The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-15
ORCHARDS IMPROBABLE
New York State Farmer Gives UP
Raising Apples

In reference to the editorial query
in the New York Times on Wednes-
day as to why the 10000 abandoned
farms in New York state could not be
made to grow apples as abundantly as
those of Oregon, Frederick Gore King
of " Rector street, who has GUILTY.
ated apples at Garrisons, \. Y, for
more than twenty years, says that the
plan is impracticable for many rea-
sons.
The chief obstacles are, according
to Mr. King, the scarcity of labor. ex-
pense of cultivation, lack of shipping
facilities, and the commission ring in
this city, which prevents the retailers
from buying their apples direct from
the farmer.
After twenty years of expense and
labor Mr. King has decided that his
apple orchard is "a losing venture and
intends to clear the trees out and de-
vote the ground to growing hay.
ITO cultivate an apple orchard sue
cessfully,' said Mr.. King yesterday,
you must keep the ground we'll plow-
ed and sacrifice It entirely to the fruit
There is no chance of second crop,
as apple trees absorb all the nourish-
ment there is in the ground
The soil becomes exhausted rapid
ly and needs frequent fertilizing. The
trees must be carefully sprayed, prun-
ed and renewed from time to time.
One of the greatest difficulties the
farmer of up state has to contend
with is the labor question. 1t is not
the price he has to pay, but the diff
Guilty in getting it. When ! was a lad
we had plenty of Irish labor, good
honest workmen, who gave a days
work in return for their wage. Now
there is no more Irish labor, because
the supply has been exhausted.
'The Italians the farmer can some
times get are, as a rule, not worth
their salt on the land. They are inn
itators and will learn no more than
they want to learn. The Italian mind
is peculiar as it seems able to limit
its capacity for understanding To
make an Italian work hard you must
show him clearly that there is some
great advantage in store for him be-
fore he will do days work or take
any interest in things
As a rule, the German or Scandin-
avian immigrant who lands from Ellis
Island wants to go west and will not
go up state or to New England, the
chief reason being that there is not
so much chance for him here in the
immediate future in the East as there
is out West.
In California, the man going there
with his wife and family can get a
small piece of land around his cottage
and improve it. BY thrift he can in
time become farmer himself and
that is the magnet which draws i'm
migrants to the West.
There are no facilities for ship
ments from up state to New York as
there are in the West. In California
and Oregon there are cold storage
houses, where the apples are placed
directly after they are picked until
the train of special fruit cars comes
along and brings them to Eastern
markets.
The upstate railroads prefer tc
handle through freight and do moi
seek local business. Unless a farme,
can grow enough apples to get hi:
own cars he encounters the way
freight system, which means high
rates and poor facilities. If he send,
his fruit by water in the summer the
railroads cut him off in the winte,
when the river is frozen up.
When the farmer does get his an
pies to this city he is at once in the
hands of agreement with the iobbers
not TO sell direct to the retailers. The