INTHODUCTION 6 



are not given, but we know that in many localities the 

 number of bushels of small fruits far exceeds the yield 

 of the large fruits, and that they are more or less grown 

 for home consumption on at least a majority of the 

 farm homes of the country, and in most of the home 

 gardens in villages where there is sufficient land. 



In the extreme Southern States and on the Pacific 

 slope we find large areas planted with oranges, lemons, 

 pineapples, raisin grapes, prunes, and it is claimed that 

 in Florida and California there are orange trees enough 

 planted to produce more than 10,000,000 boxes of fruit 

 annually, while on the Pacific slope so many prunes are 

 produced (600,000,000 pounds reported as the crop of 

 1904) and those of such fine quality as to reduce the 

 importation of prunes from Southern Europe to a mere 

 nominal quantity. Within the past few years the 

 planting of fruit trees and vines has increased very 

 rapidly in all sections of the country, except possibly 

 in New England, so that we have some of the largest 

 orchards in the world in our midst. 



In Missouri, Kansas and some of the other Middle 

 Western States, may be found apple orchards of thou- 

 sands of acres in extent; on the Pacific slope the prune 

 growing industry is assuming immense proportions, and 

 it is said that the grape growing section or belt 

 between Lake Erie on the north and Lake Chautauqua 

 on the south is the largest in the world. Yet, notwith- 

 standing this immense increase in planting, the demand 

 for our fruit products keeps pace with the supply, prices 

 are sustained, our people are not supplied with nearly 

 the quantity of fresh fruit that they need for health 

 and comfort, and with our rapid growth in wealth and 

 population we must expect equally rapid increase in 

 the demand for choice fruit. 



Foreign markets, too, are demanding the products 

 of our orchards and if properly managed this demand 



