l62 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



fall apples. Grimes Golden was then considered rather a doubt- 

 ful variety for profit. At that time York Imperial and Ben 

 Davis sold on a par, while buyers took Grimes Golden reluct- 

 antly at about twenty-five cents less per barrel than was paid for 

 other varieties. This past season the prevailing price for Ben 

 Davis was $2.75, for York Imperial $3.25, and for Grimes 

 Golden $4.00 per barrel. In other words, York Imperial 

 brought fifty cents and Grimes Golden $1.25 more per barrel 

 than Ben Davis. It should be stated, however, with reference 

 to varieties, that many apples of high quality are poor bearers 

 and some possess constitutional weakness in the tree. On the 

 other hand, many of the medium and low quality varieties are 

 strong and hearty in tree and abundant bearers. Under these 

 circumstances, it may pay the commercial grower better to raise 

 large quantities of medium quality apples at a fair price than to 

 produce a limited quantity of high class fruit at a high price. 

 Whether the crop is to be sold on the open market or to the 

 retail trade should also be taken into consideration. Low qual- 

 ity apples can often be sold to advantage on the open market 

 but would be rejected by the retail trade. This season in ship- 

 ping on orders to mountain towns in West Virginia and Mary- 

 land, we found it very difficult to dispose of Ben Davis, while 

 other varieties sold readily. Were we to be dependent upon the 

 retail trade, we would commence next spring to graft over all 

 our Ben Davis trees. It is possible that changing conditions of 

 the general market may yet bring us to this point. 



In a good many fruit growing sections apples which are in 

 season during late fall and early winter are not receiving as 

 much attention as they should. After peaches, pears, plums and 

 other summer fruits are gone, there is a demand, poorly supplied 

 in most markets, for good eating apples. It is a mistake to try 

 to meet this demand with hard fleshed winter apples unfit for 

 immediate use. Rambo, Wealthy, Maiden Blush, Mcintosh and 

 other excellent varieties of this season furnish a list from which 

 the grower may select. 



In the eastern fruit belt of West Virginia pruning is one of 

 our big problems. This very important operation in the upkeep 

 of an orchard is apt to be neglected outright or at least receive 

 little attention. Doubtless the pruning problem also is, or should 

 be, a serious consideration with Maine apple growers. The 



