INDIAXA lIOimCUI.TURAL SOCIKTV. 4:35 



It was moved ;ni(l seconded that this resohilioii lie adniilcd, and 

 it Avas adopted. 



President Stevens: Tlie next tliiny- will be "Coumiereial Ajiple (Jrow- 

 ing in Indiana, As It Is and As It Can Be." I see that Mr. Grossman 

 is not present, so we will talie the next one on this sub eot. Mr. Swaim, 

 are you ready to talk to us? 



Mr. Swaini: Mr. ['resident, Ladies and (Jentlemen— I hardly expected 

 to discuss this topic; in fact I made what I considered a .yood and 

 sufficient excuse to our Secr(>tary when he asked me 1o take part in 

 tliis. and I suppcsod that he had granted my prayer in tlic matter 

 until the program came (int. and I tlien found ont that he had put 

 uie on for a talk on this subject. At this time I had considerable other 

 work on hand that it was positively necessary for me to do. and 1 did 

 not have the time that I could devote to gathering statistics and facts 

 on this line that 1 wniUd havi" liked to present a paper liefore this 

 Society, and so Avhat I have to say is simply a talk in a general way 

 on the conditions existing in this State. 



This subject is of vast importance, not only to the horticulturist, 

 but to every citizen of the State as well, and is a subject worthy of 

 consideration in every land, to every landowner, and which should at- 

 tract the attention of capital. In the market reports of the country we 

 see quoted Michigan apples. New York apples, Missouri apples, etc., 

 but Indiana apples are not mentioned. We cut a sorry figure in making 

 up the totals of tlie apple yield of the country. Nevertheless, we do 

 grow some apples, and apples that we have no reason to be ashamed 

 of when they get away from home. The farmer plants an orchard 

 primarily to secure a supply of fruit for family use, and if in favorable 

 seasons this orchard should produce a surplus he is willing to put them 

 on the market, but commercial apple orchards in Indiana today are 

 the exception and not the rule. There is but little territory in Indiana 

 where the apple can not be properly grown if properly cared for, ami 

 there are extensive areas wiiich l)y nature seem to have been made 

 purposely for apple growing, .-ind we persist in trying to grow wheat 

 and corn upon these areas. 1 refer to the liilly and broken land of 

 the southern portion of llie State, and in a more limited area in the 

 extreme northern part, ^^■ilh a soil exceptionally well adapted to the 

 apple, they offer ail the advantages of elevation and good air drainage 

 to be gained or obtained anywhere. In the northern district the summit 

 of the elevation consists of a range of hills extending through the 

 counties of Steuben, Lagrange, Elkliart, St. .Tosepli and Laporte, and 

 gradually descending to the soufli. Tlie soutliern distri«t is much mori- 

 extensive and comjirises the greater part of tlie soutliern third of the 

 State. The portion of the State least adapted to api)le growing is the 

 low prairie land in the northwest. In fact this is about the only consid- 



