Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-27
Maine Apples.

OC!eT view soldlSS oIiu thS 80,
napolis valley, great orchard.
If orchardists in this section are I'M
fortunate, in many cases they are
themselves partially responsible. Their
management of orchards may not prop
crly be dignified by calling it fruit
culture" They leave too much to
chance. Excellent examples, on the
other hand, are offered by the orchard
lists of Western States, which TORPID
shipment outside their borders of fruit
below a general standard, and which
enforce proper care of fruit trees by
cutting down those not properly pruned
and sprayed.
ton. New England orchardists should
wake to the desirability of scientific
cultivation. 1t would be better for
their pockets, and better for the public
Standardization Post.
We fail to see how protracted
drouth is traceable to the Maine far
mer or how any amount OF careful
cultivation would divert any water
from those much advertised Western
farms to Maine orchards. Maine orch
ardsts complained that the long period
of rainless weather seriously affected
the crop. We do not know that the
complaining brought the rain any
sooner or that the trees were any wet
ter after the showers, but there IS no
law against registering a growl against
the weather if man is so minded.
The next proposition advanced by the
Post has some foundation in fact.
Orcharding has been neglected in
Maine. until very recently and there
is little doubt but that the standard
of fruit raised here would be higher
if more attention was given scientific
apple raising. Heretofore we have had
to contend with lazy and ignorant far
mers in the state and unscrupuos
dealers outside the State who did not
hesitate to brand all sorts of scrubs
and culls as Maine fruit, in order to
bring about their sale in the Boston
and Liverpool markets.
The last Legislature, at the behest
of the apple growers organization,
passed a law which upsets the practice,
if the buyer cares enough about the
contents of the barrel or package he
has paid for, to examine it's contents.
The law provides that the packages
containing Maine apples shall be prop
erly labelled and that the title 'Maine"
shall form a prominent part of the la
bel. The markings must also contain
the name and address of the owner
or purchaser of the apples at the time
of packing, and the capacity of the
barrel. Those provisions protect the
consumer of Maine grown fruit from
the man who does not hesitate to give
short measure.
The other division of the bill deals
entirely with the grading of the fruit.
Fancy" apples must be of one variety
and above the average in size and color.
They must be free from worm holes,
bruises, scab or other defect that ma
terially injuries the appearance or use
of the fruit. Apples marked as mo.
]" grade must be perfect fruit not less
than 2A inches in diameter and grade
NO. ~ must be equally perfect fruit
o il,
if more than "a inches in diameter,
can contain one slight defect. At the
that the apples must be packed in
packages that are clean.
This law will standardize Maine fruit
in the markets of the world. The con-
sumner who wants Maine apples has a
right to buy them and if he buys from
the original package there is no rea-
son why he should not get just what
he is willing to pay for.
AS for the need of scientific cultiva-
has been going on in the
State of Maine for many years. Until
recently the number Of men who made
an intelligent study of apple raising,
was small. but through the medium
of the Grange, genealogical societies,
and bulletins from the ex-
pertinent station, farmers who embrace
their opportunities, have acquired
liberal education IN fruit raising in
Maine. More orchards are planted
each year and better care is given
them. A tree does not yield the first
year it is set out and the result of this
campaign will not appear the first year,
but eventually Maine apples and Maine
orchards will be the standard that
"rchardists of the rest of the World
will strive to meet.