Annual Report

HON. A. P. SANDLES,

Secretary of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture.

SIR: I transmit herewith the Eleventh Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Nurseries and Orchards.

During the five years that the work of this Division has been under my charge striking changes have been taking place in the orchard and nursery interests of the State. Not many years ago Ohio ranked fourth in the production of apples. While orchard interests were not centralized to any extent, practically every farm home had its orchard, some of which assumed considerable size and commercial importance, altogether making a very respectable showing with other States. There came a time when it was realized that production of fruit had fallen considerably. Prices began to soar, and good home-grown fruit was hard to find. An examination into conditions revealed the fact that in about a decade the area in apples had decreased by almost one hundred thousand acres, and that over one-half of the apples consumed in the State were being shipped in from outside sources.

A very few of the orchardists in the State had realized the changed conditions which had brought about this loss in production, and were meeting them by the use of scientific orchard methods. On the other hand, hundreds of large orchards were receiving but little care and were fast succumbing to the attack of insect pests, fungus diseases and general neglect.

Farm orchards were in even worse condition, and few of them were producing fruit sufficient and suitable for family use.

While the causes and conditions were understood by scientists and careful observers, it seemed impossible to bring about better methods. of orchard practice until high prices and a scarcity of home-grown fruit forced a realization of actual conditions.

The low mark in orchard area was reached in 1908, but since then a change for the better began to take place. This Division was flooded with requests for information concerning proper methods to pursue in rejuvenating orchards, and assistance was earnestly sought. The ravages of insects and diseases, while not entirely responsible for conditions, was the most serious menace to fruit interests and the first problem to be met. Owners of neglected commercial orchards readily took up spraying operations, once they realized the necessity and value of such work. The greatest difficulty has been experienced in encouraging

25-B. of A.

better care of farm orchards, and but little progress was made until actual demonstrations in this work were given in the orchards.

For several years this Division has each year under taken as much of this work as it has been possible to superintend thoroughly. Other agencies have also been at work, and a vast improvement is to be noted in the orchards of the State. Old orchards have been pruned and renovated and are taking on new life. New areas are being planted, and before a great many years the industry will equal its former importance. A chart is herewith given, showing apple acreage and production for the last ten years. It will be noticed that the area devoted to apples has been gradually increasing of late years.

FIG. 2-The acreage and yield of apple orchards in Ohio from 1901 to 1911, inclusive.

The planting which has been done has been well advised. There has been a lack in this State of apple land booms. There has been a lack of orchard stock companies, orchard schemes promoted on the unit system, and other schemes for speculative purposes, which are usually harmful to horticultural interests. The greater part of the planting has been done by individuals and, as a rule, in a very careful manner. Many of the older orchards of the State were planted on land that could not well be used for general crops or other purposes. This was a mistake, as many have discovered, since it has become necessary to give orchards more attention than formerly. The commercial planting of recent years has been done on land best adapted to the proper development of the fruit and with some reference to convenience of orchard operations, transportation facilities, and markets. It has also been our observation that a careful selection of varieties has usually been made. Adaptability to soil, locality and market requirements has usually been well considered. Commercial fertilizers are now being used to some extent and are showing quick and surprising results in the thin upland soils of southern Ohio. The fertility side of the problem has been very much neglected, but will undoubtedly receive more careful attention.

Orchard heaters, as a protection against frost injury, are now to be found in many of the well-cared-for orchards, and satisfactory results are reported from their use. The United States Weather Burcau at Columbus is co-operating with orchardists in sending frost warnings, so that the heating proposition has been placed upon a scientific basis and will be the means of saving many crops which would otherwise be lost.

Both the clean culture system with cover crops and the sod mulch system are being used in apple orchards. There is great room here for improvement. The properly mulched orchards are too few by far. The common fault is the failure to use enough mulching material. This is not always available, and yet, if best results are to be secured from this system, it must be thoroughly carried out. This method of culture is used most extensively in the hill orchards of the State, where cultivation is not practicable on account of the danger of washing and mulching material is scarce. No large grain crops are grown, and the prices obtained for straw make its use almost prohibitive for mulching purposes. It therefore becomes a necessity to grow some crops which can be used for this purpose. Some orchardists are following this practice, but too many are relying entirely upon the grass cut in the orchard, and this is seldom adequate for a thorough mulch. The yearly addition of other material is necessary for best results.

Clean culture which cover crops is receiving but little attention in this State from apple orchardists. It is a more expensive system to follow, but undoubtedly would produce excellent results in sections of the State where cultivation can be followed with safety. This system is practiced almost universally by peach growers. In fact, it is the only successful method to use in peach culture. Experience has shown that peach production is neither very successful nor profitable where trees are mulched.

Better packing methods are being agitated, and some advancement is being made. Year after year the price of good well-grown and properly packed fruit is lowered by the presence on the market of inferior and poorly packed fruit which should be made into cider, rather than be placed upon the market.