FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 27 



ity have a good re])ntation in the market. Like New York and Michi- 

 gan apples, they have a liigli flavor, good size and fine color. Apple 

 trees in Illinois are not long lived. At abont twenty-five to thirty years 

 they usnally cease to produce profitably. Trees are commonly pruned 

 to "the vase form. Comparatively low heads being the rule. They do 

 not grow as large as the trees of New York or Michigan. Illinois, 

 although not generally recognized as a great fruit state, has some of the 

 finest orchards in the country. In Illinois the grower sprays for the 

 codling moth, the scale, scab and in some sections for bitter rot. 



Clean cultivation is the rale in all well cared for orchards and the 

 use of cover crops is constantly growing. 



In marketing their apples, the barrel is still almost universally used. 

 Each year, hoAvever, finds some growers packing apples in boxes. 



Turning now to Virginia, we find that this state is developing rai>idly, 

 both in production and in the number of new orchards being planted. 

 There are two distinct sections in Virginia where apple growing is of 

 great commercial importance. Piedmont, Virginia, the home of the 

 famous Albermarle Pippin and the Shenandoah Valley. 



In Piedmont, Virginia, with its predominant soil type a red clay, or 

 silt soil, the Winesap reaches great perfection and is the chief commer- 

 cial apple. The Albermarle Pippin succeeds splendidly on a certain 

 dark, brown, loamy soil occurring in comparatively small areas. The 

 York Imperial is also largely grown on the red soil and does Avell. It 

 is a region extremely picturesque, because of its rough and broken 

 character. Steep slopes are common and are often planted to orchards 

 making them difficult to cultivate and spray. 



Because of the ruggedness of the country, many orchards are left in 

 sod, but where it is feasible, clean cultivation is the practice. 



Trees are usually pruned to the vase form and are headed about two 

 and a half feet from the ground. The trees grow very large and are long 

 lived, A great development is going on in the setting of new orcliards 

 on a large scale. 



The growers have the scale and the codling moth as their most serious 

 insect pests. While scab and bitter rot are the most important fungus 

 diseases. 



In the Shenandoah Valley, we find a limestone country. A region of 

 low, rolling hills, the slopes of which are nearly ideal sites for orchards. 



The York Imperial is perhaps the chief commercial apple, but Wine- 

 sap and Ben Davis are also important commercially. 



Some of the best work with orchards in the country is being done in 

 the Shenandoah Valley. Nowhere do you find any more beautiful 

 orchards. The business is proving very profitable and a great develop- 

 ment is going on in the planting of new orchards. 



Spraying and cultivation is very thoroughly done. 



While the barrel is still the chief package employed by Virginia grow- 

 ers in disposing of their apples, the box is gaining in favor steadily and 

 is being more largely used each year. 



Perhaps the most dominant impression I gained of the growing of 

 apples in Oregon is its intensiveness. It is riot surprising therefore that 

 the very small orchards of three or four acres or more pay relatively 

 much better than the large orchards. 



I spent sixteen months working on fruit ranches at Hood River and 



