20 'Third Annual ilEPont 



time were contributing causes. Prices were satisfactory to the 

 growers. 



Vegetables — Garden crops, I think, were well up to an aver- 

 age with the exception of early potatoes, which dug a very light 

 crop. Gardeners report prices well sustained throughout the 

 season and surplus stock well sold up. The potato crop is one 

 of the short crops of the season, and eating stock is now selling 

 at wholesale at 75c per bushel, with every prospect of higher 

 prices in the near future. Well ripened, free from disease, seed 

 stock will have a quick sale next spring at good prices. 



Spraying- — Spraying of orchard and field crops is now more 

 largely a practice than a few years ago. It has become recog- 

 nized by the best farmers that, as a factor in growing paying 

 crops, it must not be neglected. Spraying with liquids is the 

 general practice, although the dust spray is used in a limited 

 way upon potatoes and small fruits. 



fruit Sections — The best fruit lands of the county are in 

 the west, central and northern towns, the eastern tier of towns 

 are at too high an altitude, located as they are high up upon the 

 main range of the Green Mountains. There is a wide variation 

 in the character of our soils, a strip of light sandy soil extends the 

 entire length of the county on the east, adjacent to the mountain 

 range, in the north northwest portions, heavy clay and clay 

 loams predominate ; in the southwest we have light and heavy 

 slate soils and in the south central section, lime enters largely 

 into the composition of its soils. Under the right conditions all 

 of these soils make good fruit lands ; the heavy soils need drain- 

 age and all thorough cultivation. Slope and altitude are im- 

 portant factors in the location of our orchards. In our section 

 of the Champlain Valley the most reliable bearing orchards are 

 at slight elevations above the Otter Creek and tributary valleys ; 

 I should say from 200 to 600 feet. 



The finest apples shipped from my section of the county 

 were grown in an orchard located at an elevation of 1000 feet 

 above sea level. 



Varieties — The two best winter apples for market are 

 Northern Spy and Rhode Island Greening; they succeed gen- 

 erally throughout the county. Baldwin is less successful. 



In pears, I consider that Anjou leads; and in cherries Mont- 

 morency. 



A few of the recently introduced varieties of fruits that I 

 consider worthy of further trial, I herewith mention : Walter 

 Pease, Scarlet Pippin, Ontario, Jacob Sweet, Quebec Sweet and 

 Milding Apples ; Columbia, Worden Seckle, Rossney, Eastern 

 Belle and Grand Isle Pears; Olivet, Ostheimer and Baldwin 



