STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETV. 115 



FRLITS IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY. 

 By E. W. Merkitt. 



As I attempt to write on fruit culture in Aroostook C'ouiiiv 1 feel 

 my incompetency, although one might suppose that nine years ought 

 to acquaint me with the facts ; but please bear in mind, the county is 

 large, the soil varies greatlj' and conditions which are favorable in 

 one localit}' are detrimental in another ; also ditFerent treatment is 

 required on these diverse soils and localities, and while we may start 

 at the southern boundary of the count}- (which is seventy-five miles 

 north of the fruit-growing belt) with a list of thirty-five varieties of 

 apples, it rapidly diminishes as we proceed north. In order that you 

 may better understand this, I will say that the catalogues of Massa- 

 chusetts embrace some three hundred and fifty varieties of the choicest 

 apples, which is only a small part of all grown, our friend Bennoch at 

 Orono has one hundred and forty, while at Houlton not more than 

 twenty can be successfully raised, and the list will run down to four 

 or five kinds at Fort Fairfield and Caribou. There may be an occa- 

 sional place in this county where the number ma\- be slightly increased. 



SOILS. 



In this county there are (according to Colby's Atlas) one hundred 

 and seventy-five sections of about six miles square. Fiftjof these 

 are settled, twenty-five more partially settled, and the remaining one 

 hundred have but few, if any, settlers. The principal settlements 

 are on the east side of the count}- and embrace a comparatively nar- 

 row strip running north and south for a distance of one hundred and 

 twelve miles, Houlton being thirty-four miles north of the south line. 

 By this you will see 1 am able to speak of only this small portion of 

 our count}'. This area is cut still smaller by the fact that low, frosty 

 ground, also land where there is a loose subsoil and intervals, are not 

 adapted to orcharding. Yet, in spite of this, a large portion of the 

 southern part of the county is as good orchard ground as any part 

 of the State (aside from the fact that we are restricted to a few of 

 the choicest varieties). 



In most of the clay and slate, and all of the granite soils, apple 

 trees will flourish and become a profitable orchard with the proper 

 care and protection. Orcharding is yet in its infancy, although a great 



