Part I 



GENERAL ANNALS. 



FP^UITS, VEGETABLES AND GENERAL 

 INTERESTS. 



The year 1890 was marked in general by poor crops. The 

 orchard interests in particular suffered greatly in nearly all 

 regions east of the Rocky mountains. Several causes com- 

 bined to produce this disaster. The distribution of rainfall 

 was abnormal. In most of the eastern states the precipitation 

 was largely in excess of normal amounts, especially during the 

 blooming season, while in the upper Mississippi and Missouri 

 valleys rainfall was so light that very severe droughts followed. 

 The difficulties were aggravated by excessive rainfall in the 

 east in i88g and by insulHcient rainfall in the Mississippi val- 

 ley. The Pacific coast suffered from excessive precipitation 

 during the winter of 1889-90, but the summer was dry, es- 

 pecially in the northern regions. The temperatures of the 

 year were also abnormal. Throughout the region east of the 

 Rocky mountains the winter of 1889-90 was remarkably mild, 

 especially in its latter part, and trees bloomed much in ad- 

 vance of their usual time. Disastrous frosts followed in March 

 and later, bringing ruin to the fruit buds in all the middle and 

 southern states, and to many districts farther north. On the 

 other hand, the winter upon the Pacific coast was unusually 

 severe, and the spring was also below the average in tempera- 

 ture. Fruits in the east which escaped the disastrous spring 

 frosts were attacked to an unusual extent by fungous troubles, 

 which were no doubt augmented by the peculiar meteorologi- 

 cal conditions. 



The apple crop was almost a complete failure east of the 



(7) 



-OPWTT JJBRARV 



