The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-21
Profitable Fruit Culture.
AROUSE THEMSELVES. WHAT THE
ING AND SPRAYING.

WEST is DOING. FACTS ON PACK
ING AND SPRAYING.
New England farmers are not taking
advantage of the splendid opportuni-
ties they possess for profitable fruit
culture Southern and western grow
erS are awake to the openings offered by
eastern markets for fruit and are pre-
PAIRING to take advantage of them. IN
less our farmers arouse themselves, in
tToduce better methods of fruit culture
and prepare to combine in the market
ing OF their goods they will before long
encounter damaging competition from
fruit growers III other States.
These statements were made at a
recent meeting of the Connecticut
board of agriculture in Middletown, Of
which tile New England Homestead
gives an interesting report. The sub
ject was brought up i'll an address by
George T Powell! of Columbia County,
New York. who claimed that had New
England farmers realized 20 or 30 years
ago the great demand that would spring
up Tor high grade fruit and set out or
cIaris and otherwise prepared for it,
they might have made millions of dol
lars. IN such a case, lie said the
phrase, tile WORKOUT farms of New
England" would never have been
coined.
The same idea WAS taken up by J. II.
Hale OF Hartford county. CT, who en-
la.ged on it considerably "rhe
.rouble in New England, said Mi.
Hale. has been that our farmers have
only thought OF the markets right at
their own doors. The prices they have
obtained for their apples, strawberries
and vegetables. etc, at Hartford, New
Haven. Worcester and similar local
markets have been so high they have
not attempted to increase their output
beyond the requirements of these little
local ceuters. The idea of studying
and supplying the demands of the large
CITY markets has apparently never been
considered seriously.
Here is where the western men are
getting ahead of lis by their enterprise.
What are the neighborlng markets OF
tine fruit growers Of the States of Wash
ingt0u and Oregon? Their fruit is sent
10 Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit.
If these markets cannot take all they
send. they simply forward their fruit
on to New York and Boston. Ii these
far western fruit growers can I'LL the
demands of these to them distant mar
kets. why do not our farmers endeavor
tn sell more fruit to these same mark
cts:
ssThe reason the western growers have
been sending their fruit way down here,
is because our New England farmers
have been sleeping. The fruit that is
going to make money in the future will
have to be high grade and must be pro-
duced by high grade men. Lots of oul
farmers think it too much trouble to
snrav their orchards even once a year
More care will have to be taken on
this point before we can contend sue
cesstully with our western competl-
tors
Mr.. Hale said he had recently re
turned from 4000-mile trip through Is
States and he was amazed to find how
earnestly the people in far distant sec
tions were setting to work to raise fruit
to supply the eastern markets. In the
western States millions of apple trees
have been set out during the past few
wears. Mr.. Hale attended a hOrtlcul-
tural meeting in one OF the western
States. and said that the people seemed
hungry for information Oh horticulture.
During the meetings | heard some of
their leading men advising the young
men that about the best openings for
fruit growers are IN New England.
While they did not like to advise their
western bows to come east, they lntl-
mated plainly that if they were to do SO
they c0ulC, make good money raising
fruits for our New England markets.
One thing is sure, and that is If these
western boys come east our farmers
will have to bestir themselves because
the westerners are hustlers, and Will
get the trade if we don't look out
"Mr Powell spoke to us about apples
from Washington and Oregon selling
in some of our eastern markets at the
rate of two for 25 cents. This is true
Such apples, however, are grown on
trees that are sprayed in the winter
and repeatedly during the summer. In
fact. the trees are kept coated all the
season. When the apples are picked.
they are polished up, graded with the
greatest care, wrapped in nice paper,
and shipped in fancy boxes and baskets:
Think of one of our New England
farmers polishing and wrapping any
apples he picked from his trees, and
selling them for 25 cents apiece, when
by letting them alone, he could sell
them for rs cents a bushel. daughter.