Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-30
A GOLD NINE IN A VERMONT Or
CVAND.

MANY man mas abandoned MS fartn
70 rush to a prospective gold mine.
but the resident of Vermont who owns
good sized apple orchard and has
learned how to cultivate 1t to the best
advantage need not abandon his farm
table mine at his very door our
object in giving wide publicity to the
success of Mr.. Holmes OF Charlotte In
the cultivation of apples for market.
was to direct the attention of othe,s
to the possibility of largely increas-
ing Nermont's revenue from this
course and the idea Is bearing fruit
to gratifying degree. The whole
press OF Vermont has taken up the
matter nnd it will not be the fault
Of the newspapers II any Vermont
farmer remains Indifferent to the
possibility Of largely increasing the
profits of his farm.
The Bennington Banner adds some
valuable facts aud figures to the ex-
perience of Mr.. Holmes. The Banner
says:
"rhat offer of $500 an acre from q
Wisconsin man for Charlotte apple
orchard may drive an idea or two IN
10 the heads of some of the men who
havo been putting their lifelong en-.
orgies into tho production OF butter
and cheese The dairy products Of
Vermont are cxcellcd by no other
state in the Union but because OF tn.
long winter months during which
cattle must be housed and fed the
process OF manufacture is not only
arduous but the profits are CORES
pond nGly small. Dairylng necessari-
" requires farms of con siderable
area to supply both rasturngc and
winter fodder while the orcha rdist
needs but little land other than that
upon which his trees are growing.
"Up and down the entire Pacific
coart within the boundaries of thc
United States men are making COM
Portable livings from orchard ranches
Of 20 acres each and less. Word
comes from Charlotte that the 90
acre Holmes orchard will produce this
year at the lowest estimate 100 bar
rels of apples an acre and that the
average price per barrel will be $500,
This would mako tho returns from
each acre 5000. No estimate has been
published of tho expense Of picking.
packing and shipping, but It Is safe
to say that there are but few farms
in the state making a gross return
of $500 an acre. At these figures the
man with 20 acres OF apples In YER
mont, would he doing as we'll as the
rancher with the same amount of
land on the Pacific coast. And the
mystery is why has the vermonter
never found It out?"
The Waterbury Record also finds
cause for rejoicing That offer of
$4,000 for a Vermont orchard Is just
hint of what this state MAJ do in
the matter of fruit. growing. 1t says:
Vermont apples are superior in fla
vo- to those Of any other section and
the Cham.lain valley IS an IDEAL place
for the production of this fruit. on
the irrigated lands OF the West. in
Washington and oregon, farmers are
raising fruit that is larger and more
attractive than the Vermont product.
and are getting the market Vermont
ors ought to have. Tho soil aud cli-
mate of this state give the Vermont
apple coloring and favor that can
not be surpassed. Vermont apples,
properly packed and displayed, fre-
GurntlY sell for twcnty-nvc cents
each The Vermont farmer ought TO
get a larger share of THAT retail
price. and he may If lie Will pay as
much attention to the marketing as
ho does To the raising Of his fruit"
The boston Transcript in discuss
ing the New England apple show
says:
"Professor Sears Of tho state Col
lcge PomoloElcal department. in Il
recent bulletin compares conditions in
New England and the West with re-
suits largely In favor Of cur own re-
gion. In the first place good orchard
land can be purchased here much
cheaper than there. and the flavor.
texture and keeping quality are much
superior Furthermore we are nearer
good markets
"The only question that remains is:
Can apples be successfully and pro-
ftably grown here? The answer is
that they always have been. where
proper care has been given the trees.
from the days OF william Blackstone
to the present time. There has been
manifested strange Indifference to
the development of this branch Of
agricultural interests. The New Eng
land farmers are frequently criticised
because their methods show little
advance upon those of their fathers
and srandfathers. But in the matter
or apple growing there has hccn nosi-