In the United States horticulture and market gardening have now assumed
immense proportions. In a country of over 3,000,000 sq. m., stretching
from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the one hand, and from the Gulf of
Mexico to the great northern lakes and the Dominion of Canada on the
other, a great variation of climatic conditions is not unnatural. From a
horticultural point of view there are practically two well-defined
regions: (1) that to the east of the Rocky Mountains across to the
Atlantic, where the climate is more like that of eastern Asia than of
western Europe so far as rainfall, temperature and seasonable conditions
are concerned; (2) that to the west of the Rockies, known as the Pacific
coast region, where the climate is somewhat similar to that of western
Europe. It may be added that in the northern states--in Washington,
Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, &c.--the winters are often
very severe, while the southern states practically enjoy a temperature
somewhat similar to that of the Riviera. Indeed the range of temperature
between the extreme northern states and the extreme southern may vary as
much as 120 deg. F. The great aim of American gardeners, therefore, has
been to find out or to produce the kinds of fruits, flowers and
vegetables that are likely to flourish in different parts of this
immense country.
_Fruit Culture._--There is probably no country in the world where so
many different kinds of fruit can be grown with advantage to the nation
as in the United States. In the temperate regions apples, pears and
plums are largely grown, and orchards of these are chiefly to be found
in the states of New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Missouri, Colorado, and also in northern Texas, Arkansas and N.
California. To these may be added cranberries and quinces, which are
chiefly grown in the New England states. The quinces are not a crop of
first-rate importance, but as much as 800,000 bushels of cranberries are
grown each year. The peach orchards are assuming great proportions, and
are chiefly to be found in Georgia and Texas, while grapes are grown
throughout the Republic from east to west in all favourable localities.
Oranges, lemons and citrons are more or less extensively grown in
Florida and California, and in these regions what are known as Japanese
or "Kelsey" plums (forms of _Prunus triflora_) are also grown as
marketable crops. Pomegranates are not yet largely grown, but it is
possible their culture will develop in southern Texas and Louisiana,
where the climate is tempered by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Tomatoes are grown in most parts of the country so easily that there is
frequently a glut; while the strawberry region extends from Florida to
Virginia, Pennsylvania and other states--thus securing a natural
succession from south to north for the various great market centres.
Of the fruits mentioned apples are undoubtedly the most important. Not
only are the American people themselves supplied with fresh fruit, but
immense quantities are exported to Europe--Great Britain alone absorbing
as much as 1,430,000 cwt. in 1908. The varieties originally grown were
of course those taken or introduced from Europe by the early settlers.
Since the middle of the 19th century great changes have been brought
about, and the varieties mostly cultivated now are distinctly American.
They have been raised by crossing and intercrossing the most suitable
European forms with others since imported from Russia. In the extreme
northern states indeed, where it is essential to have apple trees that
will stand the severest winters, the Russian varieties crossed with the
berry crab of eastern Europe (_Pyrus baccata_) have produced a race
eminently suited to that particular region. The individual fruits are
not very large, but the trees are remarkably hardy. Farther south larger
fruited varieties are grown, and among these may be noted Baldwins,
Newton pippins, Spitzenbergs and Rhode Island greening. Apple orchards
are numerous in the State of New York, where it is estimated that over
100,000 acres are devoted to them. In the hilly regions of Missouri,
Arkansas and Colorado there are also great plantations of apples. The
trees, however, are grown on different principles from those in New York
State. In the latter state apple trees with ordinary care live to more
than 100 years of age and produce great crops; in the other states,
however, an apple tree is said to be middle-aged at 20, decrepit at 30
and practically useless at 40 years of age. They possess the advantage,
however, of bearing early and heavily.
Until the introduction of the cold-storage system, about the year 1880,
America could hardly be regarded as a commercial fruit-growing country.
Since then, however, owing to the great improvements made in railway
refrigerating vans and storage houses, immense quantities of fruit can
be despatched in good condition to any part of the world; or they can be
kept at home in safety until such time as the markets of Chicago, New
York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, &c., are considered favourable
for their reception.
Apple trees are planted at distances varying from 25 ft. to 30 ft. apart
in the middle western states, to 40 ft. to 50 ft. apart in New York
State. Here and there, however, in some of the very best orchards the
trees are planted 60 ft. apart every way. Each tree thus has a chance to
develop to its utmost limits, and as air and light reach it better, a
far larger fruit-bearing surface is secured. Actual experience has shown
that trees planted at 60 ft. apart--about 28 to the acre--produce more
fruit by 43 bushels than trees at 30 ft. apart--i.e. about 48 to the
acre.
Until recent years pruning as known to English and French gardeners was
practically unknown. There was indeed no great necessity for it, as the
trees, not being cramped for space, threw their branches outwards and
upwards, and thus rarely become overcrowded. When practised, however,
the operation could scarcely be called pruning; lopping or trimming
would be more accurate descriptions.
Apple orchards are not immune from insect pests and fungoid diseases,
and an enormous business is now done in spraying machines and various
insecticides. It pays to spray the trees, and figures have been given to
show that orchards that have been sprayed four times have produced an
average income of L211 per acre against L103 per acre from unsprayed
orchards.
