STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT FROM THE FIRST DISTRICT. 



J. S. Rogers reported for the First District as follows : 



■ Mr. President : 



I will open my report by giving the "mean temperature" for the 

 months of November, December, January and February, of 1873-74-75 

 and '76, as recorded by John W. James, Marengo, III., "Volunteer 

 Observer," Signal Service, U. S. Army: 



The winter of 1875-6 was the mildest we have had in several years, 

 and the preceding summer was not as dry as the two former seasons, the 

 ground being drenched with copious rains at short intervals. These two 

 causes were directly, or indirectly, the reason of so large a crop of fruit 

 all over the country. As far as I can learn, in every direction, there has 

 not been so large a yield of apples in years — so much so that they are 

 almost a drug in the market. The soil and location did not seem to cut 

 any figure in the amount of the crop, although in orchards on cleared 

 timber land the fruit dropped badly, owing to a drouth in the month of 

 August. The fruit was of good size and sound in most cases, e.xcept 

 where affected by Codling Moth. From present appearance apples are 

 not likely to keep over the winter, and any one who is successful in 

 getting the crop through till April and May will doubtless find a ready 

 market and good prices. 



The cherry trees blossomed full, but were blasted by an east wind, 

 that continued several days, just at the time of the "setting" of the fruit, 

 so that the crop was next to nothing. 



Small fruits were nothing to boast of, although strawberries and rasp- 

 berries did tolerably well, and fruit of good quality. Plums gave prom- 

 ise of a good crop, but were cut short by Curculio. Grapes promised 

 well during the earlier part of the season, but wet weather in September 

 caused them to rot badly on the vines, and prevented them from matur- 

 ing their fruit. I would add, in this connection, that the Concord is the 

 standard variety with us. 



On the sixteenth of March last we were visited with a heavy rain, 

 that froze as fast as it fell, covering everything with ice, so much so that 

 trees one to one and one-half inches in diameter were laid flat on the 

 ground. You can judge something of it when I state that limbs no 

 larger than a pencil, when covered with ice, would "calipre" one and a 

 quarter inches, and sections of telegraph wire twelve rods long, broken 

 down by the weight of ice, weighed 360 pounds. This caused consider- 



