Getting the scoop [Private][Appleoosa]

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer was slightly impressed that Max was walking so straight after hitting the bottle so much; the stallion had a well-trained liver, it seemed. Or perhaps it was something in the Western air that did it. Well, he'd find out eventually. the reporter walked out beside the tycoon, down the stairs, into the open air.

"Right, so, where does Braeburn usually begin?" He asked, keeping track of the answers, though his notebook was put away. If he needed to do a piece on the town, it couldn't hurt to get some slice-of-life stuff.

[Bannhammer]

Years of recreational drinking, including the odd depression fueled binge, had conditioned Max’s liver quite well. His step didn’t falter or waver, though he did feel a bit light headed. Nothing he couldn’t handle, though, as they left the estate and trotted out onto the dusty streets.

“Well, I will leave it up to you. We can visit the orchards, get a look at the new train station, or even get an eagle’s eye view of the railroad itself. Usually Braeburn likes to show off his pride and joy, the Orchards.”

[Blueblood]

It didn't take long for Earth Writer to make his decision. "I should like to see the orchards first. After all, they're pretty much what the town was built around." The unicorn was getting more chatty, now that he was no longer just an interviewer. "I was actually born near here, in Dodge City, but I grew up in a small heartland town, Ponyville. It was pretty much founded around its orchards too; in fact, most of the trees from here actually came from stock grown at Sweet Apple Acres, if I recall correctly."

He gave a slightly sheepish smile, aware that he was only a few steps away from acting like a guide to Max! "Eh, I'm actually a geographer by training; I look at the world by trying to get a hold of why things are where they are, you know? What a town is founded on affects where it is, which subsequently affects what it is."

[Bannhammer]

“Very good... it’s nice to meet somepony who knows the town history. I read up on it myself before I got here, though now I take a genuine interest in it. You can’t hope to become part of a community if you don’t understand its roots.”

The stallion made his way down the dusty road, not wasting much time. He knew the best route to the vantage point, the spot that gave the best view of the large orchards. As they walked, Maximilian offered waves and nods to passerby, sometimes giving a simple hello or good day to the ponies of Appleoosa.

“Shouldn’t be much farther now...” he muttered, noting the dwindling number of buildings and trees peeking over the horizon.

Finally, he gave a small grunt of satisfaction and picked up the pace. With a triumphant look he took his spot on an outcropping of rock, overlooking the acres and acres of apple trees. A faint glow reflected off of the plants, thanks to the slowly setting sun. As far as the eye could see, green leaves and red fruit dotted the landscape; truly a breathtaking sight.

“Here we are! The pride and joy of Appleoosa: The Apple orchards. Such a sight, eh? The land of plenty nestled within the harsh desert, soon to be providing apples for the continent thanks to a new railroad!”

[Blueblood]

"You can’t hope to become part of a community if you don’t understand its roots.”

When Earth Writer heard Max say those words, he couldn't help himself; the journalist broke out laughing. "A fine statement, sir, but rather odd from a stallion who not half-an-hour before professed an utter contempt for all tradition and history, is it not?" He tried not to sound like he'd just sprung a trap on the guy, because he really wasn't debating now. Still, the unicorn did believe that tradition and history were important, and now his companion had just admitted their practical use.

From the happy greetings they exchanged with passers by, Earth estimated that Max was fitting in rather well. Upon arriving at the orchards, he gave an appreciative whistle. "A real sight for sore eyes, as they say. How did they find this place, I wonder? Was there a spring, or did somepony know where to dig for the aquifer?"

[Bannhammer]

Max rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, a slight blush overtaking his cheeks.

“Ah well, uh... in some circumstances, exceptions must be made, no? I tend to get a little impassioned sometimes and exaggerate a little.”

Earth was quick to move on, which Max appreciated. Soon enough he was asking questions about the origins of the orchards.

“It’s that Earth Pony magic, I reckon. Braeburn has a fantastic aptitude for scouting out the best soil. They tell me that all they needed was some common sense and a few dowsing sticks to find all the water they’d ever need for all these trees. I don’t doubt them, mainly because I’ve seen their abilities with my own eyes, but also because you learn quickly to trust an Appleloosan. Trust is more important than any source of water in this town.”

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer only briefly wondered if he should push the point; after all, when Max actually had to live in a place, he knew how important its traditions and history were. Further enlightenment would come in time. Meanwhile, there was a fine view of orchards to take in. The smell of apples and apple blossoms was carried over to the unicorns on the breeze, and the journalist took a huge breath of the sweet-smelling air.

