Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-03-15
sComfort Me With Apples"

Thus cried the Wise mdn OIL tuo oil
cient Hebrews, and thus has cried many
a wise man of other nations since his
time. The fact is, the apple is the king
of 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 lux
ury. 1t satisfies hunger and keeps it
satisfied long time. Like bread and
meat, it is true food. 1t does not quick
ly come and suddenly vanish like the
strawberry. 1t does not commence to
decay before it 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 dis
like strawberries, and others who do not
care for figs, dates OF 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 when in the
state they are in when ripe. But the
apple is excellent whether eaten raw or
cooked. 1t can be cooked ia more ways
than any fruit that grows. Few kinds
of fruit surpass it for canning purposes,
though it is preserved so easily and
cheaply in other ways that it is rarely
kept in tight cans. For drying it is
worth all other kinds of fruits combined.
Its Juice, if rightly managed, is but lit
tie inferior to that of fhe grape. Less
time and money are required-to insure
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 patriarch.
Less attention has been given to set
ting out apple trees during the past few
years than during corresponding time
in the early settlement of the country.
The decline in interest in the apple cul-
ture 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
there is 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 it ever did in the history of the
country. The prospect for raising ap-
pies with view of supplying the mar
ket was never so good IN this country
as at the present time. Most of those
raised in the East and not wanted for
consumption III the vicinity where they
are raised are sent to Europe. Very ex-
tensive regions are settling up in which
apples, or at least very desirable yarie-
ties of them, can not be raissd. The de-
mand for apples, in the far West is rap
idly increasing. The same is true in the
South. The planting of apple trees does
not keep pace with the increase of popu-
lItion. 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-mskers.
Persons engaged in drying apples in
large establishments save all the cores
and paripgs and dry them for jelly man.
ufacturers. Considerable is made into
imitation champagne. The foreign de-
mand for dried apples is increasing very
rapidly. s.-. s-g-
Every farmer who lives where apples
can be Ialsed 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
= commercial orchard it is best to plant
but few varieties. There is generally
little 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 flIeds with
peaches, cherries, grapes and other small
fruits. Late keepers are ready for the
market when there is no other fresh
fruit. There is nothing to compete with
them. Color has much to do in selling
apples. The preference is for bright
red apples. They are especially wanted
for fruit-stands and the table. Red
apples will always sell on sight. In the
language of the veDders of patent med;-
cine, "children cry for them" The color
of an apple has more to do with its sale
than its favor. 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
the market. If the variety Is productive
and the tree hardy it fills the sreqGire-
ments of the grower. The qualities of
hardness and preduetiseness. can be as
certained by reading the reports of local
horticultural societies or By consulting
with fruit growers in the vicinity. A