STATE POMOLOGIOAL SOCIETZ. 49 



Varieties. There are already too many varieties of autumn 

 fruit cultivated in Maine for our markets, or profit. We cannot 

 compete with western apples that glut our markets in autumn, 

 consequently we shall be obliged to feed such fruit to our stock, 

 or re-top such trees to late winter fruit for shipping purposes, in 

 the production of which we can compete with the world. We 

 also cultivate too many sorts of winter apples for profit or for 

 convenience in gathering and barrelling — too many odd barrels. 



First on the list of winter fruit I place the Roxbury Russet, as 

 best of all late keeping sorts. In my experience with it for the 

 last fifty years, it has always proved an annual and good bearer. 

 It needs high and persistent culture ; and so do all varieties to be 

 profitable for any length of time. In my orchard in Winthrop, I 

 had two trees of nearly the same size, one a Roxbury Russet, the 

 other a Baldwin. On a certain year each tree bore eight barrels 

 of apples. The next year the same Russet tree bore four barrels 

 of apples, while the Baldwin bore none, and none to speak of for 

 four years, or while I remained on the farm — having over-borne. 



The row in which this Russet tree stood, contained eight other 

 trees of the same variety, making nine trees in all, which bore the 

 same year forty-five barrels of apples — an average of five barrels 

 per tree ; and these were sold the 8th of July for five dollars per 

 barrel, at Winthrop depot, while my Baldwins were sold for two 

 dollars per barrel the last of April of the same year, not being 

 able to keep them longer in consequence of their rotting. In my 

 experience the above is about an average, with these two varie- 

 ties, for the last fifty years, in the locality of Monmouth and 

 Winthrop. Last year I sold ray Russets in Bangor and Portland 

 for $4 and $4.25 per barrel the last of June, while Baldwins, 

 generally sold in May, for about $2 per barrel. 



The Baldwin will not bear high culture either in our valleys or 

 on flat lands near lakes and streams of water, and will kill in 

 winter and spring with the suddenly alternating thawing and freez- 

 ing of the bark and wood, caused by the hot mid-day sun. 



It is not excessive freezing (as many suppose) that winter kills,. 

 as was shown by the fact that last winter the mercury was much 

 of the time at extremely low points, the steady cold continuing 

 through the winter and spring, and the frost was taken out gradu 

 ally in the late spring, there being no alternate changes during 

 winter and spring ; consequently, the unripe buds of the peach 

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