The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
Apples for the Boys.

Bangor and Orrington one sweltering
day last week, one of the leading law
yers of Winterport, Maine, having light
ed cigs-c and got it to drawing" fine
ly, spoke with keen appreciation con-
corning the newer industries of Winter
port-of farming, dairying and corn can
ming. In particular he dwelt upon the
enterprise of Mr. Lincoln Blaisdell, a
native of the town, who had lately set
out more than 1000 apple trees. all
grated to the most approved varieties of
fruit, mainly attractive and standard
sorts of winter apples for shipment
abroad. so as to take the appetites as
we'll as the eyes of the English, French
and German people.
1t was good to know that Mr.. Blais-
dell recognized the industry for which
many Maine towns and cities-particu-
larly Winterport and Waldo county
were best fitted, and to learn that
former resident was putting out his own
money to forward the work; for both the
lawyer and Mr.. Blaisdell believed that
with proper care and attention, acre for
acre, Maine could grow better and fully
as attractive winter fruit for export as
the much advertised orchard lands in the
States of Oregon, Washington and Cali
fornla. Able press agents, most of
whom were former newspaper men. had
been hired and furnished with abundant
money to boom the virgin soil of the far
west; and dailies, the farming weeklies
and the magazines of the entire country
had been made fat and rich with asser-
tons as to what the Pacific coast was
capable of performing. While mainly
truthful, these special write-ups were
unfair when the prime element of cost
was taken into consideration. An inves-
tor with ready money can buy ten acres
OF Maine orchard lands as cheaply as he
can purchase one acre Of Washington
apple land. The rate of taxation is
cheaper IN Maine than among the unset
tied political conditions further west.
Our interest rate is lower, our points for
shipment are much nearer the European
markets; and, of course, the long haul by
rail eats deeply in.o all questions of
profit.
From now until the close of the Pana-
ma-Pacific exposition to celebrate the
opening of the Canal, the far west will
receive the bulk of the newspaper and
magazine free advertising, and Maine
must struggle along as best she may for
some years 10 come. But the time is
near-before Theodore Roosevelt can
again be elected President when Maine
must come into her oWn-When the gradu-
ates from the eastern industrial colleges
and universities, who rushed west after
fame and fortune, must return east and
grow Maine apples for export to Europe.
''Not having the ready money of Mr.
BlaisdelI," continued the lawyer, Il
have mainly confined my interest in
Maine apple-culture to growing early
and fine apples for the consumption of
the Maine boys in the summer season. |
remember with deep regret how far we
boys, who were reared down in the fine
old town of Penobscot, Maine, had to
walk before we could fin1 apples that
were fit to eat. Going as we did after
dark, we often broke off whole limbs
laden with choice fruit, and having to
dodge angry dogs and farmers armed
with loaded shotguns, have wondered
how SO many of US escaped with whole
skins.
''In memory of those sad and hazard
GUS old days, have thought of the boys
every time have had means or time to
plant out an apple tree.
First Off, | have consulted my farmer
clients and friends about the earliest
edible varieties of summer fruit | could
plant for boy consumption. The idea
was to give the boys some fruit, which
they could steal from the tree and eat
without their getting sick from cholera
morbus or stomach ache" Here are a
few of the varieties, which | selected by
advice Of experts, and set out: Red AS
trakan, Bells Early, and that fine old,
and always stealable Golden Russell,
which had an outside as rough as the
hand of Esau, but heart as tender and
sweet as the soul Of the first girl you
ever loved.
"Here are few of the places where
had them set out:
"a dozen about that rough and rocky
cold swimming hole," so the boys might
undress in the shade of the apple trees,
and every boy make long and true dive
with luscious apple between his teeth.
"At intervals along the highways, so
that boys and girls, as we'll as men and
women might pluck and eat with posi-
lively no forbidden fruit in the entire
row.
'ln clumps of twos and threes about
the favorite picnic grounds, where boys
and girls, as we'll as invalids and lazy
people-might loll in the shade. read
papers, look at pictures, eat apples and
drink in the fresh air from Mount Ka-
tahdin and beyond.
You see in a general way that my
plan is an all Maine plan for advertising
all Maine to the outside world, and for
attracting boys and girls from the out
side to Winterport, and to cause them to
think of settling there, and eventually
planting orchards within the town
boundaries, just as Mr. Baisdell is doing
SO successfully today"
Years and years ago when the late
Captain Frank Goodwin of Bangor was
the owner of the Simpson Holbrook farm
on Mount Heagan, a few miles below
Winterport, it was his instructions to
his custodian of the property to permit
all and sundry to go in and eat all the
apples they could hold, adding, as if
from afterthought:
"Be sure and tell them to scatter a
few apple seeds from the best fruit they
eat, SO the little apple 'pips' may spring
up in time, and perhaps produce Good
win apple. which shall beat the Baldwin
all out"
These kindly cautions were said to
have been obeyed literally. Bangor
News.
nAsna r r1nA SAWS