'^N'^'^ -" -^-x »'\'' V 0^ 1 1 « ;». 1/ O .»■»»< ToO "fi^/f" • • "> • <4 %*- ."^. ^ >5> »*> 'Si t 7 ■\ • - ^°^^^, 0 " o 0 / .» nt ' A ^- I 9 0 » <» '■■e^- ';•• « / 9 a » « (V "A's ■I't-'l , 0 00 0 ==%,?»'* ^»'^ 0 0 3 0 0 g 0 * t. fff .'» ^- ^^^v, ^ //» >/.. "^ .. * « "^.ff /" -y. ^■Ji^ 'A. ■ ■ ^- i^sK^' . (;. 1 ?}h'' " •^^ \y O Ck o ^. -'S v'*^ , ^ <» .^^ ?^'^. A "ft- »" ■'f- ^v a c» ^c° 9- '^-3>J '^^ «? !,.«*»,. . ♦ «» -. ««» <>* ", •■3^0 . o'^.f' ./^° .°?' ^ O O o , (Vj^ « «o . ■V^s 5^^» >»r= . =,,,^*^*> "^^ "" "I^W '^<.>^ •c^ • "•^Q'^.o . 0 . C^ ** at ** ^^"^. ^^„ ^s ^" -i- >i."^- .A^^: ■y »" ^0(f« " /-./'.^/y"" . "X^o •0 ^ O'OO •0 .0 / , 0 o \M'- 9 a It ^ a o''^'' "*" • f ' ,f ■• .^; ■'Si *"»»>:- ^S^, '■^ ^ '^f ^ ^^.'^ /4^ ',-S^.' ,>^ •^ ■„ <* 0 . Y , - ^f' iff°« "^0 OOS.u' V, ■^•.. ;'i. 1 -N. >*i*«HMMfe«Ail«»NMH«iM«Mi MICROFILMED 1998 Penn State University Libraries University Park, PA 16802-1805 USAIN STATE AND LOCAL LITERATURE PRESERVATION PROJECT; PENNSYLVANIA Pattee Library Funded by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Reproductions may not be made without permission from The Pennsylvania State University Libraries COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The copyright law of the United States - Titie 17, United States Code - concerns the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copy order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law. Master Negative S to rag Number SNPaAg229 CONTENTS OF REEL 229 1) State Horticultural Association of Pennsyivania Proceedings of the State Horticulturai Association of Pennsylvania, 1915 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.1 2) State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, 1916 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.2 3) State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, 1917 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.3 CONTENTS OF REEL 229 (CONTINUED) 4) State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, 1921 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.4 5) State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, 1922 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.5 6) State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, 1923 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.6 CONTENTS OF REEL 229 (CONTINUED) 7) Pennsylvania State Horticultural Association news, 1937 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.7 8) Pennsylvania State Horticultural Association news, 1938 MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.8 Missing: 1872-1888 1890-1904 1918-1920 Author: State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania Title: Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania... 191 5 Place of Publication: Harrisburg, Pa. Copyright Date: 1915 Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg229.1 <2241048>**OCLC*Form:serial2 lnput:HHS Edit:FMD 008 ENT: 981124 TYP: d DTI: 1909 DT2: 1958 FRE: a LAN: eng 035 (OCoLC)5122316 037 PSt SNPaAg228.7-228.1 2,229.1 -229.6 $bPreservation Office, The Pennsylvania State University, Pattee Library, University Park, PA 16802-1805 050 14SB354$b.S8 090 09 SB354 $b.S8 $l+(date) $cst $s+U1909-U1958 090 20 Microfilm D344 reel 228.7-228.12,229.1-229.6 $l+(date) $cmc+(service copy, print master, archival master) $s+U1909-U1923 110 2 State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. 245 00 Proceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania ... 246 1 $i52nd-56th have title: $aProceedings of the ... annual meeting of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania 246 1 $i57th-67th have title: $aProceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania for ... 246 1 $i68th has title: $aProceedings of the ... annual meeting of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania for ... 246 1 $i69th- have title: $aProceedings of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania for ... 260 Harrisburg, Pa. $bUnited Evangelical Publishing House. 362 0 1909 (50th)-1 958 (99th) 515 Beginning with proceedings for 1924 (65th annual meeting)- published as issues of Pennsylvania State Horticultural Association news 533 Microfilm $m1 909-1 923 $bUniversity Park, Pa. : $cPennsylvania State University $d1998. $e2 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. $f(USAIN state and local literature preservation project. Pennsylvania) $f(Pennsylvania agricultural literature on microfilm). 580 Continues: State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. Report of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. 780 10 State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. $tReport of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania 787 1 $tPennsylvania State Horticultural Association news 830 0 USAIN state and local literature preservation project. $pPennsylvania. 830 0 Pennsylvania agricultural literature on microfilm. Microfilmed By: Challenge Industries 402 E.State St P.O. Box 599 Ithaca NY 14851-0599 phone (607)272-8990 fax (607)277-7865 www.liahtlink.com/challind/micrc .htm ^. Avonia p-4» Hartman, D. L Little River, Fla. . H^2r°' ?^°i^^ ^ Biglerville .■.■.■::.:;:; .'.'."Adams Hartman, L E Etters Vork Hanman,Wm Etters York H:;r„i!'l:HrA";;::::^--r''" •■::::. •.■.•.■.■::::L..caster Heard, R.E Buffalo, N "y.V. Hershey.H.F Harrisburg '.■■.'.■.■.*.. .V.;.;*. .'.Dauphin NAME POST OFFICE COUNTY Hill, William D North East Erie Hoopes, Abner West Chester '. Chester Hostetler, Abram Johnstown ' " "carnhna Huey.S.R Newcastle ;; Lawrence g"J'«--^^^ Greeasburg l ::: Westmoreland S"n'f^-^- Greensburg Westmoreland Hull, u. W Waymari Wavn*. Johnston. Mrs. F. C Dallas Luzerne l"""^" i ^ • • Willow Street Lancaster Jones. S. Morris ... West Grove Chester Keller. H M Gettysburg. R. o Adams Kessler, Geo. W Tyrone Blai - Kister, U. G Etters ',"',* " *York Koehler, Paulus E Monaca Beaver " Landis, p. M Lancaster R. 1 Lancaster Landis, Israel Lancaster Lancaster Large. Miss Katherine S. . Orrtanna Adams Lightner, Wm. A Landisburg Perry Loop, A. I North East Erie Lord. John.... Wyoming, R 1 Luzerne Macneal, Wm. H Parkesburg Luzerne Maflfet, Miss M. A 264 S Franklin St., Wilkes-Bante. Luzerne Martin, J O Mercersburg Franklin Mayer, Guy S Willow Street Lancaster Mayer, Dr. I. H Willow Street Lancaster McClelland, J. B Canonsbnrg Washington McCormick, James Harrisburg Dauphin McFarland, J. Horace. . . Harrisburg Dauphin McKee. J. M Washington Washington McLanahan, J. King Hollidaysburg Blair Meehan, S. Mendelson. .German'town . Philadelphia • Mendenhall, J. Howard. .Glen Mills Delaware Metzger. Dr. A. H Millersville .Lancaster Mitchell, Ehrman B Harrisburg Dauphin Moon, Henry T Morrisville Bucks Mueller, Adolph Norristown Montgomery Myers, Levi M Siddonsburg York O'Connor, Haldeman... 18 N. Front St.. Harrisburg Dauphin Pannebaker, Wm. M Virgilina Virginia Pierce, H. W Wilkes-Barree Luzerne Rankin, Chas. C West Chester Chester Reist, John G Mount Joy Lancaster Rick, John Reading Berks Rinehart, E. S Mercersburg Franklin Roberts, Horace Moorerstown, N. J Robinson, A. Blaine North East Erie Rohde, Wm Johnstown .' .' " .Cambria Runk, J. A Huntingdon Huntingdon Rush, Perry M Sycamore, R. 1 Greene Satterthwaite, Fred'k G. . Fallsington Bucks Searle, Alonza T Honesdale Wavne Settlemeyer, C. T . Wilmore Shaffner, Jacob Harrisburg Dauphin Shallcross. Frank R Fraukford Philadelphia vShank, H. L Lancaster, c | o Conestoga Stage. . Lancaster Sharpe, Miss E. M Accotink, Va Smedley, Samuel L 2242 Rrvn Mawr Ave., West Phila- delphia Philadelphia Suavely, H. H Willow Street Lancaster Stem, Dr. J. C Lemovne Cumberland Stewart, Dr. J. P State College Centre Strasbaugh, E. F Orrtanna Adams 6 POST OFFICE COUNTY NAME POblurrx.x. ^^^^^.^ Swank. Luke H 1?,^"n ^Matlack Ave.Vw.' Chester . . Chester Taylor, Ralph S l^P ^^.f Prn^sia Montgomery TMtaas, Chas. L King of Pruss a Montgomery . T?^,.,i« w Kmc of Prussia j ^u:„u NAME POST OFFICE COUNTY Thomas , Edwin W King Trexler ' Harry C Allentown . ?;ron. Cheste'r J Flo- Da\e Tyson, Edwin C P.fJlflt Tyson, Wm. C. , Guernsey .Lehigh , Adams Adams .Adams van Deman, H. E 3630, 13th St N.' W. Washington, ^D.^C.^ Walton. Robert J Hurnmellstown Somerset Weaver, Abram Winrtoer Lebanon Weimer.E. A ^,T^*"°w'' .' . . ..Franklin Wertz, D. Maurice Waynesboro Cambria Wertz.Geo. M J?^fI°p"o ;; :;::... .Cambria Westrick, F. A Fatton R. - York Whisler. Edgar Sit- Lawrence White, Arthur H Pulaski . . - Montgomery Williams, Irvin C S^^^'''^^!!': '. Philadelphia Wister, John C Germantown .Jefferson Witherow.R.T Punxsutawney •.//Adams Wolfe, Chas. A ^^P^i^iii'^;' ' Pittsburirh Allegheny Woods. Edward A Frick Bldg . Pittsburgh ^^.^ Youngs, L. G North East Annual Members . Butler Adams, Harvey S ?i4s iVth" Street,' Philadelphia. . .Philadelphia ^:^^^:^^^-u:p^ :::v.:::::Sl^ Aurand Mrs. Chas. M. Le-^-" J; ]::;::;:::: Wyoming ?:^:;^^p.:::::::::Nort^B-^-^-3 ;:;::::;c^::i:r Bartram, George H West Chester, R. 3 • ^^^^^ Baugher. H. G ctT/^W^e^e • •' •' ^ ^ ^ Center Bechtel , John Market St fwilkes-Barree Luzerne lS^:^idlr;T;L::::::f^ Bostwick, D. C North East Lackawanna Botscheller, A. B ^ if"*"' Luzerne Brace, Paul Dallas Lancaster Brinser, Ephraim r.^^T"!*!' ' Dauphin Brinser, E. C. i^^^.^^^^?!:" Brinton. Charles Glen Rose. ^ork Brinton.H. C ?m J"''^'' r i '- .' Luzerne Bronson,C.E ^^^f'^^vi'ile" Snvder Bruner. W. W Paxtonville Lebanon Bucher, I. Reillv J^^*°^"cr" r" T '•'•'.• . .Luzerne Burgess. N. W ^y.?"ll"f;/ Adams Butt. J. L Ff- I Terminal Buiidine' ' " Jacksonville, Fl Campbell, J. R Union Terminal Building .iackawanna ^^-^^-^•" l^:;S^nny.v:;;:::::::::: L^^nie a. Chapin, Irvin Charles & Sterner Clemmer^ C W f }^^|i5^^: McKeesport ^^'^l- ^.^""^«' ^ " Bu.tleton, Philadelphia Philadelphia Comlv. H. R. ttusiifijuii, r .Susquehanna Cope, Hr.ncis R., .Ir ^™°<=J^„i„-st:, Pitlston: .::;:... I.'»erne ^:::z^'^:::::■■■:^^rni^■^■^ y.^r/n'r Crowell. A. & T Avondalc Dayton, Charles B South Montrose Susquehanna DeWitt, J. E Falls Wyoming Dcyo Macey Sales Co. . . . Binghampton, N. Y Dulles, John W West Chester Chester Elder, George K Lewiston, Me Ellis, David M Bridgeport Montgomery Evans, Wm. H Plainsville Luzerne Fagan, F. N State College Center Felty , G. B. O Millersville Lancaster Fenstermacher, P. S Allentown Lebanon Finn, A . O Clifford Susquehanna Fisher. M. O Selincgrove Snyder Frantz, Fred W 175 S. Maple St., Kingstown Luzerne Frantz, S. P. Luzerne Luzerne Frazer, Samuel Geneseo, N. Y Garver, Harvey B Middletown Dauphin Gay, Arthur Pittston, R. 2 Luzerne Gibson. Hon. Ralph Williamsport Lycoming Gould Mfg. Co Seneca Falls, N. Y Green, James Creighton Allegheny Grief Cooperage Co Cleveland, Ohio Haase, Herman 133 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Haines, Mary M Cheltenham Montgomery Hale. B. T Towanda Bradford Harrison & Sons, J. G. . .Berlin, Md Harvey, F. L Foxburg Clarion Hayes, R. W. E Galva, 111 Heilman. Dr. R. P Emporium Cameron Herr, David S Lancaster, R. 7 Lancaster Hibsbman. E. K State College Center Hile, Anthony Curwensville Clearfield Hitz, Cyrus N Hackersville Dauphin Houck, F. E Dallas Luzerne Howe, Homer B Wellsboro Tioga Ives, George H 534 Wyoming Ave., Kingston Luzerne Jennings, Roy Falls .' Wyoming Johnston, Rev. J. CM... New Wilmington Lawrence Jones & Son Allen, Md Kains, M. G State College Center Keller, C. S Gettysburg, R 5 Adams Kelly Bros Dansville, N. Y Kerr, S. W Stony Creek Mills Berks Kilmer, A. B Springbrook Montgomery Kitchen, G. W Shaverstown Luzerne Krewson, E. W White Haven Luzerne Kunkel, Jonas New Ringold Schuylkill Kusel, Dr. George C 1831 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. . .Philadelphia Lance, O. M Revnolds St., Kingston Luzerne Leighton, J. G Tunkhannock Wyoming Leslie, Wm. H Arnold Westmoreland Levi, Newton R 2243 N. 16th St., Philadelphia Philadelphia Lewis, H. G Pittston, R.I Luzerne Lewis, W. J Pittston, R. I Luzerne Linde, J. A Orefield Lehigh Lippincott, John E 1125 Stratford Ave., Melrose Park, N. J. Loose. H. H Menges Mills York Luce, D. H Harbor Creek • • • Erie McDowell, J. M State College Center McHenry , G. S Benton Bradford MacPhec, G 98 N. Laurel St., Hazleton Luzerne Marble, L. M Canton Bradford Mechling, Edward A Moorestown, N. J NAME Miller, E. M 8 POST OFFICE COUNTY ^i^^iSo^^r^B. ::::: : :H^ Ave: ; 'c^ouisie:::::::^^nn. Moon, R. B Mornsville Susauehanna Morse. J. C. and wife. . .. Susquehanna Susquehanna Mottier, J.E North East Erie Mvers C E State College Center ^7 UT' TT c^.-.nf nn Lackawanna Peck, Wm. H Scranton Pershing, Theodore Pineville «"Cks Peters, W. V Geuemsey lu'^ne Pollock, G. B Wyoming. R. D. . . ... . • • .^; Luzerne Pratt B G 50 Church St., New York City. ... rrau, d. yy^ Dallas Luzerne Price, W. S uaiias Schuvlkill Ramer O. G Pitman scnuyiKiu Ratchford, ^forman Nanticoke Lackawanna Rawding, Henry Moscow •.•••■•••• ; • ;• - ' ' • Lackawanna Reist. Henry G 110 Avon Road, Schenectady, N.Y. Rennard, George Alderson Sford Rice F G Monroeton Bradlord Rice, Jacob's Trucksrille Luzerne Reynolds, M.W Factory ville R. 2 ^ZT"^ Roberts Arthur Gettysburg, R. 5 Adams Ro^.^, bt^id 167 I. Malle St., Kingston Luzerne Root, J- W Manheim, R. 1 Vn^^fnl Rozeile.H. E Pittston n«f,Jhf„ Ruof Fred Hummelstown Dauphin Sanford, Mrs. A. L 245 River St. .Kingston ^Ji^^L Schell Walters 1307 Market St., Harnsburg Dauphin Shoonover, W. E. . ... . . .Dallas n"?!"^ Shearer, Walter J Vinemont «erKs ihenk.H.H....' Lititz, R, 2 ^^"vfJ" Shoemaker.S.W.%LC.S.Scranton ^^^^7 Silvis.BertW Export MfffliT Smith. CM Lewistown Mimin Smith J C Trucksville. R. 1 Luzerne smuu, J. v.. pnhrata R 1 Lancaster Snyder, C . B ^Jocf " " Luzerne llarkey , S. H- '..V. '. '. "• '. Bustleton', Phiiadelphia Philadelphia S. Hos. Criminal Insane . Farview •.;;••• Wayne Stevens, Mrs. C. J 91 W. Union St., Wilkes-Barree. .. Luzerne Stewart', Wm Landisburg Perry Stone H S Clarks Green Lackawanna Stover, F. S Bowmansville Lancaster Strode, AD West Chester 9t .^' Strode, Marshall D West Chester Chester Swartz, Samuel Spring Grove York Templetan, T. W Plymouth i^ff"^ Turk Jesse C Euclid. R. D Butler Vail C S New Milford Susquehanna VanBuskirk, John Lk. Box 96, Wilkes-Barree Luzerne Vantuvle. H. S Pittston Luzerne Vogei: .\dam B Lititz, R. 3 Lancaster Wadhams, Lvdia F 275 S. Franklin St., Wilkes. Barree. Luzerne Walker. James F Westtown Chester Watts. R. 1 State College Center Wiley. H. S. & Son Cayuga, N. Y Wil5;on. CHpt. J. L Overbrook Philadelphia Winjert, J. K Chambersburg Franklin W^oolman, Anna Lansdowne Delaware Work, Paul % College of Agri., Ithaca, N.Y... Zacharias, H. C Harrisburg Dauphm CONSTITUTION. Article 1. — Name and Object. The name of this organi- zation shall be The State Horticultural Association of Pennsyl- vania. Its object shall be to foster and encourage the de- velopment of horticulture in the State of Pennsylvania. Article 2. — Membership. Any person may become an Annual Member of this Association by paying two dollars ($2.00) to the Secretary, such membership to expire on the first day of the following annual meeting, unless renewed. Any one paying twenty dollars ($20.00) to the Secretary at one time shall be entitled to Life Membership. Persons of distinguished merit in horticulture may be elected to Honorary Membership for the current year, by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting. Article 3. — Officers. The officers shall consist of a Presi- dent, three Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected by ballot at each annual meeting to hold office for one year or until their successors shall be chosen, except that the retiring Secretary shall edit the report of the annual meeting at which his successor is elected. No one may serve as President for more than two consecutive terms. These elective officers shall constitute an Executive Board in conjunction with an additional indeterminate number of Vice-Presidents whose names shall be announced by the Secretary at the annual election of officers. These Vice-Pres- idents shall be the regualrly elected Presidents of any County Associations, organized in Pennsylvania for horticultural pur- poses, whose Constitution is approved by the Executive Board, and whose income from annual membership dues during the preceding year was not less than ten dollars ($10.00.) In order to secure admittance to this Board, the Secretary of such County Association shall certify to the Secretary of the State Association that the applicant has been duly elected to serve as their President for the current year and shall also submit a statement showing number of members and amount of dues paid for the preceding year. All officers must be members of the Association in good standing at the time of their election and shall assume their duties at the close of the meeting at which they were elected. Article 4. —Quorum. Twenty-five (25) members of the Association and five (5) members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Article 5.— Standing Committees. The following Stand- ing Committee shall be appointed by the President to serve during his term of office : A committee on Legislation, to con- sist of three (3) members; a Committee on Exhibition, to con- sist of five (5) members; a Committee on Membership, to con- 10 sist of one (1) member from each county in the State showing evidence of horticultural activity, and General Fruit Commit- tee, consisting of one from each county represented, with a general chairman of the whole, each member of the General Fruit Committee to have the privilege of appointing two assistants. Article 6.— Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting of this Association shall be held during the month of January in each year, at such time and place as the Executive Board shall determine. The regular meetings of the Association shall be closed to all persons, except paid-up members of the Associa- tion, speakers, delegates from associations outside of Pennsyl- vania, all ladies, and the minor sons of members. Article I,— Amendments to the Constitution. This Con- stitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the mem- bers present at any annual meeting, provided such amendment shall have been presented to the Secretary in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to time of holding the annual meeting, and by him referred to all members in connection with the announcement of said meeting. BY-LAWS. Article 1.— Duties of the President. The President shall be the executive officer of the Association and of the Execu- tive Board, and shall preside at all meetings of either body designating one of the Vice-Presidents to serve in his stead when necessarily absent. He shall pass upon all bills and ac- counts of the Association before they are ordered paid by the Secretary; he shall appoint all delegates to other associations and all special and standing committees of the Association unless otherwise ordered. Article 2.— Duties of the Vice-President. The Vice-Pres- idents shall serve on the Executive Board and any one of them may be called upon by the President or the Executive Board to assume the duties of the Chair at any meeting. They shall also actively represent the Association in its various lines of work in their respective counties. Article S.— Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be the recording, corresponding and accounting officer of the Association and of the Executive Board; he shall incur no ex- penditure of a large or doubtful character without the sanction of the Business Committee; he shall secure the written appro- val of the President on all bills or claims against the Associa- tion before drawing his order on the Treasurer for the pay- ment thereof; he shall attend all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board and shall keep a faithful record of 11 their proceedings; he shall sign all certificates of membership and all Diplomas and Certificates of Merit, awarded by the Association. All money received by him shall be promptly paid to the Treasurer. He shall have charge of the Associa- tion's books and papers and shall be responsible to the Board for all property placed in his charge; he shall be the custo- dion of the Seal of the Association, and shall have authority to affix same to documents when needful ; he shall seek by all suitable means to secure the fullest announcements of the meetings of the Association in this State, as well as in adja- cent states, when such shall be found desirable. It shall also be his duty, yearly, to prepare for publication, the Annual Report of the Association, together with such other matter as he shall deem proper, he being aided in the selection of such matter by an advisory committee of the Executive Board. As recompense, the Secretary shall receive all necesasry expen- ses, and such salary as may be determined by the Executive Board. Article 4.— Duties of the Treasurer. All the funds of the Association shall be paid into the hands of the Treasurer; he shall disburse the moneys of the Association that shall come into his hands only upon order of the Secretary, countersigned by the President; he shall keep the moneys received by the Association for Life Memberships as a distinct fund, and shall invest the same under the advice and direction of the Execu- tive Board, applying only the interest accruing thereon to the purpose of the general fund. Immediately upon assuming his office and before entering his duties, he shall execute to the Association an official bond with sufficient securities condi- tioned for the safe-keeping and disbursement of the moneys of the Association, and for the proper discharge of the further duties of his office, in such sums as shall be specified by the Executive Board, the premium on which shall be paid by the Association. This bond shall receive the approval of the President, and shall be deposited with the Secretary. Imme- diately preceding the annual meeting, he shall submit to the Executive Board a written report showing the amount of money that shall have come into his hands during the year, the sources from which it has been derived, and the deposition made of the same. This statement shall be published in the Annual Report of the Association. Article 5.— Duties of the Executive Board. The Execu- tive Board shall enact all rules and regulations for the mana- gement of the affairs of the Association, determine the sal- aries of its officers, and assume the control and management of its exhibitions; it shall have power to displace any officer of the Association for neglect of duty or abuse of position ; shall fill all vacancies by appointment to continue until the next an- nual election ; and shall hold at least two (2) regular sessions during the year, one of which shall occur at the time and place 12 of the Annual Meeting of the Association. It may hold other meetings when called by the Secretary under the advice or di- rection of majority of the members of the Board at such times and places as may be deemed most convenient, but in all such cases, each member must be duly notified of the time, place and object of such meeting; it shall carefully guard the in- terests of the Association, watch over its finances and provide for its necessities as they shall arise ; it shall appoint from its own number three members, who shall constitute a Business Committee for the year, and upon which the Secretary and Treasurer may not serve; and it shall submit to the Annual Meeting, through the Secretary, such report upon the condi- tions, general interests and prospects of the Association as it shall judge necessary or expedient. All important measures shall be sumitted to this board, but may, by the Board, be re- submitted to the Association for recommendations. Article Q.— Duties of the Business Committee, It shall be the duty of the Business Committee, upon application of the Secretary, during the recess of the Executive Board, to ad- vise with him as to the expediency of making any contem- plated but questionable expenditure for which occasion may arise during such recess. The Business Committee shall also audit the accounts of the Secretary and the Treasurer just prior to the annual meeting and submit written report of its findings to the Executive Board. Article 7.— Duties of the Standing Committees. (1) The Committtee on Legislation shall inform itself in regard to such existing laws as relate to the horticultural interests of the State and bring the same to the attention of the Association, at the same time reporting any additional legislaton which in their judgement is desirable; when so directed by the Associ- ation, it shall cause to be introduced into the State Legisla- ture such bills as may be deemed necessary and shall aid or oppose any bills introduced by others which directly or in- directly affect the interests of the fruit growers. (2.) The Committee on Exhibtions shall suggest from time to time such methods and improvements as may seem to Vnem desirable in conducting the exhibitions of the Associ- ation, as well as other fruit exhibitions throughout the State, and with the assistance of the Executive Board, shall arrange the premium lists, and have charge of all the exhibitions of i"hp Association (3.) The Committee on Membership and Expansion, with the co-operation of the County Vice-Presidents, shall bring the work of the Asscociation to the attention of fruit growers throughout the State, and by such means as they deem best, strive to increase the membership. (4.) The General Fruit Committee shall carefully and thoroughly investigate the subject of fruit culture in general. Each local committee of three shall collect such useful and in- 13 teresting information in relation to the subject as may be in their power, and embody the same in monthly reports, to be made to the general chairman ; such reports to be by him ex- amined and embodied in his annual and semi-annual reports. Such other Standing Committees may be created by the Executive Board from time to time, as in its discretion may seem desirable or necessary. All Standing Committees shall report to the Annual Meet- ing in January, any information of value to the Association or its members, that may have come to their knowledge dur- ing the year, as well as any scientific theories, deductions or facts that in their opinion may be useful in advancing the ob- ject for which the Association is laboring. Article S,— Nomenclature. The Association shall adopt the nomenclature of the American Pomological Society. Article 9.— Amendments to By-Laws. Amendments or additions to these By-Laws may be made by a majority vote of the Executive Board at any meeting, but if objection shall be made, the same shall **lie upon the table*' till the next regular meeting of the Board. These By-Laws, or any one or more of them, may be suspended for the time, by order of a majority of all the members of the Association present and voting. A proposition in the general meeting of the Associa- tion for an amendment or addition to these By-Laws shall be referred to the Executive Board for consideration and decision but the Association may submit therewith its advice or re- quest. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTY-SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania HELD AT Wilkes^Barree, Pa., January 19,20,21, 1915 The Fifty-sixth Annual Meeting of the State Horticultural Association convened in the Irem Temple at Wi Ikes- Bar ree at 1:30 P. M.. Tuesday, January 19, 1915. President Tyson pre- sided. Fruit Section PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS C. J. Tyson, Flora Dale, Pa. Ladies and Gentlemen: -As Chairman of this meeting, I am glad to welcome you to this beautiful temple. Your Exe- cutive Board took some responsibility on itself in breaking away from the time worn custom of meeting at Harrisburg: on the legislative year. This departure was decided upon for your comfort and for the good of the Association. You have only to think of the crowded, uncomfortable hotels and the unsatisfactory meeting and exhibit rooms from which we have suffered in the past, to understand just what I mean. It is our hope and belief that none of these objections need mar the success and comfort of the present meeting. Now, friends, you have not come here to listen to a long discourse from your presiding officer and I have no intention of 15 burdening you with an address. There are just a few things that I feel must be said early in the proceedings of this con- vention, and if you will be patient for a few moments it will soon be over. I think most of you will agree with me that the past year has been a pretty tough one with frost and flood in the Spring, with hail and drouth in the Summer; with the nation's indus- tries in such condition that laboring people, as a class, as well as many other people, have confined their buying to staple ne- cessities. Fruits and vegetables have had limited sale except at low prices. The average for apples in Pennsylvania the past Fall was under 30/ per bushel for all grades of picked fruit. Peaches were proportionately low. In many cases neither fruit paid the cost of production. These facts are known to all of you. My only point in reciting them is to preface three important lessons that I hope to impress upon you. A year like this makes us think mighty hard about some things that do not bother us at all in a good year. Here are the points I want to emphasize. First, we are right up against the thing we have been talking about for years, "Over production' ' and its conse- quences. To what extent are we, each one of us, responsible for this over production? Have we spoken conservatively of our business when asked, or have we gone about boosting of the splendid returns and the ease with which we have secured them? As an Association, what has been our policy in this matter, or have we had a policy? I am not making charges. I am asking you. It is an absolute fact that thousands of men have planted hundreds of thousandsof fruit trees for the one reason that they have been unintentionally deceived as to the golden harvest to be reaped. Some of these trees will die of neglect, some of them have died. Many of them are alive and bearing fruit. Let us take this lesson seriously to ourselves, first as individuals then as members of the Association. If we speak of returns, make sure that we speak in terms of net, not gross, amounts. And this leads up to my second point. What do we know about cost of production? How many of us know what a bushel of apples or a crate of cabbage really does cost? How long would a large manufacturing enterprise continue to live under severe competition without rigidly figuring all costs? In the season just past competition has been keen, business conditions have been dull, and unless we have learned to figure down the cost we have lost money. Let the discussions of this Convention bear in mind the real business end of our business. My third point has to do with an entirely different mat- ter, and yet it may touch us as closely as either of these. This seems to be the age of legislation. Our legislation mills grind m 16 out a never-ending grist of laws, some good, some bad. but we must be governed by them. Good laws can help our busi- ness; bad laws can put us out of business. Let our Associa- tion stand firmly for the passage of laws which are just and fair to all. A fruit grading and branding bill will be offered in the present Legislature. Let us see that this bill is shaped to meet the needs of our fruit growers. Amendments will be offered to the weights and measures act of the 1913 session. Let us see that these amendments really improve the act, let us get behind them in no uncertain way. An employers' liability act will be attempted. Why should farm labor be included in such a law? It can doubtless be exempted if we work together. In all these matters our word as an Association will carry much weight. We have a strong legislative committee who will carry our message to the law makers, and who will watch our interests throughout the legislative session. Let us bear these things in mind, and before the close of this Convention let us put ourselves on re- cord as to these bills in positive and definite terms. Now as to the meetings themselves; they are yours, make them what you will. Join freely in the discussions; make the Question Box the best part of the Convention, and may you enjoy every minute of your stay in Wilkes-Barree and take home with you loads of enthusiasm and helps for the coming year. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS IN YOUNG ORCHARDS IN PENNSYLVANIA. John P. Stewart, Experimental Pomologut, State College, Pa. As most of you doubtless know, an extensive series of orchard experiments was started by the Experiment Station, m various parts of Pennsylvania, in 1907—1908. The results from some of these experiments, especially those on the ferti- lization of mature orchards, have been published from time to time in bulletins and reports of various organizations.. In the meantime, results have been accumulating in a number of other experiments, some of which differ considerably in sub- ject from those already reported. The latter results for the niost part are coming from young orchards which were planted expressly for use in the present series of experiments. Neither experiments nor results are regarded as complete in any sense, but they are presented at this time to show the trends of affairs for the first seven years, and to furnish some additional definite data in a field and period of development that is now relatively bare. The first bit of data to which we would call attention is upon the comparatively old question of the relative merits of 17 different methods of preparation for young apple trees. Which is the best type of tree to plant, one propagated on the whole root, by budding or grafting? or is one developed on a piece rot, or without any seeding root at all, equally good or superior? This was a very live question some 15 or 20 years ago, and a number of experiments were made on it, chiefly at the Kansas, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Alabama Stations. The last three of these experiments were practically identical, the grafts being made by the Federal Divison of Pomology in 1895 and the resulting trees sent to the Stations for planting in 1897. Those sent to Pennsylvania Station consisted of 10 vari- eties of Hungarian apples, with two trees of each variety grafted on whole roots, two on top pieces and two on bottom piece roots. They were planted on April 15th and 16th by the late Professor Butz, and cared for uniformly until the date of measurement by the writer in April 1908, exactly 11 years after planting. Two trees were out on the latter date, one each in the 1st and 3rd groups, and one additional tree in the bottom piece group was so dwarf ted and "runty,'* as a result of defective union, that it was excluded in the final averages. The average growth made in the various groups, in 11 years, is shown in Table 1. Table 1 — Influence of Method of Propagation Upon the Growth of Apple Trees. (Average Size and Height of Trees, after 11 years in orchard, 10 varieties of 6 trees each.) Kind of No. of A v. Trunk Average Gain in Gain in Rank Graft Trees Girth Height Girth Height in. ft % % Whole Root 19 15.85 13.86 0.2 0.4 2 Top Piece 20 16.12 14.10 1.9 2.2 1 Bottom Pc. 18 15.82 13.80 3 In this case it will be noted that the trees propagated on the top piece roots are slightly in the lead in all respects, with those on the whole roots coming second. In the experi- ment in Alabama, as reported in their Bulletin 98, the trees on the bottom pieces were showing a slight superiority at the close of the second season, with those on the top piece second and the whole roots third. In the Oregon experiment, as stated in their Annual Report for 1901, pp. 38 and 39, the trees on the whole roots were slightly ahead at the close of the 4th season, in the single variety remaining at that time, with those on the top pieces again second. In the Kansas experiments, reported in their Bulletins 65 and 102, 64 trees grafted on whole roots averaged just one- tenth of an inch larger in trunk diameter, at the end of ten years' growth in the orchard, than 30 trees that had been bud- ded in the usual manner on whole roots. They in turn averaged 18 a fifth of an inch larger than 102 trees, involving some addi- tional varieties, that had been propagated on piece roots. No differences in growth or vigor were observable in the orchard. In another experiment in the same state and reported in Bul- letin 65, 3 varieties of 400 trees each, on whole roots, were compared by Judge Wellhouse with an equal nuniber of trees of the same varieties propagated on very short piece roots,— 2-inch lengths. In the latter case, the young trees had de- veloped a very considerable number of roots directly from the cions above the seedling pieces, thus giving trees on their own rocts to a considerable extent, while none were developed on the whole root trees. At the end of 19 years of growth in the orchard the only difference observed had been in the much greater number of sprouts that had come up from the whole root trees. No other noticeable difference, either in growth or fruiting had appeared. From all this data it is obvious that no one of the present forms of progpagation has any material advantage over any other. It may be of distinct advantage to get rid of the seed- ling root altogether, either by using the shortest^ions practi- cable and then cutting them off entirey during the process of transplanting after roots have developed above, or possibly by a direct rooting of the cions by the use of a method that is rumored as soon to appear from the Federal Bureau of Plant Industry. This elimination of the seedling root at least would relieve us of the numerous ill-effects of poor unions. It would also reduce the opportunity for crown-gall infection, eliminate the possibility of harmful influence of the variable seedling stocks upon the cions, and would furnish us with really standard roots, as well as tops, with which the injures from root-aphis and kindred difficulties might well be greatly reduced or eliminated entirely. This is plainly an important array of advantages, and all of them practical and by no means impossible of attainment. Who will be the fortunate one to carry this matter through? On the Value of Cion Selection. The next question is somewhat related to the one just considered but is much more recent in origin. It bears upon the value of cion selection, including the so-called "pedi- greed" trees, and also incidentally including the existance of the so-called drone trees. In this question we are seeking to determine whether or not it is possible to materially affect the yield, or any other important quality in an apple tree, by selecting the cion which produces it from a tree which is known to possess the desired qualities to an unusual degree. Various theories and observations have been advanced on this question and a few experiments have been conducted, most of which are summarized by the writer in the Annual Report of the Pennsylvania Experiment Station for 1910-11, pages 493-500 and 505-6. The net results of all this observa- 19 tion and discussion, however, have merely shown that impor- tant variations do exist among mature