APPLES IN VERMONT. 



407 



seeds, as cider was then considered almost 

 an article of necessity in the older New 

 England States. Some brought seeds ga- 

 thered from cider mills, but a large portion 

 were seeds from favorite apples, supposing 

 they would produce the same fruit. In this 

 way great numbers of superior 7iative apples 

 have been produced, which are known only 

 by local names ; and great numbers have 

 been disseminated by wrong names, being 

 seedlings from the variety whose name 

 they bear. As an instance, the Rhode 

 Island Greening may be named, which has 

 been scattered over the State by grafting. 

 While some are fully equal or superior to 

 the parent tree, others can hardly be recog- 

 nized as belonging to the same class. 



Every settler sowed apple seeds, or procu- 

 red trees from his neighbor and planted an 

 orchard ; and to encourage raising apples, 

 the Legislature in 1791. passed an act ex- 

 empting from taxation for ten years, all 

 lands on which forty apple trees on an acre 

 were planted. Almost every farmer soon 

 raised his own apples and made cider, be- 

 sides having much cider distilled for cider 

 or apple brandy. For the last twenty years 

 but little cider has been made, and during 

 the temperance excitement some fifteen 

 years since, many of the finest orchards 

 were cut down, which might have been 

 made valuable by improving the fruit and 

 raising it for feeding to hogs, or cattle, or 

 for exportation. 



The old orchards during this time have 

 been generally decaying, except in a few 

 towns where an industrious cultivator has 

 set an example by renovating his old trees, 

 and showing them that they may be again 

 made as " good as new." There is now 

 more attention given to fruit, the subject 

 being discussed in almost every county, by 

 agricultural societies, and hundreds of nur- 

 series have been sowed during the last two 



years, and much inquiry is made for the 

 best methods of treating old orchards. 



There is a great diiference in our soil 

 and climate for the growth of fruit trees. 

 The whole of the western part of the State 

 is favorable for the growth of apples, and 

 may be considered one of the best sections 

 in New-England for superior fruit. The 

 eastern part, for one hundred miles from the 

 south line, is as good as an average of New- 

 England, while the central and northeast- 

 ern parts are not favorable for fruit, though 

 in most places, by selecting proper varieties, 

 and planting in favorable situations, they 

 may be successfully grown. More attention 

 has been given to cultivating apples in 

 Bennington, than in any other town in Ver- 

 mont. It is one of the oldest towns in the 

 State, has a fine soil and favorable climate, 

 and among their first settlers, their minister 

 was an enthusiastic and scientific pomolo- 

 gist. His labors (at least in this line) are 

 still seen, in their numerous and healthy old 

 fruit trees, scattered through the town. 

 Many varieties of English apples, and the 

 best natives of Canada, were among the 

 first introductions of foreign fruit on the 

 borders of Lake Champlain, and among 

 them, varieties lately introduced into Mas- 

 sachusetts from England, of which old 

 trees may here be seen. Many apples are 

 sent from towns bordering on the lake, in 

 the counties of Chittenden and Addison, to 

 Canada, for a market ; and this part of our 

 State must be called the best for the 

 growth of apples ; and we may safely chal- 

 lenge the world to produce finer ones than 

 we can here. 



In most parts of the State apple trees flou- 

 rish well quite to the borders of our largest 

 streams, except on alluvial soil. There is, 

 however, one exception. 



On the Missisco river.Jwhich runs through 

 the northern towns of the State, for some 



