Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-14

form in size and in form unsurpassed WIN us
the fruit usually falls from the tree in September
some then being ripe and fit for the table. In
October all are ripe yet portion Will remain
sound, though soft till March or April. In flavor
1t does not compare favorably with hrst-class
autumn or winter fruit yet that Is not very obJec-
tionabe but 1t Is quite inferior to our firstclass
winter apples. 1t Is not sufficiently firm to bear
transportation as the Baldwin and other popular
winter apples do. II an apple Will not bear ship
ping does not hold Its flavor well into the winter
falls early from the tree, no matter how many
other good qualities II possesses, | could not
recommend 1t for extensive cultivation where the
Hubbardton Nonesuch, Tolman, Pound Sweet
ings, Rhode Island Greening, Baldwin and Rox.
bury Russetings can be grown to perfection, as
they are here. Where the Wealthy is the best
apple that can be grown as in many exposed
places in this state, then by all means cultivate
that apple
1t will be seen that in all matters Of fact,
or knowledge, Mr. Spear speaks well of the
Wealthy. He finds the tree perfectly hardy,
the fruit larger than Baldwin even, and un-
surpassed in form, keeping until April. In
flavor it does not suit his taste, he regarding
it as quite inferior to " our first-class winter
apples" He inters that it is too soft for
shipment, and prefers to it, for general
planting, the Porter, Founding, st. Law
renee Jewett's Red, Hubbardton Nonesuch,
Tolman and Pound Sweetings, Rhode Island
Greening, Baldwin and Roxbury Russet.
He objects to the Wealthy as dropping
much of its fruit, and that this dropped
fruit is eatable in September.
Now certainly, if we could grow either OF
his three last named apples, we should pre-
fer to plant them for a market orchard to
the Wealthy, simply because they are known
standard kinds that sell at sight. But all
three are reported as being too tender in
Grand Isle county by men of such long ex-
perence as the Macombers, while general
suffrage excludes them as practically un-
growable at profit in all Of the more north
ern counties of the state except Grand Isle
and that part of Chittenden and Franklin
lying on the shore of Lake Champlain. In
these northern parts we have never found
any apple, until the Wealthy appeared, that
seemed in any degree to replace the Bald
win as a market apple. As regards quality,
that is matter of taste, but we have not
found anybody who, on trial, did not prefer
the Wealthy as an eating apple to the Bald
win. AS Mr.. Spear says, it is softer than
the Baldwin, which is great point in its
favor The Baldwin is really too firm in
flesh for eating out of hand by any but
people with good teeth. The Wealthy is
soft, like Fameuse, but as the Fameuse ships
| tho Atlantic thart. 10 at
r-osant M evidence that the Wealthy will
not prove good shipping apple. 1t is SO
regarded in the west, where it has been
longest known.
AS to its falling from the tree before it Is
ripe, the Wealthy acts in this respect exactly
like the Duchess of Oldenburgh. The
Duchess sets an immense crop, which begins
to drop when as big as English walnuts, oil
about the first of July. BY July Goth they
are large enough for pie apples, and oul
books show that we began to market severa
barrels day of these dropped Duchesse:
July 9th, at sixty cents bushel, and there
was not week day that we did not sci
Duchess apples from that time until W.
closed out the last of them in a shipment o.
twenty barrels to st. Johnsbury, September
18th. There was no time in all that forty
nine days that our Duchess trees were moi
overloaded, and in spite of all precautions
dozens of trees were more or less broken
and three or four utterly destroyed by thu
weight of fruit
thu ut hnn fxryf h
behind the Duchess, is just like it in it
bearing habits. Trees five years in orchard
set fruit enough, if the trees could have car
ried it, to make five or six barrels. Thes,
began to drop early in September, but no
before we were compelled to shove up tn
branches and thin out one half the fruit
By the middle of September these apples
were merchantable for cooking purposes
and the fallen fruit was all proftably dis
posed Of, leaving at gathering time one bar
rel of choice apples per tree on trees no
one Of which was over three inches in diam
eter at the ground. And here is the beaut,
of both the Duchess and the Wealthy il
this particular the pormy fruit drops,-
and that which remains on the tree after tn
dropping and thinning are over, are all fin
and perfect culls whatever among then
Considering the immense crops they stai
with, neither Duchess nor Wealthy dre
enough to save the trees from injury, witt
out very free thinning by hand.
As Mr.. Spear says, some of this droppe
fruit late in September is what is calle
sworn ripe" and is eatable. If Mr.. Spes
formed his opinion of the quality of tt
apple from such specimens we don't wond'
at his condemning it as inferior. Perfe'
fruit Of the Wealthy is, with us, just becor
! ing eatable al this time November 10th
many specimens being still too hard.
will continue eatable without loss of flaw
until the last of February, and will be to
erably good even into April.
Mr.. Spear gives very odd list of IL
e kinds he prefers to the Wealthy. Som
such as the Tolman and Pound Sweets,
not come into competition with it, belon
ing to another class of apples. St. La
renee is an October apple, which we cam
'' keep until the Wealthy is eatable. 1t go
well with the Wealthy to form series, b
it is not rival. Founding is to some e
tent rival, but does not keep nearly
4. well as Wealthy. Jewett's Red is tr
rival, being of about the same season, but
too tender in tree for all the northern pa
of the state. Though smaller than Wealth
we should prefer the Jewett's Red if
! could grow it, There are few better
! more profitable apples where it success
The same may be said of Hubbardt
8, Nonesuch. Finally we close up by adv
ing, with Mr. Spear, that "Where
Wealthy is the best apple that can be grow
F! as in many exposed places in this state, tn
5, by all means cultivate that apple"
> Lime Rock as Fertilizer.
Mr.. Morrill, Colvin of Pawlet, Vermo
|n L. laa =.