Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
APPLES THATPAY WE'LL
COMMERCIAL FRUIT FARMER
HAS TO IMPROVE HIS QUALITY.
How to Supply Demands Of Consumer
Best Varieties-Money in
the Orchard.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
In the planting of fruit on a commercial
scale a number of important factors need to
be taken into consideration by the grower,
among which may be named in their order,
first, the second or third party Of the sec
ond part. the consumer; second the char
acter Of the variety he plants-as to vigor
In growth OF vine or tree and it's produc-
tiveness, and third, shipping quality. The
commercial grower, however. generally re-
verses this order of consideration. AS he
plants upon large scale and his object is
10 handle fruit from the standpoint of
wholesale operations. his first consideration
Is that Of quantity, and. second, carrying
quality.
He gives but little thought to the con-
sumner His dealings are with the first party
or the second part, the broker, and when he
has unloaded upon him the largest quantity
OF fruit that he Is capable of producing he
feels that there his responsibility has ended.
he gives little consideration to the manner
In which the consumer receives his product
whether with satisfaction or with the feel
ings of one who may have purchased gold
brick.
Ignoring the Consumer.
So far has the interest of the consumer
been ignored, and even imposed upon, that
he now not infrequently offers public pro-
test against the quality of fruit that he is
expected to consume. In apples, of which
we have very large number of varieties
or all grades of quality as to flavor, there
are a few well-eStahlished, welf-known
standard sorts that have commanded the
first attention in all markets. Among those
most prominent may be mentioned in sum-
mer varieties-the Red Astrachan, Benoni,
Early Harvest Primate. Sweet Bough, Will
liams and Yellow Transparent.
This class of iS Lore
for cooking purposes than for dessert, and
from these might be selected according to
the section or locality, possessing excel
lent cooking quality and in general demand.
the Astrachan. Primate, Sweet Bough,
Williams. the two last named, when ripen-
ed, coming within the list Of excellent des-
sert fruits.
Good Autumn Varieties.
In the autumn varieties there is an i'm
posing number to select from Alexander,
Duchess and Twenty Ounce may be con-
sidered as highly profitable varieties, yet
not possessing the highest quality. Their
chief value Is in their cooking quality, while
the Grovenstein. Fameuse. Porter, Rambo
and Smokehouse may be ranked among the
finest OF dessert fruits. With the exception
Of the Alexander. the first-named varieties
are generally large yielders, while the last,
with possibly the Grovenstein to be ex-
cepted. are equally productive. In the plant
Ing OF commercial orchards of winter va
r1etteS we would follow the same principle
choosing those varieties that combine the
highest quality for both dessert and cooking
purposes.
The Rhode Island Greening may be taken
as standard representing combined high
quality. 1t never disappoints wherever 1t
may be found upon the corner stand. as an
after-dinner apple. or in any cooked form
that may be desired. Yet with the failure
of the present orchards. this grand old
standard of highest excellence will largely
pass out. for new orchards are not to much
extent being planted. and it Is being rapidly
superseded by a different type represented
in the most snowy, attractive but disap-
pointing Ben Davis.
Best Winter Apples.
In winter varieties of apples the Newton
Pippin commands the highest value of any
variety that is shipped to the English mar
ket. At times it has sold for 80 shillings.
English money. or $50 per barrel. From
the Robert Pell farm at Esopus, on the
Hudson. 1T has sold for $50 barrel 1t Is
not fancy color, but rather the keen dis
cernment and appreciation of exceedingly
fine flavor in the Newton that draws these
high prices from the purses of the English
consumer. The King, Esopus, SpitZenburg
Jonathan, Mcintosh, Northern Spy, Hen
bricks and Red Winter Sweet represent
range of varieties that possess the finest
flavor. that are highly attractive in color,
that are in general demand and sought for
at the highest value.
The commercial grower will raise the OBJ
lection that the King. as tree, is consttu-
tionally defective, short-lived, and, on that
account, Is not safe or profitable variety
to plant; that the Spitzenburg does not
yield enough fruit to pay; that the Jona-
than is open to the same objection, besides
being slow grower; that the Mcintosh
drops it's fruit badly, while the Spy Is a
poor keeper and bad shipper and that these
rfa lao no with 0r,1xr NV
those who can place them in a special line
OF fancy trade. Admitting that to some ex-
tent these criticisms may be true the grow
er must rise superior to these difficulties.
King Grated on Spy.
For a number Of years we have been
growing the King. worked upon the Spy, a
very much stronger and vigorous stock.
Not only are these trees showing great
vigor in growth. but they are developing
regular annual crops Of superior fruit We
are working upon the same line with the
Jonathan. the Spitzenburg and the McIn-
tosh. This is a field that has in 1t possibili-
ties at present not fully understood, and
we may yet be able to grow in the greatest
abundance varieties of the highest quality
but with some weak tendency, and with
them largely supplant varieties Of low
grade.
The commercial grower will in the future
be forced to eliminate from his mind the
thought of high prices Fruit like pota-
toes, is rapidly being considered as a neces-
sity rather than luxury and when it Is
purchased upon this basis. then the con-
sumner, be he rich or poor. will demand the
best. The only hope for the fruit grower
for the future Is in the production of the
highest quality. for upon that depends
wholly the largest possible increase of con-
sumption to keep up with the enormous in
crease in production. which will soon be
felt in our markets Of the future. He who
plants trees plants for time. May the
generations that follow bless his act, as
they partake OF the fruits of high quality
and for the pleasure and satisfaction which