REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OX FRUITS FOR THE 



YEAR 1906. 



BY WILFRID WHEELER, CHAIRMAX. 



To those who have been interested enough in the fruit growing 

 industry of ^Massachusetts to follow its course during the past sea- 

 son rather unusual conditions have been noticed. The mild winter 

 gave promise of a good crop of fruit, yet apples, plums, and bush 

 fruits, owing to the severe weather late in the season, were not as 

 abundant as was expected ; particularly was this true in the case of 

 plums of wliich at least three-c[uarters of the crop were ruined by 

 the cold weather in ^Nlarch. Apples as a rule throughout the state 

 were not as good as usual in quahty; but there were exceptions to 

 this, for in some places they were found above the average. These 

 conditions are largely due to the care which the orchards receive; 

 those" trees which have been allowed to run down are each year 

 bearing a poorer quality of fruit which has to be disposed of on the 

 market, while the few trees that are cared for are constantly im- 

 pro\'ing and returning to their owmers, not only an increase in 

 dollars and cents, but a great deal of satisfaction by sho^\ing that 

 fruit can be grown in Massachusetts which surpasses the much 

 renowned western article. 



Massachusetts has never been considered a good peach gro^^■ing 

 state, principally on account of our changeable climate, but, judging 

 from the appearance of the orchards which were visited by the 

 chairman of the Fruit Committee this past year, peach growing in 

 Massachusetts has a very bright future. Tliis may perhaps be 

 confined to certain localities, yet with the proper exposure peaches 

 can be grown in this state better than in any other as far north as 

 we are. The central and western parts of the state seem to be 

 better adapted for peach groA\*ing, chiefly on account of the numer- 

 ous hills which have a rocky, clay soil in vdiich the peach thrives. 



