380 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



IDecember, 



alone was estimated at between 7,000,000 and 

 8,000,000 baskets. 



From California, according to the statement 

 furnished nio by Mr. E. J. Hooper, editor of tlio 

 Cahfornia lIorticuHurist, there wore sent Ea.st 

 in 1870, three hundred and thirty-four car loads 

 of fruit, of four hundred bushels each ; an 

 increase of more than one hundred per cent, 

 over the previous year, one lirm having sent 

 seven hinulred tons*; and of the strawberry, it is 

 estimated that from San Jose and vicinity, some 

 days there were sent for homo consumption forty 

 tons of this fruit, and in a circuit of about five 

 miles there are more tlian a thousand acres of 

 this fruit under cultivation. Dr. Strentzel, our 

 Chairman of the Fruit Committee for California, 

 writes, that, at short notice, that State can furnish 

 the whole continent with an overllowing supply 

 of fruit. 



From Virginia, Mr. Leighton, our Vice-Fresi- 

 dent, writes, that the increase of strawberry 

 culture in the vicinity of Norfolk, is astonisliing, 

 completely heading the page of horticultural 

 progress, and that it seems wonderful how the 

 demand keeps pace so closely with the supply. 

 The shipments this year have been over three 

 millions of quarts. There were nearly 10,000 

 pickers in the lield in one day. One grower had 

 185 acres. To Boston alone there have been 

 shipped this year 11,.547 crates, of 45 quarts each, 

 or more than 10,000 bushels. 



In Illinois very little fruit was raised, except 

 for home use, until 1840, when, according to Mr. 

 Flagg's interesting historical address before the 

 State Horticultural Society, a new era in fruit 

 culture commenced. Now there are 320,000 

 acres of orchards in that State. Mr. Parker Earle 

 informs me that in a good season there have been 

 sent from his station alone (Cobden) twenty-five 

 car loads of fruit daily. Of strawberries, where 

 scarcely any were raised sixteen years ago for 

 exportation, within six or seven years the culti- 

 vation has increased at Cobden and vicinity to 

 over one thousand acres, so that five or six car- 

 loads daily are dispatched to the various 

 markets. 



From Georgia, Mr. Berckmans, President of 

 the State Horticultural Society, writes as follows 

 of the late exhibition of his Society : 



"Many of our people of intelligence were 

 amazed at our progress. The exhibition of fruits 

 was grand. I am safe in saying that the display 

 of peaches was never surpassed, if equalled, in 

 any place in the past. I had fifty-six varieties of 

 peaches, all ripe and in perfection ; others had 

 collections almost equal in number, and several 

 surpassing in size. Many had peaches measuring 

 twelve and one-half inches in circumference. The 

 grape show was almost equal to the peach 

 exhibi_t. Upwards of fifty varieties were exhibi- 

 ted. Some wonderfully fine Concords were 

 shown, which weighed one pound to the bunch. 

 Pears were fine, but not numerous as to varie- 

 ties." He had forty varieties in eating condition, 

 ■which, together with the balance of his collec- 

 tion, made nearly two hundred varieties of fruits. 



The increase in the crops of apples, in New 



York, Michigan, and the more Western States, 

 is wonderful. 



From New York, it is estimated that in abun- 

 dant years, one and a half millions of barrels, are 

 exported in addition to those consumed at home, 

 a single firm at Boston receiving from that State 

 from 30,000 to 40,0(H) barrels of apples per year. 

 In the best seasons, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans 

 counties produce more than one million barrels 

 of ai)ples, and the value in one county is stated 

 to be a million of dollars. 



Michigan is a great fruit producing State, and 

 many parts of it fully up to New York. The 

 crop of apples in this State, is estimated by Vice- 

 President LycMi, at $2,000,000 in value; peaches, 

 $1,000,000, and other fruits, $1,000,000, or a total 

 of $4,000,000. 



TROPICAL FRUITS. 



The reports of Mr. Bi-shop, Chairman of the 

 Fruit Committee for Florida, and of Mr. Red- 

 mond, Vice President for Mississippi, give pro- 

 mise of a great increase in the cultivation of 

 tropical fruit. This, says Mr. Berckmans, has 

 revolutionized the State of Florida within the 

 past ten years. It has long been known that the 

 climate of Florida was well suited to the culti- 

 vation of the orange, but is is Avithin the last few 

 years that it has been practically demonstrated 

 that this, as well as many other tropical fruits 

 could be grown with profitable results. Florida 

 oranges were, until within a few years, seldom 

 seen in our northern cities ; now the bulk of the 

 consumption is derived from the flowery State. 

 In this, as in many other fruits in other sections 

 of the continent, there has been great improve- 

 ment ; by selecting the best varieties for propa- 

 gation, until the standard of quality of the orange 

 in California is based upon that of Florida 

 oranges. The lower portions of Mississippi and 

 Louisiana produce large quantities of oranges, 

 but they are seldom shipped to the northern 

 cities. New Orleans consuming all that are pro- 

 duced in the surrounding parishes. Bananas 

 are being extensively grown in lower Florida, 

 and find ready sale at remunerative prices. 

 Limes, shaddocks and lemons have received in- 

 creased attention, while pineapples have been 

 found to bo very successful in the southern por- 

 tion of Florida. The date begins to thrive suc- 

 cessfully on the coast of lower Georgia and will, 

 doubtless, ere long be extensively cultivated. 

 California now raises seven millions of oranges 

 annually, and it appears probable that this State, 

 with the Gulf States, can furnish all the tropical 

 fruits required for the consumption of the whole 

 country. 



The immense collection of fruit shown at the 

 Centennial Exposition last year, surpassing even 

 the great exhibitions of this Society at Boston 

 and Chicago, deserves mention here. Mr. Pai'ker 

 Earle, one of the Judges, writes me, " I know 

 that the Judges examined over twelve thousand 

 dishes of fruit during the week, commencing the 

 10th of September, and I have no doubt the en- 

 tire exhibition during the season, reached the 

 grand number of over sixty thousand dishes, 

 and over four huncb'ed thousand specimens." 



