VEGETABLES, 1921 25 



fruit were good to excellent, notably the grapes, melons, and 

 peaches. The strawberry show was rather disappointing both as 

 to variety and quality and also as to the number of exhibitors. 



It would appear that we are now at a turn in the road, or perhaps 

 cross-road, in the fruit section of horticulture. Old orchards are 

 passing out and disappearing at a rapid rate. Many young 

 orchards planted in hope and cherished and cultivated with enthusi- 

 asm for a few years are now being badly and sadly neglected. The 

 troublesome times of the past five years have negatived much of 

 the admirable work of the previous decade. Even nursery pro- 

 duction of fruit trees and stock has reached the lowest ebb for 

 twenty-five years. The Society through its influence can play 

 an important and constructive part in the reestablishment of the 

 fruit industry in the state. 



We cannot pass without commenting on the severe loss sustained 

 by our orchards during and through the recent ice storm. The 

 loss appears to range from slight, in young orchards, to 30% and 

 even 35% loss in old orchards. Some old orchards, until recently 

 very ^'aluable assets to their farms and owners, are now a question- 

 able asset. Decay and further breaking of the trees must soon 

 follow with the next crop \ears. More thought must be given 

 to pruning and the shaping of our tree heads. 



Outside the usual money awards as listed in the Schedule of 

 Prizes the only special award was that of a Certificate of Honor- 

 able Mention to Hillcrest Gardens, Weston, for an exhibit of the 

 Senator Dunlap, Premier, and Wilfrid Wheeler strawberries. 



Vegetables. 



William N. Craig, Chairman of the Committee on Vegetables, 

 reported that classes were allotted to vegetables at seven of the 

 eleven prize exhibitions held in 1921. The displays have been on 

 the whole fairly satisfactory. Competition, however, has lacked 

 the snap of former years. Several causes have helped to bring 

 this about. The past season was a most erratic one. The leading 

 exhibitors found difficulty in making displays in the midsummer 

 months owing to enforced shortage of labor on their estates, and the 

 size of premiums offered was not specially attractive. 



