Our  fruit-growers  in  3896  had  very  little  fruit,  caused  by
cold  wet  and  frosts,  and  they  neglected  their  orchards  to  such
an  extent  that  peach  trees  did  not  make  a  good  growth  of
wood  to  bear  the  fruit  of  1897,  so  they  had  to  pay  very  dearly
for  their  neglect,  by  its  helping  to  make  them  an  inferior  crop
of  fruit.
In  the  latter  part  of  May  and  beginning  of  June  there  ap-
peared a  growth  on  the  peaches  and  apples  that  very  much
resembled  the  San  Jose  scale,  but  proved  to  be  a  fungus  that


S8PORT  OF  STATS  BOARD  OF  HORTICULTUBB.      147

was  unknown  to  us,  but  aa  soon  as  the  weather  became  warm
and  bright  it  ceased.
During  the  spring  of  1898  there  were  very  few  trees,  shrubs
or  plants  shipped  into  this  district.  •  I  think  this  was  owing
to  the  fruit-growers  failing  to  receive  remunerative  prices  for
their  fruits  in  1897.  But  in  the  peach  belt  of  Ashland  and
vicinity  there  will  be  considerable  tree  planting  done  this
season,  as  the  peach-growers  are  very  well  satisfied  with  the
prices  they  have  received  for  their  fruit  this  season,  and  I
must  say  that  the  quality  of  the  fruit  grown  this  year  is  as
fine  as  was  ever  produced  in  this  district.
