Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-04-12
APPLE GROWING.

The following extracts are from
papers and addresses given at the
farmers week. meeting held at the
state agricultural college at Burling-
ton last winter.
One Of the most interesting papers
| was by G. W. Perry of Chester Depot,
president of the State Horticuturist
association. VINO spoke on Harvest
ing and Marketing Apples.'' After
describing the early. introduction Of
apple and other fruit trees in New
/ England he spoke of the later decline
OF fruit growing.
Just at present it appears that so far
as apples are concerned this tide is
again making to the flood. However,
| during this time the enemies Of the
apple have Increased, wholly un-
checked until recently, until they
have largely destroyed the value of
the fruit and rendered it very imper-
feet. It is now of no use to leave ap-
pies absolutely uncared for, wholly
unfertilized and untitled, as their va
rlous enemies will soon destroy them.
The commercial apples of the future
must be in all ways we'll cared for
and we'll titled. This fruit has gener-
ally been picked carelessly, in many
cases shaken from the trees, left in
heaps in the orchard, then poured in
to barrels or brought to market in
bags. often in very bad shape.
Now We are beginning to UNDER
stand the advantages of careful pick
ing. fine packing and intelligent mark
-. Il
as carefully as il eggs were being
Or turned from baskets into barrels.
1t should he carried into cool stor-
age in cellars or other places, handled
with the utmost care in the repacking
and transported on spring wagons,
whether on the farm or the road.
The middleman is largely to blame
for apples being thus packed as he
will Day more for the same fruit thus
packed than he will for that honestly
packed. The only remedy is to re-
quire the name of the grower or
packer on every package. as is done
in Canada. We do not pack potatoes,
beans or butter thus.
Professor Washburn of the Expert.
young cows.
The business of farming is eontin-
uously becoming more and more COM
pick, he said. Milk dealers in our
large cities are constantly reaching
| further and further back into New
England and urging the farmers to
sell to them the milk that they pro-
duce.
Along the lines of the railroad the
farmers are largely responding with
the result that they are shipping
away their entire product. which in
| many cases renders it, at least. very
difficult satisfactorily to raise heifer
calves with which to replenish the
| work dairy herd. They are therefore
compelled to purchase cows of other
| farmers.
This sort of specialization, while
making farming more difficult for
some, still creates an opportunity for
others.
am firmly convinced said Prof
Washburn, that the time has arrived
when the farmers in many such back
towns should get together and seri.
ously consider the proposition Of CO
operative community breeding of one
breed. They should choose a breed
which will produce most salable
young cows, and raise calves and de.
velop them and breed them to meet
the demands of the market. When
this is done, they can advertise anC
sell collectively with less labor and
usually at higher prices than if each
farmer sold Independently.
Professor Cummings gave some
practical hints on the Farm Orchard
during which he said.
Every farmer may have an orchard
to supply the household needs. The
general requirements of farm or
chard are a good site and a conven
lent location.
Proper location is important. Lee
the family orchard be located conven
iently to the house: let the soil bt
deep, we'll drained and fairly fertile.
Select many varieties of good quail
ty and from the family favorites
have some early.
Lay out the orchard on an oblone
area so that team work may be util
lied in cultivating and spraying
Long rows, even if composed of three
sorts of fruit. are time and strength
savers. Small fruits may be grown
between rows or in the rows of tree
fruits if the land is limited in extent
Aim to give the best of care. Cul
tivate the soil. prune and spray the
trees, and there will be crop to har
vast