648 BOARD OF- AGRICULTURE, 



REPORT FROM SECOND HORTICULTURAL DISTRICT. 



BY W. C. REED. 



As to general conditions there seems to be considerable improvement 

 in horticultural knowledge, so that the average farmer is paying more 

 attention to spraying, pruning and other important items. However, it 

 will be a long time before Ave will get all to spray and give their trees and 

 plants the care they should have. 



There has not been as much planting done in this locality the past 

 year as there was the year before in friiits, but there is being planted 

 quite a number of timber plats. These are mostly in lots of from 500 to 

 2,000 trees, and are planted mostly for posts. There has been at least 

 200,000 seedlings planted in this one county (Knox) the past season. Ca- 

 talpa and black locust are the varieties planted. I think this one of the 

 best moves that has been started for some time, and will be of great value 

 to each farm in the course of a few years if they are propei'ly cared for. 



Fruit Supply. — There is not one farm in every ten that has enough 

 tree or small fruits to supply his own family— in fact, there are a great 

 many that have no small fruits whatever, claiming they can buy them 

 cheaper than they can grow them, and they do without most of the time. 



There are several commercial orchards in this section that have paid 

 very well the past season. Among these are Hon. W. B. Robinson, who 

 had one of the best crops he has ever raised on his twenty-five-acre apple 

 orchard, this being his third consecutive crop. This orchard is thoroughly 

 sprayed and pruned every year, and the clover mowed, for mulch several 

 times during the summer, being sandy soil with clay subsoil. There is 

 also a twenty-five-acre pear orchard located partly within the city limits 

 of Vincennes. This orchard has had five consecutive crops the past 

 season. There were over (5,000 bushels of Keiffer and Garber pears. This 

 has had only very moderate care and very little pruning, with some spray- 

 ing. The trees have been very healthy from the start and commenced 

 bearing very young. The third summer from setting GOO bushels of fruit 

 were gathered. There arc quite a number of commercial apple orchards 

 around Bicknell, in the upper i>flrt of the county, w'hich have paid very 

 well, but as a rule they have had very little care, although this is one of 

 the best apple sections of the State, especially for Winesaps and apples 

 of that family. 



Land in tliis section of tlie county can bo l)ought for $35 to $40 per acre 

 that is adapted to apples. 



There is very little forward movement as to beautifying school 

 grounds here as yet. but think the time is not far distant, as the country 

 homes and grounds have been iinin-ovcd a great deal during the past few 