"That's true for any town small enough, really. When everypony knows everypony, it doesn't pay to be secretive or deceptive. So it was where I grew up, anyhow." He looked nostalgic for a moment or two, but then had to laugh. "Of course, that doesn't make it a very interesting place to be a journalist; either you're writing what everypony already knows, or you're intruding too much on matters that are really private. Besides, I always wanted to see the world ever since I was a foal, and now I am."

The tan stallion began to edge forward, looking for a good route down. "I'd like a closer look, actually. I want to see if these orchards are laid out any differently than in Ponyville. Heck, might meet one of the tenders, too; are they out at this time?"

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian himself took a whiff of the sweet air, sighing pleasantly. The orchards were, and always had been, his favorite part of the town. Even before he decided to work with the ponies, he respected their gumption and ability to overcome the odds.

"Such an attitude was foreign to me, I must admit. Being raised in the boardooms of Manehattan doesn't give one much trust in the idea of trust, if you catch my drift. My job was to scrutinize, detest, and expect the worst of every pony I came across. Thankfully, I don't have to be like that here. Though some habits die hard.

Max took a few steps back, before walking down the hill beside the outcropping. "Shall we take a closer look, then? I don't believe any of the tenders are out right now, or at least not in this part of the orchard. I've learned a few tricks though, as everypony in this town does."

[Blueblood]

"Alright then, let's go!" Calling out in a cheery voice, Earth Writer trotted down the path into the orchards proper, with Max trailing behind. The reporter was surprisingly sure-footed on the steep road, but then, his mother was an earth pony. In a few minutes, he'd reached the bottom, and was happily observing the trees.

"Hm, the layout's pretty similar, actually. I guess it makes sense; since a the original settlers came from the Heartland. Not that I would know if there actually was a better layout than this for the area; maybe it has to do more with the trees than the land." He shrugged, looking up at the blossoms in the branches. "Ironically, I know a bit more about the growing of grapes than apples; comes with studying wines I suppose."

[Bannhammer]

"The original settlers were very particular in their arrangement. It's a happy coincidence that the water table and sun allows for this set up. The trees are of a sturdy stock, though i've heard we might be growing some other varieties in order to test the waters, so to speak. Red Delicious and Granny Smiths take up the majority of the crop, with golden delicious taking up a slim minority. Hopefully we can get some Sundances, Fujis, maybe even some Braeburns, though it all depends on the time of year and such. It might not be so profitable to have parts of the field be inactive during different parts of the harvest season..."

Max scratched his chin with a hoof, pondering an idea.

"I used to be a wine stallion myself, a pony grigio or marelot does a world of good with a nice meal. You seem to be a pony of many trades, mister Earth Writer. Any other ventures you'd care to share, since I'm being so open with you?"

[Blueblood]

Earth actually had to stifle a bit of laughter from Max's last remark. "It really doesn't matter, you know. You're still only going to get one crop per tree per year; I don't know if it's more potentially profitable to glut the market all in one harvest season, but I can't help but think it more prudent for a settlement relying on them for food to have a variety available, to hedge against weather risks and have more fresh fruit available. Still, Red Delicious and Granny Smith are harvested in the summer and winter, respectively; so that's all right. Still, there's probably a varietal best suited to the climate here; that's how it works for most fruits."

The reporter then realized he'd infodumped all over his host's head, which caused him to rub the back of his own a little nervously. "Uh, yeah, I guess I picked up a few things from living in Ponyville. I wanted to know why it seemed that every season was Applebucking season, and I found out. I'm good at remembering facts, which is partly why I got into the job I did." He shrugged at Max's question about his other trades. "It's not so much that I'm a jack of all trades so much as a master of one, Geography. It's just that as a field, it's connected to pretty much anything else that happens on the surface of Equestria. Specialization broadens instead of narrows.

"As for wines," He said, turning around, "I'd love to talk with you about grape varietals and such on the way back to the town; I like being able to talk about them without being thought a bore or a snob."

[Bannhammer]

“Ah, I was unaware of such things. It seems I have a bit to learn about apple trees. Though most of my responsibilities lay in the financial operation of things. Maybe a few days in the orchards could be of some use, unfortunately unicorns don’t seem to do much here in Appleloosa in regards to the orchard.”

Maximilian didn’t mind the infodump, and simply nodded at Earth’s confession. It seemed that the writer was a naturally bright stallion, and Max was glad to have found him for this partnership.

