STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 65 



FRUIT CULTURE— ITS POSSIBILITIES IT^ MAINE. 

 By D. H. Knowlton, Farmington. 



From my own observation and the information kindly furnished 

 me by a large number of fruit growers, I do not hesitate to affirm 

 tliat Maine offers rare and unprecedented opportunities for the 

 profitable investment of capital in this industry. And for a i;erm of 

 years to come I doubt if there is any State in the Union where labor 

 is more sure of liberal returns, if properly directed. It is the pur- 

 pose of this paper to bring before the public two things, as matters 

 of fact not generalh' known : First, that Maine offers the most 

 favorable conditions for fruit culture ; and, second, that the profits 

 are larger than in any other line of agriculture, and sufficiently large 

 to warrant extensive development. 



MAINE OFFERS FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR FRUIT GROWING. 



A very large part of our area is found to be well adapted to the 

 growth of fruit. The apple tree seems to grow in our soil almost 

 spontaneously, and wherever in the past seeds may have been scat- 

 tered, we may find the trees growing. They may be unthrifty and 

 neglected, and though buried deeply in the drifted snows of winter, 

 the severity of our climate seems, if anything, to increase their vigor. 

 There are growing in many parts of the State, trees that were 

 planted by the men who cleared the land years ago. One of these 

 old orchards from which I have often gathered fruit, is well nigh a 

 century old. The apple trees continue to bear, and pear trees 

 growing among them that sprang from seed planted in 1795, refuse 

 to entertain the blight or any other scourge known to pear growers 

 in more favored sections. Though sadly neglected, these old trees 

 never fail to bring forth good crops of old-fashioned pears, pleasantly 

 reminding us of the industry and life of those long since passed 

 away. 



There is an orchard in the town of Union containing 200 trees, 

 and covering two and one-half acres of land. It was planted 70 

 years ago. In 1888, this orchard, nearly three-quarters of a century 

 old, bore 650 bushels of apples ; in 1889, 400 bushels, and in 1890, 

 350 bushels. From the crops these three 3'ears the owner received 

 S480, $300 and $350, respectively, and he is confident that his 

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