252 



and for the three or four following years a portion waa planted each sirring, until the 

 quantity in vines amounted to about dO acres. The expense was heavy and at times 

 looked discouraging. The amount received from commission-merchants, each year, 

 after they had deducted the charges for freight, cartage in the city, and their commis- 

 sions, is as follows: for the crop of 1867, $590; 1868, $2,334.46 ; 1869, $5,776.16 ; 1870, 

 $16,981.17; 1871, $12,0.58.58; 1872, $34,732.70. The crop of last year was a good one, 

 amounting to over 10,000 bushels, but owing to the derangement in financial matters 

 prices were low and the amount received was much below that of the preceding year. 



William Parry, of Burlington County, New Jersey, writes: Strawberries are more 

 extensively grown in this neighborhood than other fruits. The system adopted of cov- 

 ering the beds all over with stable-manures at the approach of winter has the most 

 salutary effect ; it protects the crowns of the plants from the bleak winds and severe 

 weather; prevents the roots from being thrown out by alternate freezing and thawing; 

 the strength of the manure penetrates the ground and supplies the roots with nourish- 

 ment to produce an abundance of large berries. The principal objection urged against 

 the practice, that the covering retards ripening the fruit, is now considered a gam, as 

 it allows southern berries to disappear and there is a demand for fine strawberries some- 

 thing later. 



I/i-ie, Pa. — The lake-shore plain, from 30 to 100 feet above the level of the water 

 and about two miles wide across our country, with a gradual rise of about 300 feet 

 above the lake-level, has proved very prolific in the culture of the vine. The leading 

 varieties are the Concord, Hartford Prolific, Ives's Seedling, Delaware, and Catawba. 

 The Delaware is sometimes injured by frost in the fall, before ripening. The other 

 varieties generally ripen well. 



HUUdale, Mich. — Our orchards range from 50 to 500 trees, more or less, many of them 

 shipping from 50 to 400 barrels. One orchard (that of B. B. Willett's) produced 600 

 barrels ; he has about 800 trees. Among the most prominent varieties raised here are 

 the Russets, Swaar, Spitzenberg, Seek-no-further, Peck's Pleasant, Belmont, and Tal- 

 man Sweet. Among the most prominent pear-orchards is that of H. B. Tucker, of 

 Janesville, containing 1,300 trees, 400 in bearing — standard and dwarf. His principal 

 varieties are Bartlett and Sheldon for standard, and Duchess, L. B. De Gersey, and 

 Seckel for dwarf. Mr. Tucker has also the largest peach-orchard, I think, in the 

 county, containing 2,000 trees eight years old, and a prospect now of a full crop. In 

 1872 he shipped 300 bushels, but last year was a failure. 



Washtenaw, Mich. — Thomas Wood, of Pittsfield Township, from 1,000 Baldwin trees, 

 thirteen years from setting, produced a net income of $2,665 in 1872. The purchaser 

 packed them and Rlr. Wood picked them, and the culls more than paid for picking. Mr. 

 Groves, of Northfield, in 1872, from 600 trees, f Baldwins, ^ Steele's Red, produced a net 

 income of $1,300 to $1,400. Same man, in 1873, $900 from same orchard. G. N. B. 

 Kenwick, of Salem, in 1872, from 600 Baldwins and Steele's Red, thirteen years from 

 setting, produced a net income oi $2,000, and in 1873, $1,500. Noah Donaldson, of Saline, 

 in 1872, from 32 Baldwin trees, thirteen years from setting, sold $250. 



CLOYEE. 



In the New England and Middle States the acreage of clover does 

 not vary much from average. Indiana indicates a decrease of 1 per 

 cent. : Michigan, G ; Ohio 9 ; West Virginia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, 

 no change ; from Florida, Louisiana, and Texas there are no returns for 

 clover ; the remaining States report an increase : Nebraska of 31 per 

 cent. ; California, 23 ; Arkansas and Kansas, 15 ; South Carolina, 12 :. 

 Missouri, 8 ; Mississippi only 1 ; others range from 3 per cent, in Vir- 

 ginia to 7 in Iowa and Oregon. The condition reported is average 

 in New England. In New York, 11 per cent, below, being extensively 

 winter -killed. Niagara reports that old clover-meadows never looked 

 so badly. Pennsylvania is 2 per cent, and Michigan 14 below, for like 

 reasons ; Ohio, 16 below, and Indiana 9, owing to the combined effects 

 of winter-killing and drought: Tennessee, 14 below, drought being 

 specified in several counties. The following States report the condition 

 above average : South Carolina, 104 ; Arkansas and Oregon, 103 ; Mis- 

 souri, 102 ; California, 109. In the last-named State, Napa reports that 

 alfalfa, which is being cultivated on a large scale, in favorable locali- 

 ties yields three crops of hay per annum, besides affording rich pasture 

 and Placer, that it has become a favorite, and in future will be exten- 



