Smyrna times., 1907-01-16
HORTICULTURSTS MEET AT DOVER
rue oispiay OF Fruit Accompanies Program
10 Interesting Three Days Session of
Inc Peninsula Horticultural Society

Society.
Ihe 10th annual meeting of the
PENINSULA Horticultural Society, rep
resentlng Delaware, Maryland aud
Virginia, convened at Dover Tuesday
Tor three days session. The report
OF the treasurer, Wesley Webb, show
ed balance in hand at the close of
last year of $791.52, which, with the
appropriation of $500 each from Della.
ware and Maryland, make total of
81, 79l.52; the expenses during the wear
amounted to $9l7.49, leaving balance
of $S74.03. President Derby then
read his annual address. A. w. Slav.
maker, ofCamden, talked generally on
small fruits. Previous to the after
noon session there was an exhibit of
apples, pears and corn, which was one
OF the most elaborate ever seen. in
Dover. The apple exhibit of F. M
Soper and Son, Magnolia, surpasses
anything of the kind ever seen there.
both from the standpoint of quality
and quantity. Mr.. Soper began fruit
farming on a small scale, meeting with
success at almost every turn, mean
while educating his son, J. L. Soper,
in the scientific methods at Delaware
College and later at Cornell. The re-
suit OF their combined efforts is that
their apple crop alone every year nets
small fortune. Frank G. Bancroft
was In charge of the E. H. Bancroft
and Son exhibit, which displayed
splendid varieties of fruit that have at
sracted attention in this section and
have been selected by the Uuited
States government for shipment to
England.
The gathering brought together
many of the leading fruit growers of
the state and the eastern shore Of Mary
land for practical exchange of views
and for the consideration of an indus.
try that is of most vital importance to
the farmers of Delaware. The re-
peated failures of the peach crop have
proved disappointment to the grow
ers, and it is we'll that many of them
ore now turning their attention to the
cultivation of apples. The display of
apples on exhibition before the society
was one of the finest that has ever been
made in the country and shows what
can be done if improved methods are
turned to the cultivation of this
fruit. Some of the finest apples
in the world are grown in Kent county
and there is no reason why the cultiva-
tion of apples should not be extended
throughout the state. If not so prof
table, the growing of apples is much
safer than the raising of peaches and
in the end will probably bring higher
returns to the farmers.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: president, W. F
Allen, Salisbury; first vice. president
James T. Shallcross, Middletown; sec
retary and treasurer, Wesley Webb,
Dover; presidents for the counties
New Castle, ID. W. Corbet, Odessa
Kent, F. @. Bancroft, Wyoming; Sus
sex, James Friedel, Seaford; Cecil
George Biddle, Elkton; Kent, Md.
James S. Harris, Sill Pond; Caroline
I J. W. Kerr, Denton; Queen Anne, W
/ Irving Walker, Chestertown; Talbot
> A. J. Wilson, Easton; Dorchester, W
| G. Dawson, Cambridge; Wicomico,
8 Roscoe Jones, Allen; Worcester. o
r Harrison, Berlin; Somerset, J. W
s Hall, Marion Station; Accomac, L. J
Y Hyslop, Keller; Northampton, W. L
t Elzey, Exmore.