Annals of Horticulticre. 



"At present our horticultural education is looked after by 

 two agricultural colleges and experiment stations — Washing- 

 ton's just being organized \ two state boards of horticulture ; 

 one state horticultural society, and twelve local organizations. 

 The meetings, exhibitions, discussions and reports of these 

 various institutions have been interesting and valuable, and as 

 the working organization becomes more effective much better 

 results may be looked for. The customary aversion of the 

 average cultivator to books and book-men has had much to do 

 with the apathy that has characterized our horticulture during 

 the past decade, and it will require a vigorous effort to con- 

 vince our practical workers of the great value of scientific 

 attention. 



"Then the fact that capital has not been drawn into the 

 work of building up large orchards and gardens, thereby 

 stimulating smaller plantations, has been a serious check on 

 past development of this field. This absence of large orchards 

 has also had another effect even more restraining than the 

 Horticul- above, in its influence upon transportation. Rates on fruits, 

 tuf North- evaporated products excepted, are even now so high as to 

 west, restrict shipments greatly, but as yet the total product of 

 merchantable fruit is not sufficient to warrant transportation 

 companies in making special rates. In the near future when 

 the young orchards, some of them embracing several hundred 

 acres, begin to bear, the amount of fruit of a marketable qual- 

 ity will be such as to enable producers to secure favorable 

 rates to distant markets ; but until this time comes it will re- 

 quire much effort to induce the older residents to plant, ex- 

 cept for home use, because they cannot see an immediate 

 profit in growing for market. 



"Crops have been up to the average the past year, except 

 prunes. This fruit witnessed its first partial failure in this 

 section ; this, however, only extended to one variety — the 

 Italian — and is chargeable to late cold rains, which seriously 

 damaged the crop at a critical point. 



"Markets have been firm for good fruit, and little inferior 

 produce has been accepted because an ample supply of the 

 best was to be obtained, save perhaps, apples, which have been 

 seriously affected by the codlin-moth worm, the result be- 

 ing much inferior fruit and high prices for clean fruit. The 



