The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-09-28
HARVESTING VERMONT APPLES
States Star Orchard at Charlotte VIII
Produce 5000 Barrels

Produce 5000 Barrels
Apple picking will begin this week
In orchards all over the state of Yer
mont and for the next four weeks,
trains. boats and vehicles of many
kinds will be loaded with the luscious
fruit which Is coming into more prom
inence as one OF Vermonts staple
crops. The main part of the product
will be shipped to the large cities
and be consumed there, but some will
take journey across the water into
foreign lands and be disposed OF in
markets which have been made only
recently.
The crop, because OF the dry wea.
Their this season, will not be up to the
average In size and is estimated at
only about 60 per cent OF that OF
year ago II is, however. OF excep-
tionally good variety and the number
of ''frsts" will be little diminished,
owing to the improved methods EN-.
ployed In the cultivation OF the or
chards and to the fact that the
drought OF midsummer, while 1t kept
down the size OF the crop. prevented
the formation of "scabs" or spots on
the surface. which serve to bring
down tho price OF the fruit.
One and perhaps the most impor-
tant development In apple circles
during the past year is the
increased acreage planted. This
Is thought to have doubled dur
the past two years. All
along the lake shore. new orchards
have been set out and there has been
a noticeable increase In the number
OF trees in windham. Rutland, Gale
donia and otcer counties. The sue
cess OF the young trees shows that
apple raising should not be limited TO
any one section OF the state.
c. T. Holmes OF Charlotte. the man
who has done mere than any one else
TO advertise Vermont as an apple state
and who has been pioneer in the
business, began picking yesterday and
this year estimates his crop on an
orchard OF 100 acres TO be between
5000 and 5000 barrels. Not more
than 300 or 400 barrels In the lot will
fail to bring top notch prices. This
Is about double his crop OF last year.
when he raised 400 barrels and this
In the face of general decrease over
the state.
Mr.. Holmes Is by far the largest
grower in Vermont. Last year he In
creased the size OF his orchard by
Ave acres and this year intends TO
plant 10 more. He has put up q build
ing In which TO accommodate his APP
pie plckers, OF whom there are about
20. and In the spring will install ma
chinery for putting together his BAR
rels. This year 20 freight cars were
placed on siding In Charlotte, all
loaded with barrels for his use.
MIR. Holmes orchard contains about
1000 trees. some OF which are quite
old. as part OF the original orchard
was planted az years ago. and another
part three years earlier by the pres
ent owners father. Nearly all OF
the trees are greetings, with few
other winter varieties mixed In.
The business OF making 5000 trees
work for you is not the easiest thing
| in the world and they require as close
watching as would human beings, In
order 10 get all that they are capable
OF doing As soon as n tree Is found
20 be loafing on the job and not pro
ducing its share, Il Is at once cut
down, It's stump blasted out, and a
new tree set in its place. Crops OF
buckwheat are grown through the
orchard and never harvested. This
Is for the purpose OF supplying the SOL
with come needed substances, IA well
az providing soft landing place for
the falling apples 80 that they are not
bruised in contact with the ground. II
also serves to hold the snow In winter
and thus keep the ground covered.
Between the rows OF trees are
broad avenues. through which wagons