The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-10-29
oRcHARDIsTs DISCOURAGED.
Nothing Short Of Year-Round Open
Deer Season Will Help Them.

The apple growers of Windham count.
with thousands of dollars invested in or
chards have about decided that they vii
throw up their hands and let this end o
thu, state revert to jungle for wild ami
mails. For several years newspapers have
poked fun. at the complaints OF the apple
growers of this region that deer were
causing hundreds of dollars of damage
every year. The principal growers say
| that whites the amount they will receive
| for damage this year will amount to con
siderable less than $1,000 the actual damage
| cannot be figured in dollars. The day OF
planting new orchards in Vermont is over
say not only the Windham county apple
growers but the big producers of Addison
and Grand Isle counties. Last week at
the fruit show in Boston apple raisers from
different sections of Vermont agreed that
it was out of the question to attempt to
set out young orchards so long as the state
handicaps the efforts of orchardists by
protecting deer.
That one may get an idea of the extent
of damage done by deer it may be men,
toned that there are orchards of 500 trees
in Windham county in which deer have
destroyed over rs per cent of the whole
number of trees. In one orchard of 400
trees every tree but one was declared a
total loss by the county game warden after
lie Hdu Hldue an examination.
While a concerted attempt is being
made by many orchardists in the northern
part of the state to stimulate the apple
growing industry it will be of interest to
prospective lawmakers of Vermont to be
told that for the past two years the apple
crop of southern Vermont has been less
than 30 per cent of an average crop. This
year the crop in this section will amount
to but little over % per cent. The old
orchards are decreasing in yield every year
and the local growers claim that practical
ly no new trees will be set out the coming
spring despite the slaughter of deer this
ton of the state claim that in rs years
New England apples will be novelty.
E. B. Barrows, the largest local apple
raiser, says that he shall not attempt to
do anything further in the way of setting
out new trees so long as he is prevented
from shooting deer found destroying his
orchards. He says that he has 5000 trees
just beyond the age at which deer find
them edible and is therefore one of the
lucky apple growers in Vermont, for he
can raise fruit on those 5000 trees if deer
become as plentiful as squirrels while his
who are attempting to raise
young orchards must take about 10 per
cent of the value of their trees after the
deer have destroyed them. On the other
hand, if the state permits continuous
open season of one or two years and thus
makes it possible for orchardists to set out
Young trees Mr.. BaTows will still be able
20 ship fruit several years before his com
oetitors are able to realize anything on
heir investments. However, he would
prefer to see the next legislature make an
open season of year or two on deer, for
f it does so he says the apple growing
industry will take new lease of life and
of young trees will be set out.
Though the heaviest part of the local
,rop is usually shipped to Boston, this
ear the local market has kept the bulk of
he crop and has paid high for it. 1t is
afe to say that had there been no devasta-
ion of apple orchards in Windham county
~ deer during the past five years the
rice of apples hereabouts would have
,een 25 per cent less this season than the
resent quotations. On the other hand,
thousands Of acres that are now covered
With ruined trees would be reaching
tage Of extreme production.