58 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. - 



the selling price. The Winesap is the Spitzenberg of Virginia ; 

 of high quality, keeping late into June, and a very desirable 

 late-storage variety. 



The Ben Davis. I will not forget the Ben Davis, specimens 

 of which I have brought here, not to make myself an object of 

 ridicule to you who grow the Baldwin but to illustrate this 

 point — grow varieties which are most adapted to your locality. 

 I think you can see by these specimens that Ben Davis is at 

 home in Virginia. It grows to a large size, has good color, and 

 good keeping qualities. It is fully developed and matured. It 

 seemed to me, as I looked over some of your Maine Ben Davis 

 in the excellent exhibit downstairs, that it is questionable 

 whether you are wise in growing Ben Davis, commercially. You 

 can grow Baldwins infinitely better than we can ; it would be 

 foolish for us to attempt to grow Baldwins in competition with 

 you. I think it is equally foolish, if I may be permitted to 

 suggest it, for you to attempt to grow Ben Davis in competition 

 with us. The Ben Davis needs a longer season than you have 

 in Maine. Ultimately each section will see the wisdom of grow- 

 ing only the varieties which can be brought to the highest degree 

 of perfection in that place, rather than attempt to grow varieties 

 which have acquired a reputation elsewhere. 



Our Virginia Ben Davis has the same delightful sawdust 

 flavor inside of it as those you grow in Maine. I don't know 

 as the quality is any different. But it sells. We send it to the 

 extreme south — to Mobile, Birmingham, Atlanta and New 

 Orleans. In that hot and trying climate, the groceries can put 

 it on the fruit stand and it will look good two weeks later, when 

 more tender varieties would go down quickly and not be salable. 

 For selling in hot climates, for putting on the market in late 

 spring, after other and more desirable kinds have gone, the Ben 

 Davis, if grown where it reaches its own peculiar standard of 

 perfection, has a distinct place. I think anybody in our section 

 is justified in planting not over ten per cent of his orchard in 

 that variety ; but I question the wisdom of growing Ben Davis 

 in Maine, where it does not reach maturity, and where you can 

 grow Baldwins to such perfection as I see in those downstairs. 



In selecting varieties for the commercial orchard, get those 

 which will give some latitude in harvesting. I do not attempt to 

 grow summer or early fall varieties. I have only late fall and 



