Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-04
Agricultural.
Apple. and Peache. in vermont.

The Brattloboro PHOENIX expresses sur
prise that we mention Baldwius, Rhode
Island Greetings, Roxbury Russets rs apples
that cannot be proftably grown for market
in the major part of Vermont. The PHOENIX
quotes our statement that it is rs impossible
in the northern part of the state to grow the
above named apples for market as il is to
grow peaches in the south part, and, seeming
TO infer that by this remark we meant that
it was absolutely impossible to grow peaches
in southern Vermont, commends to our at
tention the fact that Francis Lynde of West
Brattleboro has bearing orchard of one
thousand peach trees. The fact is that we
had the PHGN1x item about that peach or
chard before us at the very moment of writ
ing We were also aware that peaches are
successfully grown in southern New Hamp-
shire and southwestern Maine. Aud if the
agricultural editor of the PHOENIX will con-
suit genealogical records he will find that
these limits also exactly define the range
northward of the Baldwin apple when root
grated or stock.budded. Top grated, it
may be grown, on an average, fifty or seven
ty-fve miles further north but even as far
south as Long Island Sound an exceptionally
severe winter will destroy or greatly injure
all Baldwin trees which are fully exposed to
its action. Nevertheless, such is the merit
and popularity of the Baldwin as profitable
market apple, that the struggle is maintained
to push its cultivation as far north as posi-
BILE. This effort is attended with extra haz-
ard in the injury and loss of orchards, and
the advent of an apple possessing equal merit
in other respects coupled with entire hardi-
ness and health of tree, such as we believe
the Wealthy to be, is hailed by orchardists in
all regions where the Baldwin proves more
or less tender as q great boon. The risk of
losing ones orchard by an extra hard winter
is not to be run willingly by any intelligent
fruit-grower, especially in northern New Eng
land.
The Rhode Island Greening and Roxbury
Russet can be grown successfully about de-
gree further north than the Baldwin, but
they, even, are out of the question in all
northern New England. Though hundreds
upon hundreds Of trees of these sorts have
been purchased, we have never seen genu-
inc apple of any of these three varieties
grown in Orleans county. Occasionally we
have heard of them, but investigation has al
ways shown that the grower was mistaken in
regard to the variety, and had something else
under those names. Even the still more
hardy sorts of well known apples, such as
the Westfield Seek-no further, Ben Davis
Northern Spy, Willow Twig, Jonathan, Blue
Pearmain and Tolman Sweet, though they
can be grown in favorable locations, are not
safe to set on a large scale in full one-half of
this state. We have tested them fairly, set.
ting six or eight trees of each, and though
we have raised some apples from them, the
fruit is small, scanty and imperfect, and the
trees unsound and plainly short-lived, under
the best conditions that can be given them.
In Grand Isle, lower Franklin, Washington,
Lamoille and Orange counties these sorts do
better, but the only ones among them report
ed as perfectly hardy, even in Grand Isle, are
Willow Twig, Jonathan and Tolman Sweet.
Nevertheless, orcharding is prospering and
increasing in the very coolest localities in the
state where the Wealthy, the Magog Red
Streak and SCOTS Winter have been set out.
There are still other promising "iron-clad"
varieties which may come soon to the front,
especially among the Winter Sweets The
Mann apple is reported on favorably from a
number of localities, and is a very good sub
stitute for the Rhode Island GreeniDg
SCOTS Winter is an excellent substitute for
the Roxbury Russet.
The PHOENIX concludes its article by say
ing "lf we had as good a pomologst as
Dr. Hoskins in this part of the state, to do as
much towards introducing hardy varieties of
the peach with fruit of good quality, as he
has done to introduce new kinds of apples
adapted to the climate of the northern part of
the state, we might perhaps have a hardy va
riety of the peach that could be grown here
with reasonable certainty of success" We
incline to believe that there are as good POM
ologists in southern Vermont as anywhere,
though perhaps they have not had the oppor-
tunity or the disposition to make their expe-
rience public that has been ours in connec-
ton with our editorial work. Mr.. Lynde,
with his orchard of one thousand peach trees
in profitable bearing could no doubt furnish
the most valuable information in regard to
the conditions of success, if he would. Why
don't our friend of the PHOENIX interview
him? A party in Maine who has had equal
success in peach growing was visited few
years ago by the editor of the Maine Farmer,
who gave full, clear and very instructive
detail of the methods followed, with the re.
suit of giving n considerable stimulus to
peach growing in that state, as was fully man.
ifested at the recent genealogical exhibition
of the state society at Gardiner.
We have no doubt that by the growing oil
seeding peaches, and the propagation of the
more hardy sorts so discovered, peach-cul
ture may be pushed much to the northward
1t is the same with pears, plums and cherries
Already the agricultural colleges, especially
those of Iowa and Michigan, are doing good
work in this direction, as well as by import
ing the already discovered hardy sorts from
Northern Europe and Asia The Ostheim
Cherry, the Russian Apricot Mooer's Arctic
Plum, and several other new fruits, are pre-
cursors of what we may expect in this line
Our own recent discovery of an iron-claC
pear of the first quality and perfect hardness
is also an encouraging indication in the sam,
direction.