Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-01-06
New England Fruit Growing.

agricultural show succeeds In entirely
misrepresenting the industries Of the
district from which it Is drawn; but the
New England fruit show recently held In
Boston ought to be marked as dis
tinct exception. In many and rather un-
usual ways it indicated the present situ-
alton and proved worthy Of study in its
broader outlooks as well as in the inter
esting details of its truly splendid ex'
hibits.
A first glance through the exhibition
rooms would satisfy any skeptic OF the
full success Of the show, at least as re-
CARDS the main issue. There was plenty
Of fruit there and the quality was su-
perb. The commonest remark heard on
every hand was that the New England
apples were Just as fine in every particu-
lar as the apples of the Pacific North
west. They had the rich, ruddy color,
the beautiful texture and the waxy tin-
ish which have only recently been recog-
nized as distinguishing strictly fancy
fruit from the merely good-and equal
ly as distinguishing fancy orchard man
agement from common farming. This
demonstration that New Eogland can
produce fruit as fancy as the fanciest
was not quite new, for the same conclu-
sion has been reached in former fruit
shows-but the question may now be re-
garded as settled, for II always takes
some time for such a conclusion TO reach
its final Judgement in the Yankee psy-
chology.
IL might be remarked that in point OF
color the New England apples seemed
uusurpassable-noi merely equal to the
best western fruit, but superior. The
eastern growers have long insisted on
the better eating quality OF their fruit,
a point which will probably always
stand to their credit In their own mar
ksts, for long shipments are q handicap
q aay delicate fruit.
While 10 Is a great gain to have con-
vineed the New Eogianders themselves
thai they can produce the finest apples
In the world, this fruit show proved fur
ther that such fruit can be produced In
large commercial quantities. The big
producers we're distinctly IN evidence al
Boston, and one constantly heard talk of
plantings running into the thousands
aud tens Of thousands. IL was only a
very few years ago that the man Who
set out one hundred apple trees IN New
Hampshire or Massachusetts thought he
was a pluuger in the fruit world. 10
the recent show the commercial exhib-
its predomi iuated. while there was = no
tieeable falling of in the plate exhibits.
Ooly a few years ago the ideal display
was Of fifty plates of different varieties,
five apples OF kind, with a codling
worm carefully hidden in the middle
specimen.
Even more convincing than the demon
stratiou of improved production was the
proof Of better packing. This was the
point chiefly discussed by the men on
the iuside-the old hands who have fol-
lowed New England apple growing for
years. A very keen observer, familiar
with Western fruit growing and fruit
shows, who judged many Of the exhib-
it's in Boston, gave it as his private
opinion that the packing averaged very
nearly as good as the best in Oregon,
the difference being so slight as to be ill.,
visible outside the score card. Any
who knows what conditions re-
Gently were in the east knows that this
is an achievement of some magnitude
and significance. 1t means that the
New England apple producers have the
oretically brought themselves up to date
in this vital matter.
Localization of industries is charac-
teristic of New England, in agriculture
rs in manufacturing, and it would not
be surprising to find this principle
showing in the apple business. 1t is
rather remarkable, therefore, that all
sections of the country should have been
so we'll represented in the exhibits, aud
especially 10 the prize list. Many i'm
portant awards went to each state; and,
even il Vermont showed less than the
Others, it was only because of the spe-
cial difficulties of getting an exhibit
from that corner of the world. The
fruit show proved, along with other
things, that prize winning apples In
commercial quantities can be grown IN
any state in New England.
But the Boston show brought to light
the weak points as we'll as the strong
ones. The fiat failure Of the project
from a publicity standpoint bad some
explanation, but no fair excuse, in the
awkward division of responsibilities be-
tween the fruit show and the Massachu-
sets Horticultural Society. One could be
less surprised were it not fact that this
bungle was foreseen by everybody and
had, in fact, grown sufficiently familiar
in previous fruit shows. As compared
with real western fruit show in Port
laud or Spokane the Boston affair, on its
advertising side, was an iguominious
failure.
Closely connected with the matter oi
general publicity is the fruit selling feat
ure. At a Western fruit show are doz'
ems, sometimes hundreds, of booths q,
which apples can be bought in any
quantity from one apple to fifty car
loads. At Boston visitors went about
begging for chance to buy, but no
body could tell where to get an apple ol
leave an order.
Yet these two failures represent ex
actly the present defects of the fruit bu
siness in New England, and to degree
iu the Eastern States generally. Th'
younger generation of fruit growers have
learned how to produce the goods, they
have even learned how to grade ant
pack-s truly enormous accomplish
ment for ten years time-but the!
plainly have not yet learned how to ad
vertise and how to conduct q selling
cam ampaigu.-Tribune Farmer.
Potato Quarantine.
Secretary Houston has issued an or
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