506 r.OAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



Wm. M. Waltou, of Laporte, is a new convert to fruit-growing. His 

 orchard is about eight years old. and consists of plums, peaches, pears, 

 cherries, currants and gooseberries, covering about thirty acres. It is in 

 the pinlt of perfection, and several thousand bushels of plums were sold 

 this season. His orchard is an honor to the fruit-growing industry, and 

 a good object lesson. He is an enthusiast of the first class. 



A. J. Barnard, of Porter county, has a large pear, cherry and plum 

 orchard about six years old. He is also quite a small fruit grower. 



Sam B. Wood, of Lake county, postofBce Lottieville, has planted sev- 

 eral hundred fruit trees in the last few years, consisting of apples, cher- 

 ries and peaches. 



James Hamilton and George Biglow, of Porter county, planted 1,000 

 cherries nine years ago. 



There has been several thousand peach trees planted in Laporte 

 county during the past two years. I could continue this list indefinitely, 

 and on the whole I thinlc horticulture in this part of the district has held 

 its own and has made some good advancements. 



I have some thirty acres in orchard and small fruits myself. All have 

 been plantea in the last ten years. The planting of trees and small fruits, 

 in the past ten years which has come under my personal observation will 

 amount to at least 300 acres. Some of these plantings have been a fail- 

 ure on account of the carelessness of the planter. But where the plant- 

 ings have received proper care and cultivation they have proved a val- 

 uable investment,' emphasizing the fact that the soil and climate con- 

 ditions are suitable to fruit gi'owing, if the right man is at the helm. 

 There is no cheap land in this district suitable for fruit growing. Most 

 of the good fruit farms and orchards are on land worth from .$00 to 

 $150 per acre. All the land I am using for fruit growing cost me .$150 

 per acre, without any improvements. Mr. Walton, referred to above, 

 paid $200 per acre for his land. 



I confess I am not personally acciuaiiilod with the southern part of 

 my district, as it is one of those "shoestring" districts, longer than the 

 moral law. and takes in Tippecanoe county, the seat of the best school 

 in the State, and also the home of more State officers than any other 

 county in the State, and the home of our friend, .). M. Zion. ot Clarks Ilili. 

 an apple grower of State and national reputation; a man we are proud 

 of having in our district. While I never had the pleasure of visitinsr or 

 seeing his orchard, I am sure that it is kept up-to-date and an excellont 

 example for horticulturists to follow. Most of us have had the pleasure 

 of seeing his apples at our meetings and at the State Fair, and witliout 

 his assistance at tlie World's Fair one of the best parts of the display 

 would have been lacking. Taking out the Kankakee marsh, the Lake 

 Micliignn sand knolls and the prairie land of the district. I am safe In 

 saying that the Tenth District can make as good a showing as any other 



