HOME GARDEN FRUITS. 

 By M. G. Kains, Columbia University, New York. 



Delivered before the Society, with stereopticon illustrations, January 25, 



1919. 



While the past five, and especially the last three, decades have 

 seen more remarkable improvements in horticultural practices 

 than did the previous five, for instance, the development of modern 

 tillage, fertilizing, cover cropping, spraying, and rational pruning, 

 which have made the fruit growing industries of to-day highly spe- 

 cialized arts, perhaps the most significant development of all is the 

 increased and steadily increasing public demand for fruit varieties 

 of high quality. 



For this growth, particularly so far as apples are concerned, 

 Oregon, Washington, Colorado and other Western orchardists 

 doubtless deserve considerable credit; first, because they boldly 

 nailed their colors to high standards of excellence, both as to 

 variety and to character of specimen, and second, because they 

 deliberately set about the education of the public with respect 

 to such standards. In these two directions they have not only 

 themselves benefited, but they have performed a ser\nce alike to 

 the consuming public and to fruit growers in general. Fruit 

 growers in other sections have been steadily falling into line and the 

 markets of our larger cities are annually being more liberally 

 supplied wath high quality fruits. 



Where did these Western and other growers of choice fruits get 

 their standards? Did they adopt the caveat emptor (let the buyer 

 beware) policy which so often tends to arouse the righteous ire 

 of the long-suffering and hoodwinked public? Not at all. Did 

 they go to the growers of Ben Davis apple, KiefFer pear, Elberta 

 peach, Lombard plum. Lady Thompson strawberry, and other low 

 quality varieties for their standards of flavor? No indeed ! Doubt- 



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