56 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



clear that not less than 4,000,000 fifth bushel baskets of peaches were ship- 

 ped from that county. I believe 2,000,000 baskets will fully represent the 

 product of peaches for the rest of the state, making a total of six million 

 baskets in all. The crop of 1894 will be from one half to two thirds of 

 this amount, but probably will not equal the latter proportion. 



The season saw a quite unusual appearance of the canker-worm in the 

 apple orchards, a greater one than lies within my recollection. It was 

 prevalent throughout the state in some degree. The most serious ravages 

 were reported from Clinton county, where, within an area eight miles 

 square, or thereabouts, scarcely an orchard escaped. This worm and the 

 scab fungus are the chief sources of injury to the apple trees and their 

 fruit this year. The codlin moth has yielded to arsenical spray, but there 

 is comparatively little harm from this source, even where spraying was 

 not practiced. Probably the two preceding unfruitful years had greatly 

 diminished the numbers of this pest. It is disheartening to read the 

 reports of the prevalence of scab throughout the central and eastern parts 

 of the state; and still more so to learn that so little spraying has been 

 done, despite the manifold and earnest efforts to instruct farmers in this 

 necessary and very simple means of preserving their orchards. There 

 seems to be a general opinion in those sections that apples can be no 

 longer grown in Michigan. In the "fruit belt," the people know better, 

 and the interest and abiding faith in the security and profitableness of 

 horticulture is evidenced in the extensive and constant planting of fruits 

 of all kinds. 



Yellows of the peach tree has developed very strongly everywhere this 

 season, unless it be in the extreme north of the fruit belt, where, if it has 

 yet appeared, the reporters are careful not to mention it. But in Berrien, 

 VanBuren, Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Allegan counties this insidious dis- 

 ease is making great inroads upon the orchards, yet there is no discourage- 

 ment among peachgrowers in consequence. 



The small fruits promised richly, and the strawberries very nearly ful- 

 filled the promise, as did currants and gooseberries; but the others, the 

 blackberries especially, were cut very short by dry, warm weather. 



Grapes were severely harmed by the frost of May 28. While atLawton 

 some vineyards wholly escaped (those on the highest grounds), in many 

 others the fruit was wholly cut off, so that altogether only about thirty 

 per cent, of a crop will be realized. On the whole, not far from sixty per 

 cent, of a full crop will be harvested. The fruit is likely to be of very 

 high quality, for no disease of either fruit or vine is reported, and ravages 

 by the usual insect pests were slight. 



Pears and plums are quoted at from seventy-five per cent, to a full crop 

 and in excellent condition. Many correspondents speak of the excep- 

 tionally fine condition of the pears in their freedom from scab and worms, 

 but blight of the foliage is spoken of in several cases. 



Damage by hail is reported from a number of points, being severest at 

 Ann Arbor and in a narrow strip through the peach orchards of Ganges. 



But, despite all these untoward conditions, there is great hopefulness 

 and determination among horticulturists in all regions where the grow- 

 ing of fruit has become an agricultural specialty. As one reporter 

 expresses it, " The fruitgrowers seem to be the only ones likely to escape 

 the poorhouse this winter." In conclusion of report of a very disastrous 

 season at Ann Arbor, Mr. Bird says: " From the above report the reader 

 may infer that horticulture about Ann Arbor is doomed. As to its prac- 



