20 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



one peach crops, and most of the other trees in that orchard have out- 

 grown their usefulness. Now that was my old tree, and I have left it 

 because it was loaded down with fruit and always bears big peaches. 

 Every year some man has asked me if he might pick off that tree and 

 by keeping check on it I have a record of what it produces. Two years 

 ago nineteen bushels were picked off that one tree. Now I want to ask 

 you, is not that tree Avorth more to me to propagate from than another 

 tree that does not yield so profusely. I have tried to find out what made 

 that tree better than the other ones, but there does not seem to be any- 

 thing to indicate that it is better except that it does produce fruit. So 

 when I am budding I use these trees just as far as I can and I think 

 this is the principle that we should work on when we plant our orchards. 



President Farrand — I am glad for these good suggestions from one 

 of our peach growers and I am very sure that they are sound and can 

 be safely followed. Mr. Bassett has a Avord to say before we close this 

 session. 



Mr. Bassett — Across the road is the fruit show of Mason county. In 

 the automobile garage two blocks away is a display of spraying machin- 

 ery, and it is hoped that every one interested in any way will make it 

 convenient to visit the place. 



IMPRESSIONS ON APPLE GROWING IN DIFFERENT STATES. 



HENRY WALLER^ CHARLEVOIX. 



I wish to consider briefly these states in regard to apple growing: 



Illinois, Virginia, Oregon and Michigan. 



Illinois, my native state, ranks among the first in number of apple 

 trees planted. In her apple production, however, during the last few 

 years, Illinois has fallen off badly and does not today rank high among 

 the great apple producing states. The reason for this seems to be that 

 of late years the weather conditions have been most adverse at bloom- 

 ing time. This has had a discouraging effect on many of the growers. 

 There are among them, men of strong courage who take a hopeful view 

 of the situation and believe that a changing cycle of years will bring 

 favorable weather while the trees are in blossom. 



The great apple belt of the state extends across the state from east 

 to west about as far north as Springfield and as far south as Oentralia. 

 In this region some of the soil types are coin])aratively poor. Too poor 

 to make good farming lands without being built up by careful treat- 

 ment and the addition of fertilizers. On the silt and clay soils apple 

 trees grow well. In this section apples are grown on a large scale. 

 Orchards of from 60 to 200 acres being not uncommon. Ben Davis is 

 the chief variety grown and although it usually sells at a low figure, it 

 is such a productive variety and finds such a congenial home here that 

 it usually pays the orchardist well. Jonathan and Grimes Golden both 

 succeed admirably in the apple belt and in other parts of the state 

 and are largely grown. In the extreme south part of the state the Wine- 

 sap does well and has been extensiA^ely planted. Illinois apples of qual- 



