STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 87 



loses its bright green and assumes a faded brown, is no b)nger attract- 

 ive, and in the nuirket is passed by for some other variety. (Juite a 

 number of gentlemen have told us they had discarded it for this 

 reason. 



All around Alton the planting of peach trees still continues, and 

 on some farms quite extensively. This is the more remarkable when 

 it is renieml)ered that the past was the third consecutive failure of 

 the peach crop. The planting of trees under such circumstances is 

 conclusive proof of an abiding faith in that fruit. The wisdom of 

 this is at once conceded. Fruit growers must look ahead a series of 

 years, have faith in their business, and plant with confidence. 



The year's sliipi)iug from Cobden, with the exce})tion of apples, 

 peaches and cherries, has been about an average one. It was an off 

 year with the apples, and the crop has been light. Last winter's cold 

 destroyed the peach prospect, thus making the third consecutive 

 failure. 



The question now forcing itself upon the attention of the peach 

 men is ; Will the trees, after three years of such hardship, be in a fit 

 condition to bear a crop when the season permits them to do so? 

 Old trees will be three years older than when they last bore, and 

 three years is a long period in the life of a peach tree. Peach wood 

 is never very strong, and goes to decay very rapidly, especially under 

 three as cold winters as the })ast. In consequence of repeated fail- 

 ures, a large portion of the peach land was withdrawn from peaches 

 and given to small fruits. But when the entire South began plant- 

 ing strawberries in such an exceedingly liberal manner, many of our 

 growers plowed up their strawberries in turn, and planted the land 

 to the two crops that are now the staples, viz., sweet potatoes and 

 tomatoes. 



The cro]i of the former is estimated at 25,()(HI busiiels, and will 

 be forwarded to market during the winter in refrigerator cars. Of 

 tomatoes, the two shipping societies have shipped 262,000 one-third 

 bushel boxes; by refrigerator, 11,000 more, making a total of 27:5,- 

 OOO boxes, exclusive of those shipped by express. This amount 

 would be in round numbers about 91,000 bushels. 



The pear crop is seldom an entire failure. Death by blight is 

 constantly decreasing the nunil)ers of l)earing trees, and about 

 enough are planted each year to take their places. A consideral)le 

 portion of the crop this season was marketed in small barrels hold- 

 ing about one-half the usual size. It is the principal package used 

 by the Western New York growers, and seems to be steadily grow- 

 ing in favor with all who have tried it. There have been shipped 

 from this point this year about 450 cars, containing about eleven 

 million pounds of fruit and vegetal)les. 



Competition has l)een very great and prices low. California, 

 the Middle aiul Southern States, have all poured in a flood of fruit 

 upon Chicago, ami we hope that prices have reached their lowest. 



