Daily Kennebec Journal

Now that the apple season of 1881-82 in Maine is past, one thing becomes very evident; our apple-growers, either purposely, or through carelessness, have not generally put up their apples so well as they should have. Too many old rickety barrels have been used. The fruit has not as a rule been pressed into the barrels solid enough. But the main difficulty has been in the sorting. Too many small apples and too many large wormy ones have been put in, while oftentimes those specked with rot have helped to fill up the barrel. We fear that in many instances this inferior fruit has been put in purposely. That it is a great temptation we do not deny, but it is a suicidal policy for the grower and a penny wise and pound foolish way of doing business. Even now Maine apples do not stand so well in the Boston markets and in English markets as apples from other States, and Canadian fruit has a much better reputation than Maine. Accordingly Maine apples must be sold at a discount.