28 EEPOKT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE 



but the evil is not attributed to the age of the trees nor the 

 exhaustion of the soil, so much as to the increase of injurious 

 insects and diseases affecting fruits and fruit trees. Tiiis is a 

 doleful sound to come from that grand pomological State. 



Not to weary your patience, I wish to read from the report 

 of their State Horticultural Society. 



The Ohio Horticultural Society have given much attention 

 to this matter for the past two years, and have called the atten- 

 tion of the State Legislature to the subject in the following 

 memorial : 



" To the Legislature of Ohio: 



"The undersigned. Executive Committee of the Ohio Hor- 

 ticultural Society, respectfully invite the attention of the 

 members of the Legislature to the following facts and consid- 

 erations relating to the orchard crop of the State for 18G8 : 



Bushels of apples produced 11,687,515 



Bushels of peaches produced _ 599.499 



Bushels cf pears produced 66,713 



Total 12,800,728 



If the apples were of fair average quality, they might be estimated as worth 



50 cents per bnshel $5,818,757 



The peaches $1.50 per bushel 899,248 



The pears same price 100.068 



Total value of orchard crop §6,818,073 



"If we add a moderate estimate for the thousands of gar- 

 dens and door-yards partly occupied with fruit trees and omit- 

 ted by the assessors, it will swell the aggregate of orchards to 

 nearly 500,000 acres, and the value of the products to over 

 87,000,000 — saying nothing of the cherries, grapes, and smaller 

 fruits. 



"Large as this sum appears, we are convinced, by much 

 observation and inquiry, that the amount and value of the 

 orchard products of the State have diminished very greatly 

 within the past ten or fifteen years. 



" The report also shows that while part of the evil may be 



