ANNUAL R/il'ORT. 17!) 



Fruit Crop Census in 1906. 



A line of work tlial lias been aimed at 1)y tlie Society for 

 several years past, is the collection of fignres and estimates on 

 the yield of commercial fruit crops in the State. The pur- 

 pose of the undertaking is to obtain and make available for the 

 use of the growers and buyers of fruit, as well as the general 

 public, reliable information concerning the condition through 

 the season, the probable yield and location of fruit crops grow i? 

 within the State. This is of special importance in seasons of 

 many crops, as w-as shown by our apple census in 1904 and 

 again with peaches in 1905. By means of such crop reports 

 the grower is enabled. to inform himself as to the size and 

 condition of the crop to be marketed and the necessity for 

 looking up distant markets and what prices should rule the 

 buyers and handlers of fruit are shown the location of the 

 leading orchards and the probable output of the same, and best 

 of all, it serves as an excellent advertisement for our fruit 

 products. 



Also as a matter of record and reference from year to yea'- 

 the reports are extremely valuable. 



The Society has not yet developed this feature of its work 

 as fully as its importance w^arrants, but proposes to improve 

 the system as rapidly as the means at command will allow. In 

 many other States these Crop Reports form a very strong 

 feature of the State organization, and in New^ York State, for 

 example, the fruit crop repc^rts have been the means of posting 

 growers, so as to save to them many thousands of dollars in 

 the sale of their products. With the growing importance of 

 the fruit interests in Connecticut the benefits resulting from 

 reliable Cro]) Rei)orts will be more ai)parent each year. 



During the summer of 1906 an effort was made to collect 

 data on the condition and yield of most of the leading fruit 

 crops. The following circular and recjuest for figures was 

 mailed to every fruit grower whose address could be ©btained : 



Secretary's Office, 

 MiLFORn, Conn., July 16, 1906. 

 Brother Frttit Grower: — Tn ordc-r that we may answer the numerous 

 inquiries for accurate information as to the condition and extent of the 



