156 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
applying the water? (10) Statistics— Give if possible the area devoted to the 
various kinds of fruits. What are some of the larger orchards and what has 
been the value of the crops? At what price, f. o. b., must the various fruits 
be sold to repay the expense of growing? What is the estimated value of the 
fruits of various kinds, shipped from your state? (11) Evaporated Fruits.— 
With what fruits if any is evaporating practiced? What varieties are found 
best adapted for evaporating? What has been the average price secured dur- 
ing the past season and what profit per acre would this give the growers? 
(12) Hardiness of Species and Varieties.— To what extent have various spe- 
cies of fruits been injured by the winter? What has been the relative hardi- 
ness of the leading varieties of each?” 
As will be seen from the replies, there is not a state, territory or province in 
North America where at least some attention is not given to pomology, and 
with a few exceptions they have extended areas where commercial fruit cul- 
ture can be carried on to advanatage. 
An attempt was also made to ascertain what sections of each state were 
best adapted to fruit growing and the elevations and soils that give good 
results with the different fruits. As the Fruit Catalogue of the Society will 
from a part of the Proceedings it was not thought desirable to secure lengthy 
lists of varieties that have been found valuable in the different states, but 
short lists of some of the better kinds have been included in most of the re- 
ports, and several new sorts have been described. 
While it is evident that increased attention is being paid to the cultivation 
of orchards, especially by the larger growers, the importance of providing a 
soil mulch during the summer months is not sufficiently realized by the small 
grower, or by the farmer to whom fruit growing is a side issue. The value 
of winter cover crops in cultivated orchards is also becoming recognized by 
our best growers and oats seem a favorite for this purpose where crimson 
clover does not succeed. 
Another topic related to insects and diseases and the remedies for them, 
but no new ones were reported and most of them yield to the ordinary reme- 
dies. While a few sections are as yet free from some of the more trouble- 
some species it is evident that there are few states where it is possible to 
grow first-class fruit without spraying the trees with .fungicides, and some 
form of arsenite is generally added. The San Jose scale has become quite 
widely distributed in some of the eastern states, as well as in parts of Cali- 
fornia and Oregon, and where it has obtained a foot-hold it is difficult, if not 
impossible, to eradicate it. While it has appeared here and there in the 
Central States, prompt and effectual remedies have in most cases been used 
and its spread has thus been prevented. While fumigation is undoubtedly 
the surest method of destroying it, lime, sulphur and salt washes and sprays 
are most commonly used on the Pacific coast. At first, whale oil soap, at 
the rate of two pounds to a gallon of water, gave best results in the east, but 
later experiments indicate that a cheaper and more effectual remedy will be 
found in crude petroleum, applied as a fine spray either alone, or at the rate 
of one part to three or four of water. Nearly as good results have been ob- 
tained with kerosene in water, but it should not be used alone. 
The freeze of February, 1899, did immense injury to the fruit interests of 
the country, as few sections escaped. In the northern states thousands of 
trees were destroyed by “root-killing,” the injury being most severe in culti- 
vated orchards where there was no cover crop. A light covering of snow, or 
a growth of weeds, grass, or some sowed cover crop, greatly reduced, or en- 
