STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 99 



" The Wilson Strawberry still maintains the ascendency here as the market berry ; 

 the crop being rather below the average, and selling lower than usual. The acreage 

 will be fully up to the average, and the plants look very fine. 



"All Raspberries have been killed nearly to the ground, by summer drouths, for 

 the last three or four years, so that there are few plantations in this region in good 

 condition. 



^'Blackberries were killed by cold the last two winters ; and this, with the yellow 

 rust, has diminished this crop very much. All varieties seem to suffer about equally. 

 The rust seems to be worst on rolling ground." 



B. PuLLEN, of the same locality, writes : 



"I can give you no new facts about the bitter rot, except that it is rapidly on the 

 increase, and threatens strongly to render our orchards worthless. I still think that it 

 is contagious. I regard the past two seasons as very favoraV^le to its development, being 

 very wet and hot. I will mention another item that may be of interest, and that is, that 

 whenever it makes its appearance on a tree I have never known it to fail to reappear the 

 following season, and the tendency is to get worse and worse. I have observed this for 

 a number of years. 



"The condition of horticulture in Clinton county is anything but promising, if I 

 except the single item of Strawberries. With this exception, I would say it was on the 

 decline. Peach orchards may be said to be very nearly a thing of the past ; ditto. Pears 

 and Cherries. The disposition to rot in Apples and Grapes, together with the low prices 

 that have prevailed^ have produced great neglect on the part of many towards their 

 orchards and vineyards; indeed, some of the latter are being dug up." 



O. B. Nichols, of Carlyle, Clinton county, says : 



" Our Apple trees were nearly all killed five years ago this winter by. freezing, with 

 a few exceptions, and it is a mere question of time with them all going over. The 

 trees of five or six years stood the winter well, and are now in full bearing. The fruit 

 on the young trees is as good as common in this country. The fruit on the old trees, of 

 which we had an abundance, was badly affected with bitter rot. There has been such 

 a surplus of fruit in this county, the last four or five years, that there has been little 

 attention paid to setting out new orchards. 



" Nine-tenths of the Peach trees have been killed during the cold winter of 

 187 1. The new trees that have been set out since then are now bearing, the product 

 of which supplied the local market. 



" Cherries were three-fourths of them killed ; consequently, very little from them. 

 The old Morello is the only fruit of the kind cultivated in the county. 



" The cultivation of Pears is limited in this county, but they bear well, to the 

 amount of trees. > 



" Raspberries. — About every other year Antwerps kill down, but, if cultivated, we 

 usually have a crop. 



" Gooseberries, plenty. 



'■^Strawberries. — Nearly everyone has his strawberry patch; some, their acres. In 

 the eastern part of the county they are cultivated for the Northern market, and pay well. 



" Currants do not do well in this county, and are very little cultivated. 



" Wild Black Dewberries 'wxzhwn^'a.XiCG., and are cultivated to some extent, and 

 bring a high price in the market. 



" Blackberries in abundance, and bring from 25 to 50 cents per bushel. 



" Garden Vegetables of all kinds in abundance, and scarcely pay for raising. 



" Grapes are becoming a decided success, and a large amount of wine is being 

 made ; and home affords a market for surplus product of wine and fruit. Kruit selling 

 from 2 and 4 cents per pound. The unusual amount of wet this summer, and the want 

 of attention in tying up the vines caused the larger amount of them to rot on the 

 vines. 



" Walntits and Hickory Nuts in abundance to winter on. Sold at 25 cents per 

 bushel." 



