The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-02-24
Comfort Me with Apples"

Thus cried the wise man of the ancient
Hebrews, and thus has cried many 9
wise man of other nations since his time
The fact is, the apple is the king o.
fruits. 1t is worth more than all the
other fruits raised in temperate climates.
There is something substantial about the
apple. 1t is much more than luxury
it satisfies hunger and keeps it satisfied
a long time. Like bread and meat, it is
true food. 1t does not quickly come and
suddenly vanish like the strawberry. II
docs not commence to decay before il
has scarcely ripened like the banana and
plantain. 1t has lasting qualities. 1t
comes TO stay till other fruit can be raised
to take its place. No fruit presents SO
many varieties of size, color and flavor
as the apple. 1t accommodates itself to
the peculiar taste of every person. 1t
is sweet, sour and sub-acid. There are
persons who dislike strawberries, and
others who do not care for figs, dates or
peaches, but there is no one who does
not like some kind of apples. Some fruit
like the ounce, is only palatable when
cooked, while others are only valuable
NhNh III UIlC oUdOC JlCI tblG III IlpCs
But the apple isexcellent whether eaten
Jaw or cooked 1t can be cooked in
more ways than any fruit that grows.
Few kinds of fruit surpass it for can
ming purposes, though it is preserved
50 easily and cheaply in. other ways that
IT is rarely kept in tight cans. For dry
ing il is worth all other kinds of fruits
combined. Its juice, if rightly managed,
is but little inferior to that of the grape.
Less time and money are required to in
sure supply of apples than of any kind
of fruit. Trees planted in childhood
will continue to produce fruit till the
planter is as old as apatriarch.
Less attention has been given to set
tJing out apple trees during the past few
years than during a corresponding time
IN the early settlement of the country.
The decline in interest in the apple cult
ure has been largely owing TO the great
attention to other fruits. Nurserymen
have made more money in selling grape
vines and bushes that produce small
fruits. and have accordingly devoted
more attention to bringing them to the
notice of the public. AS consequence
81 there is a scarcity of apples in almost all
parts of the country. The foreign de-
,mand for apples is very large and is
constantly increasing. Dried apples are
very high, while cider sells for more
than IL ever did in the history of the
country The prospect for raising apples
with view of supplying the market
was never so good in this country as at
the present time. Most of those raised
in the East and not wanted for consump-
ton in the vicinity where they are raised
are sent to Europe. Very extensive
regions are settling up in which apples,
or at least very desirable varieties of
them. can not be raised. The demand
for apples, in the far West is rapidly in
creasing. The same is true in the
South. The planting of apple trees does
not keep pace with the increase of popu-
lation. Apples are used for more pur-
poses than they were few years ago.
The trade in apple jelly is now very large.
During some years it is very difficult to
procure material enough to supply the
demands of jelly-makers. Persons en-
gagged in drying apples in large estab
save all the cores and parings
and dry them for jelly manufacturers.
Considerable is made into imitation
champagne. The foreign demand for
dried apples is increasing very rapidly.
Every farmer who lives where apples
can be raised should at least plant trees
enough to supply his family with fruit.
For family orchard there should be
quite variety. There should be late
and early, sweet and sour varieties. For
q commercial orchard it is better to plant
but few varieties. There is generally
littlc profit in very early varieties. The
fruit will keep but short time, and the
harvest comes on when there is other
work pressing The early apples are
ripe when the market is filled with
peaches, cherries, grapes and other small
fruits. Late keepers are ready for the
market when there is no other fresh
fruit. There is nothingto compete with
them. Color has much to do in selling
apples, The preference is for bright red
apples. They are especially wanted for
frut-stands and the table. Red apples
will always sell on sight In the Ian
guage of the vendors of patent medicine,
''children cry for Them The color of
an apple has more to do with its sale
than its flavor. Large apples sell better
than small ones, and it is much less
trouble to pick them. A large red, long
keeping apple fills the requirements of
Che market. If the variety is productive
and the tree hardy it fills the require
ments of the grower. The qualities of
hardness and productiveness can be as
certained by reading the reports of local
horticultural societies or by consulting
with fruE-growers in the vicinity. A
local nurseryman can ordinarily be relied
on TO give reliable information about the
most profitable varieties to plant. If one
sort of tree is much more hardy and pro-
ductive than others it is good policy to
plant an entire commercial orchard to it,
A large dealer will have the product of
several orchards and will be able to fur
mish the required variety to customers.
The orchards that pay poorest are those
that contain the largest variety.-Cht-
cGgo Times.