266 • STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



this year of great abundance. This vigor seems not to be exhausted, for 

 fruit buds are appearing for next, year. 



Tliis conclusion seems legitimate: With more faithful use of what we 

 already know, and with such scientific and practical investigation as 

 may he put forth in the future, we may realize greater perfection and 

 profit in apple culture than ever before. Then the apple will yet be styled 

 the "King of fruits". 



There is no fruit grown that is so staple as the apple; no fruit that can 

 so nearly be distributed to the four quarters of the world, in its natural 

 state, with so little expense of packing or in so economical a package, 

 and there is no fruit that will receive the uninterrupted demand for so 

 long a season. Therefore, the prices ruling this season should not con- 

 demn to oblivion the growing of the king of fruits, the apple, but should 

 cause the thoughtful grower to pause, to inquire into and determine the 

 reason, the cause, why the apple crop of 1896 could not have found a 

 market fairly remunerative. While it is not easy to show the primary 

 cause for the existing condition, to the satisfaction of all, it is fair to say 

 the cause that has placed the products of the farm, of the orchard, or 

 vineyard, the field or forest, of the mill and factory, the product of all 

 industry, on the market at the cost of, or at less than the cost of, produc- 

 tion, is the cause of the congested condition of the apple market, and 

 whoever has faith in better times to come, and believes that better values 

 will obtain, as has been the case following former periods of depression, 

 may reasonably expect the apple-grower to profit by the improved condi- 

 tions, in common with all other lines of industry. While the late apple 

 crop has been a source of discouragement, if we note the lessons brought 

 to our attention it may be a blessing— like some other blessings, at pres- 

 ent somewhat obscure, but apparent later to those who profit by the 

 lessons taught, of which there are not a few. 



The lesson most apparent to the apple-grower, as given by the condi- 

 tions attending the development of the apple crop of 1896, is that a crop 

 so early matured must find a market at once. Every day's delay produces 

 a shrinkage which emphasizes the lesson in so practical a manner that it 

 should not soon be forgotton. If the crop had been of less magnitude 

 in the apple-growing area, a good reason for probable higher prices later, 

 it has been demonstrated in a way not to be misunderstood, that so early- 

 matured a crop can not be held profitably for a possible higher market; 

 the loss by decay and frequent handling will more than balance the gain 

 in price. 



The fact has again been emphasized, that a mongrel orchard, like mon- 

 grel stock, is not good property. Any orchard larger than is needed for 

 familv use is necessarilv a commercial orchard. To be a success as such, 

 it can not be an experiment station, containing all the varieties cata- 

 logued. The grower who offers a large number of varieties with a small 

 amount of fruit in each variety, receives the minimum market price, as 

 compared with the price obtained by the grower able to offer a crop of a 

 few desirable varieties. Hence it is necessary, in order to get the best re- 

 sults, to grow the varieties wanted and the varieties demanded by the con- 

 sumer. In fruitful seasons, the discrimination in favor of those varieties 

 is most in evidence, and should indicate what to ])lant and suggest the 