trees, in almost any direction desired, but thus far none of the variations within a variety have been actually proved to be heritable, with the apparent exception of color. In addition the most fundamen- tal and generally accepted theories are all aerainst such inher- itance, without excepting color. With this situation in view, we started a preliminary test in 1908 on the influence of cion selection in improving yields. The individual trees in this case were merely chosen on the recommendation of commercial growers for the most part, and without any definite and comparative records covering several years, which is the only satisfactory basis for mak- ing the primary determination of which are really superior individuals. This defect is being remedied in another much more comprehensive test that we have recently started. In the present test, however, the cions from the sup- posedly superior individuals were top-grafted chiefly on Northern Spy stock, and ordinary nursery trees of the same varieties were planted alongside for comparison. It is na- turally much too early to draw any conclusions from this work as yet., but the results to the close of the 7th year are now given so that the present status of the experiment may at least be known and later and more conclusive results may be anticipated. The relative yields from the two classes of trees are shown for 8 varieties, in Table 11. Table 11. Influence of Cion Selection on Yields of Youn^ Apple Trees. Expt. 334 and 335. (Yields of Eight Varieties in pounds, 1914, 7th year) Variety Nursery Trees Trees from Selected Cions No. of Yield Aver. No. of Yield Aver. Trees lb. lb. Trees lb. lb. Grimes 9 0.0 0.00 26 14.5 06-5 Rome Beauty* 4 16.0 4.00 13 132.5 10.15 Smokehouse 4 31.0 7.75 4 51.0 12.75 R. I. Greening 5 0.0 00.0 4 6.0 1.50 Tompkins King 5 0.0 0.00 16 0.0 0.00 Esopus 6 0.0 0.0 4 0.0 0.00 Sutton 5 0.0 0.00 3 0.0 0.00 Jonathan 5 8.25 1.65 16 5.75 0.36 *Five trees from W. J. Green omitted here. In the first 4 of these varieties, a slight superiority is now being shown by the trees produced from the selected cions. In the Rome Beauty comparison also the selected cion group has consistently shown much more blossoming for the last 3 years, but this is the first year that any appreciable quantity of fruit has set. In the next three varieties no advantage is shown in either group, although the cions for these trees were secured from one of the most prominent advocates of the 20 present practice, and in the last variety the slight advantage shown is on the side of the unselected nursery trees. These results are evidently insufficient either to approve or condemn the practice of cion- selection. There is some in- dication of a possible advantage in it, in the upper portion of the Table, but neither this nor any other data now available is sufficient to warrant anyone in paying any materially higher price for the so-called "pedigreed'* trees. Such trees probably have more certainty of trueness to name, where the cions have recently come from mature trees of known bearing habits, and one is naturally on the safe side of the question in using them, when they can be obtained without material increase in price. This, however, is all that can be said in favor of the practice at present, and much further data are needed. Relative Value of Certain Stocks in Top-Grafting. In case any of the experiments on cion selection should definitely prove the practice to be advisable, it will evidently be well to know something of the relative values of different stocks available for use in top-grafting. Some desirable va- rieties also should regualrly be top-grafted to secure better and healthier trunks. To secure data on the relative merits of certain well-known varieties for stock purposes, a test was started in 1908, using 4 trees each of 3 varieties on 5 different stocks, with the results shown in Table III. Table III. Influence of Different Stocks on Growth of Youn^ Apple Trees. (Average increase in trunk-girth 1908-1914, Expt. 334.) JONATHAN TOMPKINS KING GRIMES Plat stock Aver. Aver. Aver. General Aver. Gain over Gain Gain Gain Gain in Size Lowest in. in. in. in. % 7.32 1.14 7.40 1.26 6.57 8.84 34.5 7.30 11.1 7.01 6.7 1 Northern Spy 7. 99 6. 71 7. 25 2Tolman 6.79 6.82 8.60 3 Wolf River 6.25 6.37 7.09 4 Paragon 9.22 8.56 8.75 5 Champion 7.39 6.78 7.83 6 Nursery Trees 8.33 6.62 6.09 One rather unexpected result here appears in the fact that in all cases except one, the trees top-grafted on known stocks, have made a better growth than those grafted on seedling roots in the nursery. In the case of the Grimes also, all the top-grafted trees are now in the lead- Among the different stocks the trees developed on the Paragon are now distinctly in the lead, with those on Tolman coming second. With the Grimes and Tompkins King, which are the only ones of those three that really need top- working, the superiority of these two stocks is very marked so far as : 21 growth is concerned. On the smoothness of unions, the Tol- man and Champion are probably best, with the Paragon next, if the Jonathans be excepted, as in that variety the Paragon stock has tended to outgrow the cions. Incidentally the re- verse is the case with Grimes on Wolf River. The Northern Spy stock has averaged third in growth and IS now running about equal to the Paragon in unions. It also usually makes an excellent trunk and root-system but in at least one respect, it is considerably less desirable than either the Tolman or Paragon for stock purposes, and that IS in its unusual tardiness in starting growth in the spring. This tends to make the cions of most varieties more active than the stock, which is naturally the reverse of the condition desired when the grafts are being started. From the present results, either the Paragon or Tolman appears to be distinctly preferable to any of the others for Grimes at least, with the Champion coming in third, if the Jonathans are omitted. Some further interesting relations between certain stocks and cions used in top-grafting have also been reported orally to the writer by Samuel Eraser, of Geneseo, N. Y. He finds for example that the Twenty Ounce top-grafted on Baldwin makes from 50 to 100% better trees in 5 to 8 years than when worked on Northern Spy. Similarly he finds that the Wealthy does very poorly on R. I. Greening, while the latter does very well on the Wealthy. Hubbardston cions top-grafted on Ben Davis, N. Spy, and Tolman resulted in such peculiar changes in twig color,— some becoming red, some purple etc,— that they could not be used with safety, for further cion wood until they had proved their identity by coming into bearing. These and similar facts indicate that many of the com- mon variations in size and vigor so frequently shown by the same variety of trees, both in their nursery and later growth, are due to differences in congeniality between the cions and the variable seedling roots on which they were worked Moreover, the very remarkable effects of certain types of grafting, which results in the plant chimeras and graft hy- brids, (See Journal of Heredity for December 1914, pp. 521- 546) also indicate that there is still a vast amount to be learned about all these matters, which again brings us back to the desirability of reducing all variable factors, such as seedling stocks, to the lowest terms possible. On the Value of Dynamiting of Apple Orchards. This question was naturally not considered of fundamen- tal importance but there was so much agitation and so many inquires about it, that it seemed desirabl to get some definite data on it also. For this purpose 4 experiments were started in the Western part of the state, on a Volusia silt loam which had a typical hard-pan subsoil at an average depth of about 10 to 14 inches. Two of these experiments were on orchards 23 22 iust being planted, and two o" 25 ^ear dd Baldwins which had become more or less f d^V"/^f J^^ golTege an^ all the S3"lvfb2n'tSe^by\ff under the gene-1 direct on ofThe wrHer. The net results in the young orchards at the close of the 3rd season are shown in lable iv. Table IV. Influence of Dynamiting on Growth and Vitality of Young Apple Trees. (Average gains in Trunk-^gWh,^ etc. in 2 Expts. 3 years. White Johnston Orchard Orchard Experiments in : . ' , k\ oa 25 No. of Trees Dynamited (A) ^4 No. of Trees not Dynamited, (B) 19 ^^ Depth of Explosions 2 to^ Jt^,^^^^^^^ Aver. Gain in girth, A 20 1 in. 2 gl m. Aver. Gain in girth. B i»o m- „ „«{, Benefit to growth in A 1.5% 0-27« Total Trees dead. A. 8 or 23.5 /. u ''"InShSicaseswefindavely Blight superiority in growVfn favor offhe' dynamited trees, but nothing of any fmDortance In fact the difference is so very small that it is nSsa^y to go to the 3rd decimal place to find it in the Johnston orchard, and in the other "Jf^^^i.^ the much higher death rate among the dynamited trees, much more tnan on site the slight superiority in growth. In .faft. the difference i^^oatv, rntp seems to be the only definite ettect tnat nas appeared here so^ar as the growth differences are so small Iftobl directly chargeable to nomal vamtions ^mular results on the apple are reported from the New "anipsnire 'and New Jersey Stations, and the gf.n^ral ateen<;e of eff^^^^^^^ in the thorough, mechanical, subsoiling test that was starrtea ^t the Missouri Station in 1895 and reported in l^OOiin their Bulletin 49, should all lead to the conclusion that nothing im- portant is likely to be pined in this direction In the mature orchards, the results to date are snown simiarly in Table V. Table V. Influence of Dynamiting on Yield. Growth, Color and Average Size of Fruit on Mature Apple Trees. (Total yields, growth, etc. in 2^Expts. 3 yr, 1912-14^ Experiments in: . ^ ^^^ Orchard Orchard No. of Trees Dynamited, (A) ^ No. of trees not Dynamited (B) & Depth of Explosions Total Yields, in A. Total Yields, in B. Benefit to Yield in A. Benefit to Growth, A. Benefit to Color of Fruit, A. Benefit to Av. Size of Fruit A No. of Fruit in Samples. 2 to 4 ft, by Same 6 inches intervals. 3986 lb. 5654 lb. 5136 lb. 5332 lb. -22.4% 6.0% 4.9% -0.7% 0.4% -12.4% -7.3% 10.1% 1189 939 Here again the results are so variable as to cause one to suspect that the dynamiting has had little or no definite in- fluence at all. The net effect in both experiments is rather against the shooting instead of in favor of it. At any rate, none of the present results would indicate any special value in the practice of dynamiting in apple orchards at least, and the same is true of the definite experimental results elsewhere, so far as the writer is aware. Incidentially, there is plenty of really definite and profitable uses for dynamite to make it un- necessary to try to force it into a field for which Jit is not fitted. On Methods of Handling the Soil in a Youni Orchard. The next three experiments bear upon the various methods of handling the soil in an apple orchard from date of planting up to the age of 7 years. The first and third experi- ments are chiefly concerned with the relative values of different cultural methods and covercrops while the second also furnishes some data on the relative values of different fertilizer combi- nations. The data shown in Table VI are obtained from the Ex- perimnetal Orchard at the College. In this experiment the area now covered by plats 2 to 6, was plowed in the fall of 1907 and prepared about as for com in the spring of 1908 when all the trees were planted. Since then the different methods named in the table have been followed annually. In the meantime, in plats 7 to 9, no tillage of any kind has been given. The trees were merely planted in the rather thin sod in holes dug with a spade, and then were mulched with about 100 lb. of straw per tree. Since then the growth between the trees has been out at least twice annually, and the material obtained in the first cutting has been added to the mulch, while the second is left where it falls. In addi- tion, the initial mulch of outside materials has been repeated about every other year. The results at the close of 7 years are shown in Table VI. 24 Table VI. Influence af Cultural Methodas on Moisture, Growth & Yield in a Youn^ Orchard. (Results from Expt. 331, first 7 years, 1908-14. ) PLAT TREATMENT MOISTURE RELATION AV. GAIN GAIN OVER TOTAL gf NfRAL PLATTHtAlRlltMi CONTENT TO OPT'M IN GIRTH TILLAGE YIELD RANK 1913 CONTENT % % in. % lb. 2 Tillage 10.6 53.0 6.84 1.5 8 3 T. & Intercrop 5.5 27.6 7.69 12.4 21.6 6 4 T. & Covercrop 8.5 42.7 6.84 7.0 7 5 C-crop & Manure 9.2 45.9 8.31 21.5 135.4 3 6 C-crop & Fertilizer 9.4 47.2 7.76 13.5 18.9 5 7 Mulch 17.1 85.6 8.29 21.2 38.5 4 8 Mulch and Manure 18.2 90.8 8.76 28.1 300.5 2 9 Mulch & Fertilizer 18.1 90.4 8-93 30.5 390.1 1 In the first place, it will be noted that the least growth is be- ing made in plats 2 and 4. The annual covercrop, which consists of a mixture of red and crimson clover, has therefore shown no benefit to the trees as yet. The use of a tilled annual inter- crop, in plat 3, followed by a late covercrop of rye, has not only resulted in no apparent injury, but the associated trees are actually making about 12i% more growth than those under either of the more usual treatments in plats 2 and 4. Similar results are observable in the experiment shown later m Table VII, and similar results were also obtained by Emerson at the Nebraska Station and reported to the close of the second year in 1903, in their Bulletin 79, pages 14 to 17. The financial returns from the intercrops in our Experi- ments, with such crops as potatoes, have usually run from $40 to $50 per acre even on the very poor soil involved. The inter- cropping method therefore is evidently by far the most prac- tical of any of those involving tillage, and no important injury should result to the associated trees, so long as proper inter- crops are used. By proper intercrops we mean those involv- ing some early season tilliage each year. If in addition the trees themselves can be kept mulched with a good coat of strawy stable manure, such benefits as those shown in plat 5 can be secured. Where tillage and intercrops are not feasible however, the mulch system is available and has proved very effective, as shown in plats 7 to 9. The results there also are in accord with those in the following table, rnd with those reported from the Ohio Station in their Bulletin 7. The special suc- cess of the mulch is evidently due to its unusual effectiveness in conserving moisture. As shown in the second columns, the roots of the mulched trees were still surrounded with 85 to 90 of the best possible moisture content in September, 1913, after fully 6 weeks of very unusual drought, while the soil around the roots of the tilled trees had been reduced to a dust-dry condition in most cases. ) *» 25 The addition of plant food in plats 8 and 9 has resulted in some gain over the mulch alone, but from the relative growth made, it would seem that the conservation of moisture is fully twice as important as applications of plant food, at least in the case of young trees. The latter applications however, have apparently had considerable influence on the yields, which is rather surprising in view of the fact that the trees are so young. Incidentally the usual correlation between yield and growth is especially prominent here, and this again emphasizes the fact that early bearing cannot be secured on young healthy trees without an extra amount of growth. In Table VII, we have results from another experiment started at the same time as the last, on Volusia silt loam in the western part of the state. This experiment differs slightly in the fact that the cultural methods and fertilizer treatments are entirely separated, and the latter treatments are so enlarged that the relative value of the different fertil- izer elements can be determined to some extent. Just at present however its chief value is in the general corroboration that it gives to the results in the preceding table. Table VII. Influence of Fertilization and Cultural Methods on Growth and Yields in a Youn^ Orchard. (Average Increase in Trunk-Girth, first 7 years, and Yields in 1914, Expt. 337.) Plat Treatment Average Gain Gain over Yields in Girth Normal Growth 1914** % lb. — 32 62 10 0 17 28 37 23 17 10 19 50 23 109 in. 1 Check 6.64 2 Nitrogen & Phosphate 7.59 3 Nitrogen & Potash 6.96 4 Check 7.09 5 Phos. & Potash 7.69 6 Complete Fertilizer 8.67 7 Check 8.18 8 Manure 8.77 9 Lime (& NPK, 1912-) 8.18 10 Check 7.56 11 Tillage & Covercrop 7.38 12 Tillage & Intercrop 7.79 13 Clean Tillage 7.27 14 Sod Mulch 8.11 *Gains over lowest in the Cultural Method section. **Reduced to equivalent plats throughout. In the cultural plats 11 to 14, the greater growth and bear- ing in the mulch and inter-crop treatments are again quite evident. In the fertilizer portion of the experiment, the growth has been improved somewhat more than u^ual by cer- tain elements, viz., nitrogen and phosphorus. This is prob- ably connected with the fact that this particular soil type is 11.8 0.3 6.2 11.4 10.0 5.3 1.5* 7.2 11.6 26 usualy deficient in these two elements. In general also, it is very well supplied with moisture, which probably accounts for the relatively smaller effect of the mulch in this case. Relative Value of Covercrops. When these experiments were started, we naturally ex- pected the tillage and covercrop method to rank high among the soil treatments, and especially was this expected m young orchards. To get some data therefore, as to which overcrops were best for this purpose, the experiment shown in Table VIII was started. Along with the comparison of annual covers used in plats 1 to 12, a single permanent cover was included in plat 13 and the material annually produced be- tween the rows was used as a mulch around the trees. The results to the close of the 7th year are shown m Table VIII. Table VIII. Influence of Covercrops on Growth and Yield of Youn^ Apple Trees. (Results in Experiment 333. Plat Treatment Av. Incr. Gain over in Girth Lowest in. 7.60 71.7 68.5 7.77 8.07 6.72 1 Med. Red Clover 2 Mammoth Clover 3 Alsike 4 Crimson Clover 5 Hairy Vetch 6 Cowpeas (Black) 7 Soybeans (Hollybrook) 7.98 8 Oats & Canada Peas 7.93 9 Rye 7.52 10 Millet 8.02 11 Rape & Turnips 7.29 12 Buckwheat 8.15 13 Alfalfa used as mulch 8.83 % 13.1 6.7 1.9 15.6 20.1 0.0 18.8 18.0 11.9 19.3 8.5 21.3 31.4 1908-1914.) Est'd Yield General Bloom 1914 Rank 1914 % lb. 0.3 0.00 8 0.0 0.00 11 0.2 0.00 12 0.2 1.25 7 0.5 0.50 3 1.0 0.00 13 0.2 0.00 5 1.5 0.00 6 0.2 0.25 9 0.3 1.25 4 0.2 0.50 10 0.1 0.50 2 1.5 8.75 1 In this case also it is a notable fact that the mulched and untilled trees associated with the permanent cover of plat 13 are again in the lead. In addition to this, the alfalfa has produced all the mulching material required and some surplus besides, especially in the earlier years. The mulching more- over, has always been heavy enough to keep down practically all growth immediately above the majority of the feeding roots of the trees, and this is probably essential for best re- sults with this plant as the permanent cover, because of its special affinity for both moisture and soil nitrogen. In a good alfalfa soil, however, it is quite possible to get an abundance of this sort and still have a considerable surplus 27 of good hay besides. In other words this particular method gives us both a mulch and something of an intercrop at the same time, without any tillage and without any apparent in- jury to the trees, where the mulching and protection against mice are both sufficient. This, it will be observed, is a relatively new idea in or- chard development, and the present method, or some modifi- cation of it, is evidently very well adapted for large acreages, or for places where tillage and intercrops are not available. A similar new idea is suggested by the results in the ad- joining buckwheat plat Its trees are now showing the best gains of any of the annual tillage treatments. This may be due partly to a slight advantage that it apparently has in location, but without that advantage the buckwheat would evidently still rank high. It is also probable that the general good effects of this plant are not dependent in any way upon the returns of the grain to the soil. It therefore could well be harvested by heading or high cutting and thus give us the unusual example of a combined cover-crop and inter-crop, which also exerts no apparent ill-effect on the trees. 