Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-01
FRUIT CULTURE.
Com. Gilman Issues Quarterly
Bulletin Of Agriculture.
It is the First Number Under the
New Administration.
Contains Large Amount of Information
About Raising Fruit.

| Commissioner Gilman of the Depart
men of Agriculture Of the State OF
Maine has published the first number
of the Bulletin of his department since
| his occupancy of the position of Secre-
| tarv. 1t is most valuable document.
1t is especially devoted to fruit culture.
Prof. w. NJ MunsOn, the horticulture
list at the Maine Agricultural Ex-
perjment Station, furnishes splendid
rrist of orchard notes, followed by an
article on insect enemies and Diseases
Of fruit and farm statistics from the
census bulletin for Maine.
| The summaries of replies to questions
relating to the farm are given by count
| les. OF Kennebec county the report
says: Amount of crops to be raised
his season. 100 per cent. Corn. hay and
pples will be the leading crops. Pro-
duct of the farms in 1901, 107 per cent
Most profitable varieties of apples
raised, Baldwin. Greening, Northern
Spy. Amount of fall blowing, 90 per
ant. Number of farm stock, 102 per
ten.; value, los per cent. Cost of win
t,ring farm animals, 105 per cent. Per
CENT or &toCl, fodder on hand, 80. No
8 orCo liable increase in the number of
dairy cows, in most sections. Local
market prices: butter, % cents; eggs
, cents: poultry, 10 cents; cows, SAL.
TIE ,tn"ral average for the Whole
State is as follows: Probable amount of
| crops to be raised this season, LOG per
{ ant. Product of the farms in 1901 as
compared with former years, 100 per
cent. Amount of land plOwed last fall,
50 per cent. Number of farm stock, 10i
per cent: value, JOG per cent. Cost of
wintering farm animals. 1O5 per cent.
per cent. Local market prices: butter.
221a cents: eggs, % cents; poultry, 10
cents; cows, SEQ.
Answers to questions are published
from farmers in the various counties
which are of special interest. Those
from Kennebec county are as follows:
Pittston-The standard varieties of
cpples. such as the Baldwin, Bellhower.
Northern Spy, II. l. Greening, Talman
Sweet and Gravenstein are generally
grown in this locality and adapted to it.
Orchards here are not cultivated; some
{ re pastured with sheep and some are
moved. I believe in cultivating, if it
can be done. The insect most prevalent
last year was the leaf roller, and the
worst disease was the black scab. |
sprayed with arSenated lead and Bor-
dearX mixture. On the trees not
sprayed the apples were very badly
scabbed. and on those sprayed the APP
pies were practically free from scab. /
also raise small amount of raspber-
fies. Strawberries and blackberries. The
raspberres and blackberries are null
ched and the Strawberries are set in
rows three and one-half feet apart and
one and one-half feet in the row, and
allowed to make a matted row. Last
year l fruited Michers Early, Crescent,
Eureka and Brandywine; this year l
have the same, and also Sample and
Nick Dinner. l. N. Lapham.
Hallowell-The apple is the King of
fruits. All other fruits are secondary. 1t
is in universal demand, but the supply
does not keep pace with the growth of
population. Maine is well adapted to
the profitable production of the choicest
varieties of summer, autumn, and long
keeping winter varieties, and more
| ought to be raised. Success in orchard
ing can be obtained only by careful
study of the varieties adapted to par
ticular location, careful management.
and perfect knowledge of market re-
quirements. This knowledge each one
must learn for himself and it cannot be
learned in n day. Experience is hard
tea cher, but the safest and best in the
end. W. p. Anterior
Clinton-My farm is clay loan, there
fore | raise but little fruit, as my OBJ
servation has convinced me that n
sandy gravelly soil is needed for that
line of farming. I believe that the
farmer who is adapted to the business,
with suitable soil, can do much better
in raising fruits that he can possibly
do in growing what might be termed
standard crops.
The outlook for crops in this vicinity
is very promising. Farmers are begin
ming to realize that it is better to raise
more of the grain fed to stock and not
depend on the gristmill so much as in
former years.
Is it good economy to sell oats at so
cents bushel and buy wheat bran at
S1.25 per one hundred, to feed to mich
COWS? f.. II. Gerald.
(Note-Rran contains about one-third
| food. and about one-fourth less carbo-
| hydratcs or heat producing food than
| do oats. Fran contains a considerable
| excess of fertilizer ingredients as COM
pared with oats. At the price stated
above a ton of bran will cost 1928 less
| than win a ton of oats. 1t would appear
then, that the proposition is entirely
| feasible, and it would result in in
creased animal food, increased plant
| food. and money in the pocket in addi-
| on.-Commissioner)
Oakland-I have sprayed my orchard
| the past two years, also fortified it by
hauling barn manure late in the fall
and putting quite quantity around the
trunk of the tree and letting it remain
until spring. then spreading it as evenly
as possible over the ground. I also
make a practice of going through my
orchards and scraping the rough bark
from the trunk and limbs of the trees
and cutting out the limbs that cross
each other. l would pillow and culti-
vate my orchard if I could. but as I
cannot practice the above method.
which is very beneficial but not equal