The Republican journal., 1910-12-22
Why Not Try Apples?
What an Aroostook Paper Says O
Agriculture in That County.

What an Aroostook Paper Says Of
Agriculture in That County.
Year after year the fact that the
Aroostook farmer should diversity his
crops is becoming more evident, and one
by one the farmers in this county are
realizing what it means. Every year
sees more farmers raising their own
flour. IAN acre of wheat producing 8
barrels of -four, beside middlings.)
Every year should see more grain, more
stock should be raised. (The number of
sheep raisers in Aroostook is increasing
The number of hogs should be increased,
with pork at the rice it is today there
is good money III rnem, ana tney require
very little time and attention.
At the present time there is something
like boom on in New England apple
growing. This interest chiefly dates
from the Boston fruit show and the year
of discussion that preceded it-discussion
derived from the practical experiences OF
progressive men in advanced methods.
The apple has long been the second
staple in New England agriculture, rank
ing next to hay. 1t has been grown, as
a rule, with deliberate neglect; no cult.
walton and little care. Trees have beer
left to grow as they might. Except fol-
planting, apples have practically been 9
wild crop, like strawberries. Kindly
nature shows how suited are climate anc
soil for apple-growing when such results
have been obtained on purely go-as-you
please basis. New England apple mer
woke UP and took notice when they
learned what scientific cultivation anc
business methods, with thorough organi
cation, were doing in the irrigated re
gions of the northwest. They applied
the lesson to domestic conditions, ane
found that equal pains produced equally
favorable results. Moreover, they saw
the immense advantage they had IN the
strategic position of New England: i'm
mediate nelghborhood to the Creates
and best domestic markets; the seaboare
close at hand for the big export demand
Where it cost the Northwest from 500
to $500 carload to market its fruit, the
transportation charge for them was mo-
over $50 carload. Everybody began t.
talk apples, and there was an uncommon
tend .ncy to translate talk into action
Even consumption increased; in theil
hues of ruby and amber the handsome
pyramids on the fruit-stands acquired {
new fascination for eye and palate
Good judges say that New England's
''orchard population so to speak, was
increased by some millions of new trees
this year. Whatever the number was, il
would have been many times multiplied
had it not been for the apple-tree famine
which an unlooked-for demand caused al
the nurseries. Men who began with or
dering by the hundred had to come down
to buying by the dozen.
Two or three years ago the possessOr
of an orchard of several hundred neglect
ed trees proposed to cut them down, but
was advised to consult 'tree doctor. u
He was informed that it would pay to
have them treated. A figure was given.
The cost seemed too great, but finally a
bargain was made whereby the expert
was to put the trees in good condition
and take the crop in payment for the
next three years. The first years crop
not only sold for enough to have met the
cash payment originally asked, but it
netted a very considerable sum in addi-
ton. The thought Of the two crops yet
to 60 to the other man made the owner
wish he had paid cash.
In 1889 Mr.. A. L. Blaisdell, formerly
of this town, bought deserted farm
in Winterport for 900. He devoted it
chiefly to apples. In 1909 it was paying
5 per cent interest on 100000. The own
er estimates that in five years more his
profits will amount to the same rate on
$500, 900.
Throughout New England luxurious
country seats are becoming as typical of
the landscape as are the homes of the
gentry in the mother country. Exren-
sive apple orchards are valuable adjuncts
for many of these estates, and the in
come goes no little way towards Offset
ting the cost of maintenance. On GER
tain Essex county place a Boston bust
ness man has gone into apples in way
that ranks the undertaking as great
business enterprise. A single place with
like fifty thousand apple trees
not only cuts large figure for Massa-
chusetts; even in the great West it would
mean ''going some.
Countless is the posterity of the seed
ling that the famous engineer Colonel
Loami Baldwin found growing wild on
his place in Woburn, Mass. That and
other standard varieties went out from
New England as bread cast upon the
waters. Now, after many days, they
return themselves in ways which suggest
that for the land of our title fitting
symbol to go with the traditional pine
tree would be "apples of gold in pictures
of silver. "-Aroostook Times.