Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-11-11
POSSIBILITIES OF VERMONT FRUIT
CULTURE

Vermont farms to-day, considering the
expenditure of time and labor and
money involved, Is without question our
harvest Of fruit Our people in many
instances are coming to realize this. and
the results are shown in the tremendous
strides taken In this State during the
past few years in connection with the
Improvement Of our apple crop and the
marketing thereof.
Many people are discouraged because
so long a period Is required 20 grow an
must work for the next. True, you can
not set out an apple tree one year and
harvest a barrel of apples from 1t the
following year. 1t Is possible, how
ever, for people to start an apple
! orchard and enjoy the fruit themselves.
city Clerk Grandy of Burlington Is
boosting these days of enjoying a large
| harvest OF fruit from apple trees he set
| out not so many years ago. and he has
old fruit in good condition when 1t is
/ time to begin picking new apples. A
host of people throughout the State can
tell of similar experiences.
For long time Vermont produced
! apples but the great majority Of our
| people had no idea how to sell their
| product. so that Vermont apples went
| begging. An excellent hint Of the trans
| formation which has taken place in this
! connection is furnished by the Benning-
| ton Banner. which says:
The value OF advertising is illus
trated in the demand for Vermont apples
In and around Boston as the result Of
| the showing made by Vermont apple
growers at the New England exhibit
two weeks ago. 1t was pleasing to YER
mont patriotism to have Vermont apples
| with the leading place at this exhibit,
and It Is even more gratifying to Ver-
mont business instinct to find that there
/ Is an ample market for Vermont fruit
so near at hand ready to take the sur
they are of the highest quality. 1t costs
little moro to grow a high grade Of
| apples than it does to raise an inferior
| crop while the income from the better
quality is easily twice as much as it is
from fruit OF mediocre standard"
Some idea how these gratifying results
| brought 10 FIN CHI nv
| letter from George d, Aiken of Putney
to Walter II. Crockett of the Vermont
publicity bureau. We are sure every
prospective fruit grower in Vermont will
profit from some of the suggestions
made.
Mr.. Aiken says that during one eve-
ming alone 5000 Vermont apples were
distributed at the Boston exhibition.
and the following morning the news
papers had generous descriptions of the
Vermont fruit exhibit and praise for the
Green Mountain apples
AS might he expected the excellent
impression made by Vermont apples in
|
Mountain fruit. but also for the Green
Mountain farms that can produce such
splendid fruit. Mr.. Aiken says he
talked with the secretary OF Boston
concern who wanted Vermont farm.
and he thinks it safe to say that YER
mont has already gained six new resi-
ant In pnil I,vo~
Ing done in connection with the fruit
show in Boston. An element which
helps to make these lands more attrac-
tive is Vermont's legislation in relation
to the exemption Of orchards.
The fruit growers Of Vermont have
every reason for qualification in the
tact that the Green Mountain State won
more prize money than Maine. New
Hampshire or Connecticut. Out of five
leading varieties Vermont won first
prizes on all but one.
The possibilities OF fruit culture in
vermont are well illustrated by the
experience of barrow and Aiken. In
N-- 'es poueHt an OIu pasture ana
began thereon variegated fruit culture.
they now have fifteen acres of red
raspberries. four acres Of blackberries,
one and one-half acres OF currants and
gooseberries. four acres of Strawberries
and half an acre Of cherries. beside
other fruit
In 1911 this old pasture rented for $1.0O
per acre. In 1915 the two-year rasp-
berries produced $500 per acre. While
the berry bushes were In process OF de-
4 velopment cabbages were grown as an
= inter-crop 1t does not require much
D hguring to realize the handsome profit
2 winch this old pasture is being made
5 10 produce for the energetic and intelli-
gent men who have converted II into a
: 'eriaoh gold mine. and better. for the
$ example can be followed by others with
turther revenue for Vermont as n result
u some people complain Of lack of mar
= ket, but this problem is solved in two
ways by publicity for fruit and the
WORKING up OF surplus fruit into a Jam
hi'chen' 80 that berries can he put up
iresh from the field. ready market
Is round for all fresh fruit MS rule
put after storm tho berries are toe