Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-10-06
OuR FRUIT CROP.


that an intelligent and reliable estimate
can be made up Of the years crop Of APP
Piles In this state. We have been look
ing around through several Of the lead
ing fruit growing counties, and are In
communication with all other sections OF
the state, and from all directions we
find the estimste OF the Farmer made
some time ago, "of the largest crop OF
fruit ever grown i'm the state, more than
sustained. The crop Is now (Sept.
l9,) substantially grown; the trees from
one end OF the state to the other are
loaded with all the fruit they can carry
there have been no gales OF wind, so that
none whatever has been blown off; there
is substantially no wormy fruit, so there
has been no dropping; the fruit Is per-
fection itself-no rust, no blight, no
scsb. hence nearly all will grade No. | {;
il is, all kinds, enormously large, hence
will fill the barrels surprisingly when
picked. What more need he said?
The little town Of Greene, Androscog-
gin County, the home of the writer, has
10000 barrels-on single mile OF road
are hanging 1900 barrels, all OF them
the best winter varieties. Turner has IL,
600 barrels, Monmouth 1900. Winthrop
more than that. and Buckiield, Hebron
aud Paris each similar measure. An
droscoggin County has 5000 barrels,
Kenneb,c and Oxford each 100000,
Franklin $4,000. The state at large has
over a half million barrels of market
apples on its trees to-day.
What Is the condition Of the crop In
the other fruit growing sections OF the
country? Very properly this is the Ques-
tiun heard on every hand. We are an
nually In correspondence with parties
in the principal fruit growing states OF
the North. This and all the other
sources for Information Available concur
In representing full crop throughout
New England, New York, and on
Throughout; the middle West, and includ-
ing Michigan. la the Southwest, name
lv, In the interior Of Missouri and the
mountain section Of Arkansas, locality
in both states that has recently become
quite an important factor in apple pro-
duction. there is but light crop. On
tario has full crop, and the Annapolis
Valley, like Maine, is loaded with the
largest crop ever grown in the locality.
The four lake counties of Western New
York are estimated to have 3,Wn,OOo
barrels.
What is the outlook for a market for
our Maine fruit: In answer TO this
question in which so many OF our read
ers are interested, il l. hardly necessary
to multiply words. The representation
given above settles 1t. The English
trade wants about million and hall
barrels OF American apples. New Eng
land wants TO send them half million
barrels, and then will have more left than
the home trade calls for. Canada has
another half million for them, aud Nova
Scotia still smother. while Western New
York would like To supply the whole
foreign trade alone, and still would have
more fruit than market. The apples In
all the sections named are good shipping
fruit. and will carry sound and solid
clear through the shipping season. Ii is
plain. then. that We have this year more
fruit than there will be market.
Only selected fruit, therefore, should
be sent abroad. All else should be work
ed up in in other ways, and put into an
uuperishable form. Evaporating estab-
lishments ought 10 be started In every
fruit producing town. Jelly manufact-
uring should be introduced, and the
canning OF the fruit increased. Maine
apples are the best in the world for
these purposes. Next year there VIII
be a dearth of fruit all over the country,
and such products will be in good de
mtnd, and at prices that will net well
for the fruit. A. 5. Kicker, Turner, has
put in an evaporator 10 work up his own
crop. W. II. Keith, Winthrop, has run
y small business Of this kind for long
time. and has always found demand at
, paying price for his product. The
noted fruit grower OF franklin County,
rliness Whittier Of Chesterville, has
hoen in the business for years, and has
fund this one of the most satisfactory
branches of his extensive frui, business.
H. this way much fruit that will now he
totally without value could be changed
into money product.-Maine Farmer.