VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 121 



PROFITABLE VARIETIES OF APPLES. 



By S. P. Gordon, Pearl. 



Commercial orcharding requires quite a different selection 

 of varieties from a selection for home use. In the latter case 

 one may indulge in a great variety, as taste or fancy may dic- 

 tate, but for sale for profit we are limited to a few varieties 

 which must be possessed of certain characteristics ; first, the 

 trees must be hardy, productive and possessed of sufficient 

 vitality to hold them up to a productive condition for a long 

 time ; second, the fruit must be good looking, good keepers 

 and able to withstand shipment to distant markets, and of such 

 good quality as to be in demand by consumers. But a few of 

 the many kinds now grown to some extent can be depended 

 upon for a commercial orchard. New varieties are constantly 

 coming up, some of them of great promise, but they are not to 

 be depended upon until they have been tried in different local- 

 ities and their shipping and selling qualities become well 

 known. Try them in a small way before giving them a place 

 among the old standards. 



Most of the leading varieties are sufficiently hardy for our 

 purposes, so we need not sacrifice quality to secure trees that 

 will live. I know of but two, the " Hubbardston " and 

 " King," both good apples, but often so tender as to be unreli- 

 able. The " Easopus Spittzenburg " is tender in the young 

 tree and is best raised by top-grafting on well grown, hardy 

 trees. This makes it costly but the high quality and great de- 

 mand for the fruit amply compensates for trouble ; thus grown, 

 it becomes a long-lived, productive tree, one of the best. For 

 all-round good qualities the " R. J. Gunning " is the best apple 

 we have. "Lake Champlain Greenings " are quoted in New 

 York markets at the top of the best. It will grow in any soil 

 not too wet, but to do its best it must have other varieties near 

 to secure proper fertility of its blossoms. 



A well grown " Northern Spy " is a fine apple; the tree 

 is hardy but will only do its best on deep, rich, slaty soil. The 

 fruit is late in maturing, often a large per cent does not ripen ; 

 it is not a good apple for general orcharding. The " Baldwin," 

 like the "Greening," will grow on any soil ; is a great cropper, 

 fruit uniform, good keepers and shippers ; it is one of the best 

 for profit. 



