502 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



There are some paying orchards here, but land is too high priced to 

 offer inducements to fruit growers, the price ranging from $40 to $100 

 per acre. 



Berries and small fruits which seldom fail and always pay well are 

 grown commercially, but not as much as should be. 



The only hope for a change is in educating the rising generation by 

 teaching agriculture, etc., in the public schools. 



EVAN B. DAVIS. 

 Plaintield. 



REPORT FROM SIXTH DISTRICT. 



Richmond, Ind., December 6, 1904. 



To the Indiana State Horticultural Society: 



Your committee from the sixth congressional district begs leave to 

 make its second annual report as follows: 



I have not taken the privilege to visit other counties of my district, 

 but to take Wayne County as an average the general conditions of horti- 

 culture have not been as good as former years, and especially last year, 

 the late, cold spring caused much of the fruit buds to miscarry, even 

 where there was an abundance of bloom. The apple crop generally was 

 small, knotty, wormy, and inclined to rot on the tree, even the Ben Davis 

 was hardly worth picking. Farmers mostly have just orchard enough for 

 their own use, and taKC but little care of them. Time in their crops is 

 too precious during spraying season for that work. I am not aware of 

 many new orchards being set out. No doubt a systematic order of spray- 

 ing would help clear the knotty and wormy ones. While our own apples 

 are poor, the markets are full of as fine apples as ever grew, and cheap, 

 ranging from fifty to seventy-five cents a bushel. They come mostly 

 from the north. Pears fared much as the apple, except the Kioffer, which 

 were fine and in abundance. The blight played havoc with most of our 

 trees. 



Peaches not much good. Last winter was too cold and the buds were 

 killed. Wayne County and the Sixth District never had such a crop of 

 plums as the past season, both in quality and quantity. The curculio 

 seemed to sit back in awe of the big crop and did not bother it much. 



As to smaller crops, the strawberry took on a second bloom and made 

 a full average crop of first-class berries. Dry weather set in and spoiled 

 the prospects of a fine raspberry and blackberry crop. 



The farmers generally are not so well supplied with fruits as they 

 should be. It is not the fault of the soil.' neither so much in the climate, 

 as piu'e neglect and carelessness in the farmers themselves. Those that 

 liave orchards or fruit of any kind adapted to tliis cliniato. where 

 they put their lienrt and time to the work make a success. Mr. Dougherty 



