98 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



RUTLAND COUNTY FRUIT REPORT. 



By D. C. Hicks, Vice President for Rutland County. Read 

 at the Burlington Meeting-, December, 1899. 



Rutland County, topographically considered, is in the 

 main well adapted to the growing of the fruits of the Cham- 

 plain Valley. A few of the mountain towns, Mt. Tabor, Mt. 

 Holly. Peru* Mendon, Sherburne and Pittsfield are more re- 

 stricted in the range of varieties which are suitable to their 

 elevation, but many good orchards are found in these towns. 

 The soil of the county is diversified. In the north central 

 and western section, clay and clay loam abounds; in the south- 

 western portion, black slate soil predominates ; and in the 

 south central and southeastern, lime loam and sandy loam is 

 much in evidence. The largest orchards are found on the 

 clay loam and black slate soils, but orchards of considerable 

 size are found in the other sections. The sandy loam soils of 

 the south central part are well adapted to the growing of the 

 small fruits and increased attention is being paid to this 

 branch of fruit growing. The strawberry leads, followed by 

 the raspberry, blackberry, currant and gooseberry. The 

 home markets consume all the fruits raised, except in years of 

 heavy crops, a few apples find a market outside. In such 

 years, much of the surplus apple crop is made into cider. The 

 evaporating and canning industries have not as yet been es- 

 tablished, although I believe in the best apple sections oae or 

 more such well equipped plants would be successful. 



The cultivation of the soil planted to tree fruits is not 

 generally practical. Better results would come to the owners 

 if more attention was paid to this, with pruning and fertiliz- 

 ing. Where fertilizers are used, ashes and barnyard manure 

 are the two forms applied. It is usually done in the fall and 

 winter. 



Pruning is mostly done at this time and in early spring. 

 Spraying of fruit trees is receiving more attention, and the 

 necessity and value of such work is each year becoming more 

 evident to oar orchardists. 



The different varieties of fruits grown is legion, but if I 

 were asked to name four varieties in each class best suited for 

 commercial purposes, would name the following: Rhode 

 Island Greening, Northern Spy, Hubbardston, Nonesuch and 

 Spitze'nberg apples; for pears, Anjon, Tyson, Vermont Beau- 

 ty t and Sheldon ; plums, Lombard, Monarch, Grand Duke and 



