Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-03-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Our Opportunity.

Inc NEWS mas always encouraged IN
dustries that it thought would benefit
this section of our state, and at vsrious
times has suggested manufacturing at
points where it would do the most
good. tn this section ii is the prosperi.
ty of the farmer that makes business
lively and any industry that will in-
crease the farmers income is q benefit
to all.
Farmers, however. are not living up
to what they might do, il they only did
as manufacturers do, viz fud market
for an increased product and try to fill
the demand. They go on In ruts. are
"tied to a cows tail. and it is the eI-
ception when one uses his brains. This
is not always the case though, as we
have farmers in this state that have cut
loose from old methods and are growing
fruit and creating demand for the
same.
/ am moved "to make these few re
marks" in view of the fact that great
opportunity is being lost in this section
in not growing choice apples for mar
ket. 1t is conceded that there is no
section in the east that grows finer. high
colored, firm fieshed. good keeping APP
Piles, than we do here. There is also
an enormously increasing demand for
them. This past year was one of great
production, yet the crop has been NOV
ed at price when properly put mp and
marketed that has given good profit.
The facts are. land this is what insures
future market, that the demand for
good apples is increasing faster than
the farmers grow them. Within . few
years past an enormous export demand
has sprung mp. We are shipping thous-
ands of barrels to England, France and
Germany. Our exhibition of apples at
the Paris Exposition was a revelation to
all those people and can't fail to increase
the demand. Then too, our own popu-
lAtion is increasing vastly, our state
alone adding nearly 200. 600 to its popu-
lation the last decade, to say nothing OF
the great growth of the large cities in
other states.
What is being done in our hill towns
to grow good apples? It is very rare
We see q thrifty young orchard; old
ones are in evidence from their unkempt
appearance, "cider berries" grow in the
pastures and fence corners, but . good
young orchard is the exception and few
and far between. II is not because sp-
Piles won't grow that they are not raised.
There is no section in which they will
do better and with proper care will be-
gin to come in profit before one realizes
it. The objection that q man has to
wait too long to get returns is not 3
valid one. Orange groves do the same,
and then do not net per acre what q
good apple orchard would pay. The
trouble heretofore has been that too
many varieties have been set ont, many
Of which were not good shipping fruit;
trees have been bought of irresponsible
n&ohec nhd hhfO NV bCCh tiuC W uhmt,
and the lack OF care when set out has
killed dozens where one lived. To
make success of apple growing one
wants to adopt commercial methods and
cultivate the ground so as to grow the
trees. A good deal more might be said,
Mr. Editor, il ii were not for taking up
your valuable space. In conclusion,
one thing is certain, wherever you see a
man with good thrifty orchard, who
puts his fruit on the market in right
shape, you do not hear him say be is
sorry he has got it; like Brer Rabbit he
is Lying low and not saying q word"
A proper discussion of this subject
might induce some of our farmers to
grow choice apples, and dezen years
from now they will be thankful they
were induced to do so. II we would
grow apples enough so as to attract
buyers to this section it would he q
great benefit to all.
FARMER AND FRUIT RAISER