IO 



Annals of Horticulture. 



mania, are now consigned in large quantities to the English 

 aS ™ppies! markets. Shipments from Tasmania to England were made 

 so long ago as 1870, but it was not until four or five years ago 

 that the industry became important. In 1888 about 10,000 

 cases (each holding about 40 lbs. of fruit) were sold in Covent 

 Garden market, London, at an average of from 15 to 30 shil- 

 lings per case. In 1889 the quantity was quadrupled, with 

 little change in price. In 1890 some 80,000 cases were sold, 

 at prices averagi lg from 10 to 20 shillings. The Tasmanian 

 apple industry is instructive as showing the distance at which 

 profitable markets may be sought for horticultural produce.* 

 A possible new competitor in the English apple market is 

 the Caucasus region, from which fruit was consigned to Eng- 

 land this year for the first time. Not only apples, but cher- 

 ries, pears and figs are said to succeed well there. 



Other orchard fruits have been abundant and mostly of good 

 quality during 1891. The Peach crop was enormous, despite 

 the fears of injuries from late spring frost. In some locali- 

 ties, however, frost destroyed the crop, notably in southern 

 P p a iumi,' Delaware. The yellows is seriously crippling the industry in the 

 cherries. Chesapeake region. Much of the crop in the Middle States ap- 

 pears to have been inferior, probably owing to neglect of thin- 

 ning the fruit and to cool and wet weather at ripening-time. 

 The pack of canned peaches appears not to have been as 

 heavy in the east as in some previous years. The Michigan 

 crop was very large and was well handled, usually at paying 

 prices. The orchards of southern Illinois, Missouri and 

 Kansas gave very large crops. Plums and Cherries generally 

 gave enormous crops, and prices held firm for well-managed 

 fruit. In southern Illinois the plum crop is reported as light. 



Pear Pears and Quinces were a good crop. The estimated pear 

 crop. cro p f the United States, as recorded in the November crop- 



*A full account of the history of the Tasmanian apple industry and the methods o) 

 cultivation, is given in Annals for 1890, 9-15. See also Annals for 1889, 10. 



