Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-23
FRUIT CULTURE.
A Recent Address Before the State Hortl.
cultural Society.

j. H Hale of South Glastonbury,
Conn, in a recent address before the
Massachusetts, Horticultural Society on
1.-THE business side of fruit culture"
said in part:
This side of fruit culture is important
and is growing. The growth of one
branch, in particular, that of nurseries,
I had occasion to notice when engaged
in work in this branch of horticulture
in connection with the tenth census. 1t
was found that whereas previous to
1900, there was hardly a commercial
nursery in the country, In 1890 there
were more than five thousand. Every
commercial fruit grower should keep
in touch with the details of all matters
pertaining to his business, and informed
on what the markets demand He
should study also soil conditions and
soil varieties. But he should be sure
he enjoys the work before going into
it.
Just what fruit one should plant de-
ponds upon the farm, upon what the
man enjoys, and, to a degree, upon the
markets. The Japanese plum, to which
mIich attention is being given, is an
early bearer, and is well adapted to our
soils. OF our older fruits the apple is
the best 1t will almost care for itself.
1t seems to me that our abandoned
farms would be well adapted for grow
ing apples for market, especially when
we consider the demand of the world for
that fruit. We hear much of an "off
year. with apples, but this is generally
because the trees do not receive the
proper treatment. When trees bear
heavily they exhaust their vitality and
the buds of the next year dc not get
sufficient nourishment and a small crop
is the result. The remedy for this lies
in thinning the fruit on the trees.
In cultfvating peaches the grower has
to be alert to prevent damage to his
trees by climatic conditions. East Of the
Connecticut river peaches may be well
grown by carefully studying the condi-
lions, by feeding WELL and by giving
good frost drainage. 1t is best to plant
on an abrupt knoll so that The frost will
drain off quickly.
The markets give liberal returns for
high grade small fruits, but most Of
the hne canned fruit comes from
across the water. / wonder that we
nave not awakened to the possibility Of
taking this market for our own.
another interesting fruit Of SO it NAV
De called is the chestnut. The whole
supply brought into the market is gone
~SiAs7t NlOhSii people would eat
tnem all winter. Large quantities of
nuts are imported every year, but we
might replace good part Of the foreign
supply by native chestnuts if we conld
grow larger nuts having the same fine
quality. This would be promising in
dustry for the people of New England
When you sell the products of your
Iarm you sell considerable amount of
solid material, but you also sell a much
larger amount of water-S0 per cent To
" per cent Of the whole mass beine
water: Small peaches will sell for II .
pushel, but you take the same variety
cultivate thoroughly and give plenty of
water, and you will have great peaches
which will sell for S. per bushel. A deem
piougmng and thorough pulverization
OF the soil will make it capable of hold
ing one hundred times as much water
as before. II you have poor soil for hold
ing water you can try mulching or per-
haps irrigating
Inc later we cam cultivate in the fall
the better will the plants winter For
IL the leaves fall too soon, the buds swell
with the warm weather of the late fall,
ana then in severe weather are winter
Killed. The foliage to be kept in good
condition must be occasionally sprayed.
Sometimes apple and pear orchards fail
to fruit because the growth of the plant
goes into branches and foliage alone.