The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-11-06
Editorial NOtings.

agricultural press this year is urging
the importance of what we have been
advising for many years, the gathering
of winter apples as soon as they are
ripe, which is indicated by the color
ing of the seeds. But some of them
still hang on to the notion of leaving
the gathered fruit under the trees, or
in barns and sheds, until freezing
weather. This is almost as bad as
leaving them on the trees. Our rule
is to gather apples on a cool day, or
early in the day, barrel them at once,
and place them in the cellar, which
should be so ventilated as to maintain
cool and even temperature, by open
ing the windows at night and closing
them by day. In this way we keep the
Wealthy, which many say will not keep
through December, in perfect order
until April.
EDITOR GILBERT of the Maine
Farmer says: Don't be afraid of
blowing the orchards. This has always
accorded with our own experience, and
is corroborated by observation among
others. Mulching is not enough, how
ever bountiful. 1t is barely sufficient
for the growth of the tree, while fruit
is what one is after. A case in point is
under observation in our own town,
where a fine orchard, well cared for in
unbroken sod, had been giving but
light crops of fruit, or none at all. Last
autumn the owner plowed up one-half
of it, applied light coating of manure,
and gave the land a good stirring up.
1t had not before been plowed for
many years, and of course many of the
roots were torn up and broken off. The
result of it is that the plowed portion
of the orchard is loaded with fruit, the
foliage of the trees is large, and of that
deep green shade which indicates
health and thrift, while the unplowed
section has but a scattering crop of
wormy fruit, and the foliage is dwarfed
and sickly pale in color. The expert
ence carries its own lesson. Don't be
afraid of putting the pillow at work in
the orchard"
MULCHING.-Our Maine friend SAYS:
Mulching is not enough" This de-
ponds on what kind of mulch is used,
and how much of it. There are many
hillside and rocky orchards that can not
be plowed, and here mulching will pro-
duce excellent results, if properly done.
A little mulch of brakes or straw, close
about the tree, is of trihing service;
but if we put on heavy mulch of pea
or bean straw, extending out as far as
the limbs spread, we shall find that the
apples will be large and fine. We be-
lieve that it will pay any orchardist
Crowded his orchard is of profitable
sorts) to grow beans as crop, in order
to have the straw to mulch his apples.
One application will last three years,
and decaying bean straw, besides keep
ing down grass and weeds, is as effect
i've dressing for apple trees as stable
manure.
THE SALT TAX.-An exchange says:
" Every farmer in the United States
pays tax on the salt he uses to cure
his meat and salt his stock. Tens of
millions of dollars are paid in govern
ment taxes on sugar that sweetens tea
and coffee and preserves fruit for COM
mon people, every year. Who is ben
Gifted by this system that descends, in
taxing, the Threats of sixty smillion
people every day of their lives?" 1t
seems to us that the salt tax Chat is,
the duty on salD, weighs very lightly
on the American farmer, provided
there is no combination in the nature
of trust, to maintain an unnaturally
high price. There is nothing calculated
to make more enemies to the principle
of protection than a combination of
protected industries to eXtort eXorbi-
tant prices from the very people who
have voted them tariff protection. AS
to sugar, that is farm product as much
as butter; and as long as there is a rea-
sonable hope that the United States
can produce its own sugar within rea-
sonable time, we are willing to stand a
moderate duty on it; and we believe
that most farmers feel the same way.
But here, again, we encounter the
trust, which by combination, which
is in reality conspiracy, puts on an
extra tax as large as the tariff, or even
larger. These trusts are doing far
more to weaken the protective princi.
pie in this country than the political
economists; and if ever the farmers are
got to vote for free trade, it will be the
trusts that will do it. But we expect
the next congress to stamp them out