14 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



Iforc fruit-trees, it is also sai<J, are raised in Monroe county, New York, than in all the 

 Unite. J States besides, and these find a market in every district from Maine to the interior 

 of California. Indeed, throughout the whole of HTestern New York, fruit is rabidly becoming 

 one of the staple productions. Both climate and soil have proved highly favorable to in 

 Cultivation, Apples, pears, peaches, plums, quinces, and all the smaller fruits are produced 

 in the highest perfection, and, if we except peaches, which of late have been somewhat un- 

 certain, the crops very seldom fail. Besides, there exists the most ample facilities for mar- 

 keting thai could possibly be desired. One reason which has greatly contributed to extend 

 the cultivation of fruit in Western New York is, that the wheat crop — the great staple of this 

 region — is annually diminishing in value on account of the extensive ravages of the weevil. 

 Hundreds of acres, which have formerly been devoted to wheat-culture, have, daring the past 

 n. in t ho Genesee Valley, been planted with rye. In addition, the rivalry and g reate r 

 productiveness of the Western States, brought into close proximity by the increased facH 

 for intercommunication, have rendered the wheat crop of Western New York less profitable 

 than in former years. On all these accounts, therefore, many of the New York agricultm 

 have latterly given their attention, with great profit and success, to fruit-growing ; and in Qua 

 reaped the "Genesee country" has become already famous. For the purpose of extending 

 knowledge and promoting the production of fruit, a society has been recently organised, 

 under the title of "The Fruit-Growers' Society of Western New York," which announces its 

 object to be " the advancement of the science of pomology and the art of fruit-culture." It 

 embraces the twenty-three western counties of the State of New York, and in each county 

 there is appointed a committee of three persons, selected from among the most intelligent, 

 experienced, and zealous cultivators of fruit. These twenty-three county committees unitedly 

 form one general committee, which has a chairman, who will receive all their reports an 1 

 prepare them for publication at the end of the year. By way of suggesting s course of in- 

 quiry to the local committees, and also for the purpose of facilitating the work of making up 

 reports, the chairman of the general committee has issued a circular in which the more im- 

 portant subjects for inquiry are brought forward in the form of questions, thus : 



]. About how much land, in your county, is there occupied with fruit-trees? 2. About 

 how many fruit-trees are there under cultivation in your county, exclusive of nurseries? and 

 lew many of these are apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry, &c. ? 3. What would you estimate 

 the annual produce of fruit to be in your county, in bushels or other given quantities? and 

 how does the culture of frnits compare with ordinary field crops, as to profit? 4. What 

 quantity of fruits are sold annually from your county, and their value per bushel, barrel, 

 &c? 6. How many nurseries Of fruit-trees arc there in your county? how many acre- of 

 land do they occupy'.' and about how many trees of the ditl'ercnt fruit" have they under 

 cultivation '.' 



It i- also required, or recommended in the Society's by-laws, that each county committee 



Shall report, U often as Once ■ month, such information ai may have been collected during 

 that period. These monthly report- have been recommended on the ground that when the 

 preparation of a report is postponed to the end of the year, it is either done hurriedly and 

 b.o-els, or it is not done at all ; whereas ■ lew notes during a month can be written out in a 

 few minutCS, and, being fresh in thS memory, will DC much more likely to be correct. This 



strikes oi favorably, and i- at lead worthy i trial. One tiling it will do tor ti. 



who put it in praetiec, and that i-. it will give them, what is of great value, a habit of ob- 



sei \ inj.' matters of Interest olosely, and of putting on record useful and interesting (acts con- 



00] nine; their daily affairs. Hou negligent the mass Of mankind are in thi* respect I 



In addition to the minute practical investigations of this genera] committee, the Society 



intend- to hold annual 0] niual meetings, fOT the exhibition, examination, and corn- 



on of fruits; to hear re p o r t s , and di h matters as may at the tune be deemed 



of most Importance. These meetings are to be held alternately la all she large town-, u 



Rt accessible point-, within the twenty-three counties. 



recent meeting of thii Society, If. P. Barry, oheirmen of the fruit committee- in the 



several COUntiCS, Stated it IS his opinion, derived frOSB thS return! made him. that there are 



year thoutand want <-\ Durserj embi toed within the twenrj three counties covered by the 



