REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON FRUITS, 



FOR THE TEAR 1890. 



Br E. W. WOOD, Chairman. 



The season opened favorably for the fruit crop, the vines, 

 shrubs, and trees having suffered little or no injury during the 

 winter; the mild weather in the early spring encouraged a strong, 

 vigorous growth ; the fruit buds on the peach trees had been less 

 injured than for several years, and, it being tlie bearing year for 

 the apple in this State, the prospect had seldom looked more 

 favorable for an abundant fruit crop. 



The apple trees bloomed profusely, and there was a full average 

 bloom among the pears ; but it was noticed after the blossoms had 

 fallen that a comparatively small amount of fruit had set. In 

 some places the apple showed little or no fruit at all. Among the 

 pears some varieties seemed to be much more unfavorably afiected 

 than others. There was a full average crop of Bartletts and 

 Seckels. It will be remembered that during the time the apple and 

 pear trees were in bloom we had almost continuous cold storms, 

 which would seem to be the only unusual atmospheric condition to 

 affect unfavorably these two species of fruit. 



Notwithstanding the partial failure of two of our most impor- 

 tant fruits, our exhibits, taken as a whole, have seldom, if ever, 

 been better than during the past year. They have been fully up 

 to the average in quantity and superior in quality. 



