FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 11 



clean culture and a record of costs, alfalfa vs. rye, vetch and other cover 

 crops. 



The Committee held a second meeting at Grand Rapids in Septembei- 

 at which time they met with the State Board of Agriculture. The 

 various projects at the Experiment Farm were gone over and explained 

 in order that they might get a blotter idea of the work carried on there; 

 also the importance of it. Each member of the Committee was called 

 upon to explain his particular line and the things he thought were needed. 

 The State Board also told of some of the things that were troubling 

 them. Among other facts we received was that the Horticultural De- 

 pnrinient had not received all that was coming to them for the reason 

 that the money was generally expended in the direction of the most 

 pressuie. Mr. Farrand informed them that the pressure was coming 

 from the Horticultural interests from now on. 



EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS, C. P. HALLIGAN, PROFESSOR OK FIORTICULTURE, 



MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



There are some very encouraging facts presented in the 1920 census 

 reports that show very promising prospects for Michigan fruits. This 

 is particularl}^ true of apples. In 1909 we had 151,000,000 bearing 

 apple trees, while in 1919 the reports show that the presence of 115,000,- 

 000 or a decrease of 23.8% during the past decade. 1910 also saw 

 about 00,000,000 3'oung apple trees not yet in bearing, while in 192',) 

 the census shows just a few more than 36,000,000 non-bearing trees. This 

 great decrease in number is particularly characteristic of the Middle 

 West although there are fewer trees in practically all of the states, except 

 in the Northwest, than in 1909. Iowa, for instance has lost nearly one- 

 half of her bearing trees; while in Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and I\Iis- 

 soiiri there has also been a startling decrease. Michigan shows a tie- 

 crease of about 2,000,000 bearing apple trees, most of which were prob- 

 ably bearing aj^ple trees on the general farms of southern Michigan. 



These census reports indicate that there should be an increasingly 

 better market for Michigan apples, and that the demand for apples in 

 the future will be in the small towns and farming communities of tlu> 

 Middle West as well as in the larger cities. This general proportion of 

 decrease of bearing trees in the case of apples is quite similar to the 

 present status of other tree fruits and the decrease in bearing trees is 

 particularly marked in the case of peaches. In the opinion of the speaker 

 there was never a time in the history of fruit culture when the prospect= 

 for increasingly better markets were more favorable than at the present 

 time, and that the fruit orchards now in bearing were never more worth> 

 of proper care and good culture than at the present time. 



The experimental projects of the Horticultural Department are based 

 largeh' upon the basic problem of producing more and better fruit on 

 our piesent acreage in Michigan and all problems that are related to this 

 main theme are of interest and importance to us. We are extremely 

 pleased with the services that j^our Experimental Committee are render- 

 ing us in the work we are undertaking, and we hope that each j^ear you 

 will be informed of the work that we are trying to do and of the results 

 of any experiments that are worth reporting at the annual meetings. 



We have at present for experimental purposes 100 acres of land at 

 the Graham Horticultural Experiment Station, fifteen acres at South 

 Haven Experiment Station, and five acres of vineyard that we have 



