The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-15
MASSACHUSETTS FRUIT FARM
Orchard on Hills Above Fitchburg--The
Farmers Methods,


recently visited the orchard Of A. A..
Marshall, located on the hills above
Fitchburg, Mass, writes W. H. Wolf Of
the New Hampshire agricultural college
in the Rural New Yorker. Leaving the
city OF Fitchburg the road to the farm
leads up hill for about three miles, and
soon brings us to what is probably the
! most magnificent panorama Of young APP
Die orchards in New Englands. The
township road divides the farm, and the
residence and fine new barn are on OPP
posite sides Of this thoroughfare.
From this emnence the fields Of young
trees slope away and spread out in every
direction. There are about 5000 young
trees, ranging in ages from one to seven
years. in rows absolutely straight, all
trees 22la feet apart and nearly every
tree in block symmetrical and uni
form in size. Contrary to the generally
accepted practice Of most Of our better
fruit growers, Mr. Marshall does not
practice clean culture with cover crop,
but plows his land thoroughly before
planting only, cultivates for the first
season, then sows down to permanent
grass sod, and really practices a thor
ough grass mulch, moving the grass
three or four times each season, and
leaving it right where il fails.
There is fiye-fo circle kept hoed
ont and weedless about each tree, but
this Mr.. Marshall explain il only as
protection to the trees against a pos
sible grass fire. An application Of
ground bone and potash salts is given
TO each tree each spring, the chemicals
being distributed away out and beyond
the spread OF the branches. From ~ to
G pounds Of The mixture is the ration
now used, according 70 the age and
size Of the trees
There are three principal varieties
grown Mcintosh, Wealthy and Bald
win. There is also nice block inter
planted with Sutton, and besides there
are few hundred Grayensteins. Up
to the present time the great business
variety has been Mcintosh Whole
blocks of this variety three and four
years old average 50 to 100 perfect fruits
each, with trees FIVE and six years aver
aging barrel apiece. This variety on
Mr.. Marshal's hills, as on many other
New England farms where ! have stud
led it, is most assuredly a great bus
iness apple and money getter from
the start.
Wealthy comes next in Importance as
a money getter just now, and trees from
three years old TO six are carrying fine
crops.of this large and handsome fruit.
Many Baldwin trees from four to six
years are also carrying a fair crop, but
as we would expect the fruit distrihu
ton in this variety is not nearly 80
general, at this early age as with the
two above named kinds, The block Of
Sutton are all fine trees growing il
their characteristic pear tree like form,
but so far they have not borne much.
All fruits were well up to the stand
ard and over in size while color and
freedom from blemish are all that could
be desired
Mr.. Marshall sprays four or FIVE times
during the season, using the paste lead
arsenate and commercial lime sulphur.
He believes the formula often recon-
mended, ~ gallons to so, is much strong
err than needed, has had some russeting
at this strength, and has now cut it
down to one to 100. Seven or eight
years ago Mr.. Marshall states these hill
slopes were covered with rocky powders
and with wild growth and were not
worth more than SIS an acre. It has
been a great expense 10 clear them up,
plant and take care Of the trees, but
to-day, each acre is worth al least 5000,
and is yearly growing more valuable
Mr. Marshall and bis son, who is also
great worker and an enthusiastic APP
pleman, have at this time an orchard,
the product of their own thought and
labor of which they can well be proud.
One cannot 90 over the place without
the constantly recurring impression that
here every operation Is planned and fol,
lowed in all its details with the utmost
care; that each tree ef the 5000 trees
Is cared for as an individual, but that
one real system of management has been
adopted for all, and that this is being
carried out exactly. The writer has one
criticism which he would possibly make
if he might be allowed to do so. 1t is
his opinion as the trees grow larger the
five foot hoed ont circles with grass
mulch will not prove satisfactory, and
some form Of orchard cultivation will
be found necessary for greatest profits