The spring frosts are also troublesome, and in the Colorado and other
orchards the process known as "smudging" is now adopted to save the
crops. This consists in placing 20 or 30, or even more, iron or tin pots
to an acre, each pot containing wooden chips soaked in tar (or pitch)
mixed with kerosene. Whenever the thermometer shows 3 or 4 degrees of
frost the smudge-pots are lighted. A dense white smoke then arises and
is diffused throughout the orchards, enveloping the blossoming heads of
the trees in a dense cloud. This prevents the frost from killing the
tender pistils in the blossoms, and when several smudge-pots are alight
at the same time the temperature of the orchard is raised two or three
degrees. This work has generally to be done between 3 and 5 A.M., and
the growers naturally have an anxious time until all danger is over. The
failure to attend to smudging, even on one occasion, may result in the
loss of the entire crop of plums, apples or pears.
Next to apples perhaps peaches are the most important fruit crop. The
industry is chiefly carried on in Georgia, Texas and S. Carolina, and on
a smaller scale in some of the adjoining states. Peaches thus flourish
in regions that are quite unsuitable for apples or pears. In many
orchards in Georgia, where over 3,000,000 acres have been planted, there
are as many as 100,000 peach trees; while some of the large fruit
companies grow as many as 365,000. In one place in West Virginia there
is, however, a peach orchard containing 175,000 trees, and in Missouri
another company has 3 sq. m. devoted to peach culture. As a rule the
crops do well. Sometimes, however, a disease known as the "yellows"
makes sad havoc amongst them, and scarcely a fruit is picked in an
orchard which early in the season gave promise of a magnificent crop.
Plums are an important crop in many states. Besides the European
varieties and those that have been raised by crossing with American
forms, there is now a growing trade done in Japanese plums. The largest
of these is popularly known as "Kelseys," named after John Kelsey, who
raised the first fruit in 1876 from trees brought to California in 1870.
Sometimes the fruits are 3 in. in diameter, and like most of the
Japanese varieties are more heart-shaped and pointed than plums of
European origin. One apparent drawback to the Kelsey plum is its
irregularity in ripening. It has been known in some years to be quite
ripe in June, while in others the fruits are still green in October.
Pears are much grown in such states as Massachusetts, New York,
Pennsylvania, Missouri and California; while bush fruits like currants,
gooseberries and raspberries find large spaces devoted in most of the
middle and northern states. Naturally a good deal of crossing and
intercrossing has taken place amongst the European and American forms of
these fruits, but so far as gooseberries are concerned no great advance
seems to have been made in securing varieties capable of resisting the
devastating gooseberry mildew.
Other fruits of more or less commercial value are oranges, lemons and
citrons, chiefly in Florida. Lemons are practically a necessity to the
American people, owing to the heat of the summers, when cool and
refreshing drinks with an agreeable acidulous taste are in great demand.
The pomelo (grape-fruit) is a kind of lemon with a thicker rind and a
more acid flavour. At one time its culture was confined to Florida, but
of recent years it has found its way into Californian orchards.
Notwithstanding the prevailing mildness of the climate in both
California and Florida, the crops of oranges, lemons, citrons, &c., are
sometimes severely injured by frosts when in blossom.
Other fruits likely to be heard of in the future are the kaki or
persimmon, the loquat, which is already grown in Louisiana, as well as
the pomegranate.
Great aid and encouragement are given by the government to the progress
of American fruit-growing, and by the experiments that are being
constantly carried out and tabulated at Cornell University and by the
U.S.A. department of agriculture.
_Flower Culture._--So far as flowers are concerned there appears to be
little difference between the kinds of plants grown in the United States
and in England, France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, &c. Indeed there is a
great interchange of new varieties of plants between Europe and America,
and modifications in systems of culture are being gradually introduced
from one side of the Atlantic to the other. The building of greenhouses
for commercial purposes is perhaps on a somewhat different scale from
that in England, but there are probably no extensive areas of glass such
as are to be seen north of London from Enfield Highway to Broxburne. Hot
water apparatus differs merely in detail, although most of the boilers
used resemble those on the continent of Europe rather than in England.
Great business is done in bulbs--mostly imported from Holland--stove and
greenhouse plants, hardy perennials, orchids, ferns of the "fancy" and
"dagger" types of Nephrolepis, and in carnations and roses. Amongst the
latter thousands of such varieties as Beauty, Liberty, Killarney,
Richmond and Bride are grown, and realize good prices as a rule in the
markets. Carnations of the winter-flowering or "perpetual" type have
long been grown in America, and enormous prices have been given for
individual plants on certain occasions, rivalling the fancy prices paid
in England for certain orchids. The American system of carnation-growing
has quite captivated English cultivators, and new varieties are being
constantly raised in both countries. Chrysanthemums are another great
feature of American florists, and sometimes during the winter season a
speculative grower will send a living specimen to one of the London
exhibitions in the hope of booking large orders for cuttings of it later
on. Sweet peas, dahlias, lilies of the valley, arum lilies and indeed
every flower that is popular in England is equally popular in America,
and consequently is largely grown.
_Vegetables._--So far as these are concerned, potatoes, cabbages,
cauliflowers, beans of all kinds, cucumbers, tomatoes (already
referred to under fruits), musk-melons, lettuces, radishes, endives,
carrots, &c.; are naturally grown in great quantities, not only in the
open air, but also under glass. The French system of intensive
cultivation as practised on hot beds of manure round Paris is
practically unknown at present. In the southern states there would be
no necessity to practise it, but in the northern ones it is likely to
attract attention. (J. Ws.)