The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-28
Apples AND EGGS.

i
we were sorry to hear that local ship
ment OF apples to England resulted in a
loss. The fruit arrived there at time when
the market was depressed and it has since
| recovered somewhat Some shipments to
Boston have not proved profitable, although
there have been satisfactory returns from
small lots. 1t may be a matter of luck, or
choice OF consignee, or in manner of pack
ing. J. NJ. Pike of Kennebec county, who
has 400 Baldwin trees, 25O Ben Davis and
5o Northern Spy, says in a communication
to the New England Homestead:
pack and ship apples to Liverpool, max
| ing Two grades.strictly No marked Fan
cy Maine, and No. marked "Maine Bald
wins" l have shipped two years and am
well satisfied with the results. The exact
ngnres OF the crop in recent year are as
| 1Ollows 537 barrels netted at car $685.. 90,
cost OF barrels at % cents $134.25, hauling
$53 o.. picking and packing $54.22, total
cost $241 50, leaving a profit of $69l.56 They
were all shipped in October and November.
l am satisfied the apple crop is the best
providing the ground is suitable and the
man takes to horticulture.
1t would have been more interesting had
Mr.. Pike given US the figures for his foreign
shipments this year. He says his favcrite
is the Baldwin, except ON low ground, where
he thinks Ben Davis does the best as it is a
much harder tree and not so likely to win
ter-kill as the Baldwin. He cultivates his
orchards and prefers chemical fertilizer to
green manure. His trees. are set 25 feet
. aOart zach wav Ho cnrauS with load
senate after the petals drop, using II pounds
of sugar OF lead to four pounds arsenate of
soda to about 600 gallons of water, and
usually finds one spraying sufficient. Once
year he goes over the trees and cuts out
all suckers and dead wood.
An article in our last issue captoned
profitable Fruit Culture was no doubt
read with interest, and perhaps with
profit, by our orchardists. That fruit should
be carefully graded few will dispute
"Deaconing" does not pay. The Connect
cut orchardists condemn the barrel and ad-
vocate smaller packages as likely to prove
more profitable. Many have suggested
boxes for shipments, but A. c. Fernald, in
a communication to the Turf Farm and
Home, gives what appear to be conclusive
reasons why that style of package should
not be adopted. He says:
The remedy is not in boxes but is in bet
ter barrels. Where is the prestige Maine
peopled with intelligent, shrewd men,
when we must admit that they are not
capable of making good apple barrel.
Only one man has so far shown decent
barrel manufactured in Maine. He makes
a barrel of seasoned oak, with maple hoops
made from lime cask stock by putting in
extra slaves, using birch hoops, will cause
any lot OF apples, no matter how we'll graded
and packed, to sell for % to 80 cents ii bar
rel less than the same fruit will bring in
flour barrels. The barrels made of West
ern stock are too light, if they must be used
better hoops must be used and more of
them.
In Somerset county they are to have a
contest to decide who is the champion
header-up. Madison, Athens and Cornville
are the three principle apple growing towns
in Somerset and the greater part of the APP
pies shipped to New York and Liverpool
are packed on the Molunkus road in Corn
vile and along the Skowhegan- Brighton
stage road in Athens. Therefore the claim
of who is champion has Sifted down by
common consent to these two districts
The Molunkus road has put forward Asa
Hodgkins as the best and fastest all-round
header-up in the county, if not in the State,
and the Skowhegan-Brighton apple grow
ers are equally confident their man Cyrus
Skinner is the champion. AS a COMPARE
son of their work the record of each man
has been submitted. Mr.. Hodgkins from
sunrise to early lantern light headed up
PIC barrels. Mr.. SINNERS record was
little better In working day of nine
hours he headed up 262 barrels. But the
Molunkus readers are not satisfied. They
say the conditions were more favorable
when Skinner made his record, owing to |
the fact that his barrels were newer To
settle the championship match has been
arranged to come off at the Bush school |
house the last of this month. One hundred
and fifty barrels will be allowed each man
and the one who nails on the cover of
the last barrel first will be declared
the champion of the county. AT noon
lunch will be served of rabbit stew, hard
cider and moasses doughnuts. The judges
will be chosen the day of the contest and
will be practical apple packers.
Housekeepers are well aware that eggs
have been high the past year, and some of
our local dealers have received supplies
from Michigan. The average price paid
here to the producers during the year 1900
was II cents per dozen, which was a slight
advance over previous years. The average
for 1908 was 233 cents highest, IS cents
lowest, - cents. These figures are the re-
suit of comparisons made by Swift g. Paul,
taking the price paid on Thursday of each
week, as shown by their books, as basis.
The New England Homestead says that not
for decade have eggs been as high as they
are at this season, and that it is doubtful if
present prices have been greatly exceeded
at any time since the civil war. The follow
ing table shows the range of prices for
fresh and storage eggs at New York and
Boston for each January of the last ten
years:
JANUARY EGG PRICES.
In cents per dozen, wholesale.
New York -Boston--
Year Fresh Storage Fresh Storage
QaQ On,O