The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-12-23
Apple Culture.

A rev weeks since we published an ex-
tract from paper read before the Massachu-
sets Horticultural Society by Mr.. William
z. Strong of Brighton Nurseries, on varieties
of apples and pears. There are SO many
good points in the body of the address, and
In the discussion following it's reading, by
different speakers, that we again refer to
several OF them as Of general interest to all
fruit growers.
M. Strong said he thought it time to con-
slider whether the State should net extend a
fostering hand to apple production-some e..
quivalent to protective tariff, some encour-
agement to orchard planting, like premiums
for size of orchards and for superior culture.
He believed these measures for orchard inn
provement should be established by the
State; and in this matter Mr.. Strong but sec
onded the plan which was adopted in this
State some years since, when we were Secre-
tary of the State Board of Agriculture when
at our suggestion a portion of the State
Bounty to agricultural societies was offered
in premiums for the planting of orchards.
There is, added Mr.. Strong, present need of
new stimulus in apple raising Hundreds
of decaying farms need to be rescued. Our
young farmers should be encouraged to re-
tain the homestead and invest in trees which
will anchor them for life. Apple orcharding
is a far more permanent and reliable invest
ment than the cultivation of any other fruit;
hence some means should be taken to attract
capital in this direction. The taxable value
of the State could be materially increased if
some policy were adopted to cover our hill
sides with apple orchards. With the increas-
ed facilities for shipment there would be no
danger of an over-supply of fruit; while if
the cost OF production is reduced to mini
mum there will be no limit to remunerating
demand. Aside from the vast proportions
OF the export trade, our own population
doubles every twenty-five years; and it is
high time the trees were started for our COM
ing population of one hundred millions.
Last spring witnessed a great extension of
the apple orchards of the State, which was
one of the best signs of progress in this di-
rection ever witnessed; but it must not be
forgotten that to realize the expectations
formed OF them, the trees must be dbun-
dainty fed and aoeU cared for, or disappoint-
ment is surely to result An orchard, espec-
Tally young one, like anything else, is a
great care-but success seldom comes with
out considerable outlay of just that care
and attention.
Col. Marshall P. Wilder alluded to the ex-
pense, and care necessary to succeed in or
charding. There is no other way 10 ascer
tain the most valuable fruits than to prove
everything that comes up, and cast away
WI at is not good. He had himself followed
this course in pear culture till it had cost
him twenty or thirty thousand dollars. and
nine out OF ten of the pears were not desira-
BILE. II is singular fact that New England
has produced the three best apples, taking
all things into consideration, including ship
ping qualities: the Baldwin, Rhode Island
Greening and Roxbury Russell Of all the
apples exported from Boston, ninety percent
ate Baldwins. He advised all to SOW the
SaQde nf fruito in 10 hora o.
proved varieties. Why should we not raise
another apple as productive as the Baldwin.
with greater refinement and delicacy; or a
pear as rich as the Dana's Hovey, but two
or three times as large. There is a wide and
useful field open to all for the production. by
hybridizing of improved varieties of the pear.
apple, currani and gooseberry.
In the course of some very practical re.
marks, Mr.. Il. w. Wood of Concord, said,
the apple is, pre-eminently, the fruit of
New England, and is to become more prom
inent and more profitable every wear.
When, few years ago, Col. Wilder stated
that the market for American apples was as
lrmly established in England as that for
american wheat, few people recognized the
tct; yet in 1880, 1,346, 900 barrels of Amer
len apples were exported to England.
were land is not worth over $50 per acre
aples can be grown proftably.
= eight years from planting, trees well
take care of have yielded good crops. In
lot4Nr. Wood grated two small trees with
the lubbardston Nonesucn; in 1878 they
pIossped, and his boys picked off the bios
SONS % 1879 the blossoms were left on: in
1851 uy had comparatively few blossoms,
ana lnSSl they gave five bushels of apples
eacn' Vile the trees from which the scions
were ten did not show blossom that
year. ~ Wood also gave an account of
an orcna in Marshfeid from which the
owner pied off the blossoms for three sue
cessiVe yea, which SO fixed the habit of