44C Report of Farmers' Institutes 



much of Ontario County and extends into northern Livingston 

 and northern Wyoming and Genesee. 



5. New York's most favorable fruit section is what is known, 

 as the Ontario shore. This embraces Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, 

 and Wa}Tie, with the portion of Oswego County lying nearest the 

 lake. Not only are soil conditions well adapted to fruit growing, 

 but the influence of the lake upon the climate makes it, all things 

 considered, the fruit region of the state, the first four counties 

 producing more fruit than any four states in the Middle West. 



GENERAL CONDITIONS 



In order that we may get a clear idea of the industry as a whole, 

 I present to you the following figures taken from the last census, 

 which shows a decrease in bearing trees in the United States since 

 the census of 1900 of 23.4 per cent. The 1900 census does not 

 show trees under bearing age. In the last census 23.6 per cent of 

 the farms reported showed 65,792,000 trees not of bearing age, 

 indicating heavy plantings during the decade. If we assume that 

 the 1900 census includes all trees, whether of bearing age or not, 

 we have an increase in the decade of 7.5 per cent. 

 * The Government divides the country into nine different sections. 

 The six where horticulture is of any importance are : 



1. East North Central, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michi- 

 gan, and Wisconsin. These states show an increase in the decade 

 of 14,000,000 trees. 



2. West North Central, including Iowa, IMissouri, North and 

 South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. In this section the trees 

 decreased approximately 11,500,000. 



3. South Atlantic section, including Delaware, Maryland, Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, the two Virginias, North and South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Florida. This section fell off nearly 5,000,000 trees. 



4. Middle Atlantic section, made up of three states — NewYork, 

 New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Here the bearing trees decreased 

 over 8,000,000 — New York about 3,500,000. Much of this was 

 due to the going out of many old trees on account of age and the 

 ravages of the San Jose scale. Prior to 1900, there was a long 

 period where very few trees were planted. Nevertheless, this ' 

 division, with a much smaller area, reported nearly as many trees 



