100 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the fall when the markets are glutted with fruit of a far 

 superior quality, like the Porter and Winthrop Greening, and 

 the others above mentioned, and others to numerous to men- 

 tion, that are as hardy and are in eating from six to eight 

 weeks, thus rendering them profitable to the grower, market- 

 man and consumer ; while the limited demand for the Russians 

 will render them unprofitable like the crab apple, other than 

 for making into cider. Nurserymen of Maine should select 

 their seed for growing seedlings from the hardiest varieties, 

 like the Northern Spy, Talman's Sweet, Yellow Bellflower, 

 and the AVinthrop seedlings. All the above sorts are as 

 hardy as the Russians or the crab apple. 



The pioneer farmers of Winthrop and the State as well, 

 were very little versed in the art of grafting or budding trees, 

 and it was thought to require as much skill to set a scion and 

 have it grow, as to amputate an arm or leg. Seventy or 

 seventy-five years ago the fall fruit of those old orchards was 

 made into cider, and the winter fruit carefully stored in the 

 cellars till winter. Then these energetic farmers would load 

 up their pungs in the winter, the day before, with a barrel of 

 cider and the balance in apples, and start a little past mid- 

 night for Farmington and Wilton, facing the cold northwest, 

 and arrive there about sunrise. The cider would sell at from 

 $6 to $8 per barrel, and apples at one dollar per bushel in 

 exchange for wheat at a dollar per bushel. They would get 

 the wheat ground at the mill and return home the same day, 

 and the next day deliver and sell it in Augusta and Hallo well 

 for cash, or in exchange for goods. 



About this time the brothers Charles and Benjamin Vaughan 

 came from England and settled on a farm in the Kennebec 

 valley, near the town of Hallo well, and being gentlemen of 

 intelligence and much interested in orcharding and general 

 agriculture, they brought apple seeds, as well as the pear, 

 plum and the English cherry seeds, selected from the best 

 fruit of England, and planted a large nursery on their farm, 

 and budded and grafted many of the trees and taught others 

 to graft and bud. Many of these trees were planted in 



