Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-23
VERMONT HORTJCUlTURlSTS.
Annual Meeting of the State Society at
the William Science Hall.

Annual Meeting of the State Society at
the williams Science Hall.
The third annual meeting of the YER
mont Horticultural society opened at the
| Williams Science hall in this city Tues
day
The opening session was called to order
promptly at two o'clock by the president,
Mr.. r. l.. Kinney of South Hero. Presi-
dent Buckham was introduced and made
some brief rema rks welcoming the society
to the city and to the University. He said
that he was once personally Interested in
horticulture He had small place here
in town on which he planted about $3.50
worth of trees and small fruits. When he
came to sell the place he realized $1,000
above what it would have brought with
out the fruit. President Buckham in par
ticular. called attention to the fact that the
feminine members of the rural household
are particularly interested in horticultural
matters. Fruits and flowers contribute
especially to the comforts Of home life.
This the speaker thought, was matter
well worth the attention of the horticul-
tural society.
President Kinney then followed with a
review CT horticultural affairs for the
year. He called attention to the fact in
the city markets there Is a special quota
tion on Vermont apples. This is because
Vermont apples excel in quality. Mr. Kin
ney thinks that the apple will soon be the
leading product of Vermont farms, but
ter not excepted. He finds however, that
with many classes of fruit the home mar
kets are unsuppled This is true of cher
and small fruits. Mr.. Kinney
thinks that the new railroad now
about to be built through Grand Isle
County, opening up that fruit region
marks an important step in the horticul-
ture OF the whole State. Regarding mid
a Ar he NN hnp
little as the horticulturists yet no one is
tied to them more firmly" The way to
handle fruit especially apples is to store
it on the farm where it is grown and to
market 1t direct. Three new apple store
houses are being built in Grand Isle County.
A A. Halliday of Bellows Falls, very
successful fruit grower, was absent and
his paper was read by the secretary. The
topic was "A Home Market for Fruit MIR.
Halliday makes quality rather than guam
tity his object in fruit growing and sells
his entire product in the home market.
This he finds entirely easy for. though
the market is always glutted with infer
Tor fruit, his always engaged in advance
at price considerably higher than that
ruling in the open market. No pains is
spared to make the packages attractive.
Strawberries are all sorted and graded af-
ter coming from the patch and the boxes
are faced" Last year while the general
crop of strawberries was selling in the
streets. four five or six boxes for q cents.
| Mr.. Halliday got is. 20 and % cents a box
for his. The seconds left after sorting he
sold at wholesale at five cents a quart.
Plum baskets should be small and always
supplied with handles so that they may be
| conveniently carried home by the pur-
chaser. 1t costs more to grow fancy fruit
for the home market than for the whole
sale trade. but prices are higher and it
lpays better
IDr,
save some Notes on Cherries" This is
one of the finest fruits, but is seldom seen
in our Vermont markets. In fact It is
almost impossible to buy enough cherries
for a rie. The fruit. therefore. always
brings high price. Cherries moreover,
are very easy of culture. Considerable at
tention has been paid to cherries by the
Experiment Station, and Prof. Waugh
gave notes on large number of varieties.
lie especially recommended Morello.
Montmorency and Bruseller Braun. Other
persons present had had good success with
Early Richmond and Dye House.
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session was opened by
Charles A. Hinsdill OF North Bennington
with a paper on small fruits. Any soil
which is suitable for corn will answer for
small fruits, clay, sand or loan. The soil
must be put In tho best of condition.
Speaking generally, the closer the plants
are set the more expensive will be the
cultivation. For the culture of small
fruit plantations Mr.. Hinsdill uses the
.fve-tooth cultivator and the harrow tooth
Icultivator. and insists on very shallow
culture. The rows should be lightly Gull
tivated very often. This keeps up the
tilth, keeps down the weeds and prevents
the formation of runners on strawberry
plots. Summer pruning of the raspber
ry is important Small fruits in Vermont
neglected 'Thara c a
much larger demand for small fruits than
most people realize. At present there are
large quantities of fruit shipped into the
State which might better be grown at
home. 1t Is ridiculous to he shipping
blackberries into Vermont in carload lots
when they grow wild all over the hills and
can be raised in the garden almost with
out effort.
Prof. J. L. Hills, director of the EN-
pertinent Station, gave a talk on the pro-
ftable use Of fertilizers in fruit growing.
speaking also of tillage and irrigation in
the same Connection. Fertility means avail
able plant food. There are great losses
from the store Of fertility by many
means, There are three methods Of econ
omizlng this fertility. First by stopping
the waste by fermentation of manures.
by washing of soils. Second by making
the plant food in the soil more available
by thorough tillage Tilage is the best
fertilizer that the farmer has. Third by
the addition of fertilizers to the soil.
Barnyard manure liz to be used when 1t is
to be had; but instead of being applied
fresh as is the best practice with farm
crops, barnyard manure IL best applied
TO orchards in a rotted condition. Com
mercial fertilizers are very useful II in
diligently used. High grade goods are
best and cheapest. The speaker explain
ed the French, German. American and
Ihit-or-miss systems of fertilization, and
gave many practical directions for the APP
lplication of fertilizers.
Closing Session of the Annual Meeting
Yssterdsy- Ohacers Reelected.
On account OF the unpromisinx weather
the horticultural meeting at Williams Sci
ence Hall yesterday was not so well at
tended as it deserved to be. The question
box was opened first, and many puzzling
questions received interesting answers.
ID. c. Hicks of North Clarendon pre-
scented a valuable paper on Some old and
new fruits not generally grown in Yer
mont" Sutton, Shiawassee, Scarlet Pip
pin deeds Beauty. Founding, Stump,
Jewett Fine Red, Walter Pease. Jacob
Sweet, Garden Royal local name) Rock
ingham, Windham Co., VIZ. apples were
mentioned. Minarat, Spauldng, Grant
Prune were spoken OF among plums. Yer
mont Beauty, Grand Isle. Easton Belle.