INDIANA HOKTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 379 



Mr. Hobbs: On behalf of the Society I wish to thank Mr. Keach for 

 this very valuable paper. 



Mr. Shoemaker: Before he leaves I wish to ask some questions. 



Mr. Keach: J. will be glad to furnish any information I can, as I feel 

 just as much interested in this work as any member of your Society, 

 and on that line want to say this National Association, I mentioned a 

 moment ago, meets along in the summer about first of August, and at 

 their next meeting I will be a little more interested in seeing if I can ar- 

 range for this year book for distribution among your membership, as 

 there is a great deal of very valuable information contained in it. They 

 are especially interested in producing good fruit. 



Mr. Shoemaker: Regarding different parts of Indiana as to adapta- 

 bility to raising apples, a few years ago in this Society the matter was 

 discussed and the State was divided in three different classes, northern 

 classed as fruit and apple region, southern as good apple region, while 

 central part was not so regarded, and even they discouraged apple grow- 

 ing in the central part. I would like to know whether it would be advisa- 

 ble to plant apples in the central part of Indiana. 



Mr. Keach: In different parts of the State there is a difference no 

 doubt in soil. In the northern part of the State I have seen as handsome 

 Baldwins, Greenings, Yellow Bellflowers, Maiden Blush and such va- 

 rieties, as I ever saw anywhere, and they mature late and at proper time. 

 Those same varieties grow well in the southern part of the State, but 

 mature too early before marketable value. I do not think there is a 

 county in the State of Indiana that has proper soil but what is an apple 

 producing county. Do not think the question is so much a question of 

 location in the State as it is proper varieties that will grow and give good 

 results. Take the southern part of the State, it is an established fact 

 that Ben Davis, Winesap, Rome Beauties are good producers as well as 

 Grimes Golden, and there is, I am satisfied, a great opening for the 

 Jonathan apple in the same sections, that is in southei-n counties. I have 

 found Jonathan apples at various times where the owner did not know 

 the name of the apple. That leads me to believe it would be a good 

 producer, and there is no apple grown to perfection that nets better re- 

 sults, as for instance today we are getting from $4.50 to $5.50 for Jona- 

 than, while Ben Davis is selling from $3.50 to $4.00. When I speak of 

 apples I speak of a No. 1 apple. But any quantity of Ben Davis, from 

 neglected orchards, are selling considerably less than that, from $2.50 to 

 $3.00, as bulk of Indiana crop really is No. 2's, but there are cultivated 

 orchards, sprayed and taken care of, that are the exception. I want to 

 call attention to a question of bitter rot. I suppose a good many are 

 familiar with it. It is getting to be quite a serious question. Any county 



