The Republican journal., 1905-07-13
The MAINE APPLE CROP.
Prospects Poor in Northern Sections

wa
Between 5000 and 1000 good Bald
win apple trees are believed to have
died in the town of Sidney, Me-, since
last fall. Twice as many other trees
are in badly damaged condition, ac-
cording to a Boston Transcript cor
respondent.
The trouble is commonly laid to the
severe cold Of the last two winters, but
even that explanation is not wholly
satisfactory. There is no sign of insect
or animal pests. Those who lay it to
the cold weather have good argument
in the fact that the Baldwin trees are
the oni Y ones affected. The Baldwin is
not successfully grown 80 miles farther
north.
George F. Bowman, one of the heavy
losers, says: THE cold weather was
not the only thing to blame Last year
a good many trees did not grow their
apples to full size. That was specially
true of trees on rich land The same
trees bore heavily the year before that,
and the winter was hard one. The
two heavy bearing years and the two
cold winters were too much. Those
trees that bore the small apples last
year are the ones that we find dead or
dying this summer. | have lost 10 or
80 trees, and have 100 or more that are
injured
Mr.. Bowmans theory of exhaustion
and cold seems to be the commonly
accepted explanation of the trouble
with the trees. 1t is argued that such
occurrences are very rare, and that the
Baldwin is under ordinary conditions
a rugged and hardy tree. There is no
discoverable sign of disease, so the ex-
PLANTATION is sought in conditions of the
weather and the growth and life of the
trees.
Calvin Graves tells story similar
to the others. According to him, the
very young and the very old trees are
practically unframed, the sufferers
being those of the best bearing age and
condition.
The damage is in all parts Of the
town from the Kennebec river to Lake
Massachusetts. Orchards have suffered
impartially, whether on high land or
low land, east, south, west OF north
trees are found to be the injured ones.
Manchester, North Augusta, across
| the river in Vassalboro, Waterville,
Oakland, Belgrade, and other neigh
boring towns. At distance of 20 to
25 miles the damaged trees almost dis
| appear, at least that word is brought by
people from that distance in every d.
rection.
Last fall there were about 10000
Baldwin apple trees in Sidney. The
| estimate of perhaps 10 per cent. killed
will make somewhere from 5000 to
| 1000 of those trees total loss While
| other orchards have suffered in less
| degree than those in Sidney, yet the
| damage is SO widespread that it may
be conservatively estimated at 10000
to $1,000 good bearing Baldwin apple
trees killed outright If such tree is
worth SO or S11, which is less than
some of the best orchardists reckon,
| the money loss is seen to be something
| enormous. In addition to that the
trees not dead but permanently injured
or likely to die probably represent an
equal cash value. The damage in
northwestern kennebec county cannot
be Tar from quarter to third of a
million dollars
And nobody knows how to prevent a
repetition. Another cold winter would
probably kill trees that are now only
weakened. Meantime, it is remembered
That III century of white men living
mere and raising apples, no such condi-
ton has ever obtained before. The
Baldwin is the leading market apple
and an injury to it once in 100 years is
not going to ruin the orcharding bust
| ness.