514 ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



A brief review of the minutes of our monthly meetings may be 

 of interest to the growers. In January an exchange of experiences 

 brought out three important points in the handling of an apple 

 crop. 



First. That the growers should buy and take home an abundant 

 supply of barrels as early in the season as they can make an approx- 

 imate estimate of the crop. This furnishes an opportunity to have 

 hoops nailed up on rainy days and insures against any delay at pick- 

 ing time such as has often resulted in serious loss and is always an 

 annoyance. Should fruit be sold on the trees the barrels will be 

 wanted by the purchaser. Care should be exercised to specify and 

 insist that barrel marker delivers only standard barrels of not less 

 than the following dimensions, namely: length of stave, 28^ inches, 

 diameter of heading 17^ inches, distance between heads 26 inches, 

 circumference of bilge 64 inches, outside measurement. 



Second. That there is much advantage in having a good supply 

 of empty crates into which cull apples may be placed when sorting, 

 same to be hauled to a convenient shady place. This second class 

 Iruit can thus be readily shown to prospective purchasers and hauled 

 to evaporator or railroad without rehandling. 



Third. That it pays well to allow small and green fruit to hang 

 a week or ten days after red fruit is picked, making a second picking. 



February Meeting. A good succession of apples for a home orchard 

 in this latitude would be Yellow Transparent, Early Ripe, Bachelor's 

 liiush. Summer Rambo, Wealthy, Smokehouse, Baldwin, Grimes 

 Golden, Rome Beauty, Stayman and York Imperial. 



Drop handled half-bushel baskets are much preferred to bags for 

 packing apples that are liable to bruise. 



March. Planting of locust groves on steep unprofitable slopes 

 and other waste land was advocated. A legislative committee was 

 appointed and requested to collect information regarding laws of 

 this and other states bearing on our business. 



April. A lengthy paper on fungous diseases was read and dis- 

 cussed and the great importance of keeping foliage and fruit con- 

 stantly protected against fungus was strongly emphasized, Bor- 

 deaux Mixture being as yet the most successful remedy. 



The June meeting was devoted to consideration of fruit reports 

 and prices. Members submitted estimates of their own crops as a 

 basis for the county report. 



July, The Legislative Committee made a lengthy report of fruit 

 package laws in various states which indicated a great lack of uni- 

 formity which is greatly to be deplored from the standpoint of Inter- 

 state commerce. There seems to be no adequate law in this State 

 for protecting fruit growers against dishonest commission mer- 

 chants. 



The matter of suitable cover crops claimed considerable atten- 

 tion at July meeting, crimson clover receiving the most enthusiastic 

 support. II should be sown during latter half of July and, when 

 allowed to ntand the next spring, will frequently reseed itself, thus 

 making a very desirable cover crop for those who wish to employ 

 intensive cultivation during the first half of the year, in which the 

 orchard bears its full crop and allow the orchard to stand in sod- 

 until the next full crop year. 



