426 iBOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The strawberry crop, chiefly on account of the severe drouth of 

 1901,' did not average over two-fifths of an average crop. 



Fi'ost about the first and also on the fourteenth and fifteenth of May 

 did considerable damage in many places, and the humid atmosphere pre- 

 vented perfect pollenization. The prospects for next j^ear are better than 

 last year. There were a great many second crop strawbeiTies this fall, 

 more than we had ever heard of before. This may materially decrease 

 the yield next season. 



Other small fruits were a fair crop, with a brisk demand and higher 

 prices for all varieties of fi-uits than for a number of yeai's. Cherries 

 were only a fair crop, with failures in some sections. The demand was 

 gi-eater and prices higher than we ever experienced before. The apple 

 and pear crops were unusually heavy in most of the counties, and the 

 quality fair for unsprayed fruit and very fine in sprayed orchards. 



Peaches were a complete failure in most sections or counties of the 

 disti'ict with the exception, possibly, of Lagrange, where there was a 

 very light crop on budded trees and a good crop on native or seedling 

 trees, the crop being so heavy in some places as to break the ti-ees down. 

 There never is a complete failure in the peach crop where are plenty of 

 native trees growing. 



Plums in some counties were only a partial crop. With us the Japan, 

 Abundance, Burbank, and Nickson were so heavily laden we had to thin 

 severely, taking off one-half to two-thirds of the fruit last of June. We 

 probably lost one-half of those remaining on Burbank and Nickson by 

 rot, yet there were enough matured then for the age and size of the trees. 



The late fall and dryer weather ripened the trees up fairly well and 

 we look for a good season of most fruits next year. 



Interest in fruit growing, I believe, to be on the increase and plant- 

 ings are heavier. 



There are three live local Horticultural Societies in the district, viz.: 

 St. Joseph County Horticultural, Lagrange County Agricultural and 

 Horticultural, and Noble County Horticultural Society. Each of these 

 made very creditable exhibits at the State Fair last September and won 

 first, second and third sweepstakes, respectively. 



REPORT OF THE WAYNE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND HORT- 

 ICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1902. 



To the Indiana Horticultural Society: 



I herewith submit this, my annual report of the Wayne County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society, and with it a roster of the officers of 

 the Society for the year 1902. 



As usual, our twelve sessions of the Society were held on the second 

 Saturday of each month. With the exception of two all meetings were 



