The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-08-29
RAISING Apples

Dear Sir:-Replying to your letter
of inquiry about our success in rails
ing peaches and our experimenting
in pruning and spraying old apple
trees, would say we began in a very
small way in 1892 to try raising
peaches, setting out two acres in one
lot and a little more than one half
acre in another This half acre piece
was on light gravelly loan and had
been cropped with tobacco, potatoes,
corn and many other farm crops con
tinually TO my certain knowledge for
80 years land probably for $50 years)
The trees grew fine in both lots till
they were three years old and at that
age bore good crop'but on the half
acre piece the yellows developed and
most of those trees were cut down
and at five years every tree was des-
troyed on account of yellOws but the
two acre piece did splendidly, we har-
vested the third year about 400 bas-
kets Of very fine fruit This land is
on an elevation of about 100 feet
above the other and Is a dark loan lots
of stone on II and had been a very
poor pasture for many years up to the
time the peach trees were set out.
| We have increased our acreage slow
ly and now have about % acres in
peaches, some on land that when we
began was woodland We have not
been troubled much with yellows
until about two years ago when IL
got its work in some and last year
or rather this present year, 1903, we
had to cut out about four or Ave hun
dred trees on account OF this trouble
About four or five years ago the San
Jose scale struck us and we began
spraying with lime and sulphur every
year, we left little corner one year
thinking IL was not infested much and
paid dearly for il, for where we did
not spray the scale nearly ruined
those trees; by spraying every year
we are able to keep the scale from
doing any damage on both peach. APP
pie and pear trees. Last year we
harvested about eight thousand bas-
kets of peaches and but for the yell
lows would have had ten. For sew.
eral previous years We have had from
5000 to 1000 baskets peaches. some
years we have had crops when others
of lower elevations had none. There
have only been three years since 1894
that we have failed to have something
OF crop. To show something OF how
this land'is situated We had an artes-
ian well drilled and after getting
down about six feet they struck trar
rock Which was continuous for over
$50 feet when red sandstone was
found and at that point a good water
supply.
In regard to the old apple trees
have not had very much experience
but In the peach orchard IN Ole
scraggy fall Pippin which stood fol
years had not had any good fruit OF
II, but as We desired to have a tire,
Of that variety. left Il and cut out al
the dead wood, thinning out the thicl
parts where alive and sraying thor
oughly both with lime and sulphur
and bordeaux mixture. fertilizing we'll
, This old tree Is not a beauty now bu
II Is thrifty and has borne n lot o
A l fruit on which We have beer
awarded several first and second pre-
, NUNS az the State Pathological TX
/ hibitions. A year ago we sold owe
: 5000 worth. OF apples from this tre'
I and this year S22.OO worth beside
| few baskets used at home. last yea
the No. Is sold at Si.OO wholesale
this year 10 cents tper half busho
!. basket,) so YOU see We feel paid 10
, taking pretty good care Of this oh
{ tree; don't know how old q is bu
. should say It must be 80 or - year
y at least.
3 Yours truly.
|. Il. IL and |. c. Root