1 his crop moreover is especially good where an orchard is being developed on so-called new ground, and a crop is desired to keep down the second growth of sprouts and underbrush. The vetch continues to show a better effect on the ad- jacent trees than any other of the annual, legume covers. This is not surprising when its introgen-fixation, its shading habit of growth and its very low moisture demands are re- called. This plant also has considerable promise for use as a permanent cover and mulch producer. It usually forms an abundance of seeds by the middle of July or earlier, after which it can be cut and left where it lies for awhile for re- seeding, and then be brought up around the trees as a mulch. Running over the loose vetch with a roller or similar imple- ment before rakincr it around the trees may assist in shelling the seeds out where they are needed, and a light discing or harrowing after the raking should be helpful m increasing their germination. Among the non-leguminous plants the high rank of the millet and buckwheat is still evident, and the same is true of rape when used alone. We are unable to give any very satis- factorv e^fplanation for this, but the facts themselves are sufficient to attract favorable consideration to their use as covercrops, and this is especially true when their relatively low seed cost is considered. The buckwheat is probably best from the economic standpoint as noted above, but the millet is very satisfactory where this use of buckwheat is not avail- The seeding rates, relative cost in 1914, and general dates and methods of seeding that we have followed in the annual covercrops are shown without further comment in labie lA. KRUADrAST A: MARKUWKU it tt tt ti 28 Table IX. Rate of Seeding and Cost of Covercrop Seed in 1914. RATE OF COST OF COST OF DATE OF METHOD SEEDING SEED PER SEED PER SEEDING CROP lb. per A. POUND A. Crimson Clover 20 6i^ $1.30 July 15-30 Medium Red Clover 12 15/ 1.80 Mammoth Clover 15 15/ 2.25 White Clover 5 30/ 1.50 Alsike Clover 6 m<^ 1.05 Sweet Clover 25-30 25^ 2.25 to 7.50 Jan. to May 7 to Hairy Vetch 40 12i/ 2.80 to 5.00 July 15 Aug. 15'* Canada Peas 60-90 ** ** Cowpeas (Black) 50-60 5/ 2.50 to 3.00 June 25-30 '•'^•""" Soybeans (H'ybrook) 40-50 4i,^ 1.80 Rye 90 1.3/ 1.17 Sept. l-0ct.l5 "^lil:^::^ Oats 75 1.5/ 1.13 July 15- Aug. 15 " Millet 20 4/ .80 Buckwheat 1 bu. 3^ 1.50 July 4-10 Essex Rape 8 6^ .48 *' K^^Il^vt^r^ Co whom Turnips 4 25/ 1.00 <( URIM-Klt OR BROADCAST PRUNING APPLE TREES. Wendell Paddock, Columbus, Ohio. If one were to study the literature of pruning he would find a mas of material, largely contradictory, some of it good, but most of it worth less. It will be found, for the most part, to consist of a series of don'ts, don*t-do-this and don't-do- that, till one is thoroughly bewildered. Some of our success- ful apple growers do almost no pruning and none at all when the trees are small. One Experiment Station publishes a bulletin on orchard renovation. The accompanying cuts show numerous large stubs left in the tops of the trees, showing how the tall limbs were cut back or "dehorned.'* Tables of yields show that these trees produced abundantly for two or three years, but the sequel has not been publishes and doubt- less never will be for the trees soon began to fail and the orchard is now a thing of the past. Another authority says that large limbs should never be cut Dff as the resulting wounds fail to heal. He also objects to much pruning at any time, but fails to tell us how to pre- vent trees from becoming too tall or the branches from be- coming too thick. Then in the training of young trees, the directions are equally vague and contradictory. For instance, if yearling \ 29 trees are to be headed low, say 24 inches above the ground, usually one will be advised to cut the whip back to a stub 24 inches in length. This means, of course, that there can be but little distance between scaffold limbs at best and practi- cally none if the head is actually to be 24 inches from the ground. Still others tell us not to cut back the branche^s on two-year-old trees at planting time, since the terminal buds are the strongest and so are needed by the young tree. But the practical man knows from experience that the top of a newly transplanted tree should usually be headed back se- verely and he invaribly finds that if the trees are vigorous thev are much benefifited by the operation. If they are weakly from any cause, the terminal buds may pull them through, but often to prolong a miserable existence. In spite of the fact that some of my best friends are most successful fruit growers, though they violate nearly all of the principles of fruit growing, I am still firmly convinced that in the majority of instances a fairly vigorous, but well planned system of training and pruning of fruit trees will give the best results. ^ ^ £ Some of the things which are likely to follow a lack of training and pruning may be mentioned as follows: First, newly transplanted trees many be badly stunted or even killed if the tops are not headed back, suitable scaffold limbs are not developed, the height of head is not controlled, bad crotches are formed and the shape of the tree is uncon- trolled. A lack of subsequent pruning allows trees to become too tall and the branches to become many times too thick. Tall trees are difficult to spray and the fruit is expensive to pick. A case in point will illustrate the latter assertion. A friend has an old orchard rented on shares. The trees were unpruned for many years, consequently much of the bearing wood is over 20 feet from the ground. Last season many of these trees produced a light crop and the apples scattered. The fruit, however, was fine, but a man could pick scarcely 20 bushels a dav under these conditions. This made the fruit expensive and at the prices received did not pay the renter, but the owner of the orchard had to have his share. Where unrestained, the apple tree will produce a multi- plicity of branches. These in turn produce quantities of fruit spurs which tax the vitality of the tree in bearing blossoms even if no fruit is set. In case the tree sets a crop of fruit a large amount of thinning must be done if size is to be niain- tained. Even then some varieties as the Wmesap, Grimes and Jonathan will almost invariably produce small fruit when the trees are mature unless the bearing wood is renewed by pruning. , , • i. i.i. The only valid argument I have ever heard against the training and pruning of young trees is that such treatment delays the bearing period. No one can deny the truth of this 30 statement since the thinning out of branch buds reduces the competition for plant food and naturally the fewer buds that remain make greater growth. All know that vigorous growth and fruitfulness do not go together as a rule in young trees. I know of no valid argument against pruning mature trees, that is rational pruning. Any one may well hesitate to cut large limbs out of a tree, but if a rational sysetm of pruning has been followed each year such treatment will rarely be necessary. Looking toward the greatest and longest use of a tree one cannot avoid the conclusion that pruning is necessary in the apple orchard. If this be true, a system of pruning should be devised, but it is scarcely possible to follow a definite plan unless the beginning is made when the trees are sniall. This plan will, of course, be ideal and all know that one s ideal is seldom attained. This is especially so with trees since they often are erratic in branching or in not branching, then each tree has an individuality of its own and each variety has it charactecristic growth. The beginner will no doubt be sorely disappointed in his failure to attain the ideal, but for all that a general plan may be made to work. In the first place it may be said that no one need hope to ever become a successful pruner until he thoroughly under- stands the purpose of the various buds that are to be found upon trees. Some buds develop into branches with leaves upon them and they may be either long or short. These short branches may or may not develop into fruit spurs. The term- inal bud upon a short branch of the apple or pear may not be a fruit bud. Lateral buds on these fruits are usually branch buds, but may occasionally be fruit buds. All of the leaves that trees produce in any one season are borne on the pre- vious season's growth. There is really no such thing as a leaf bud as these so called lateral leaf buds develop into branches with leaves upon them. It is therefore, impossible to cause a leaf to develop into a branch. Similar it is impos- sible to cause a fruit bud to change into a branch. It is not our purpose to attempt to give one an understanding of the function of the various buds which are to be found upon trees, but simply to cause the hearer to think about the sub- ject and if this is accomplished the average person will soon conclude that so far as he is concerned his knowledge of the subject is limited. One must then make a thorough study of buds as a prerequisite to an understanding of the art of prun- ing. We also believe it is essential to understand the training of the younff trees if one is to be successful in pruning older trees, so we will begin the discussion with the trees as they are planted in the orchard. This brings up the discussion of the age a tree should be when planted. It is interesting to note the change that has come over the minds of fruit growers in 1 31 this respect during the last few years. For instance eight years ago one of my friends tried to place an order for 2500 two year old apple trees. He tried m vam to find that number of trees in our state, but was unable to buy them. He did, however, receive quotations on quantities ot three year old trees together with much unsolicited advice on the general subject. The writer took up his residence in Ohio five years ago and coming from the west he was natur- allv imbued with the idea that the yearling tree was the best one to plant. They were neither used, nor produced in the state at that time, and his recommendations on this subject were received with scant consideration for a time. At tne present time yearlings are largely used and Ohio nurserymen find they can produce them, with a fair degree of success^ What is true in Ohio is also true to a large extent the country over. However, if two year old trees are Preferred or must be used low branched ones should be specified. With such trees to start with good scaffold limbs can usually be found but the younger trees will usually stand transplanting better as there will be less loss of roots and the roots being smaller and younger the wounds will heal more readily and new roots will form more easily. Th'^ yearling apple and pear tree will be an unbranched whip, so the training at planting time will consist in cutting back the top so as to leave a stem of 34 to 36 inches m length. This heading back will not only reduce the number of buds and so make a better balance between root and top, but will also cause most of the side buds to develop into ^'^^^^^^^ branches. Most of these branches should be allowed to grow during the first season, but some of the lowest may be rubbed off. particularly if they grow too vigorously near the gr^^nd. Others may be removed or cut back if they interfere m any way with the ones that are to become scaffold limbs. Sometime during the dormant period following the first season's growth, the first real step m the training of the tree is begun. Pruning, by the way, may be ^^^^, m k1 time during the winter, but preference as to time should be given to late winter or to early spring. As a result ot long experience of many men it has been found that no fruit tree of any kind needs more than five main hmbs, while three will often suffice. The exact number must depend upon the arrangement of the branches upon the trunk; for instance it four are to be chosen they should point toward the four points of the compass, north, south, east, and west or if three or five are used they should be evenly distributed about the trunk as possible, at the same time remembering to secure a horizontal space of several inches between any two limbs. Long experience has also shown that these first limbs should be about fourteen inches long as this \s about the right length to accommodate two secondary scaffold limbs, inese first limbs must be stout and the tree should be compact, and 32 in order to secure these ends the secondary limbs must be near the main trunk. Suppose one of these first limbs make a growth of four or more feet during a season, as is not in- frequently the case. If now four or five inches are cut gin- gerly from the ends of such growths, usually three or four buds near the end will push onto vigorous growth. This only intensifies the long willow growth which is a nuisance when young and if they do not break under a load of fruit when mature they usually become bare of bearing wood except for a small fringe at the end. The cutting back of the scaffod limbs tends to cause them to become stocky and stout and it will assure the development ot most of the buds into vigoros branches. As a general thing two sub-scaffold limbs will be allowed to grow on each one of the oiginal scaffold limbs, one at the end and one lower down, but both pointing in a suitable direc- ]^^!^,^YL^^ ^^^u^.^^ ^^^^ ^^^'^^^- This process should be re- peated through three successive seasons. Building up the frame-work by a owing two limbs to grow on each scaffold ^nL'"^;'f ^''^^ ^™^ ?.^[^ ^^^^^^"^ ^i" result in a stout; 3o^f fSft"^^'^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^^^^"^ ^^^^ "^^^^ ^^^ ^®^^y oK^,^^^^^ ?ui® ?^ ^.Y^ y^^r's crrowth one should begin to think about possible fruit spurs so not all of the lateral branches that c^.n^.i^i!'^^^^'*?"' ^^1 ^^"^ ^^^^ ^re t^ ^^^"^ sub-scaffold limbs should be destroyed but some of them may be cut back to spurs of one or two buds in length, and others mav be left in- tact, dependmg upon their position and growth. Some of the less vigorous growths will eventually form fruit buds and if li^ "ew ^ro^th can be pinched back in June, fruit bud forma- tion will be hastened. After the frame- work of the tree is established the future pruning is a simple matter. All that will be required is to n.Io ^v ^r^n^hes when they become too thick, to remove cross limbs, or those that rub or those that will form bad ^nni^of ^ ^^^' ^^ ^^^^ J^^^)^ ^^^ very vigorous growths. But annual pruning must be insisted upon for if neglected for even one season it will be something of a study to get the trees back into shape. PPr^ti^ tff^^/''^ thing we much prefer a tree with an open Sn' but If a tree with a leader is desired the method of w TvfJ 1 A"""^^ l^f ^^"^^^ u ^^^ ^ ^ewly transplanted tree should be cut back as before and a leader is developed from the top-most scaffold limb. Then at a suitable distance vpwfJ^' A if 7.\^'^^^ ^'^^^^^ ^J^^^h^S' ^ second set is de Jompwh.f ^f i""^ *r^ frame-work branches should be headed in somewhat if long limber limbs are to be avoided shonM h. e^/ff ^'' ''^t/^-^.f ^ "^l^^ ^^ "^^^ ^^^ branched ones ^111- specified. With such trees to start with eood dinfrf rn^^^^^^ ."'"^"^ ^^^A" ^"^"^- "^^^^^r, witT the^Tr- ainary run of two year old trees not one in a hundred will be » M 33 found that will be properly headed. In the majoirty of cases tu branches come out so c bse together that they wil ap- £rS all coTe from the same plane, when the tree is ma- turr The training, however, is practically the same as has abladv been described. The best selection possible of scaffold UmbsL made and they are cut back to fourteen mches when nlanted Or if these branches are too short they may aii oe cut bick to spurs of three or four buds in length, and the selection of scaffold limbs and the training may be begun the fpar after nlanting. If the two year old trees are headed too high there is no prlctical recourse since none of the buds that have remained dormant can be depended upon to grow. Particular emphasis should be placed upon *e desirability of havine suitable distance between the first scaffold linibs. «"f rSStAlr of ss'ir if ml S1.'»mS S"V the ta™l°mb. that, have been «,■ tSJSTStoU, removed later when it is finally found "nKli'pSJSiS'oStree so .™d th™^- „'J|,,S irsrssT %tp\^^r^ ttt ■^ri'Sft "■" Thf i5KS'p™n™ g of a well tr.ined.tree will consist buds or branches. . , ^, c t *uot it Hnocs not One should always have in mind *e fact hat it does not takP a tree verv long if planted in good soi to reacn ine hSht of 20 feet A tree will also fP'««d rapidly so it vvil noi^be long, unless extreme care is taken, before a l^r^e per SdiftyX^shf ^ €sf Sr -'-' '' ' small space at the outer parts of the brancnes. 