Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-03
THE APPLE CROP.
Source Of Great Profit
to Our Farmers.
History Of Apple Raising In
dustIy in New England.
Still 6reatsr Possibilities in Store fol
Our Orchards.

ample it is claimed, was brought over
in the Mayfower 10y Governor John
winthrop. But it has been also stated
that when Winthrop was anchored off
Cape Ann and before he set foot upon
these shores the hermit, Blackstone, al
ready had apple trees growing about
his cabin ut ShaWmut Neck. So the
lineage of the king of fruits is some
what confused, but in any case New
England has inherited full title to her
noted crops of the present day.
1t is probable that the small cluster
of apple trees in Blackstone's orchard
were the only ones growing in New
England at that time. There are now
approximately dozen million apple
bearing trees within her boundaries
and Boston, the scene of the first or
chard, is the greatest apple-shipping
port in the world. From one hundred
and fifty to two hundred million apples
are brought into Boston every year by
the New England railroads and shipped
| across to Europe.
The past season has been poor one
for apples, poor apple year because
1904 was a good apple year." When
the trees bear heavily one year. as
I
| tally and the next year can offer but
| a Scanty harvest. But other causes con-
tributed 10 cut down the yield this
| year. Cold rains in the spring prevent
ed the setting of the blossoms. Insect
pests have been particularly bad while
| fungus and other diseases have played
their part in reducing the size of the
crop. The American Agriculturst esti-
| mates this years apple crop for the
| entire country at %, 49, 600 barrels as
! against 45.360,O9O barrels III 1901. In New
! England the yield will not total much
more than half as mucn as last year.
Yet shipments from Boston have not
fallen off i'll anything ike the same
proportion. 1t is true that January fig
| ureS so far show a Shrinkage of u half
from those of a year ago, but in De-
| Ccinber Boston exported 1929 barrels,
6l40 more than during December, 1901,
and in November, 121.S22 barrels. Il fall
ing off of less than a third from last
| season.
| The principal reason for what, under
the circumstances, is Il good showing, is
the high price of apples in Liverpool
and London, which has drawn large
percentage of the crop abroad, and the
| favor which American apples have al
| ready met in the English markets. y
writer in the Saturday Review once
said. in complaining of the preference
given by English purchasers to Amer
lean fruit: 1.-The explanation seems to
lie. at any rate partially in the greater
pains which American fruit growers
! heGtOW upon the gathering, storing and
packing of the fruit. 1t may seem Il
small thing, but there is no doubt that
half the selling value of Il crop Of deS-
sert apples may be thrown away by in
JudiciouS packing. That the best of the
American fIuit, carefully picked and
packcd, should present a better appear
ancc in Convent Garden than the aV-
eraGe English apples, which often look
as if they had been beaten from the
trcces like Walnuts, is not to be Won
derrI at"
Not little credit for this is due to tn"
American railroads. which in the first
place by their low rates for carrying the
fruit to tidcwatcr make it profitable for
the American grower to take advantage
of the English market, and next, bv the
adaptibilty of their rolling stock protect
the apples from being damaged in cold
weather and. together with the steam
ship companies. guarantee them an an
| pctizing appearance in the English mar
ket stalls. The refrigerator cars which
protect the apples from frost in the fall
and the Eas tnlan heater cars which pre-
serve an even temperature Of - degrees
about their consignments during the most
severe zero weather in winter. arc luxu-
rieS unknown to the English shipper. The
railroads, free from irksome government
regulation of the kind to which it is nov'
proposed that they should he subjected.
have shown in the handling Of the apple
business the same American spirit of en-
tcrprisc that has enabled them to an
initiate distance and put the New Eng
land manufacturer in a position to com
pete in distant markets.
Most Of tho apples raised in New Eng
land are sold on commission by tho local
. exporters who in their anxiety to Pre-
serve their regulations in the foreign
markets are very strict about the honesty
with which the barrels are packed. In
spite Of tho fact that no such stringent
legal regulations have been devised for
the apple traffic in New England as the
|
there are very few attempts on the part
of Yankee shippers to palm off inferior
fruit by "dcaconing" the barrel In Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick the farmers
have been known to run the risk of severe
legal penalties and to outwt the inspcc-
tors by filing pieces of stovepipe with in
ferior apples, placing the pipes in the
center of the barrels. packing high-grade
fruit all about them and finally with
I drawing them. In New England the COM
/ mission merchants prevent such practices
NV making careful inspections of the con-
tcnts of all barrels. top and bottom, and
nv resolutcly refusing to have dealings
with men who have once shown them
seIves dishonest The good reputation
n,b;c;, New England apple growers have
oh,a;ned for their uniformity in packing
=; q. we'll as for the soun'ness of their fruit
b,s been extended in the last few years
and large quantities of American apples
ORC low being transshirped from England
20 various countries on the Continent
| tainp an especially large mr.