The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-16
THE APPLE CROP IS FAIR
AVERAGE RETURNS REPORTED THROUGH THE UNITED STATES.
The New England Crop Poor-New
 York Crop Better Than Last Year.

l A CdfGLul dlu thorough Sluuy oL loll ditions in the commercial apple bell
 of the United States and the Canadian
 provinces confirms our earlier reports
 of an apple crop of moderate but moi excessive dimensions. The fact is estab-
 lished that the final yield available fol commercial purposes will be materially short of what is popularity considered a
 full crop" But while this is true, and While the outturn will prove very much less than the phenomenal record-break- ing yield of 96, it is none the less a fact that there are a good many apples in the country. Our final report to be is-
 sued as soon as practicable, will in all
 probability reflect the conditions here
 stated, and will also show that while
 the total is only a moderate one, the
 fruit is fairly well distributed through
 out the commercial orchard belt.
 As brought out in our earlier advices,
 Baldwins are short in York state, but
 are fairly represented in other sections.
 New England as Q whole, will turn off
 a very indifferent crop of winter apples,
 showing nothing like the surplus usual
 ly expected. As earlier forecasted. the crop in the heavy apple sections of New
 York will prove uneven and small to
 moderate in volume; but what Is of
 equal importance, our latest returns make the conditions more favorable than earlier indicated, and the crop as a whole will be very much better than last year, with quality good to excellent Commercial apple sections ill the middle and central states will have an irregular yield, with considerable quantities of fruit in the aggregate Michigan's crop about as good as last year, but not a full one. So with Illinois; but Wiscon- sin, Iowa and Nebraska will turn off on ly moderate quantities, The important apple sections of the Southwest, includ- ing Missouri Kansas and Arkansas will have a good many apples, but nothing like full yield, and quality of fruit very irregular, much of it suitable only for cider mill and evaporator. So far as the West is concerned, the fact 1t worth carefully noting that the crop is largely from old trees; these have fairly good showing, while young orchards have very little fruit.
 
 crop ordinarily so important in New England as the apple, is this year un- usually short. We will have consider able quantity in the aggregate, because our orchard area is extensive but scant yield of fruit in sight for autumn and winter markets. Maine Baldwins will prove almost rarity in the English markets next winter unless the yield turns out much better than now promised. One of our Kennebec reporting for several towns in that county, estimates about half as many apples as last year.
 In such Massachusetts stand-bys as Franklin and Hampshire counties, the crop of winter apples will prove rather small, particularly in the first named. One of our correspondents at Grafton writes us that it is the worst crop in 50 years, attributing this largely to the serious drouth. pr. Jabez Fisher of Fitchburg estimates a quarter of a full crop in his part of the county, and perhaps half as many to be harvested IS last year, but quality good, varieties largely Greening and Hubbardston summer varieties better than winter md unusually fair and free from insects 'or small crop. A like shortage is re- ported from Shrewsbury Bolton, Lunen- lurg and Howard. Throughout much if Connecticut apples set indifferently, md early drouth prevented proper df- 5elopment. J. H. Hale, the Glastonbury ruit grower, estimates a quarter crop, md perhaps 40 per cent as many as were harvested last year largely Bald win and russet. J. T. Molumphy of Berlin reports a few BaldWins and air show of greenlns, and says small orchards show up relatively better than commercial orchards. The crop is prac- ically failure in Windham county, md light in the southern half of the tate
 The Canadian provinces will have a | -ood many more apples than needed for lome use. The crop is by no means a Jumper one, but fairly liberal, as a alley of Nova Scotia, where orchards 1 re in splendid condition, the fruit de- eloping nicely. As in recent years, the lberal surplus from that big crop will o largely to the London market, where | has a firm foothold on account of it's | eneral excellence in quality and pack | 1g. The scattering orchard sections in | Jew Brunswick and Quebec have fair romise, but will not cut much figure ] the merchantable crop. The outlook | l Ontario is for fully as many apples | s last year, and a better quality, but nly what may be considered half ull crop, made up largely of Greening, py, Russet, Pippin Ben Davis and ling, Secretary Woolvertop of the On ario fruit growers association esti- lates half full crop.
 An important factor always bearing n apples is the foreign situation. It as long since been conceded that given loderate prices and satisfactory quali- 7 of apples, not only to British mark ts, but also to the continent, the lat 9r a steadily enlarging outlet. This is le situation now. As for the European pple crop, this is never much of fac IT after the autumn is well advanced. UT advices from abroad go to show nat England is harvesting fair uantity of apples and so with France nd parts of Germany while Holland nd Belgium have inifferent crops. The lrpus from all these countries pours
 ito such big centers as Berlin, Paris, ntwerp and London, and meanwhile lere is little chance for profitable ship ent of fruit from this continent. But