Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-03-22
susINsss S De OF FRUIT GROWING
READ BEFORE kENNEBEC POMONA
GRANGE, WINTHROP.

4
GRANGE, WINTHROP.
The wording OF the subject on which
sm asked To speak contemplstes there
are two sides TO this great and i'm
portant industry Of fruit growing: Firsr,
the growing Of fruit for pleasure and
home use. Second, the growing OF fruit
for an income or ss business. What
h,v- to say will be designed to sppl,
cht ~ Ia apples, or st most To the tree
fruits.
When we bsgin 10 depend upon fruit
for an income, the business side Of the
industry NJ once demsnds attention IL
Is one thing 10 grow fruit-it Il snoth-r
matter altogether 10 40 conduct the bu.f
ness that we nav rely on an inromr
from 1t. IL we put our attention, time,
labor and money into the industry Of
fruit growing, In order to be successful
se must realize With reasonable certainty y
fair annual Income from it. Anything
short OF this all not justify engaging in
1t or Remaining in IL.
The business Of fruit growing has
been grestly modified 10 the years since
have been engaged in IL. The market
outlet for the fruit-the chief feature
from q business stsndpoint-hss been
revolutionized IN that time. Formerly n
little tract Of Ne~ England and NeA
York, ana later one of Michig,u, wss
he onl, territory growing surplus Of
,ppls> for the supply of this entire con
tineut. Finally the discovery Of tn.
hsrdi.r varieties, aud the introduction OF
the business into localities not before
covrrvc, has tilled every ction OF tn.
country aiih iruit of its Own growing,
till ia this year Of fruit famine Eastern
store houses are DoS filled With fruit
from the Ozark Mountain regions 10
Northern Arkansas. and Southern
Missouri is waiting to supply the demand
Il your own kennebec cities.
Furth, rmure, and still more TO the
meuSCe If the business, where We once
had only 10 plant the tree aud prune aud
keep IL, ~heu y ture uld then be de-
pended upon To give Us fruit fair To look
upon, deiiciou, to the taste and Inviting
10 the ever hungry market, the fruit Il
LoN prvyed upoa by multiplying hosts
ot da ma giug insects, and the trees IN, IN
selves are scorched by rusts snd loaded
With fungi. formerly unknoNn 10 the
grower. Still further, the markets nov
80 we'll supplied, have become critical
over the size and perfection of the fruit
handled Inferior, defective fruit is no
longer in demand and fails 10 eompen-
safe the producer for the handling
This, then, l. the condition OF the
fruit growing industry at the present
time We are nov In the midst OF this
universal production, insect enemies and
fungus spores, and we are not going 10
wear out Of IL through the passing OF
time. IL Is n law of Nature that these
en-, mics TO an undisturoed success do
not come TO pass away. They are here
to menace the business so long as IL Is
carried on 10 any considerable extent.
And what are We going 20 do about it:
There Is Just one way op' n TO a success
ful prosecution of the industry. There
must be a radical change 10 the manage
ment. We have been, largely, letting
the trees care for themselves and allow
ing such obstacles rs were encountered
10 have their own way. This Was well
so long ss We secured good fruit and
plenty OF IL. Now the grower must rally
10 the demands of the case In lis chs ng,d
conditions. Choice fruit must be- grow q,
and its en-. mi~s must be- subdued.
The direction ot profit l-ys in quality
rather than quantity, With the market
so we'll supyIi-u only choice fruit l.
wanted Then, In place OF the volunteer
crop. coming Only "heu every on- ha-
an abund ,nce md the market Is th-reb,
oyvr.tocs-u, the orchard must be- forced
TO continuous production. These two
vitality important conditions, namely,
choice fruit, aud constant production,
are secured bv high cultivation. The
enemies sr- suodu.d oy lighting.
High culture uf the orchard continu-d
Without int-rruption ~ill d-msnd that
IL be made y 80. cislty ltcsnnot be- held
Ia sny secondary place in connection
"a ith other lin.-- of farm Sork. The
cultivation .nd the f-rtilizinx of the
orch. .rd mu>t come around as regul 'rly
aud surely a. the opening of Spring or
tn harvest of the fruit IN Autumn.
VII lie thorough cultivation even ~h-n
annually followed up. will not -ureiy
bring "a yearly crop Of fruit from -very
tie-, Vet every experienced orrh,rdi>t
knows ths, Ii greatly promotes fruitful
ness. and that most Varieties will under
such treatment give crop each yenr
with rare exceptions. Mr.. Powell stated
Al North J.,, that while orchards geDer-
ally in N.a York bore but little fruit
last season, his own, which Is under
thorough cultivation, gave him ful'
crop. Consider for u moment the sd-
vantage of having fine lot of Spys and
Russ.ts for sale al thi- time Al four or
five dollars barrel, The orchard must
be cultivated aud cared for as the corn
and potatoes now are.
lam fully aware that the plan sdvo-
Gated Il 10 conflict with much OF the
teaching of the past. such as setting out
the rough and rocky lands 10 trees, thick
planting, low training Of tops, mulching,
etc. But a new order Is in control al
the present time, and some Of this teach
ing WAS always wrong. The trees on
the rough old hiilsid-s must nov bs
forced or they will load With ine fruit
ONLY In Years Of an svslauche when tnere
i no profit iu them. Prof. Maynard
saws. II would not advise sny one TO set
trees on rough land unless they can put
on as much fertilizer in value rs II ~ouio
cost 10 cultivate" Thus we have IT
low grade fruit, only an occasional crop
and that in the years Of greatest soun'
dance and lowest prices will not answer
the purpose. There must De some re
lance 20 the business. The rocky hili'
sides uuaided are not meeting the condi
tious of to-day.
Ii Is not my purpose, nor Is there time
TO 90 into the details OF the methods snG
rhe means through which this needed
high culture Of the orchards can be mei
ana the necessary fertilization provided
Certain il Is the farm msnures are no'
su fficieut {, keep up the condition OF tn
farm snd support any cons'oerap'e Ares
rh... n,nadful enroc