THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
THE APPLE CROP. 
Detailed information direct from the field only emphasizes 
the very great shortage in the apple crop of the middle states, 
says the American Agriculturist. The cutting down of the 
yield of winter fruit from last year’s record breaking total, to a 
tenth to a third of a crop is due to reasons easily discerned. 
Overproduction in 1896, unfavorable weather conditions and 
lack of proper attention to orchards were the chief of these. 
Some of the oldest apple counties say that only with one or two 
exceptions has there been such a poor showing in fifteen years, 
and farmers who always depend upon apples as a money crop 
are realizing but little this season. Too often such crop as has 
been secured is very poor in quality, possessing little merit for 
market. Some leading sections had a very fair crop of early 
varieties against a meager yield of winter fruit. Greenings, 
and Spys seem to have done better than Russets and Baldwins, 
but in many instances the kind first named ripened unusually 
early, turning yellow when they should have remained true to 
their name. In a great many commercial orchards Baldwins 
are a practical failure, although this is such a favorite that a 
quantity liberal in the aggregate has been secured, even though 
scattered over wide sections. 
The apple exports in barrels for the week ended Oct. 23d 
were : 
Liverpool 
London 
Glasgow 
Other Pts 
Total 
New York, 
8,247 
3,752 
6,540 
6,391 
24,930 
Boston, 
15-063 
149 
— 
— 
15,212 
Montreal, 
6,071 
— 
2,169 
2 10 
8,450 
Halifax, 
— 
9,146 
— 
— 
9,146 
Total, 
29,381 
13,047 
8,709 
6,60 I 
57,738 
Corweek last yr. 
87,859 
36,934 
12,916 
I 1,070 
148,779 
Tot’l this sea’n. 
115,985 
34,670 
39-197 
18,803 
208,655 
Tot’l last sea’n, 622,308 
232,099 
202,458 
25,782 
1,081,647 
For the week ended October 30th; 
Liverpool 
London 
Glasgow 
Other Pts 
Total. 
New York, 
9,092 
3,836 
5,420 
5,889 
24,237 
Boston, 
13,284 
6,376 
— 
— 
19,660 
Montreal, 
4,265 
433 
9,199 
2,909 
16,806 
Halifax, 
— 
5,410 
— 
5,410 
Total, 
’ 26,641 
16,055 
14,619 
8,798 
66,113 
Corweek last yr, 65,788 
50,552 
28,955 
11,480 
156,775 
Tot’l this sea’n 
,142,426 
50,725 
53,816 
27,601 
274,568 
Tot’l last sea’n,688,096 
282,65 1 
23 ‘, 4 i 3 
36,262 
1,238,422 
Cables from Liverpool quote: Fancy Pippins $5 40 to $7.50 
per bbl, No. 2. $3.50 to $5.40, fancy N Y Imperial $4.80 to 
$5.65, good $4.30 to $5.00, Wine Saps$4.25 to $4-80, Baldwins 
$4 25 to $5.40, Ben Davis $4.30 to $5.00. 
SEED DISTRIBUTION. 
Much has been said and printed regarding seed distribution 
by the government. Following is the comprehensive state¬ 
ment of the Secretary of Agriculture, issued on November 15: 
—“The appropriation of ^150,000 for the distribution of seeds 
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, provided that $130,- 
000 must be expended for the purchase of seeds, leaving 
$20,000 for putting up and mailing the same. The seeds were 
purchased already put up in packages and mailed from the 
different cities where the contracts were held. The appropri¬ 
LS ' 
ation for the present fiscal year is $130,000, of which amount, 
$110,000 must be expended in the purchase of seeds. The con¬ 
ditions of the law will require contracting with the smallest 
possible number of seed houses. The purchase of bulbs, 
plants, cuttings, etc., must be paid from the remaining $20,000. 
“The spirit of the law requires that the seeds, plants, bulbs, 
etc., be rare and valuable. Efforts are being made by the 
present Secretary of Agriculture to spend the appropriation 
for seeds, plants, etc., by purchases through agents and repre¬ 
sentatives abroad, through seed houses and scientific associa¬ 
tions. The Old World contains many things that would be 
valuable to the New World. All this work, however, must be 
paid for out of the $20,000 appropriated and not required to 
be expended for the purchase of seeds. The distribution of 
imported seeds and plants to the several experiment stations 
throughout the country and otherwise must be paid for out of 
the $20,000 fund. This will necessarily circumscribe efforts 
in this direction. It is desirable that more of the appropria¬ 
tion given for seeds should be available for the introduction 
of what is new and rare.” 
The government contract for the supply of seeds for free 
distribution has been awarded to Henry Philips Seed and Im¬ 
plement Co., of Toledo, Ohio. There were 42 bids, ranging 
from $69,000 to $144,000. 
NATIONAL PEACH EXPERIMENTS. 
At the last meeting of the Association of Agricultural Col¬ 
leges and Experiment Stations a paper prepared for the sec¬ 
tion by R. H. Price of Texas, was concluded by the following 
memorial : “ In view of the importance of this classification 
to successful peach culture in the United States, I wish to 
make the following recommendations : 
“ That a committee of three be appointed to be known as 
a committee on co-operative work in testing the different races 
of peaches. 
“ This committee shall consist of one horticulturist from 
one Northern station, one from one Southern station, and one 
from one Central station. 
“ The work of this committee shall be to find out, as far as 
possible, the isotherm in which each race is adapted. 
“ The committee may recommend to as many stations as 
may be thought necessary a list of varieties from the races, to 
test and report upon. 
“The committee shall make out a suitable blank to be print¬ 
ed by the United States Department of Agriculture, and also 
to be distributed by this department to the stations engaging 
in the work. 
“ Each station will be asked to pay for its own trees. The 
results of this work, together with the description of the races 
will be written up by the committee, and will be published by 
the United States Department of Agriculture.” 
After being read, the memorial was referred to a committee 
consisting of Professors Coff, Mason, and Munson. The 
recommendation of the committee was that the following nam¬ 
ed gentlemen be made a permanent committee to carry on the 
co-operative work of testing the several races of peaches in the 
various sections of the United States. The permanent com¬ 
mittee is as follows : Prof. R. H. Price. Texas; Prof. B. J. 
Wickson, California ; Prof. G. H. Powell, Delaware, and Prof. 
L. R. Taft, Michigan. 
