STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 45 



FRUIT GROWING IN PISCATAQUIS COUNTY. 

 By Will E. Leland of East Sangerville. 



I am aware that the fruit industry of Piscataquis county is 

 not of sufficient importance in comparison with the rest of the 

 State to occupy very much of your time. 



Piscataquis county has an area of 3,780 square miles, more* 

 than three and one-half times as large as the state of Rhode 

 Island. With all this great territory the population is the least 

 of any county in the State. 



The southern part only is at all thickly settled. The northern 

 part, still covered with the forest primeval, with numerous 

 streams and lakes, is a paradise for lumbermen and sportsmen. 



It is owing to these conditions that the apple crop of the county 

 is not especially considered in making an estimate of the crop 

 of the State, and not that we are too far north for orchards to 

 do well. 



The first family came into the county nearly one hundred 

 years ago. Many trees planted by the early settlers are still 

 standing. Their fruit is of small value but their large size and 

 evident vigor go to show that we are well within the limit of 

 profitable fruit production. Nearly every farmer has his orchard, 

 usually small. An orchard, that has reached the bearing age, 

 of more than two or three acres is rarely seen. The Rhode Island 

 Greening, Spy, Hubbardston, Milding, Nodhead, Fameuse, 

 Rolfe, Talman's Sweet and Hurlbut are found in most of these 

 orchards. The crop this year is hardly more than sufficient to 

 supply the local market. 



Within the past few years the attention of farmers has been 

 turned more in this direction and many young orchards have 

 been set, some of them quite large. I know of one of about 

 eighteen hundred trees and occupying thirty acres. These 

 younger orchards are usually Ben Davis or Stark, and of late 

 the Arctic is being set to some extent. In some cases the Ben 

 Davis and Stark will be topworked into Baldwin. We have been 

 brought up to think the Baldwin could not be profitably grown 

 with us. Proper care and cultivation have proved the error of 

 this belief. I have seen Baldwin trees in Sangerville as well 

 loaded and with fruit of as good quality as I ever saw in Read- 



