
gion. In the light of this fact the absurdit,
of an award which makes those varietie
the leading ones for winter fruit in the who'll
state stands fully exposed.
The want of first-class winter apple TO
market purposes was expressed to u
strongly at the Grand Isle fair last fall, AM
'pecimens of the Wealthy which we tool
with us were examined with great interest
The only perfectly satisfactory winte
apples now grown there, the Famuese an
lhe oohathdn, are 700 Snaii anu lhe lorme
of too short duration. 1t may be said tina
for the whole northern and mountain par
of the state there is as yet no generally il
troduced variety that takes the place of tn
Baldwin, the Rhode Island Greening an
the Roxbury Russet in the south. But tn
Northern Spy will grow further north tina
any of the three, and stand equally high i
market. The Wealthy will grow in perfe'
tion anywhere in the state, and is superio
to the Baldwin in beauty and quality, il
peer in vigor, productiveness and early bea
ing, and not much its inferior in keeping
The Mann apple is believed to he hard
enough for all but the severest parts of tn
state, is the equal of the Rhode Islan