34 Where orchard land is expensive it will pay better to plant trees rather closer than common and practice the re- pressive system of pruning; making an effort to have fruit produced all through the trees as they do when they are young. In the case of the neglected orchard no general system of pruning can be devised since every tree presents an intricate problem in itself. The usual plan one sees the country over is the haphazard cutting off all the lower branches that can be reached, leaving long stretches of naked limbs enclosed with a thick tangle of bearing wood at the outer ends. If the outer ends of the limbs were as easy to reach as the lower we imagine that the system would often be re- versed, since it is a poor rule that does not work both ways. We would then see bare poles sticking out from our trees m all directions with a mat of tangled brush in the center. It IS easy enough to see that no one would be so foolish as to attempt to prune a tree in this manner, but after all this would be but little more absurd as is the common practice. We always like to advise the beginner who is going to attack a neglected tree to begin at the outer ends and work mward. In this way fewer mistakes are liable to be made. The first thing will be to cut out any of the larger limbs that can be spared, for invaribly there will be too many. After this has been done one should begin at the outer ends of the remaining larger limbs, head them in if too long, then thin out the remaining branches. This will consist in taking out a branch here and there along the entire length of the limb, but leaving bearing wood as low down on the trunk as pos- sible. After this has been done it will probably be necesasry to thin out the multitude of fruit spurs with the hand shears. The main features to be remembered are not to make too large wounds, never to leave stubs and to leave the fruit bear- ing wood well distributed throughout all parts of the tree. UTILIZING VACANT SPACE IN THE YOUNG APPLE ORCHARD. S. H. Fulton, Sleepy Creek, W. Va, In planting a permanent apple orchard with trees 35 to 40 feet apart, the orchardist is confronted with the question of how to utilize the vacant space while the trees are coming to maturity. Several plans will come up for consideration among which are the following: varieties of apples of moderate tree growth and early bearing habits may be used as fillers, peach trees may be inter-planted, strips may be worked about theyoung trees and the centers of the rows seeded with clover to be cut 35 for hay, or some hoed crop such as corn, tomatoes or potatoes may be used. The following discussion of the question of in- terplanting and intercropping the young apple orchard is based mainly upon the personal experience of the writer cov- ering the past twelve years in the mountain section of east- ern West Virginia. Apple Tree Fillers. Let us consider first the use of apple tree fillers. Within the past five to ten years hundreds of acres of apples have been planted in the eastern pan-handle of West Virignia with apple tree fillers using three fillers to one permanent tree. The varieties used have been Duchess, Wealthy, Wagener, Grimes Golden, Yellow Transparent and a few other kinds. The trees are set from 18 to 20 feet apart leaving from 36 to 40 feet of space between the permanent trees. This plan pro- vides for the use of all the ground almost from the start and the quick maturing varieties used as fillers give early returns. The trees being all of one kind lend themselves to uniform treatment better than if stone fruits are used as fillers among the apples. The principal fault to be found with this system lies in the fact that on good ground the trees meet at about ten years of age and the fillers must be cut out when they are just coming into their prime. To obviate this difficulty we have adopted the quincunx plan, setting one tree in the center of four permanent trees, in recent plantings in our Sleepy Creek orchards. We are usingtreesof one variety only, that is the permanent trees and fillers are both of the same kind. The centre tree has plenty of room for a long period of time. It may be regarded as practically permanent and yet may be cut out if crowding ever takes place and the trees left will all be a uniform distance apart. This plan gives practically twice as many trees per acre as if no fillers were used. Intercrop- ping may be combined with this plan if desired during the first four or five years in the life of the orchard. The writer has never had any personal experience with dwarf apple trees as fillers but has seen them tried out in a number of instances in Maryland and New York State. As a rule dwarf apple trees are a disappointment. Only a very limited number of varieties of apples thrive on the^dwarf stock and these do not yield fruit much earlier than do early bear- ing varieties on standard stocks. The quantity of fruit born is very limited and the dwarf trees are not well adapted to the same line of treatment given the standard trees among which the dwarfs are interplanted. Peach Tree Fillers. For many years it has been a common practice in some orchards sections to use peach fillers in the apple orchard. This plan is much used in the eastern pan-handle of West Vir- 36 ginia and and our first planting of 200 acres at Sleepy Creek was made in this way. We set our apple trees 36 feet apart with three peach trees to each apple tree, leaving 18 feet of space each way between trees. Our main reason for planting both peach and apple upon the same land aside from utilizing all the land from the start, was to guard as much as possible against loss in case the peach trees should be destroyed by yellows. Peach trees were really our first consideration and we regarded the apple trees mainly in the light of an insur- ance in case the peaches should be lost through disease. Peach yellows is a very common and troublesome disease with us and we were afraid we might not be able to control ' this trouble. This orchard is now in its twelfth year and the re- sult of interplanting peach and apple have on the whole been satisfactory. The peach trees have paid for the land, for the care and development of the whole orchard including the apple trees and have paid a fair rate of interest on the invest- ment. As to the yellows, we lost from one to one and one- half per cent, of our peach trees annually from the disease, from the third to the seventh year in the life of the orchard. Since the seventh year we have lost only about one-fourth to one-fifth of one per cent, annually. Aside from a few spots in the orchard, the disease has done us but little harm which fact we attribute largely to a rigid system of inspecting and cutting out diseased trees twice each season. Most of our pach tree are still sound and vigorous and look as if they would be good for several years to come. Early varieties of apples have been bearing among the peach trees for the past four years and winter varieties have been bearing for the past two years. The apple trees have been somewhat stunted by the peach trees but are not permanently injured as we have kept the peach trees headed back and have not allowed them to overtop the apple trees. In portions of the orchard we have cut out some of the peach trees where they were en- croaching upon the apples. With both peach and apple upon the same land we have been put to some inconvenience in caring for the trees in that peach and apple to a certain extent require different treatment. In spraying for scale for in- stance, we find that we must spray our apple trees each year while every other year serves to keep the scale under control on our peach trees. In spraying apple trees alone the peach trees are considerably in the way. Furthermore in a mixed orchard of peaches and apples the soil often cannot be given the treatment best suited for the development of the apple trees. Apples require a a moist rich soil to do their best. If this condition of the soil does not exist naturally it must be brought about by the use of some cover crop such as clover. Usually stable manure in any considerable quantity cannot be obtained for use in the commercial orchard. If apples are planted alone, one can resort to the use of any or all of the clovers to build up the soil. If crimson clover sown in the i 37 summer does not take well common red%i"ammoth or aisike may be sown in early, spring and the land left without cutliva tion for a year or two. No great harm_ results to the /pple Sees under this treatment and the. soil 'f much improved By this treatment we have succeeded in getting the soil into con dition to take crimson clover when other lines of treatment failed. Peach trees must have thorough annua cultivalnon which precludes the sowing of clover in the sprine and let ting the land lie undisturbed throughout the season. Among the clovere one is restricted to the use of the crimson variety and tWs often fails. Upon light soils we find it very difficult to build UP the land while plinted with peach trees and m mixed plantings of peach and apple, the apple trees are bound to suffer to some extent. Another drawback m mixed plant- ing is that the peach trees are apt to to be left too long before thiv are cut out and permanent injury to the apple trees re- ^ufts On the whole, while our experience in growing peach and ^DPle trees upon the same land has proven profitable we have reached the conclusion that we would rather plant each kfnd of fniit seperately. In all our younger plantings we have followed the latter plan. Inter-Croppini With Clover. The third plan suggested, that of working strips and ^eedinL thi centers of the rows with clover to be cut for hay. clSot be worked to advantage except possibly on very good ™d where sufficient tree growth can be secured m sp te of the retarding effect of the clover. Trees worked by cultivat- ing narroTstrips on either side of the tree row do not grow Ls thriftUy as trees worked by tilling the whole surface of the ground. Hoed Crops. For several jean, we experimented at Sleepy Creek with ffffaS^TrftSSrv^^l^^l^^^^^^ Early varieties grew to perfection but "Pf"|^, •'" „ djd not of the Virignia and eastern Maryland late fruit so dm no prove profitable. . Furthermore letting the land ^o 'm ^^^^^ during the ripening season of the ^e^"^„^ P/,°^fanted for seed to the growth of the younf trees ^^l^^^ZoMnot mature but we found that in our latitude the crop wo ^^^^ properly before frost comes. For two years we k ^j^' j ^ and pumpkins for seed to advantage and the trees inrive well under the fertilising and J^^thvating ^^^^^ The seeds were grown on a contract for seedsmen year a slump came in the seed market and we couia not k 38 contracts at prices which would return a profit from the grow- ing of these crops. The same conditions prevailed the fourth year and we dropped these crops. Sweet corn on our land did not yield sufficiently to prove profitable. We grew the crop two years for seed on a contract. Cantaloupes did not yield well on our red shale soil and we dropped this crop. Where cantaloupes can be grown to advantage the crop is ideal in a young orchard. Potatoes gave a light yield under our condi- tions and we found the blight very troublesome. Further- more the prices we received were low and we did not find the potato venture profitable. Field corn did well particularly on the new land we had planted with apples. The trees inter- planted with corn grew thriftily and we had to look no further than to our own stables to find a market for the crop. Our working stock, mainly mules, thrive well on corn and fodder. In planting corn in the young orchard plenty of vacant space should be left on both sides of the tree row so that the trees will not be shaded and smothered by the corn. For ten years we have grown tomatoes to advantage and we find this low growing crop ideal in the young apple orchard. The abund- ant use of fertilizers and frequent cultivation are necessary to produce a good crop of tomatoes and this treatment is fine for the apple trees. We grow the tomatoes for the local canneries receiving from 25 to 30 cents per bushel. We have sometimes done our own canning seasons when the fruit crop was short. Tomatoes are not hard on the land and crimson clover can be sown to advantage at the last working of the crop. Conditions of course differ in the various fruit sections of the country and plans for utilizing vacant space in the young apple orchard which work well in one section may not prove desirable in another. It seems necessary for best results that each fruit grower should do at least a limited amount of experiming for himself. After a good many years of experi- menting at Sleepy Creek we have adopted the quincunx plan of setting apple trees coupled with the use of com and to- matoes as intercrops for the first three to five years. ADVERTISING OUR FRUIT AND PRODUCE. L. WiLLARD MiNCH, Bridg;eton, N. J. The accepted definition of the word advertisement is the publication of something to sell. Of course, such announce- ment mav be by printed page, or by the spoken word. The medium may differ, but there must be the diffusion of the knowledore of something one has to offer the public. It is not sufficient that we talk to each other about our Fruit and Produce ; we must talk oat loud. Convincement in our own minds is good, but confidence is better that makes us bold to declare •? 39 we have the "summon bonum" of Fruit and Produce. Many of our friends and acquaintances have journeyed across the Continent and after sampling the apples, pears and grapes ot the Western States, have returned to their own states declar- ing there is no resting place like that afforded by " he|r own vine and fig tree." As to the flavor of the fruit of their own orchards in comparison with what they have sampled else- where, they declared, ' ' there is none better. We are not surpassed in the excellency of the flavor of our fruit, but we arSclassed in advertisement. The s^tes of Oregon and Washington spare nothing to place their fruit before the public , Florida IS constantly reminding us of the citrus fruit produced in her confines. Eastern Shore white and sweet . Potatoes are known the country over. This advertising wave is fast reach- ing New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Surely the bour has ar rived to spend more time and money in extolling the merits of the Fruit and Produce grown in Pennsylvania and adjoin- ing states east and west of the Delaware River. The Kind of AdvertisinS. Any advertisement which represents good form is for us. We have a business that deserves the best. My purpose is to limit this discussion to phases that are peculiar, and which cad be turned to our special profit. It Must Arrest Attention. We deal with a class of people that is hard at work. Few that are really wealthy const ute the consumers. The wage earners have normal appetities and tnust be ted in their scramble to make a living tb^y know lUtle of what we call leisure We have no right to hold them up, unless we cS offer I good apology. It is greatly to our advantage that we are identified with a vocation that is being popularizea. "Back to the Farm" has created a yearning ^ return to pas toral life The speel of citv 1 f e is broken. The time is op portlne to link ou^r offerings of Fruit and J'-oduc^ ^^[f S| memories of those who have been farm bred and with the aspirations of the would-be husbandman. If tf farm has some association with past history, it should be turned ^o material avdantages for the future. From the known to t^e unknown is both good logic and profitable psychology vve have farms and estates in Pennsylvania ^nd New Jersey that are famous; why not use this reputation '"^he publication oi their offerings of Fruit and Produce. In my State otJ*ew Jersey we have The Old Oak Farm, years ago far tamea lor its hospitality, now famous for its fine POuHrj^^ mHk fed and dinner parties are not complete without its mi iKiea b?rds. Pork products of this f am ^^^^'""tj^^fte Ws- For generations this has continued. The recital ot "»« "^s tory of the farm secures a hearing, with opportunity tor f nrn and Produce addenda. 40 Families have become prominent as horticulturists. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.'' There is no better backing for an advertisement of the products of farm and orchard than established reputation of a family run- ning through several generations. Do not understand me as saying that illustrious parentage is sufficient. There are no automatons in our vocation. A good start, then the momen- tum is for the individual to continue. A member of a famous family was told of the deeds of his father and grandfather and then was asked, "What are you doing to perpetuate the family name?" **0h," he said, "we are resting now.'* Life is not a resting, but a moving. "Let thy life be deed on deed." If you will pardon a personal reference, the Minch fam- ily, of which I am the sixth generation, in Cumberland County. New Jersey, has never missed a generation in the production of farmers or fruit growers. The excellency of their fruit, corn and potatoes are far-famed and I have no- ticed the eighth generation making mud pies, which is pro- phetic of the election of soil tillers as their future occupation. While this incurs responsibility, it also makes for opportun- ity. This is valuable by way of advertiisng. The family tree should be interwined with the story of the growing of Fruit and Produce. The right kind of advertising makes use of photographs. In nothing can the artist attract attention as by a reproduct- ion of a farm scene. Perhaps you have seen the California shipments stacked high on the New York docks. On the boxes are scenes depicting an orchard, a vineyard, a river or a general landscape, while some boxes are graced or disgraced with photographs of the growers. It is wise to secure a pho- tograph representing the potato, the beautiful eastern apple, the luscious strawberry, or a photograph showing the rich color of the peach, the wealth of a cluster of crapes and the high heaps of yellow corn. All can be turned to material profit. We began the growing of potatoes several years ago. Our marketing was left to others. Finally we determined to eli- minate the joint account method. In the accomplishment of this task we used a few photographs of our potato fields. These were soon exhausted and we were confronted with the expense of a nhotographer. Finally we enlisted a member of the family. We bought a good camera, with complete equip- ment, and so secured our "official photographer." With specially prepared post cards and photographs we took our customers on a trip over our farms in a series of views por- traying the potato business as conducted by Minch Bros. This method, in conjunction with the printed page, has con- tributed to the securing of a trade which consumed last year over one hundred cars of white potatoes. Next to personally conducted tours over the farms with our friends, we are con- ■ 41 fident that it returns us manifold to interest the dealers and consumers in the farms on which their fruit and produce are being grown. It is the advertising that lingers in the mem- ory that makes for future business. A pictorial representa- tion can not be easily effaced from the mind. The right kind of advertising assists market men and deal- ers in making sales. Middlemen are not all thieves and rob- bers. The high cost of living is due as much to the luxury of the consumer as to anything else. When peaches are cheap they want grapes. When strawberries are good quality and low in price they want Bartlett pears. It is expensive to de- liver a small order of sweet potatoes to a residence several squares away and then have them sent back to be changed for onions. The cost of the transaction is not the only thing to be considered. Bad bills and poor collections deduct from profits. Until such times arrive when the people will help themselves it is no business of ours to worry about the so- called high prices. . . Neat packages help the trade and are good advertising. Thev should be clean and well filled. "Honesty is the best packing policy." Fruit and Produce should be as represented and uniformity should be observed. The marking of pack- ages is a fine art. Carlisle said, "You can he to the public, but it can't be repeated." A buyer who pays his good money wants value. "Eyes are not his market; your reputation is his market." The best pledge that he asks is that you give him goods which will keep faith with his consumer. I obsereved a dealer displaying apples to a customer. He opened a barrel with this remark, "This brand always turns out good." While standing in a New York market a few weeks ago, I saw a barrel marked on the head. Fancy Hand Picked Apples," bearing the four X mark, and graded accord- ing to the laws of a certain state. I took the liberty to exam- ine the stock and found the truth only two layers deep. Ot course, none of you would do such a thing. No dealer could work the price up on such false representation. The presence on the market of an article of quality is a good advertisement. Keep your market supplied so customers can get acquinted with you Fruit and Produce. You can help the dealer by se- curing the testimony of satisfied cutomers. The spoken word is the best medium of advertising your goods. People can talk you up or talk you down. Practice on your own fellow townsmen. . . The most difficut people to please are your own neighbors We commenced a few years ago to supply Bridgeton, a city ot 15.000 inhabtants, with potatoes. Formerly they bought the^r winter supply from Pennyslvania, Maine and New York. We simply went after the business and satisfied ourselves and our own families that we had good quality. We