The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-14
MONEY IN CHERRIES
Windsor County Farmer Says Fruit
Beats Cows.

Windsor County Farmer Says Fruit
Beats Cows.
That cherry trees might be more
profitable than cows on some YER
mont farms, is the contention of
Frank R. Arnold, a correspondent of
the Springfield, Mass, Republican.
who writes of visit TO Windsor
county where many of the farms are
in the hands of the same family for
four generations. Mr.. Arnold goes
on to say:
1t was on one of these fourth gen
Grafton farms that | made my second
cherry trees on GER
tain Vermont farms might be more
profitable than COWS. The owner
told me about it one hot July day
in the midst of the cherry season..
which with him lasts six weeks. He
was glad to stop picking for few
minutes and talk to the inquisitive
stranger, though the other pickers
kept on and nodded their heads oc-
casionally to confirm their employ
ers story
when | married "a years ago."
my host began. MY wife had this
farm of 200 acres. 1t wasn't worth
more than $1,000, and | was from Or
leans county and wanted to live
there, but my wife thought she
couldn't live anywhere except on the
old place: I'm glad now she thought
so. because every year I'm averaging
an income of $25OO off the place and
wouldn't sell for $4,000, and the value
OF the place is going up
'It's all because knew enough to
change from a dairy farm to cherries
and apples This sandy, rocky hill
farm amt adapted for hay, the
neighbors used to say it wasn't fit to
grow weeds and there's no limit to
the market for cherries in Vermont
and Northern New Hampshire.
Il could sell a thousand bushels
every year If had them. | sell by
express and parcel post to regular
customers auto parties pay me "a a
bushel or u cents quart. Last
year | sold s735 worth from three
acres. My standard variety is the
Montmorency. though | have others,
such as the Dyehouse, Oliyet, Waldi
mer and Morello.
THE Early Richmond doesn't do
we'll so far north as this and at this
altitude, we are up 1900 feet
though it is big producer at Bel
lows Falls. The Waldimer is a Rus.
sian variety, but the birds love ii so
they got most of the fruit. The
Morelo Is very hard and sour and
you could ship it across the contin-
ent 1t ripens so late that in all
had a six weeks cherry season, and
that, TOO, without any of the early
sweet varieties, which always get hit
here by the late frosts.
a get high school boys and girls
to help pick the cherries as the sea
son comes after the June haying. and
| pay ! IL cents pound 1t is
the only thing around here that wo.
men and girls can do for pin money
and they average S1.15 to SO per
day, and it is an easy healthful occu.
patton for them.
MY Oldest cherry trees are from ~
TO Is years old, and with my cherry
trees have planted apple trees. so
that the cherries are only filters. At
first | had much trouble from deer.
One winter they did $1,000 worth OF
damage to some four year old trees
of mine and the state would only pay
me $500.
Then ! began to shoot and bury
the deer and | told our representa-.
tive he'd better get bill through the
State Legislature to allow us to
kill the deer. was present when
the bill came up. and had pictures
to show the damage and non.
damaged trees and | said to the
House: Gentlemen you can do as
you please but We are going to
shoot the deer in Windsor county
that bother our trees An the fish
and game commissioner who was
there told them, Gentlemen, he's
right And so we got legal permits.
sion to do what we'd been doing for
some time, only, we had to give up
the carcass; but now the law is fixed
so that We can keep the carcass"