The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-10-21
Apple Culture.

gained and held at Spokane last wear
for the purpose Of advertising the fruits
of the so-called Inland Empire, not only
attained its main object but it was also
marked as one of the striking instances
Of western hustle. The exposition has
gone down in history as perhaps the finest
exhibition of standard fruit ever made in
this country or in the world. Admitting
this, the Boston Transcript says it is
gratifying to know that New England
does not propose to surrender monop-
oily of this particular distinction to the
enterprising States of the great North
west, for the New England apple show,
scheduled to be held in Boston in the
month of October, is being featured
along lines calculated to attract more
and county fairs held in Massachusetts
and the other New England States prove
that such an exposition can be made
worth while. These fairs have proved,
what everybody in New England knew
before, that as good apples can be raised
here as can be raised anywhere on earth
and the coming exposition will concen-
trate upon this particular fruit degree
of attention to the possibilities which
should be impressive in it's educational
value. But, as the Transcript points out,
this enterprise will lose its largest value
unless it provides something more than
"a spectacle of toothsome suggestion. !"
1t should be from first to last stimulat-
ing object lesson that will help to promote
apple culture. In recent bulletin, Pro-
fessor Sears. of the genealogical depart
ment of the Massachusetts State college,
compares conditions in New England and
the West, with results largely in favor
of New England. Professor Sears shows
that good orchard land can be purchased
here much cheaper than there; that the
flavor, texture and keeping qualities of
our fruit are superior, and that we are
nearer good markets. The question that
remains now is: Can apples be success
fully and proftably grown is New Eng
land? The answer is that, where proper
care has been given the trees, they al
ways have been, and the need of asking
or answering this question is common
tary on the prevailing Indifference to the
development of this branch of our agri-
cultural interests. New England farm
ers have been frequently criticised
because their methods show little advance
upon those of their fathers and grand
fathers. AS matter of fact, as regards
apple growing there has been positive
retrogression in methods. Travelling
over the New England States, one sees
comparatively few new orchards, and
most of the old ones seem condemned to
take care of themselves. And this neg
ligence is having its natural result, for
while the old orchards are as productive
as there is any reason to expect that
they might be, one cannot, or should not,
expect to get the best fruit from decayed,
No
cript assumes that one reason why our
opportunities in this respect are being
ignored is the fact that new orchards re-
quire an initial outlay and for several
years make no corresponding return.
Orcharding on any considerable scale,
whether here or in the West, requires a
certain amount of ready capital, and this
is not always part of the outfit of the
average farmer However, almost any
farmer is in a position to make some
progress in the right direction each year,
and almost before he knows it, and at an
expense that has hardly been felt, he will
find himself possessed of a source of in
come as surprising as it is gratifying.
There is hardly any doubt that, under
present conditions in New England, the
same money and care that are put into
the dairy business would give larger re-
turns if applied to apple culture. How
ever, orcharding conducted on go-as-you-
please, ht-or-miss methods will not be
attended with success. On the average
New England soil the results are some
times surprising, even under the present
careless methods. What they would be
if the industry was given the intelligent
attention which the orchards in the
Northwest get as matter of course is
shown here and there where up-to-date
farmers cultivate their apple crop with
as much care as is givento any other
crop. Biddeford Journal.
The orchardists of New England must
do several things to hold favorable
position in fruit raising and marketing.
They must plant new orchards, they
must give the orchards more scientific
care, they must study their trees and
fruit, they must have State aid in the
determination of pests and they must
be more careful in packing their goods
for shipment to market. Greater care
should be taken to raise the standard of
our goods, the packages in which they
are shipped should be well branded and
every effort should be made to make our
New England fruit the highest grade
OllClCu LII lllS Ilc1 hSIS VI CAC WI ILL.,
The last Maine legislature enacted
number of laws in regard to the shipping
and branding of Maine fruit which will
tend to bring up the standard of our
Maine fruit, while the State is to take up
the matter of experimenting along the
line of orcharding, which is also bound to
be Of great advantage as the years go
by. Let our farmers take the matter in
hand inst as SpriotlSlv as thew have the
cultivation of potatoes and within a few
years the products of our orchards will
stand higher in the markets of the world
and the yield be increased by large
amount. We are inclined to believe that
the coming fruit show in Boston will be
of great aid to the farmers of the New
England States and are glad to see so
much interest manifested in it.-Bath
Independent.
Stops itching instantly. Cures piles, eczema,
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