90 



orange. The oranges are round but the apples are not. It 

 all depends on how the apples hit the pocket. If they all hit 

 the same way it would be dilferent, but they can't; lots hit 

 on edge, and two or three sizes will go through one pocket. 



A Member. I would like to ask the speaker if he thinks 

 that we are in shape where we could form an association in 

 this state and do some cooperative work ? Are we ready for 

 it? You had a fair chance to see the samples of apples here 

 last year. 



Mr. Castner. I think you are. "Why not? The apple 

 buyers are all organized against you and why shouldn't you 

 organize and co-operate? It may be some time before that 

 happens, but it is time to start in. Here is an instance ia 

 Maine that I came across last year. There are seven broth- 

 ers who have organized into an association. When they 

 started up they had hard work. They wanted peocle to 

 join but they wouldn't do it but after seeing the results 

 these brothers got, — mind you, they put them up as they 

 should be, they graded them and sorted them as they were 

 guaranteed, — and they received so much more per barrel for 

 what they shipped that all the people around there lat^r on 

 wanted to join. I think you can do the same thing here, 

 even if you are not organized, if each grower will put his 

 conscience into the boxes, which will go a long way toward 

 helping the other fellow out. It is not the good stuff that is 

 going to hurt, but the poor. Good apples will bring good 

 prices any time in the eastern market. 



Mr. Frost. I would like to ask Mr. Castner to answer 

 question 1, "Will not the early bearing of the modern or- 

 chard in New England cause a shortening of the life of these 

 trees?" 



Mr. Castner. That all depends on how young orchards 

 will bear. I would say in my travels around last fall I saw 

 instances where they were bearing in two or three years. I 

 should say it would with the trees bearing at that age. I 

 would want a tree of mine to be at least six years old. Let 

 the tree make a good, strong groAvth and then start bearing 

 fruit and I think you will get better results in the long run 

 than you will by letting it bear too heavily when it is young. 

 In my own experience I know I had three Newtowns start at 

 ,three years while the rest have made a vigorous wood 

 growth. Those three stunted ones bear fruit but it is an in- 

 ferior grade. I have tried every means imaginable, but I 



