94 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



• 



Rochester, a route that took me through the main pear and apple re- 

 gions. Orchards are here set in bh)cks of from fifteen to thirty acres, 

 some larger. The predominating varieties are the Baldwin and Rhode 

 Island Greening. 



The immensity of the apple-growing industry of this eastern region 

 was impressed npon me by the ])resence of one or more large chemical 

 cold storage plants in each village I passed throngh. In Hilton, a vil- 

 lage of six hundred or seven hundred inhabitants, I found a magnificent 

 storage plant, having a capacity of nearly seventy thousand barrels. 

 When we consider that only a small percent of the a])ples grown in this 

 vicinity are stored, then we realize that the west mav cater to a fancv 

 appetite of those Avho can aft'ord luxuries, we noAV are convinced that 

 our portion of the United States is the fruit-growing region that feeds 

 the people with apples, for I was told that last year this little town of 

 Hilton alone shipped more apples than either the state of Washington 

 or Oregon. 



While on my trip I continually found heavy plantings of young apple 

 trees, mostly having peach tree fillers. We hear a great deal these days 

 about new plantings being over done, but I do not think there is any 

 cause for worry. In 1889 we find that there were over 120,000,000 apple 

 trees in the United States bearing one and one-sixth bushel per tree. 

 In 1910 we find 300,000,000 bearing trees producing but one-fourth 

 bushel per tree. This shows that there are millions of trees being set 

 in regions that are not adapted to apple growing. Then there is always 

 a demand for choice fruit. From 1850 until 1897 our population in- 

 creased but 207 per cent, while in the same length of time our con- 

 sumption of fruit increased 2,000 per cent, showing that new appetites 

 for fruit have been aAvakened and that this is really an undeveloped field 

 of work for the horticulturist. 



Cooperation in New York has been no more successful than it has in 

 Michigan. Our eastern markets are too close to the producers to force 

 them to organize, and that is where the Avestern grower surpasses us, — 

 not that they are any smarter than the eastern people, but there condi- 

 tions force them to organize in marketing their fruit, or fail altogether. 

 My observations in New York State as well as in Michigan lead me to 

 believe that there are a few things for us to strive after, even if our 

 attempts at co-operating have been in vain. Impossible as they may 

 seem, yet I believe, first, we should strive to establish honest commission 

 merchants; next Ave should attempt to get honest transportation; and 

 last, and what I believe is most essential in booming our markets, is for 

 each grower to strive to put a little religion in the middle of the barrel 

 and give the consumer an honest pack. 



