2 PRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING 



has increased in much greater proportion than other 

 agricultural industries. The following figures, show- 

 ing the percentage of increase in total production of 

 various agricultural crops in the United States between 

 1850 and 1897, are compiled from a chart in Fairchild's 

 Rural Wealth and Welfare ; * 



PER CENT INCREASE 



Oats 551 Tobacco 313 



Wheat 465 Rye 198 



Hay 376 Buckwheat .... 163 



Corn 357 Sweet potatoes . . 112 



Cotton 355 Sugar loi 



Potatoes 331 Rice 60 



Butter 323 Barley .... 1,506 



Fruits .... 2,000 



The increase of total population in the country dur- 

 ing the same period was 270 per cent. 



But while the increased production of fruit in the 

 United States as a whole has been thus enormous, it 

 has been proportionately still greater in the recog- 

 nized fruit sections. Fifty years ago there were no 

 fruit sections. Now there are neighborhoods prac- 

 tically given up to the growing of strawberries, other 

 localities engaged almost exclusively in peach culture, 

 and still other communities in which the apple is the 

 staple crop. In the eastern states, near the large 

 cities and in the neighborhood of manufacturing 

 towns, the progress of the fruit growing industry is 



* FaircWld, Rural Wealth and Welfare, 11. New York, igoo. 



