The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-01-27

rieties. There is a good deal of atten-
ton being given of late to the ques-
ton of the comparative quality of
eastern and western apples, that is,
to the eating quality. Most people at
this end of the line who have tried
the two, believe that when we'll grown
! the eastern apple is of higher quality
The writer is emphatically of that
opinion If that is correct as a gem
eral principle, and If the apple-eating
| public can be made to realize it, we
have one of the greatest factors in ia
vor of eastern apples being profitable.
Certainly no one ought to throw away
this factor by planting low quality
sorts. There is no excuse Cat least here
in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and
l believe even in Maine), for plant
| ing such varieties as Ben Davis or
Gano. They ought to be Stunned as
we would shun small apples in the
middle of the barrel, or anything else
which is going to give out fruit a bad
name.
Second. Lay off the orchard care
fully. This may not add to the cash
profit from it, but certainly will add
to the satisfaction which the owner
will get out of it, and that is well
worth the extra cost. If you cant
see straight yourself, get some man
who can, and lay off two rows OF
stakes, at right angles to each other,
across the field to be planted. Then
prepare two measuring boards as long
as the desired distance between trees,
making notch at either end of
each board. Now go to the intersec-
ton OF the two lines of stakes and
place the measuring boards in posi-
ton, so that the notch at one end of
each fits over a stake in one of the
interesting rows (the first stake out
from the point of intersection in each
easel Fit together the notches in the
other ends of the boards to complete
the square and drive a stake. And
continue this operation till the whole
field is staked off. 1t is simple thing
blu, effective.
The Curse of New England Orchards.
Third Let your orchard be of rea-
sonably good size. One curse of New
England's orchards today is their in
significant size. They are too small to
arouse any interest, except with the
small boys looking for plumber, or the
COWS looking for grass. Don't stop
short of ten acres if you can help it.
Then you have a proposition which
compels your attention and that is
what most of us need
Fourth. Cultivate the orchard thor
oughly. Don't be carried away by the
arguments of the sod orchard man!
| That is like the scheme of moderate
drinking all right for the man who
has got the back bone to do it right,
but in too many cases leads to ruina-
ton of the orchard or the man or
both.
! Fifth: Fertilize the orchard high
! ly from the start. 1t is the writer's
opinion Chased, he will frankly ad-
mot, on some theory but also on some
facts), that one great advantage which
the Western fruit growers have over
their eastern competitors is that the
/ Western land is virgin SOIL full of all
kinds of plant food, while much OF our
eastern land in orchard has been
| cropped for years, and the hay and
fruit taken off; these two are usually
produce any quality in the apples.
Give your orchards plenty of fertil-
izer, particularly potash and phos-
phoric acid, and see if the fruit does
not show an Improvement in both APP
pearance and quality
These are a few of what the writer
believes to be the most important fac
tors in the success of an orchard.
Combine with them as many more
as you think desirable. Spraying.
pruning, cover crops and proper hand
ling of the fruit, when it comes, ought
certainly to be included. Add to these
unbounded faith in the enterprise and
ii you do not succeed you have made
a mistake in choosing your vocation
or your location. and ought to have
leen a railroad magnate or a plumb
er.