FRUIT REPORTS. 
3 73 
undertaken without irrigation. The same is true of a -small area in the 
southeast corner of the State draining into Salt Lake, Utah. Water is ob- 
tained from the rivers and is applied through canals and ditches, and distri- 
buted in the orchards and gardens by furrows. Flooding is carefully avoided. 
10. Fruit growing is becoming one of the greatest industries of Idaho. 
Of it Hon. Alexander McPherson, of Boise. State Horticultural Inspector, 
writing in April, 1898, says: “There are about 30,000 acres of orchards in 
Idaho; of this amount 10,000 acres are apples, 12,000 acres prunes, 3,000 
acres pears. 2,000 acres peaches, 1,000 acres cherries, 1,000 acres apricots, 
nectarines and almonds, 300 acres grapes, and 700 acres small fruits, about 
one-half of which are bearing. Irrigation is largely practiced in southwest- 
ern Idaho, and a failure of crops has never been known. This part of Idaho 
seems to be the home of all deciduous fruits, especially of the apple, pear, 
prune, and all small 'fruits. Idaho possesses some advantages over other 
States in addition to a wonderfully productive deep soil- First, the mild 
winters are of sufficient duration to cause the trees and vines to shed their 
foliage and remain dormant for a period of about three months, thus giving 
them a rest and time to recuperate; second, it is a well known fact that the 
more sunshine, with a proper degree of heat, the great the perfection of 
fruits and flowers, being larger, higher colored, and of a more delicious flavor. 
The soil of Idaho possesses three per cent of oxide of iron, which gives 
color to the fruit and red cheeks to the consumer. 
11. In the southern section the principal disposition made of the prune 
crop is evaporation. Apples and other fruits, when the markets will not 
justify shipping in the fresh state, are evaporated. The prunes most grown 
for evaporation are Italian. French ( Petite d’Agen), and German in the order 
named. In apples no attention is paid to the varieties, and all in excess of 
the market demands are used. 
12. Little trouble is experienced as to hardiness in the southern section 
since winter killing is a rare occurrence; local conditions seem to have more 
influence upon the susceptibility to winter injury than variety. No material 
injury was done during the past winter. In the northern section much injury 
was done to peaches, apricots, sweet cherries and European grapes, but I 
am unable to report as to the relative hardiness of the different kinds. 
ILLINOIS. 
JONATHAN PERIAM, CHICAGO, CHAIRMAN, BY T. K GOODRICH, COBDBN. 
This report is made for the extreme southern part of Illinois, and to cover 
about ten counties. * 
Fruit growing is very extensively carried on; in some places to the exclu- 
sion of everything else. All of the fruits grown in the temperate zone thrive 
well here. Few points in the United States can produce so great a variety 
of fruits and vegetables as Southern Illinois. Peaches, pears, apples, all of 
the small fruits, tomatoes, melons, asparagus, rhubarb, peanuts and sweet 
potatoes, are shipped by the thousands of carloads annually. 
The soil is as varied as the locality. Yellow and red clays, black alluvial 
bottoms with sections of sandy loams. 
