I^S^DIAIS^A HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 505 



HORTICULTURAL REPORT, TENTH DISTRICT. 



The Tenth District is composed of the counties of Laporte, Lake, 

 Newton, Jasper, Starlie, Pulaslvi, White, Benton, Warren and Tippecanoe. 

 The north border is Lake Michigan, and is cut in two by the Kankakee 

 River. The valley of the Kankakee has been a low marsh, mostly covered 

 with water, but the past few years have made a wonderful change in this 

 part of the district. The river was dredged and cut into one deep chan- 

 nel. Land that was nothing, ten years ago, but bogs and the home of 

 the bullfrog, snipe, dogfish and the residence of the hunter and fisher, has 

 been turned into valuiil)le farms that are covered with corn fields, the 

 finest in the State. This land, which fifteen yeari^ ago could be bought 

 for !^2 per acre, is now, much of it, worth from $40 to $75 per acre. This 

 valley and blnck pi'.niric soil found in most of tlio counties, especially 

 Newton, Pulaski, Starke, Benton, Jasper and White, I do not think 

 will ever be a fruit growing section. It is all right for small fruit, Ijut is 

 not the soil adapted to the growing of tree fruits. 



The noi'th tier of counties, including Laporte, Lake and Porter, con- 

 tain soil and conditions that are suited to the growing of all kinds of 

 fruits. This strip runs through the central part of the counties and Is 

 from twenty to twentj-five miles wide. The south shore of Lake Mich- 

 igan and inland three to five miles, in most places a very light sand, is 

 not good for fruit. The climate conditions are not the same on the south 

 side of the lake as on the east, where are located the great peach belt of 

 Michigan. The reverse seems to be the condition, as peaches will not 

 do as well along the south shore of the lake as they will farther inland. 

 We raise better peaches twelve miles south of the lake shore than they 

 do close to it, and get a crop oftener. 



Along that strip of land, which I have described above as being suit- 

 able to fruit culture, there has been in the last ten years considerable 

 advancement. There has been a large number of orchards planted, none 

 on a very large scale, but I believe that they will run up into the hun- 

 dreds that will go beyond an acre or more. There has been an improve- 

 ment in the care of old orcliards, but the improvement along this line has 

 not been as great as it might be. 



E. S. Smith, of Westville, is one of the best apple-growers in the 

 northern part of the district. Ilis orchard is kept in an up-to-date con- 

 dition by proper cultivation and spraying. His apples consist mostly of 

 Prolific Beauty, Baldwins. Jonathan, Northern Spy and a few scattered 

 varieties. He has a cold storage in connection with his orchard and 

 markets most of liis nipples diu-ing tlio smsou at retail, or direct to the 

 storekeeper. 



Dr. O. L. Sutlierland, of Laporte, has the next largest orchard in the 

 northern part of the district. His orchard is not kept in as good a con- 

 dition as it should be. He also has a large orchard of peaches, plums and 

 some pears. 