furnished a few families and in turn they gave us personal testimonies We have doubled and tripled our business because of pleased cus- 42 tomers, and have secured personal testimony of our neighbors' neighbors. Why not feed 15,000 with Jersey grown spuds? We use locals papers by way of announcement and find our customers waiting for our pruduce. To live in Bridgeton and not to know the quality of Minch Bros.' potatoes is to admit you are a new arrival. Again, we need to advertise the good value of our Fruit and Produce. Joseph Campbell Company, of Camden, furnish in their advertisement in recipes for pre- paring palatable dishes from the farm products with which they deal. This wise course increases the demand for the products of the farm and reveals also the comparative value of food qualities to be found in farm produce. The reading of Campbells' advertisements created a passion for taking a course in Domestic Science to enable one to obtain the full benefits of their formulas. The question of meat substitution is receiving deserved consideration. When you can only buy a piece of sirloin steak the size of a man's hand for a dollar it is something to think about when one considers that spinach, which can be bought for fifty cents a bushel, has al- most equal food value. Unfortunatey, last winter I iemored nature's laws with the result of developing a severe case of bronchitis. When beginning to convalesce, friends began to send eatables. The bill of fare included squab, chicken, best chops and steak. But the physicin said, "Better live on vege- table diet. Eliminate all meats and try spinach, baked ap- ples, celery, lettuce and cabbage with milk and libatum." I seem to be alive today and sufficienty strong to testify the wisdom of followinsr this course. You perhaps may have seen the folder entitled "Village View Apples," grown in Lovingston, Virginia. It is a some- what lengthv declaration of the food qualities of the apple, speakingof it as"The Foodof the Gods; the Magic Reviver of Youth." There follows an appeal to the lovers of nature in a description of the wonderful Blue Ridge section of Virginia, with a photograph of the Village View orchard. Then the price is no shock, although it is four and five cents apiece by the hundred. This advertising is a good illustration of an effort to sell direct from orchard to table. The right sort of advertising will induce the people to buy more. By stimulat- ing the mass of folks to consume more fruit, we increase the demand. But whether we sell direct or through middlemen, it is necessary to furnish goods and advertising methods that will make easy sales. Is there such at thing as cooperative advertising ? Yes, there is. The cattle men have clubs, or organizations. These issue publications declaring the many excellent qualities of certain herds; for instance, the American Jersey Cattle Club extols the merits of the Jersey cattle, while at the same time their advertisement declares the Club has none to sell. Their purpose is to create a general demand. In this man- ner they employ the best of advertising agencies and the use > 43 of best papers, which no individual could or would attempt. This is an illustration of an organization working for the good of the several constituencies. Other cattle dealers do the same thing. We have Fruit and Produce associations, or ex- • changes, which give special thoueht to advertising. Some- time our State will contribute more directly to the heralding of the importance of its wonderful farm products. The middle West sends champion corn and vegetable growers on long trips. Newspaper exploit their achievements and give the news wide scope. The East should stand preeminent m truit and Produce. Every dollar appropriated for the development of horticulture is wise advertisement. Every school of agri- culture erected is an attestation of the value the State places upon this indusry. This exhibition of Fruit and Vegetables associated with this assemblage is a visible demonstration ot what we can do. We need more advertising of our natural resources. Greatly favored are we, in having thousands and tens of thousands of tourists passing through our State. Ihe regret is that the highways to the coasts are so frequently over long stretches of sandy tracts. The Railroad Corpora- tions are aroused to the vital importance of advertising the soil possibilities of our State. They find it is a missed oppor- tunity to allow the erection of high fences for advertising quack notions, when fertile fields lie just beyond. It is well for us that our State roads and thoroughfares are linking up our productive lands and reaching the extensive farms and high class orchards. Let us make them veritable show places. Let us hope the time is coming when the Horticultural Society will have more means with which to announce their resources; in advertising the tempering ocean breezes of the Atlantic States as seen in the blush of the apple and the health of the corn; in advertising the richness of her natural soil as seen in the strength of her trees and in the abundance of her vege- tables; in advertising the easy access to market as seen in the condition of manifold fruit in the markets of Philadel- phia, New York and Boston; in advertising that she possesses voung men and maidens of born ability to work out the prob- lems of soil difficulties; to conquer the insect pests, to suc- cessfully work out the possibilities of marketing Fruit and Produce. The Individual Elements in Advertising. Cooperative advertising treats the subject in a general way. It is a wholesale representation of what we have to sell; it needs the individual to tell where it can be secured. A letter addressed to the Horticultural Society, Pennsylvania is not complete. It must be directed m care of some local grower. We do this as individuals. When the thought of this enters our minds, it makes us careful of our soil methods, de- velops pride in our packing and makes us ambitious to excel on the market. When one marks his State on his fruit pack- 44 ages, he links himself in with the whole State and takes en a community repsponsibility. When he marks the name of the farm, he becomes a part of the circle of Horticulturists and pledges himself to contribute something to the general repu- tation of his industry. When he marks his name and local address, he then localizes and individualizes and on this de- pends his profit or his loss. Independence must not lose to inter-dependence. Truer to thyself; less false to another. THE EASTERN OUTLOOK FROM THE WESTERN VIEWPOINT. A. E. Mason, State College, Pa. From time immemorial it has been the custom of fruit- growers, upon convening for any purpose, to discuss the rela- tive merits of the fruit grown by the different sections repre- sented, with the results that no one is satisfied with the de- cisions of the body, because all, down in their own hearts are convinced that there is no fruit like their own fruit, all opin- ions to the contrary notwithstanding. Without doubt our famous ancestors, when they harvested that first and most notable crop, in the garden of Eden, felt a jealous pnde in the forbidden fruit, and ventured a few remarks to the effect that there was none other like it on the face of the earth. And best of all, there were none there who would dispute them. So it is today. We meet to take up the various phases of horticulture, and the question is put up time and time again: "Is not the Eastern fruit better than the Western fruit ?^ Or if you are in the West, the growers rub their hands, and congratulate themselves upon the fact that they can success- fullv compete with the Eastern fruit in the latter's own market. The public is convinced that it would rather have a box of fruit from Hood River than from Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, or Maryland. Beyond a question of doubt such a prejudce exists, in favor of the Western fruit. If it did not exist, how could thousands of carloads of apples, peaches, pears, prunes, grapes, and cherries find a ready market in all of the big markets of the East, while the bulk of the Eastern crop goes for lower prices, or does not move at all? If it did not exist why would the Pacific growers continue to set out vast plan- tations with the express intention of putting the fruit before the consumers on the Atlantic, and even across the Atlantic. Those men are not imbeciles. They are as careful of their capital as is the United States Treasury. They are not in the business for their health, but for the round hard dollar, and it 45 comes just as hard out in the West as it does here in the East. Let us look over a few of the factors influencing fruit grow- ing, and see if we can discover the reason for this anomaly. ^ In the first place, it is the market ? Looking at it f roni all sides it would seem that the market has very little to do with it. In fact, if it had any influence, it would work against the Western growers. Take for instance the great Scap the shipper? on the Pacific Coast must overcome o get their produce before the Eastern consumer The East is their onlv market. The census statistics will ^|^ow ^^na^ Greater New York can boast of as many inhabitants, as can that immene area west of the Rockies, ^nd between Canada and Mexico. Surely there will never, in .^^^1 . ^^ J^^f j^^^,/ market for even a small part of the fruit raised m that coun- try Look at the area in fruit. It is startling, especially when it is considered that only a half of it is ^ bearing, the reminder of it coming into full bearing during the next tew years. California, Oregon, APPLES i Washington, I New York, I Pennsylvania, YOUNG TREES 1,054,000 2,240,000 4,836,000 2,829,000 2,501,000 PRODUCING 48% 110% 160% 25% 31% BEARING TREES 2,483,000 2,030,000 3,009,000 11,248,000 vx^.»..^x,«...^, 8,000,000 All of this is being planted and grown fp.r ^^^ ,^^f^^^ market and the latter will take it because it will be put before ?? in such a way that it cannot refuse. The Western shippers must pay an exorbitant freight rate., the railroad taking as Us share almost half of the total coast of the box of fruit when it is placed on the stand. Every box of fruit that ^omesf rim Hood River on the stand pays 60^ to the railroad^ Wenatchee Valley contributes 55^ to the carrier. Yet in Wilkes-Barre it costs but 12f' to place a bushel box ^ Phi la delphia, and Ih' to deliver it in car lots Then m addition to the cost there is the great strain on the fruit from the bumping and knocking it received. It goes from 55 feet at H Rfver, to almost 10,000 feet elevation, to f et o^^jjj^ Rockies, and it is raised in the sunny mild west, and stored in the warehouses, under various conditions and then placea on a market entirely different as far as climatic condit^^^^^^ are concerned, perhaps remaining there weeks before finaUy disposed of to the consumer. No the market is f ecidely ad verse to the Western growers, and very much in favor ot tne Eastern producers. Is it the fruit? Here lies an opening for much discussion but we will waive that for the time being,, by trying not to tread on any toes. In considering the apple, it is an apple whether grown in Australia or North America. It is perhaps the most cosmopolitan fruit we have. The same varieties will grow m the East as will thrive in the West. Variety is not any con- sideration, because the public has not yet learned to distm- 11 I 46 guish between a Ben Davis and a Delicious, between a Falla- water and a Staymen. Why, gentlemen, on the train out of Pittsburgh last week the news agent passed through the car crying his wares, featuring his fine Winesap apples. A mere glance showed the fruit to be Gano, yet the public, unsuspect- ing, swallowed them with relish. The news agent, himself, was ignorant of the difference. In Chicago at Christmas time, in passing through one of the biggest fruit stores in the city, I saw Winsaps being sold as Jonathan, Spitzenburg as Delicious, and even Rhode Island Greenings being palmed off as Grimes Golden. I asked the clerk about it, and he said that the custom did not differentiate, but merely wanted apples with color and taste, so he gave them to it. Apples the world over run with approximately the same chemical content, differing only a little in varieties. They thrive on the limestone soils of the Piedmont Region, m the rocky fields of Massachussetts. as well as in the sandy-loams of California and Colorado, the red-shot of Oregon, or the Volcanic ash of Montana. The West has never boasted that it could grow a sweeter apple than the East. The West has never claimed that it could grow a larger apple than the East. The West has never stated that it could raise a prettier apple than the East. But what the West has stated, absolutely and unreservedly, is that it could sell a better apple than the East. And the West has made good its boast. Then the difference resolves itself into a question of mar- keting. In 1906, after a long period of legislation, a pure food and drugs act was passed by Congress, standardizing our staples. It was at that time that the West was trying its hard- est to make its infant industry a success. It was fighting eastern competition. The only means of transportation was owned and operated by the railroad magnates, who charged exorbitant rates. The only men who could change these rates were congressmen, also owned and operated by the railroad magnates. Therefore a solution must be found through some other channel. The Pure Food and Drugs Act was merely the first great expression of the keynote of the day. Standard- ization. The Western growers had seized that keynote and we are using it to sell their fruit for them. It is standardiza- tion today that is keeping the western product on the Eastern market. If it were not for the fact that the consumer knows that when he buys a box of western apples that he will get 100% apples, and not half culls, the Eastern fruit would drive it from the market. The East can grow as fine fruit as can be grown any place in the country. You can see it in any well kept orchard. It can be marketed just as well, but it is not done. If it were done, the Westerners would go bank- rupt. Standardization is merely a reduction of all the fruit sold under one common label to a common or uniform grade. This is accomplished in many ways, but in the West it is the result 47 of cooperative marketing, the associations fixing the stand- ards to which all members must conform. As the fruit is sold under one distributing agency, the latter must oversee all of the processes through which the fruit must go before actually reaching the consumer. In the East the bulk of the crop is moved directly from the farm to the market. In the West practically the entire crop passes through the hands of the California Fruit growers' Association, the North Pacific Fruit Distributors, the Northwest Fruit Exchange of other similar organization. If you will allow me to confine a few typical lillustra- tions to apples, I will say a few words about the Hood River Fruit-Growers' Association, affiiliated with the North Pacific Fruit Distributors. Early in the summer the association sends out letters to all members, asking estimates of the crop, with the varieties. Later in the summer a more thorough estimate is made. In the early fall a packing school is open- ed by the association, in town, to which all men and women who expect to pack apples must go, before they will be allow- ed to put up any of the fruit to be shipped by the association. This school lasts three weeks. When the crop is ready, these packers are divided up into squads, with a foreman, and each goes from one packing house to the other, putting up the crop as it is ready. The Foreman is responsible for the fruit and for the pack. If any fruit is below grade, the forenian and the grower suffers, because the association refuses all boxes which do not measure up to standard. When the fruit is packed and delivered to the central distributing house, random samples are taken, and broken open, and if any are found to be imperfect, a repack is required. Each packer has a num- ber, given him by the association, and he places that on the lower left hand corner of his box, while the variety, and num- ber in the box and tier are also placed on the box. A Field- Inspector is placed in every district, and it is his duty to get around to each house several times during the season, and in- spect the equipment, the fruit, and the general methods on the place, and to advise with the grower about any points which come under his observation. As for the fruit, it is pooled. The pool is usually a sea- sonal pool in the apple disricts, the entire crop being sold and each grower receiving his pro-rata share when the crop is finally disposed of in the Spring. With the citrus-growers in Southern California the sys- tem is a little different, and a little more organized still. The fruit is even taken from the tree by association pickers. The grower does not touch any of his fruit. He merely signifies when he is willing for it to be picked, and all of the work from that time on is handled by the organization. Their method of management is complex. The central as- sociation is made up of districts, which in turn are made up of as- sociations, which in turn are made up of the individual growers. i '\ 48 The central association receives the market reports from their agents in the east, stating how many cars will be m demand on such a date, with the price. The ce tral association noti- fies the districts, which in turn notify the associations, and these communicate with their members, and if a man wishes to go into the ten-day pool, he has his fruit picked. Oranges difii'er from apples in many ways, one of the most important being that you do not have to pick the fruit at a certain time but can let it hang for a considerable time till the market picks up. The association then sends out its own pickers, with their own equipment, and the crop is harvested. It is hauled directly to the association ware-house, on a railroad siding, where a plant with equipment costing from fifteen to fifty thousand dollars, is located. They do all of the washing, grading, packing, and bleaching, load the cars, and send it off to market, and the fruit-grower gets his money in a few days, instead of waiting for it for a whole season, as is neces- sary where the seasonal pool is used. Not only do these associations handle the crop, but they also buv a great part of the supplies needed by their members, getting much reduced rates. These organizations, too, get the advantages of better freight rates, and can put up better plants than could the individual grower, thus saving m the cost of the marketing. Standardization has not been confined to the apple and orange industry alone. The raisin-growers of the San Joaquin Valley in California, the prune-dryers of both Ore- gon and California, the grape-growers, the walnut-growers, the melon-growers, in fact, all of the western fruit-growers, are now cooperating to put up a uniform grade of proajice. Why, gentlemen, in Oregon during the past winter, the Wil- lamette Valley Logan-berry growers have met and standard- ized the fresh, berry business, and have fixed the sugar and water-content of the dried berry industry. Personality is perhaps the next most important factor in successful marketing. If you have something to sell, do not be ashamed to make it known all over the markets of the world. The West is doing that with its products, by gigantic advertising schemes, by cooperation with all of the western railroads, by magazines, and by the quality of their output. Perhaps you all have seen the "Skookum" Brand Apples, ad- vertised in all of the cars in New York City, by the North- west Fruit Exchange. It advises in great letters, ''Eat the right apple at the right time,'' and then list the various vari- eties, with the proper season in which they will be best. Ev- erybody has become familiar with "Sunkist Oranges,'' the official label of the California Fruit Growers' Association. Brilliant lithographs on the box and barrel ends, individual wrappers printed for peaches and apples, and vegetables, and judicious advertising calls attention to the grower and his wares. No one thinks of Hale without seeing a peach ; no one 49 thinks of Delicious apples without remembering Stark ; no one thinks of Flordia without a mental picture of grape-fruit, and everytime Secretary Dniels mentions grape-juice you know that Welch is happy. Your fellow member, C. J. Tyson, is doing it down in Floradale, and is certainly making a suc- ess of it. He has not felt a ruinous push of hard times and a crowded market. Lewis— any number of men in his state are reaping the benefits of standard-grade fruit, and careful ex- tensive advertising. , t i. -j In conclusion, gentlemen, let me sum up what I have said in just a few words : 1. The East has all of the advantages of markets, trans- portation, and freight rates. . 