“That makes sense. Being knowledgeable in one area can lead to proficiency in others. Economics is my forte, and so metallurgy is interesting to me. Gold, Silver, valuable gems, I try to keep up to date on modern studies of such things.”

“Wine, too, is something I am rather interested in. Though I’ve yet to find a pony willing to talk about it. Most think of it as snobby or rude rather than interesting, especially when one gets into blends of grapes and the fruit behind the magic.”

“I do wish we could eventually grow grapes out here, though I strain to imagine which kind could flourish in such an environment.”

[Blueblood]

"Oh, really?" Earth Writer asked brightly as his host mentioned an interest in metallurgy and the more specialized kinds of mineralogy. "I suppose there's some work being done in finding non-decorative uses for them, but I've never looked into it much."

They were just climbing up out of the orchard now, and could view the valley whole and complete before them again. It was unique, in that there wasn't much in the way of hills in the eye's range; just rocky buttes visible in the distant deserts. "Grapes actually do best in marginal soils, which is good, since it leaves the fertile ground for staple crops. You need well-drained soil, too, stony or sandy ground makes the roots grow deep, which is what you want. Since irrigation allows you to control how much water they get, you could actually grow vines here. As for making wine ready grapes, though..."

It took a while for the reporter to file through the miscellaneous facts he's gathered in his mind, while he sat pondering the landscape. "Most of the so-called noble grapes won't grow here, of course. Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Noir would probably just die in the heat, and the rest would get dried out. Tempranillo grapes could grow here; you can make very good reds with them." The unicorn shrugged. "Look into the lesser known varieties, I guess. I'd only start planting vines if you wanted wine, not money. This isn't a good place for a large-scale operation."

[Bannhammer]

“Well, gold and silver serve as the backbones of many economies. It pains me to see ponies use such things as decorations or jewelry.”

Such discussions were better saved for a different time, though, and Max turned his attention back to the idea of growing wine in Appleloosa.

“I’ve visited a few vineyards, though my attempts to invest in wine making never got anywhere. If we were able to grow some grapes here; however, it may provide yet another useful crop for the town.”

“While it might not carry much economic weight on a small scale, it’s always good for tourism and prestige for a town to boast its very own winery.”

Maximilian shrugged, looking out towards the horizon. It could be a worthwhile investment, though it surely would take a back seat to his more prominent work. More of a guilty pleasure than anything else.

“Well, such a thing warrants more discussion, and a lot more consideration. I’d have to take it up with Braeburn, not to mention the rest of the town. What say we head back to town? There’s more to see in town than just the orchards.”

[Blueblood]

Winking one eye, Earth Writer tried to envision the landscape of Appleoosa, growing greener with the twisted shapes of grapevines. It was something of an antithesis to the whole effect; vineyards spoke of tradition and old settlements, and this was a frontier town on the edge of the Painted Pinto Desert. Still, to plant vines was a promise of permanence, something that Braeburn would perhaps appreciate.

"Well, you can count on me for a written testimonial, if it ever comes to that. For now, lets see the rest of the town. Anything new and exciting going up on Main Street?"

[Bannhammer]

“Feh, Main street is mostly under construction. Nothing huge, mostly renovations. Trying to keep it looking like it always has, just more weather proof and with a hint of modernity. Nothing that the townsfolk had not approved of.”

Max walked rather slowly, not in anything resembling a hurry.

“I certainly hope the interview was good enough to print. Though, Mister Earth Writer, send a copy to my people before you print. We’d like to go over it before publication.”

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer could see the truth of Max's words as they approached the Main Street of the town. It didn't look as if anything particularly out-of-place was there, besides some construction scaffolding, and there was something charming to that for him. He remarked on this to his companion as they pass by. "Don't you think its a pity sometimes, when they take the scaffolding down? I don't know why, but I think theres some actual aesthetic merit to the thing, sometimes. At any rate, to be able to state that something is a work in progress without shame is definitely a virtue." And he gave a significant smile to Max, who would no doubt appreciate the parallel.

The tan unicorn's countenance grew more serious as they went along, however, and more professional matters were being discussed. "I believe everything will be fine, but its not up to me who gets to see it before print day, but the editor. I'm not exactly an officer in our printer's regiment. In any case, if you had one of your people on the spot rather, the editor would be more likely to keep your considerations in mind, out of your respect for his print deadlines." There was nothing serious or dangerous in his voice this time; it wasn't a point of honor that was holding the tycoon's wishes up, but rather one of policy. This could be negotiated, though Earth Writer himself could promise little.