32 



Annals of Horticulture. 



there are 157 farms, with an acreage of 87,096, or an average 

 of 555 acres per farm. The seed-farms of Massachusetts 

 and Connecticut average 142 acres per farm, while those of 

 Iowa and Nebraska are 695 acres in extent, and are producing 

 seeds on a scale of equal magnitude to the other products of 

 that section of the country. Several of these seed-producing 

 farms embrace nearly 3,000 acres each." 



"From general information obtained from the seed-farmers 

 and a study of the figures in this bulletin it appears that this 

 branch of agriculture has kept fully apace with the general 

 march of national progress. Prior to 1850 all the seed-farms 

 of the country were in the few northeastern states of the 

 Union, Connecticut and New York for more than half a cen- 

 s ^ed tur Y producing more seeds than all other states combined ; 

 business. an d while each has at present more seed-farms than any other 

 state, the general westward tendency of all that partains to 

 agriculture has stimulated seed-growing on a very extensive 

 scale in the central west and on the Pacific coast. There has 

 been of. late a feeling of depression among the growers gen- 

 erally, who, previous to 1883, made exceptionally fine profits 

 out of the business, and were thus stimulated to establish 

 more seed-farms than could profitably find market for their 

 products during the last few years. The general feeling now 

 is that .prices must be advanced or some method of produc- 

 tion be discovered whereby a greater yield may be secured at 

 less cost of labor. " 



California. Notwithstanding the heavy crops in California 

 in 1890, the yields were very large this year. 



The eastward fruit movements from California are indicated 

 by the report of the secretary of the California Fruit Union, 

 from which the following figures and quotations are taken : 

 The total number of carloads of fruit shipped by the union 

 to eastern markets in 1891 was 1,387, against 1,373 i n 1890? 

 nia crops" 991 in 1 889 and 851 in 1888. Of these, 654 cars went to 

 Chicago, 258 to New York, 1 1 1 to Minneapolis, 94 to Omaha, 

 54 to St. Paul, 87 to Boston, 55 to New Orleans, 44 to St. 

 Louis, 20 to Kansas City, 9 to Louisville, 1 to Buffalo. "The 

 cherry shipments were much larger than in any previous year, 

 and the results were generally very satisfactory. The ship- 

 ment of Bartlett pears was very heavy and they generally 

 arrived in good condition, but prices ruled very low and unsat- 