2. The East has some advantages in production costs, in the way of cheaper costs. 3. The East has just as many climatic and soil advantages as the West has. BUT 4. The East is a decade behind the west in arising the fruit. „. _ , ^ 5. The East is a decade behind in handling and market- ing the fruit-crop. The needs of the East are : 1. A bigger force of men to help the fruit-growers solve their problems. 2. More rigid standardization laws. 3. Extensive cooperative organization, so that the gro\v- ers may buy supplies, hanlde the crop, and market the fruit more efficiently. 4. A few sticks of dynamite under it, to wake it up, to drive the western growers into prune-raising. THE IMPORTANCE OF BETTER GRADING AND PACK- ING OF EASTERN APPLES. H. B. KNAPP, Ithaca, N. Y, It seems a little strange at first thought that a New Yorker should presume to speak to the fruit-growers of Penn- sylvania in regard to the importance of better grading and packing of Eastern apples. The day would appear to have passed when one must have his own dooryard clean before he chides his neighbor concerning the appearance of his door- yard. However, if fundamental to a treatment of this sub- ject is a knowledge of how poorly fruit may be packed and still find a market, I can imagine no one better qualified to discuss such matters than a man from New York State. The growing of apples and other fruits has within the last two decades undergone a transformation that amounts almost to a revolution. Fruit growers' organizations, the Horticul- f li I'l 50 tural press, agricultural colleges, experiment stations, and ev- ery agency whose motto is progress in country affairs has urged and aided the production of more and better fruit. We are now reaping the results of this educational propaganda, in Pennsylvania, in New York, and everywhere, and the prob- lem of the present and the future, which the fruit-grower must surely face, is the marketing of his product. Upon the solution of this problem depends the whole future outlook of the apple and the material destiny of its grower. Evidence is not lacking that with present methods of marketing we have neared the crest of high prices for apples. The production of all farm crops moves in cycles of varying periods of time. These cycles seem to be fairly uniform for the individual crops, and production is directly correlated with prices. This is true of hay, of cattle, of hogs and of potatoes. It seems to be just as true of apples except that the period between high and low production and low and high prices is lonsfer. It is probable that with increasing product- ion the crest of high prices for apples will soon be reached and the pendulum will swing back toward and beyond the normal. If we consult the prices of apples on the New York mar- ket we find that they have increased in price less than ten per cent, in the ten year period from 1903-1912 over the price for the previous ten year period. It is doubtful if this off- sets the added cost of production. During the same period cotton has inreased 64%, hay 33%, oats 38%, corn 42%, po- tatoes 28%, and wheat 37%. We are all familiar with the enormous plantings in re- cent years, plantings that have by no means reached the max- imum of production, but the results of which we are now be- ginning to feel, A consideration of these things may well make us pause and ponder as to what the future holds for us. A calm survey of conditions indicates that disaster must inevitably overtake us unless we can find markets not now open to us and widen those we already have. The alternative is the experience of the growers of '96. We may well inquire, then, into the possibilities of further extending our markets. What are the prospects in our own dooryards? In my home state of New York, it is practically impossible to buy an Eastern grown apple on fruit stands or from high class grocers in New York, Albany, Troy, Schnectady, Utica, Syracuse, Buffalo, and even in Rochester in the heart of one of the world's greatest apple belts. You ask for an apple and you get a Western apple. Is the case any different in Philadelphia, Pittsbugh, or in your capital city? Last winter the College of Agriculture at Cornell held a school in domestic science at Lockport in Niagara County, one of the banner fruit counties of the Ontario District. The ladies desired to make an apple pie. They went to the grocers 51 to secure the fruit and were compelled to accept Western apples. In the markets of the world the story is the same. Box apples are gradually eliminating our barrel apples from conti- nental Europe; Canadian apples packed under the Fruit Marks Act sell for a premium of fully fifty cents a barrel over the same varieties grown on this side of the St. Lawrence. Why should this state of affairs exist? The answer is so plain that even in our blindness to exist- ing conditions we can not fail to see it. With a protective tariff of two hundred dollars per car over fruit from the Northwest, we have stood idly by and allowed the Western grower to invade our markets and usurp our trade. The Western grower packs and ships fruit that corresponds to our finest No. 1 grade, not primarily because he is more honest than the Eastern grower, but because none other shows a profit. The fruit is packed subject to inspection by the asso- ciation through which it is sold and diseased fruit is under the ban. In the East every man is a law unto himself in the mat- ter of packing, and no two men pack alike. It is not higher moral sense, but plain business sense that actuates the West- ern grower— he can do nothing else and live. It would be better for us in some ways if our markets were not so acces- sible. ,, , . , . T. Canadian fruit is packed under the Fruit Marks Act, which through its provisions of grade and markings guarantees to the consumer an article worth his money. The European buyer has a choice between an article of certain and an article of uncertain value. It is a credit to his business sense that he prefers the Canadian pack. Our consuls have repeatedly stated that we can not hope to widen our foreign markets so long as our pack is unchanged. It is a sad commentary upon our judgment as growers that we have not yet recognized and complied with the fundamental law of trade. Let me approach the subject in another way. The Asso- ciation for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor se- cured the wholesale and retail prices of the principal varieties of apples on the New York market during the month of No- vember, 1913. The apples were sold out by the grocers by the peck and retail prices have been computed by allowing twelve pecks to the barrel. The figures follow : No. 1 Grade No. 2 Grade Wholesale I Retail | Wholesale | Retail Northern Spy $5 50 $10 20 $4 50 $9 00 Baldwin 5 00 9 00 4 00 6 00 Tompkins King 5 50 11 40 4 75 7 20 R. I. Greening 6 00 10 20 5 00 9 00 Ben Davis 3 75 6 (K) 3 00 4 80 Average % of re- $5 15 $9 36 $4 25 $7 20 tail price to retail- er where sold by peck 45% 41% m t I ^ m 52 On this basis let us see how the money that the consumer pays for the average barrel of apples is distributed among the different agencies that handle the barrel. The average barrel brings two dollars and eighty-six cents wholesale in Novem- ber in New York City. We may assume that it is shipped by the grower from Monroe County in Western New York, nearly four hundred miles, and that it is sold through the com- mission man to the grocer. The distribution of the money paid by the consumer follows : Distribution of Money Paid by Consumer for Barrel of Apples Sold Through Commission Man for $2.86, November 1, Grower Freight Carting and Misc. Commission Retailer Amount Paid $2 27 .23 .07 .29 2.16 1c of Retail Price 45.0 4.5 1.4 5.8 43.0 Price paid by consumer $5.02 When we remember that the grocer does business on the basis of twenty per cent, of his gross sales, this forty-three per cent, in the case of apples appears to be an exorbitant charge. Let us place ourselves in the grocer's position. We buy apples every day in the week to supply our trade. Five days in the week we get a good loc of fruit with no waste, but the sixth day we pay good money and get junk— cider apples and culls. In such a case we would do just as the erocer does. We would put the price on all our fruit high enough to protect ourselves in any emergency, a price which is prohibitive to the great middle class of people. This has been and still is the history of the marketing of Eastern apoles. Fundamen- tally It IS the pack that is at fault. We may trace the matter back until the responsibility becomes a personal one and a rec- ognition of this responsibility is essential to the salvation of our fruit industry. The situation is not peculiar to New York State alone or to Pennsylvania alone^it is common to the entire north eastern United States- the industrial strife is between the East and North and the East and the West. Fruit growers of Pennsylvania, it is our problem and your problem. Let us deal with it in a spirit of mutual assistance and understand- ing. We must face the situation as it exists before we can remedy conditions. We must recognize that the motive power of the wonderful commercial development of our age is confidence between man and man— that it is the center of a trade movement that knows no limit of countries, continents or of hemispheres; that it is only set at naught when man gives his brother the lie. Without such confidence an industry can flourish only so long as the product can be secured in sufficient quantities from no other source. When an industry 53 has reached the stage that the apple industry has reached, the article that we offer for sale will be judged not according to its bulk, but according to its merits, to its points of superiorty over the article offered by our competitors. We must stand or fall by this standard. The government reports published November 23rd give the following estimate for the state of Pennsylvania: Baldwin Northern Spy York Imperial Ben Davis R. I. Greening Stayman Winesap 784,000 Barrels 500,000 330,000 264,000 242,000 129,000 How many thousand barrels are going out to the consum- ing public to dim the already dull reputation of Eastern ap- ples, to congest a market already strained to the breaking point and to blast further the future of an industry whose welfare is our welfare and whose ruin is our ruin? It avails us little to devote our lives to the upbuilding of an industry that we have very much at heart if our neghbor through lack of foresight, reason or honesty is as assiduously bent on its destruction. The moral conscience of man is slow to work and the span of life is short. Should we not accelerate the workings of that conscience in some way in order to render the coming of the golden age of honest packing more speedy and sure? Does not history indicate that a spur to the con- science of our erring brother must in the interest of humanity in the aggregate often be applied, and is the careless and dis- honest packer any exception to this principle? If the evil he does were confined to himself and were interred with him, we might let him go his way, but this we can not do when he is sapping public confidence and gnawing out the heart of an in- dustry whose success is our success and whose doom is our doom. The only effective deterrent is legislation, specific in na- ture, and thorough in application. We have the Sulzer Law passed by the United States Congress, it is true, and the law represents the first real attempt to standardize a food product in this country But the Sulzer Law provides for only one grade of fruit, is permissive in nature and provides no system of inspection. Not five per cent, of the growers in New York State ever packed their fruit in accordance with its provisions. We have in Maine, in Michiagn and in New York measures dealing with this subject The New York measures dealing with this subject. The New York Law is the most drastic packing law that was ever passed in America. I shall take up with you its nature and influence on the New York pack at another hour. i> 54 THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEW YORK GRADING AND BRANDING LAW ON THE NEW YORK PACK, H. B. Knapp. The New York Apple Grading and Branding Law went into effect July 1, 1914. Only the present seasons 's crop has been packed under it. The law is distinctly a fruit-growers* meas- ure. It had the endorsement and active support of the New York State Fruit-Grower's Association, the Western New York Horticultural Society and the International Apple Ship- pers* Association. It was conceived and drafted by commit- tees from these organizations and passed through pressure brought to bear by them. It represents the best thought of able and mature men who derive their living from growing apples and the calm judgement of men who understand the marketing side of fruit-growing from A to Z. The law asks no more of fruit-growers than fanners have asked for years of feed and fertilizer manufacturers and the makers of patent medicines, namely, that the label shall dis- close the true contents of the package. It places no restrict- ions upon the kind or quality of fruit that may be sold— it simply requires that the fruit be sold for what it is, instead of what it is not. It aims, therefore, to give a barrel of New York apples a constant and uniform rating in the business world and to guarantee to the buyer an article worth his money. The law applies to all apples grown in the state that are packed in closed packages with the exception of those packed under the Sulzer Law. It provides for three different grades of apples and for an unclassified pack. The grades are known as New York Standard Fancv, New York Standard "A**. and New York Standard "B.** In order to be labelled New York Standard Fancy, according to the provisions of the law, the barrel must contain ** apples of one variety, which' are well- grown specimens, hand-picked, properly packed, of .good color for the variety, normal shape, free from dirt, diseases, insect and funerus injury, bruises and other defects except such as are necessarily caused in the operation of packing.*' In other words, this grade calls for first class apples in all respects, the kind that we find in the western box labelled ** extra fancy** or *' fancy," the kind that we would expect to take a prize at the State Fair at Syracuse or at the Industral Exposi- tion at Rochester. It provides a pack that can compete with the best western box fruit or with the best pack under the Canadian law. We will see a little later that one of the marks that must go on the outside of every closed package of apples the minimium size of the fruit in the package. The only tol- erance or variation allowed in the fancy grade is that five per cent, of the anples may be under the size branded on the out- side of the barrel. 55 New York Standard "A" grade shall consist '*of apples of one variety which are well-grown specimens, hand-picked, properly packed, of good color for the variety, normal shape, practically free from dirt, diseases, insect and fungus injury bruises and other defects except such as are necessarily caused in the operation of packing; or apples of one variety which are not more than ten per centum below the foregoing specifi- cations on a combination of all defects or five per centum on any single defect.** , . ,, i xu x • In other words, the "A** grade apple is the apple that m other years we have packed as a good No. 1, not the kind of a *'No. 1." apple that has sometimes gone into the barrel in years of light crops and high prices. A tolerance of ten per cent is allowed on a combinaton of all defects, size included, and not more than five per cent on any single defect. This does not mean that the packer may fill the barrel up to within ten per cent, of being full and then run in anything they chooses, cider apples, wormy apples or culls. The limit of tolerance is provided simply to safeguard the man who has a great deal of packing to do and who must depend upon hired help to do most of it for him. Enough poor apples will get into a barrel under such circumstances if we do not intention- ally put them there. , ,^ . j> ^ £ New York Standard "B** grade "shall consist of apples of one variety which are well matured, hand-picked, properly packed, practically normal shape, practically free from dirt, diseases, insect and fungus injury, and which may be of medi- um or less than medium color for the variety ; or apples of one varietv which are not more than ten per centum below the foregomg specifications on a combination of all defects or five per centum on any single defect.