The Republican journal., 1909-10-28
ALL ABOUT APPLES.

The New England Fruit Show Great Sue
cess. Maine Leads in Exhibits. The
West Beaten by its Own Game. Address
es by Experts.
The New England fruit show, recent
ly organized association of agriculturists,
both theoretical and practical, opened an
exhibition in Horticultural hall, Boston,
October 10Th, to demonstrate the fruit
growing business of this section. The
exhibition was open until last Sunday, in
elusive. Growers throughout the six States
brought their finest apples from the Or
chards to this show to impress upon the
people the prominence of the apple as a
commercial factor, and the interest man
Tested by the railroads and by the Boston
Chamber of Commerce indicates that the
desired end was attained The first reg
ular meeting of the fall of the Chamber
of Commerce was devoted to the consid-
Grafton of agriculture in New England,
what it is and how it may be further de-
veloped. Thursday evening the chamber
had a dinner in Ford hall, where five
recognized authorities in fruit culture
told how this section may increase the
quantity and improve the quality of the
output, with especial reference to the
apple.
THE SCENT OF THE APPLE OVER 1T ALL.
The Boston Globe says that New Eng
lands claim to pre- eminence as an apple
growing country was impressively estab-
lished in this exhibition of the choicest
of her fruit Of the display on the
opening day the Globe says:
Every foot of space in the main hall
and the smaller rooms in the building is
required for the display of fruit, and the
scent of the apple is over it all. From
the big made-up apple in the center of
the main hall, formed of 5000 crab
apples, throughout every room, acknowl-
edgment of the eminence Of this product
of the orchard is made.
Along one side of the main hall is a bank
of boxes of red and green apples, pack
ed by the students of the University of
Maine to show how the fruit should be
packed to attract the buyer and to pre-
serve it. On the opposite side similar
stand of apples is offered by the Con-
necticut genealogical society as an illus
tration of the character of the industry
in that State.
Nearby producers from Vermont,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and
Rhode Island exhibit their wares to
testify to the efficiency of the growers
of those States.
In the showrooms on the front of the
building long tables are laden with bas-
kets and dishes of samples which excel
in size and color. Tantalizing piles of
fruit just begging to be eaten appeal to
the visitor, but they are not to be touch
ed until the judges have decided to
whom belong the prizes which are offer
ed in attractive number.
In the corner of the loggia cider mill
is in operation, while in the opposite
niche there is demonstration Of the
size and character of apples raised by
different processes of fertilization. Pro-
gress is interrupted by the spectacle of
small apple tree and pear tree, each
growing in pot, and each with sagging
branches heavy with fruit. Thomas E.
Proctor of Newton provides this novelty.
In one of the rooms John Proctor of
Newton Upper Falls excites the preda-
tory instincts of the visitor by his exhibit
ton of magnificent red bietzheimers,
while on an adjoining table J. H. Chase
of Dorchester has displayed the biggest
apples in the building, the monster wolf
river variety. Between these two there
is sore temptation offered.
In one of the smaller lower floor rooms
superb specimens of pears, grapes, cram
berries and ounces are laid before the
critical eye.
Upstairs is a striking chronological
exhibition, which is educational to the
orchardist. The Massachusetts forestry
department exhibits insect pests which
are the bane of the orchardist's life,
while the Maine State college contributes
pictorial lesson on the character of in
sects which are injurious to fruit trees
and those which are not destructive.
By the product of the respective trees
the farmer is shown how much larger,
finer and in what greater quantity per
tree apples can be produced by spraying
He is made to see that spraying can in
crease his yield by several hundred per
cent.
THE WEST BEATEN AT ITS OWN GAME.
New England is showing the apples
which it created and made famous and is
taking the western variety and improv-
ing upon it. Thus the show indicates
how the farmers of this part of the
country are growing the best of their
own native fruit and showing their ives
tern rivals how they can outstrip them in
their own field.
Comparisons between the New Eng
land fruit and that of Oregon are made
because in the irrigated lands of the Pa
cific slope apple-groWing has reached its
highest development.
Every man who undertakes to instruct
the New England orchardist begs him to
emulate his western competitor, so yes
terday it was a revelation to the visitors
to Horticultural hall to see baskets of
wolf river apples, the variety upon which
the west prides itself, exhibited by
growers of Massachusetts, which were
larger, of finer color and more delectable
flavor than the apple of the same type
which had been grown on the soil which
first produced it. By such demonstra-
lions it was proven, as Gov. Draper,
Pres. Ellsworth of the fruit show as
ISOLATION and others declared, that New
England's hills are the supreme apple
ground.
The remarkable quality as well as the
quantity of fruit sent by orchardists to
be placed on exhibition for this first eff
fort at big show Of this character illus