346 BOAKD OF AORICULTUKE. 



the moisture that does fall and conserve it. The foliage prevents the 

 sun and wind from drying up the moisture too rapidly. If that is the 

 case, and our orchards are djing because of the lack of moisture, we can 

 protect them in that way. I, mj'self. on our own home farm, observed 

 that the orchard, which contained 100 fine tx'ees when we purchased it, 

 has now but two trees standing. Since we purchased it, the forests have 

 been removed. On my last visit to that farm, there were but two trees 

 standing, and they were not sound. I am led to believe that the destruc- 

 tion of that orchard was caused by climatic effects. As forestry ad- 

 vances, we hope to develop something along the line of protecting the 

 fruit trees. 



Another thing is insects. I believe that I am safe in making the as- 

 sertion that the insect ravages of the fruit are greater than they were 

 ten years ago, and if my observation serves me right, orchards that are 

 farthest removed from forests, are the worst infected. I don't say that 

 you can ulant forests around orchards and prevent the ravages of in- 

 sects, but if there is anything in the saying "that birds will congx-egate 

 most where forest trees are, and that the birds devour the insects," then 

 I can see where forests will be a benefit to fruit growers. Professor Ma- 

 son B. Thomas says: 



"Some interesting and striking facts are discovered from an exami- 

 nation of our fi-uit crop in connection with the deforestation of our lands. 

 Tbe discoveries are certainly suggestive of a very close relation between 

 the two. 



"In 1880, in the eleven counties producing the largest yield of apples, 

 were as follows 



Buifhels Acres 



Counties. of Apples. of Forests. 



Allen 1,007.570 108,132 



Crawford G0S,043 50,005 



Harrison 010,500 81,807 



Kosciusko 602,402 52,275 



Laporte 017,353 33,457 



Ripley G.50,735 69,183 



St. Joseph 780,243 43,958 



Steuben 655,843 47,973 



Sullivan 1,059,149 46:867 



Washington 888,421 80,852 



Wayne 007,377 47,265 



"Several of these counties arc among the most heavily wooded of any 

 in the State, and, with the possiljle exception of Laporte, they all contain 

 a very large acreage of forest. The history of the apple crops in connec- 

 tion with the history of the removal of the timber in these counties helps 

 to substantiate our claim for their importance. In 1897 these counties 

 made the following showing: 



