The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-11-16

plaHttu trees .tt 10 come INTO Dehilnpi
second, the probable increase of produc
ton due to better care OF orchards, and
third, the question of markets In 1910
there were in round numbers l50,000,00C
bearing apple trees and 10000, 900 not vet
at bearing age, something over one-third
as many. This is not as large as the
proportion of non. bearing peach trees nor
any larger than the proportion of non.
bearing pear trees, probably il does not
represent an excessive number Of Young
trees when we consider the, number nee
essary TO replace trees dying or being
taken out for one cause or another. Ii
is about the same proportion found by
the Vermont experiment station in Grand
Isle county in 1896 at time when il
appears now there was no great need for
alarm over excessive planting of young
trees. Since these figures were taken in
1910 the planting has been very heavy.
Probably there have been enough planted
to somewhat more than offset the nat
ural wastage and the heavy destruction
of bearing trees during the neriod from
about 1900 to 1906 or 1907.
Passing to the second question, the
possibility of increased production from
better orchard care, it seems to me that
there can be but one conclusion. The
adoption of spraying and other improved
orchard methods must result in con-
siderable increase in production. This
better care will be given to orchards as
long as prices warrant. If prices should
drop so that inferior fruit receives too
small a price to be profitable, growers
of such fruit will relax the care of the
orchards, thus balancing up things once
more. The period of 1905 to 1908 saw
a sharp drop in production and conse-
quent high prices The first of these
newer paintings are now beginning to
come in bearing and will continue to in
crease in production during the next 10
years. In case production increases be-
yond the natural demands of the mar
ket, those parts of the country best
adapted to growing and marketing fruit
will be at an advantage. The fact that
the cost of harvesting apples and placing
them in our Atlantic coast markets from
the far western states where planting
has been very heavy is as great, if not
greater, than the entire cost of growing
and marketing equally good fruit in our
eastern states should be proof enough of
the folly of the heavy expansion of apple
growing in the western states which has
taken place in recent years.
"The heavy production of apples in
North America is ia the north Atlantic
states and the section around the Great
Lakes as far west as Lake Michigan.
This section produces nearly one half Of
the crop of the United States. Che
southern Appalachian states produce
about one-fifth, the central Mississippi
valley another fifth, and the mountain !
and Pacific coast states about one tenth |
of the total crop OF these various sec
lions, the figures show that the Pacific |
coast states gather the largest and most !
uniform crop; then follow the northeast |
ern states and among these states New
England fares as well as any part, if not |
a little better.
Fluctuations in crops from year to
year are brought about first by spring |
frosts. These rarely affect the crop in |
New England. where orchards are prop
erly located. They are very destructive in
the Mississippi valley and very little less
so in the southern Appalachian states.
A second factor is cold or cloudy wealth
er at blooming time, This often limits
the crop in New England, possibly more
often than in the central west and GER
tainly more frequently than in the Pa
life coast region.
"A third factor is the ravages of in
sects and diseases. The coddxng moth
md apple scab frequently cause a heavy |,
lrop and serious lessening of the crop.
Dry wea Their may occasionally limit the
'rop, but is not a serious factor. The
production per tree is highest in New
York, somewhat less in New England,
md least of all in the Mississippi valley. i
The cost of growing apples varies from
bout 81 to 50 per barrel; an average
,rice of 50 or better should he demanded
W the apple grower and anything below
his means inferiority. 1t appears then
hat while we may make an increase in
he apple crop in the next few years,
hat New England is in as favorable
TO endure this increase as is
ny apple growing section"
Practical Orchard Management
"Grass Mulch or Practical System OF
orchard Management" was the subject
f talk by Prof. J. Fl. Gourley. horti
ulturalist for the New Hampshire ex-
eriment station. He said in part as
ollows:
"This address calls attention to several
ystems of orcharding commonly prac-
iced in the eastern United States. From
experiments carried on by the New
hampshire experiment station it is shown
hat where an orchard is standing in sod
nd in poor condition as regards growth
nd yield, the orchard can be made pro-
uctive and vigorous by blowing the land
nd tilling it each season. An increase
! weld of 300 per cent has been secured
this way and the practice is recon-
Iended as PRACTICAL in many New Eng
md orchards.
"But when for any reason the grower
pes not care to pillow his orchard a sub
,itute for tillage must be found, since
rowing trees in sod is so often the cause
low yield and vitality. This problem