REPORT OF STATE HORTICULTURIST. 



1 o the Hon. J. A. Roberts, Commissioner of Agriculture: 



I herewith submit my third annual report as State Horticul- 

 turist, for the year 19 13. 



With the close of the 19 13 fruit season, or at least that part 

 of it which relates to the growing, harvesting and marketiag 

 of apples, we find many results which are of value in drawin;g- 

 our conclusions for the year. The most prominent and proba- 

 bly the most important is the relatively small crop, not only in 

 this state, but through the entire fruit section, which puts at 

 rest, for the present, the constantly increasing fear of overpro- 

 duction. 



Maine, with am estimated crop of 300,000 barrels for ship- 

 ment as against 618,247 barrels for 1912-13, has an approxi- 

 mate shortage of about 50 per cent. The prices for the season, 

 however, have been much larger, averaging almost $2.75 as 

 against $1.50 for the preceding year, so that when the diflfer- 

 ence in the cost of production is deducted the net returns are 

 as good if not better for the grower. Such will undoubtedly be 

 the case where apple storage is good enough for fruit to be 

 held over for the advance in the market price which at present 

 is so surely indicated. A great part of the shortage in produc- 

 tion may be attributed to the extremely cold and long con- 

 tinued stretch of lowery weather at the time of uioom. 



On May i6th, at the Experiment Station at Orono, the ther- 

 mometer registered 26 degrees F., and the average minimum 

 temperature for the month was 38 degrees. In June the lowest 

 temperature was 34 degrees F., with an average minimum tem- 

 perature of 46 degrees. The mean temperature was 51 degrees 

 for May and 61 degrees for June. Cloudy and stormy 

 weather prevailed more or less throughout this period 

 to the detriment of pollenization and setting of fruit. 

 A drouth in most sections during the summer, fol- 



