50 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



very successful in growing the Roxbury Russet, for which in 

 the late spring they are quite sure of a fancy price in the Boston 

 market. A year or two since I was in Winthrop when many 

 of these apples were going forward and the fruit never appeared 

 to better advantage. It was a fine yellow russet, of good size and 

 excellent flavor. It is also an apple that sells well in the Eng- 

 lish markets. It certainly deserves a wider growth in the locali- 

 ties where it does well. 



The Rhode Island Greening is another popular market variety, 

 and it is also one of the best in quality. In the English market 

 the price is fully up to the Baldwin. It makes a very good 

 tree, and in the localities where it does well is a profitable variety 

 to grow. It may need, as all others do for that matter, to be 

 handled with care to get the best results. The Rhode Island 

 Greening thrives over a large part of the State. 



In many places the Baldwin does not thrive in the low lands, 

 near streams and bodies of water, but the Northern Spy comes 

 in and makes one of the best trees, and when it comes into bear- 

 ing it is one of the most profitable apples grown in the State. 

 Solon Chase, S. L. Merchant and others, with the careful hand- 

 Img they give them, get better prices for these than for any 

 other variety. Several lots of these last year sold for $8 per 

 barrel, and there was demand for more just like them. The 

 objection to the tree is that it is slow in coming into bearing, 

 but to some extent this can be overcome by cultivation. 



In the sales account the Maine Ben Davis are higher than 

 other Maine varieties in the foreign markets late in the season. 

 A great many of this variety are growing in the State. They 

 come into bearing earlier than some, and are attractive in 

 appearance. These qualities would seem to make it a desirable 

 apple to grow, but it is an apple of inferior quality, and it is the 

 belief of many of our fruit growers that as soon as the foreign 

 buyers learn more of the varieties there will be less demand 

 for it. At any rate there is much hesitancy about recommend- 

 ing this or any variety, for setting, that is of inferior quality. 

 In the minds of some the tree is believed to be one of short life. 

 Experiments are being tried to determine whether it is a desir- 

 able varietv to work over into other varieties. 



