The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-02-04
APPLE CULTURE.


been furnished by d. W. Hull on a
subject that will prove interesting
to the people of Wayne county;
We feel that the farmers of
Wayne county should become deep
ly interested in progressive apple
culture because this seems to be such
a natural apple belt. Here are a few
outside testimonials as to the re-
markably higher flavor of Wayne
county apples.
While Mr.. Stearns of Bethany was
visiting in Illinois, few years ago,
he met a Missouri apple buyer, who
said he had bought apples from
Wayne county, Pa, and that they
were the very best favored and
keeping apples of any, but other Sec
tions could beat us on size and color
| think he said that Wayne coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, could beat the
country on flavor and keeping quail
tiles. (And | feel sure that by
good and businesslike care, we can
bring the size and color up to par,
without lowering the flavor or keep
ing qualities a bit.)
Last spring, one of the men work
ing on the steamshovel at Farview,
who was from Philadelphia, told my
brother that he never tasted such
good favored apples as we had here
in Wayne county, and without know
ing that we were interested in set
ting apple trees, he said he wonder
ed why farmers here did not go into
apple culture for all they were
worth? And why moneyed men did
not buy up land here and push this
business? And one of our custom
ers, a Carbondale merchant, told us
of a customer of his living in Phila-
delphia for while, and she told
him that the only good apples she
got while there, we're from Wayne
county, Pa. He also spoke of travel
ing men remarking to him about the
flavor of Wayne county apples being
so superior.
And many others have given like
testimonials, and in a few years we
feel that quality will be at quite a
premium, so this natural advantage
of this county will be well worth
considering.
And then we seem to be in a nat
ural apple belt, because the trees
will come up and grow as well
as our native forest trees seem
to- and very often groves are graft
ed and thinned out, making an ir-
regularly set orchard. And the tree
is healthy and long-lived here, so of
course it is at home, and a section
where a plant finds conditions to
suit it best, why there is where it
will respond to intelligent culture
with the greatest profit This is
proven by the grape growers in the
grape belt, around the Great Lakes,
also around other lakes, because
now the land there, set to grapes,
sells for about 100000 per acre,
which is about five times what it
was worth before being covered
with vineyards. And the first dis
coverers even found those shores
largely covered with wild vines, so
those grape growers are reaping
profit by cultivating plant in its
natural home.
Another great advantage is our
nearness to good markets. Perhaps
the most business-like apple grow
ers are those in the famous Hood
River Valley, where orchard lands
sell for from $500 to $500 per
acre, yet it cost them $500 freight,
to place car of their apples into
our eastern markets, while it would
only cost us $50 to $50.
And while they can grow fruit of
high color, etc, the flavor cannot
at all compare with ours.
OF course this is a natural grass
section, and some might think we
would loose all of this advantage if
dairying or stock raising was not
followed, but as we have so much
rough, steep ground. why mulching
suits our condition so much better
than cultivating, and this grass belt
mulch so easily and
cheaply We can see no difference
in the growth of trees, either mulch
ed with grass or cultivated, and the
former is easiest and cheapest
These are a few of the reasons
why we are setting apple trees as
fast as we can care for them we'll.