Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-04-11
To Massachusetts Fruit Growers.

To Massachusetts Fruit Growers.
At the recent meeting of the Massa
ehusetts fruit growers, Mr.. Geo. A.
Cochrane of Boston, the widely known
exporter and reporter of foreign markets
gave a paper on the fruit markets in
which, in his characteristic brusque man
ner, he told the fruit growers many
truths they will do well to heed. From
the paper as given in the Ploughman we
Gull the following paragraphs:
THE MARKETS.
The outlet for a part of our apple
crop in Europe is increasing every year,
as there they are growing less yearly
and cannot produce many of the varieties
that can be successfully cultivated this
side of the Atlantic. As a matter of
course, there are occasional seasons,
like that of last year, when they have
fairly good crops in Europe, but their
fruit, as rule, is of dark color and of
inferior varieties and prices being low,
makes it Improbable for shippers of
American or Canadian apples during
such periods. In such years it is unwiSe
to ship any of our green or yellow vari-
eties from this side; only the choicest
red varieties will sell at anything like
decent prices.
THE SEASON
drawing to a close has been a very un-
satisfactory one to all concerned. Spec
ulators have made little or no money,
notwithstanding apples ruled low dur
ing the early part of the season, in fact,
there has been great deal of money
lost. The apple industry in New Eng
land can never be brought up to prof
table basis until the standard of grow
ers is greatly improved.
1t is absurd for man to set out an
orchard and expect it to amount to any
thing without cultivation, but this has
been the rule in the past; the trees have
been planted and allowed to grow up
rank, and whatever they yielded in fruit
was marketed, and if it happened to be
year of light crop, fairly good results
would follow, but, as a general rule the
results realized have not paid the ex-
pense of picking, packing and other
charges.
TOO MANY POOR APPLES.
Perhaps another statement | make
will astonish you still more, and that is
that the amount of apples produced of
late years throughout the whole country
is greatly over our home requirements
as well as any foreign demand on any
thing like the basis of standard of mar
ketable quality of New England growers.
The period has passed when anything in
the shape of an apple can be picked,
packed and sent to markets. Fruit that
has sold for something heretofore, after
this, will bring nothing or so little, it
will bring the grower into debt in his
attempt to market it.
On market days here in Boston and in
the market districts, you will see fruit
offered in busbel boxes and unheaded
barrels that ought to make the man
blush that stands by and acknowledges
he is the owner of the same. Much of
it is only fit for hogs and there is not a
market in Europe that grower dare
make such an exhibit, firstly, from a
matter of pride, and secondly, for fear
of the clutches of the law, yet this goes
ON year after year with us in Boston.
When have you ever seen case of orang-
es with one orange as big as your fist
and another one along side of it not
much larger than a marble, then another
one with big scab, or several, on it and
another all railroaded with the insects9
This you never see, but right here in
New England we do not know enough to
grow fruit in the manner they do aud in
most cases too Indifferent or lazy to
learn how to change the order of things.
often hear it stated that it does not
pay to select apples so fine and pack
them in cases. How is it that in the
antipOdes, within very few years, they
have got on to apple culture, and
Tasmania sends yearly nnw hundreds OF
cases of apples packed just exactly as
snug as our oranges or lemons are and
every piece of fruit perfect, and they are
thirteen thousand miles away from their
principal market, which is London. l
sometimes think We ought TO have legis-
lation on the matter of grading fruit, es-
pecially apples, making it a punishable
offence for a grower 10 attempt to mar
ket an apple under u inches or any
showing signs of disease whatever.-
Maine Farmer.
Farmers will not Desert Sugar Corn.