Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-08

Tn resnonse to your request for news or
the nresent status of the orchard indus
try in New York state. / am glad 10 De
.h,a to saw TO YOUR readers that there are
evidences of a marked growth OF interest
and enthusiasm throughout much vi 'he
annIe-erowing territory of the state.
This is shown among the scores OF stu
dents taking horticultural work mere, the
instructors, the fruit associations ana Or
chardists in general. All are VIDE awake
and showing activity to aid ana encour-
age Improvement.
SbortIv after the New England Fruit
show deservedly won such favorable at
t.ntion the fruit and flower show of
cornelI College of Agriculture took place
This annual exhibition, holding for a
| weel has come to be an important event
and bids fair to become mecca for fruit
growers of the entire Eastern states.
This wear there were nearly a dozen
states represented with apple exhibits,
among them being: Oregon, Washing
ton. Colorado, Utah, Montana. Ohio
PENNSYLVANIA, New Hampshire and West
Virginia, in addition to the magnificent
showing made from all of the most impor-
| tant 1rulC SecllOIlS VI Ills SldlS
| In placing the exhibits the arrangement
was such as to afford an excellent oppor-
tunity to compare and contrast the same
variety of apples grown in the different
states mentioned.
| The pronounced difference in size, col
| oring, type and beauty of the same vare-
|ty grown in the states of the Pacific
| Northwest, Rocky Mountain states, the
| middle West and the Atlantic states,
proved a source of no'lttle surprise to the
majority viewing the exhibits.
| Some varieties. as Ben Davis, Hub
bardston and r. /. Greening, under the
| influence of irrigation and arid climatic
| conditions, make an abnormally large
| growth and in characteristics of form and
| type manifest a disposition to accentuate
| length in the two first named and breadth
and f1atness in the latter. The apples
| from the middle West We're large but
poorly colored coarse grained and badly
russeted by over use of spray insecti-
cides and fungicides.
In the staple late fall and winter COM
mercial varieties, the Atlantic states
more than held their own against all
corners. Baldwin, Northern Spy, McIn-
tosh Red, r. |. Greening, Bellflower and
Thompkins County King and some others
less commercially prominent, stood I'M
questionably equal or superior in uniform
ity of size, type coloring and beauty of
appearance, and when it came to the
gastronomic test for flavor and quality.
the odds were distinctly in favor of the
Eastern grown fruit. No one making an
unprej udiced examination of the exhibits
could remain unconvinced of the fact that
the Eastern apple grower can compete
with the Northwest by sticking to a half
dozen varieties in any home or foreign
market, without fear of defeat by compe-
tition just as soon as he is willing to
adopt the cultural and marketing prac-
tees that are now enabling the far West
ern apple grower to enter our markets
and dsplace the Eastern grower after
shipping his fruit across the continent.
The spirit of exploitation which has
helped the Hood River and Rocky Noun
tain people to win as they have was evil
dent in their willingness not only to send
splendid exhibits but also experts in fruit
culture and display to insure their fruit
and territory having the full benefit of
the advertising to which they were en-
titled.
The writer could but blush for Maine
and New England's lack of interest and
failure to be represented where such a
magnificent opportunity for showing APP
pie growing resources was possible.
Coming Immediately after the Boston
Fruit Show, each New England state
might easily have furnished a prize TAX
ing exhibit here. But New Hampshire
alone was represented and hers was
meagre in size, but prize winning in quail
ity, scoring on Baldwins ahead of every
state competing.
A full and representative exhibit of
Maine apples placed before the eyes of
the hundreds of students of agriculture
now here and scores of special and grad
uate students representing every section
of this country, would have afforded a
means of publicity that should not have
been lost, since many of these young men
are here for the distinct purpose of pre-
pairing themselves to engage in orchard
ing on commercial scale
The week following the fruit show a
train carrying a large portion of the ex-
hibits was run over the roads touching
the best apple growing sections of New
York and was thus made a means of car
ry ing the valuable educational object les
son where its influence cannot fail to be
of lasting service.
The exhibition of pears. grapes and edi-
BILE nuts together with the flower show