DEVELOPMENTS IN HORTICULTURE 31 



following statement: "From the standpoint of total production, Illi- 

 nois leads all the Middle Western States, and its summer apple region 

 in the southern part of the state is one of the most important in the 

 United States. In Illinois, as in all Middle Western States, the 

 question of sprayed and unsprayed acreage is important in considering 

 the commercial apple industry, especially since so many one-time com- 

 mercial orchards all through the Middle West have been left un- 

 sprayed and uncared for, and are rapidly losing their commercial im- 

 portance. However, a more recent revival of interest is responsible 

 for greater care being given to the remaining orchards, and an 

 important place is being assured for Middle West apples." 



The first great Illinois Apple Show was held November 19 to 

 23, 1918, at the Morrison Hotel, Chicago, being promoted by the 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society and held under the auspices of 

 the State Council of Defense. Since that time many excellent horti- 

 cultural shoves have been held in connection with county and state 

 fairs and in many of our large commercial centers. 



In 1917 and 1918, investigations were made on drying apples in 

 a convenient and attractive form, and a new and successful process 

 was developed and described. This study indicates that the apple may 

 be preserved for long periods of time in a form superior to ordinary 

 dried apples. This experiment, tho important in itself, also opened up 

 a very large field for research and investigation on the utilization of 

 fruit by-products and on the manufacture of various products di- 

 rectly from fruits themselves. Laboratories for further prosecution 

 of this and similiar lines of investigation and for teaching are now 

 nearing completion as a result of an appropriation of $260,000 by the 

 last General Assembly. 



In 1899 there were, in Illinois. 16,794 acres devoted to small 

 fruits, valued at $13,602,676; in 1919 there were 11,723 acres valued 

 at $1,109,747 ; and in 1920 we find 11,215 acres valued at $2,064,524. 



Through the encouragement given the originator (Reverend 

 Reasoner) by the Department of Horticulture, the original Dunlap 

 strawberry plants were saved for further test and propagation. The 

 Dunlap variety, which originated at Urbana, was introduced in 1900, 

 but had been under observation by Burrill and Blair since 1896. It 

 is the leading variety grown in the North-Central states ; it is very 

 hardy and productive, and the most resistant to disease. It is suc- 

 cessfully grown over a larger range of territory than any horticul- 

 tural variety yet introduced. 



