REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXVII 



often asked by a prospective fruit grower than "What varieties shall 

 I plant?" The object of this survey is to determine the varieties of 

 the different fruits best suited to the conditions where they are to be 

 grown and to study the influence of conditions upon the behavior of 

 varieties. 



The funds available for this work have made it possible onh" to sur- 

 vey some of the more important sections of the Piedmont region of 

 Virginia, the Blue Ridge section of Maryland, and a portion of a simi- 

 lar area as it extends into Pennsylvania. Much important data regard- 

 ing the behavior of the numerous varieties of fruits already grown 

 there have been accumulated. This survey is being extended to other 

 fruit-growing sections as rapidly as possible. 



In connection with this work an extensive cooperative system of 

 phenological observations has been established. It is expected that 

 these observations, extended over a period of several years, will throw 

 light on several perplexing questions regarding the behavior of varie- 

 ties and their adaptability to the various fruit-growing regions. 



SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN POMOLOGY. 



Investigations are well under way with pomologieal problems con- 

 nected with the pecan industry, the peach industry, and the citron of 

 commerce industry of the Pacific coast. On all these lines there is a 

 large demand for reliable information, and the Department is prepar- 

 ing to issue publications covering them. 



Grass and Forage Plant Investigations. 



The value of the hay crop in this country exceeds that of any other 

 crop except corn. When we add the yield of pasture lands to that of 

 hay fields, the total exceeds the value of even the corn crop. Investi- 

 gations of grasses and forage crops are therefore of vital importance 

 to American agriculture. The investigations in this line during the 

 past year have shown that the maintenance of soil fertility is intimately 

 associated with the production of forage crops and their proper utili- 

 zation on the farm. Those States which are noted for the production 

 of such crops not only have maintained the original fertility of the 

 soil, but they spend for commercial fertilizers less than 1 per cent of 

 the annual value of their crops, while those States which pay least 

 attention to forage crops have impoverished the soil and spend 

 annually for fertilizers from 5 to 9 per cent of the total value of their 

 crops. 



LEGUMINOUS FORAGE CROPS. 



The influence of leguminous forage crops in restoring fertility to 

 the soil is well known. No system of agriculture can ])e indefinitely 

 maintained without some crops of this character. From the earliest 



