nSTDIANA . HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 445 



Mr. Reed: I have a report made out, but I left it at home. I did 

 uot notice this until I got here. I can send it to the Secretary. 



President Stevens: All right. Third Disti-ict. 



Mr. Lindley: I have a report made out, but I hardly think it is full 

 enough, so I wish to retain my report at this time and add more to it. 



President Stevens: I will ask if there are any of the Committee on 

 Horticulture here? Are there any ready to report at this time? 



A. W. Shoemaker, of District No. 8: We can not report much in 

 the way of fruit, as this section is not in the fruit growing district. The 

 land may be adapted to it, but we have not discovered that it is. We are 

 not doing much as far as apple growing commercially is concerned. 



REPORT FROM EIGHTH DISTRICT. 



Lying, as it does midway between the northern and southern apple 

 belts of Indiana and in one of the best corn growing sections of the State, 

 but scant attention is paid in this district to fruit growing, save by a 

 very few. The apple orchards of the early settlers, which in their day 

 bore abundantly of such old-time favorites as Vandever Pippin, Rambo, 

 Belleflower, Smith's Cider, etc., have mostly disappeared or the site is 

 marked by a few straggling trees which seldom bear and are unprofitable 

 and unsightly. New orchards have been put out on many farms, 'tis 

 true, to supply the home, but very seldom is there a man with sufficient 

 courage to attempt a commercial orchard, and they of small dimensions. 

 There is apparently a very general lack of knowledge among farmers 

 of the way to establish and maintain an orchard. 



Some, in fact the majority, who attempt to set out fruit trees are 

 induced to do so by the fruit tree agent. In the interest that he creates 

 and attention called to planting trees the agent may in some sense be a 

 benefactor, but in general he is a much greater curse than a benefactor. 

 He comes to the unsuspecting farmer and with oily tongue expostulates 

 upon the superior merits of his whole root or piece-grafted trees, and with 

 highly colored pictures of new, hardy and wonderfully prolific varieties, 

 excites his wonder and interest. His mouth fairly waters at the recital 

 and prospect of raising such fruit, and while under the influence of the 

 spell the farmer orders a bill of trees fi-om the smooth rascal, which is 

 filled with the cheapest ti'ees h*e can buy from some convenient nursery- 

 man, the trees being labeled to suit the order. The price is usually 

 ridiculously high, often being three to four times the ordinary prices of 

 honest and reliable nurserymen. The agent lures his victim into this 

 deal by deferring a small payment for a year, by throwing in several 

 plants or trees, or contracting to replace all that die, etc. 