** The only real difference between the "A" grade and the "R" grade apple is in their color. A "B" grade apple is in- tended to be a good No. 2. "Apples not conforming to the foregoing specifications of grade, or, if conforming, are not branded in accordance therewith, shall be classed as unclassi- fied and so branded." The unclassified brand provides a pack in which apples may be put which in themselves are good enough for the grades before mentioned, but which have not been sorted out and graded up to meet the requirements tor the grades. More than that, it provides a class in which any and all kinds of apples may be packed but after the Ji^it ot tolerance of the "A** and "B** grades has been reached, the barrel marked "unclassified" must state in just what respect the apples are deficient as hereafter noted. Now, as to the essential marks which must go on the out- side of everv closed package of apples. They are as follows: the name and address of the packer or the person bv whose authoritv the apples are packed, the true name of the variety, the grade or class of apples contained therein and the mini- mum size of the fruit in the package. This is the only refer- 66 ence to size that we find in this law. It does not state that an *'A'' grade apple must be two and one-half inches in diam- eter, a *'B'' grade two and one-fourth inrhes in diameter, etc. So long as the apple measures up to the specifications of the grade on other respects, the size does not bar it from any grade, it simply requires that the size of the small apple be branded in the barrel. In addition to the foregoing requirements a barrel con- tammg fruit which is not hand-picked, which is wormy, scabby, diseased or defective in anyway, must if such fruit is present m greater amounts than provided under the limit of tolerance, be marked in such a manner as to indicate this fact. Of course, such a barrel must first be labeled ** unclassified," but the packer must go further if more than ten per cent of the fruit is defective and state in just what respect it is de- fective. The law specifies that the package must be plainly marked with letters not smaller than one-half inch. The enforcement of the measure rests with the Commissioner of Agriculture, and penalties are attached for violation. Other points can be brougt out in the discussion later if you desire. Such a law if properly enforced could not fail to have a profound influence on methods of packing. It is one thing to pack a barrel of fruit dishonesty, it is quite another to adver- tise the fact to the whole world by putting your name on the barrel. In the main, the law has been obeyed and we feel much encouraged with the progress made in so short a time. Just how profound the effect has been mav be judged by the following extracts from letters written by men with whom many of you are familiar: Mr. R. G. Philips, Secretary of the International Apple Shippers' Association, says: ** There is no doubt that the New York Grade Law has been a godsend this year. It has kept a lot of stuff out of barrels which ought to have been kept out. The result has been that bulk shipments out of this state have never before been as heavy. The law also gave confidence at a time when confidence was needed; and I am convinced that if it had not been for the law the apple situation would have been in a disastrous condition * * * I have heard a great many splendid testimonials to the bene- ficial effects of the law. I have visited the New York market twice and personal observation convinced me that the fruit v^^as much better packed than usual. That has also been my observation on the shippingend.*' Mr. Edward N. Loomis, 119 Barclay St., New York City, says: 'The New York Apple Grading and Branding Law has been of great influence in the advance of the apple indrusty. and will be of increasing benefit to growers, dealers and con- sumers alike the more thoroughly its provisions are under- st(K)d and obeyed. * * * The law already has had a great effect, and has had a wider recognition than could have been ex- pected in its first season. As the growers come to realize its ► 57 value and its provisions for putting out an honest pack, they will more and more reap its advantages. The consuming pub- lic has not yet had an opportunity to fully realize the change. When the buyers come to know the meaning of the various brands, and that each brand describes accurately an honest barrel of apples, the demand for apples will increase through- out the country largely, and particularly in barreled apples * * * I, myself, am a dealer as well as a grower, having 100 acres of orchard in Vermont. I believe that there is no greater dan- ger to the Fruit industry of the East than its present methods of packing and grading. I believe strongly in compulsory laws throughout the Eastern States, which will promote hon- est grading and better packing, and which will guar- antee to the buyer of each individual barrel of apples a square deal.** Mr. C. B. Shafer, Gasport, N. Y., wrote as follows: "Your favor of the 24th received asking my opinion of the New York State Apple Grade Law. In reply I beg to state the law created revolution right from the start ; at the time of packing and shipping fall apples it was impossible to sell winter apples or even get any of the important Western deal- ers interested. *' After the Western dealers had received some of the fall apples packed under the New York State Standard "A** Grade they immediately woke up to the fact a great demand had been created by the New York Law. '*The result was all the North w^estern trade representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska sent their representatives into Western New York practically cleaning up the orchards of all the good apples they could obtain under the Standard "A" grade, while at the same time the box apples in Idaho, Oregon and Washington were piled up in the packing houses, stores, homes and orchards, unsold. "A dealer from Iowa informed me he had shipped one hundred car loads of New York apples to his trade and not one barrel was turned down, had it not been for the law the apple crop would be in the growers' hands to-day with no demand. "Our firm is getting inquiries every dav asking for quotations on New York Standard "A" Baldwins for export." *'The law will lift the apple industry out of a deplorable rut and create a demand in all the markets of the world and will compel the negligent grower and packer to get in line with his neighbor who has been growing good quality." "Our company has grown and packed 8000 barrels of apples this season, and can not command words to endorse the law too highly". John W. Low, of the firm of Wayne & Low. Chicago, writes: "Regarding the New York State 'grading and pack- ing law' will say, that we think it has been of great benefit in marketing this fall's immense crop of apples. We have filled orders for a great many carloads to go to such states as Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and we have not had a single 58 complaint regarding the packing. We have seen some things in the stock that came to our own premises in the way of packing that could be criticised, but we think on the whole the stock has been the most satisfactory of any that we have handled for years. We thougt when we first heard that New York state had adopted a system of inspection and packing slightly different from that adopted by the United States under the Sulzer law, that it was a mistake, but we be- lieve it is going to work out greatly to the avdantage of New York state, and that it will be of great assistance to the fruit- growers in finding a satisfactory market for their apples. *' G. M. H. Wagner & Sons, also of Chicago, write as fol- lows: f << In replyng to your inquiry relative to 'our opinion con- cering the influene of the New York Apple Grading and Branding Law on the New York pack and price received* would say, in our opinion, his law is one of the best that was ever passed by your New York State Legislature and its en- forcement should be not only the duty of your state officials, but the duty of every grower or friend of the apple industry. "In our opinion, this law in the few months that it has been in operation, done more to elevate the New York apple Business and placed it upon such a plane as will tend to in- still confidence in the mind of the buying public and has done more by way of increasing the actual value of the fruit, etc., than all of the political conferences and endeavors of the or- ganized trade, etc. covering a period of the past fifteen years. "It has been the one thng, in our minds, that has made possible as good an outcome as has been achievedin reference to this year's crop. Without this regulative measure and operating under old condtions. we would have had chaos and disaster. "In our judgment a monument should be raised and paid for generally bv the grower and dealer to whomever was re- sponsibe for this measure." Mr. R. H. Pennington, Evansville, Indiana, president of the International Shippers' Association states as follows: "In my opinion the New York State grading and branding law has been of great benefit to all apple operators this season. We have been able to buy fruit with the assurance that we would get a uniform standard grade on which we could depend." "Of course prices have ruled low this year on account of the enormous crop that has necessarily been offered, but I feel safe in saying that had it not been for the grading and brand- ing law that the fruit in Western New York would certainly have suffered this season." "With reference to the influence that the law has had on the packing I am satisfied that the operators generally have tried to live up to the law and the receivers have been argeeably surprised at the improvement in the pack of the New York fruit. After the receivers realized that they could depend on ■i i M 59 the pack they have been willing to pay a premium for stand- ard apples and I believe that in the long run the law will be of great benefit to the industry and will have a tendency to increase the market value of the fruit quite materially." Few measuers have been perfect in their original enact- mnt. It is recognized that this law was not. But it repre- sented a constructive effort to better conditions and furnished a basis from which departures can be made as the need for them becomes apparent. One of the changes that is needed is that the measure should be a part of the agricultural law of the State in order that the Department of Agriculture shall have authority to inspect packages at any time or in any place and to confiscate packages or samples as evidence. This weak- ness will be remedied at the present session of our legislature. Some complaint has been heard that the term "Unclassi- fied" casts an unfair reflection on the contents of the package and places such fruit at a disadvantage in the market. In my opinion it lodges a just discrimination in the mind of the pur- chaser which represents the true difference in quailty be- tween a barrel marked "Unclassiefid" and one marked "Standard A" or "B." If such a term will tend to keep the poorer grades of fruit out of the barrel and will induce the owner to dispose of them through the proper channels by bulk shipments, to the evaporators, cider mills, or canning fac- tories, it will be one of the best things that could happen. However, if time shows that a change in the law in this re- spect is needed, it can readily be made. Fruit-growers and fruit-growing in New York State have come to a parting of the ways. A step in advance has been taken— a forerunner we hope of better things. INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE REGULATIONS IN IN THE CONTROL OF PLANT DISEASES. C. R. OrtON, P^ant Patholof^ist, State College, Pa. It is the purpose of the speaker, in presenting this sub- ject before the Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, to call your attention more clearly than before to the great destruction caused each year by the fungous and bacterial parasites of plants. It is my further aim to outline the State need which in the past few years have been forcefully brought to the attention of those inerested in the prevention and con- trol of plant disease in this State. Recent serious outbreaks of diseases hitherto unknown in the State as well as those which are now threatening our borders from neighboring states have made it seem essential to devise adequate methods of preventing further unnecessary loss to our crops. At present the insect pests are carefully looked after by |i %\ 60 our State Zoologist and his assistances but the quite as impor- tant diseases caused by parasitic bacteria and fungi have been allowed for the most part, free transporation without regulation. The Importance of Plant Diseases. Most argriculturalists and horticulturists realize that con- siderable damage may be caused yearly by diseases but how many have ever tried to compute in actual figures the annual loss to the crops of the United States from these causes? In 1898 the loss to our wheat crop from rust, (Puccinia poculi- formis (Jacq.) Wetts) was estimated at $67,000,000 (1) and this year it must have nearly reached this figure. The bitter rot, (Glomerella cingulate (Stonem.) S. & S.) of apples has caused the loss of $10,000,000 in this country some years. (2) The annual loss from brown-rot. (Sclerotinii cinerea (Bon.) Wor.) of stone fruits has been estimated at $5,000,000 (3) ; It is undoubtedly much more than this. The loss to our cereal crops from smut diseases is not known but it seems safe in estimating the annual loss to the country to be at least $50,000,000 and it may be prevented en- tirely at a comparatively slight expense. The Secretary of Agriculture in 1912 (4) estimated the value of the crops in this country at $6,137,000,000 and the loss for that year from parasitic diseases at $613,700,000 or 10 per cent, of the total value of the crops. This information is reliable and serves to clearly emphasize my convictions that one of the most important factors contributing to the high cost of food products is the great w^aste caused by carelessness and diseases. The loss to cultivated crops from diseases is not, however, anywhere near the whole story. When our forests are taken into consideration we find that a similar condition holds true. The loss of chestnut trees accasioned bv the Endothia canker in the year 1911 was esimated at $25,000,000. (5) On account of the introduction of the white pine blister- rust (Cronartiiim ribicola F'lsch. de Wald.) into the United States from Germany in 1908 and 1909, a large sum has been expended already in attempting to stamp it out bv destroying infected trees when found but Spaulding (6) estimates 'that imported trees valued at $225,000 should be destroyed at the present time in order to effectively eradicate this disease. This disease if allow^ed to spread, in time would exterminate unquestionably the white pine in North America. There is going on yearly in our forests throughout the country a loss from various causes which probably reaches the loss estimated for our cultivated crops. Are we going to allow these conditions to continue or shall we take decided steps to protect the welfare of our furture generations? At this point might be well to consult the long experience of t 4» ^ 61 those in the profession of animal pathology. Long ago the workers in that field realized that prevention was the keynote to healtiness. The way in which the recent outbreak of foot and mouth diseases has been stamped out in Pennsylvania is a good example of what concerted action and strict quarantine methods can accomplish. Many of our serious plant diseases could be prevented much more easily if the proper methods were undertaken and efficiently carried out. Plant Parasites Introduced into the United States from Foreign Countries. The late blight, (Phytophthora infestans (Mont. ) de Bary. ) of potatoes was introduced into the United States, probably from South America about 1840 (7). The average annual loss to the country from this disease is estimated by experts at $36,000,000. Powdery Scab, {Spongospora siibtermnea ( Wallr. ) John- son) one of the most dreaded diseases of the potato in Euro- pean countries, was introduced into Maine within the past three years. Already the most careful methods have been un- dertaken, by government officials through the Federal Horti- cultural Board, to prevent the further spread of this disease. About the same time the Silver Scurf, (Spondylocladium atro- virens A. & L. ) of potatoes, a parasitic fungus, and Leaf-roll and Curly Dwarf of potatoes, two physiological diseases were rec- ognized in this country and although less important than the first two mentioned, are serious enough to occasion alarm. It seems likely also that potato Wilt, (Fiisarium oxyspoinim Schl.) a disease which is probably fully as serious as Late blight, was introduced from European countries. Black Leg, (Bacillus phytophthonis, Appel) of potatoes, a bacterial di- sease which is quite serious in some locaities, is another European disease imported several years ago into the United States. Asparagus rust, {Puccinia Aspay^agi D. C.) was first known in New Jersey in 1896 and since then has spread rap- idly throughout the United States. Its effects upon asparagus culture is well known. The Endothia canker of Chestnut, (Endothia parasitica (Murr. ) A. & A. ) has recently been demonstrated as a native of China and was undoubtedly first introducted in the vicinity of New York from where it has spread most rapidly and bids fair to exterminate our native chestnuts in the east (8). Quite recently a serious funsrous canker, (Phoma sp.) of citrus fruits has appeared in the south and spread rapidly throughout the Gulf States. This disease is the most serious yet to threaten this important crop. Its origin is unknown at present. Among the insect pests the brown-tailed moth, (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) and the gypsy moth, (Porthetria dispar) should 1 ■ 62 be mentioned. Both of these serious pets which have caused the loss of millions of dollars, were introduced from Europe. The San Jose scale (Aspidiotus pemiciosus) which came to us from China, annually costs us about $5,000,000 to keep un- der partial subjection and the yearly loss from this pest equals a similar sum (9). These are only a few of the most conspicuous examples of introduced plant parasites which may serve as a warning of what we may expect in the future unless strict quarantine measures are maintained between nations constanly inter- changing plants of any kind. The Interstate Exchange of Plant Diseases. This phase of the problem is perhaps fully as important as that just recounted. The increased facilities for the rapid interstate exchange of plants has brought to us a stupendous problem but .one which must be attacked with courage and de- termination if we ever hope to be relieved of these rapidly in creasing troubles. I shall enumerate only a few of the diseases which are of especial interest to the members of this Association. The powdery scab of potatoes introduced into Maine has this past year been found in Eastern New York. That it ser- iously threatens the Pennsylvania potato crop would be stat- ing it midly. A hasty survey of the State made last spring by the speaker failed to find it established within our borders but numerous shipments of potatoes into the State, for table purposes, were found to contain the diease. A careless hand- ling of such potatoes is almost sure to result in the introduc- tion of the disease in our potato crop. The bitter rot of apples is a disease which was until quite recently unknown in Pennsylvania yet it is evidently getting established here and in certain seasons may be ex- pected to cause considerable loss. Appple Blotch, (Phyllosticta solitaria E. E. ) a fungous di- sease which a few years ago was thought to be restricted to more southern regions has this past year caused severe loss to several orchards in the state. Smith Cider and Maiden Blush are very susceptible to this parasite. An instance of how these diseases are distributed came to my attention in 1913. A party in Centre County brought to me some apple twigs ser- iously spotted by the apple blotch fungus. After explaining to him that the disease was a very severe one in Missouri and other states of that section he stated, somewhat to my sur- prise, that the diseased tree was brought from Missouri the previous year. A serious shot hole disease of peaches has caused consid- erable damage to young trees this past year and is very sim- ilar in appearance to the disease of stone fruits known as bac- etrial spot (Bacterium pruni, etc,) This malady has appar- 63 ently come to us from more southern and western fruit dis- tricts. Fundamental Principles of Disease Control. Aside from the prevention of plant disease by quarantine methods, there are other principles which are more fundamen- tal and upon which depends the success of such measues. These pinciples represent the scientific phase of plant patho- logy and are concerned primarily with the habits and life his- tories of the parasites. It is obvious that unless this informa- tion is at hand it must be obtained before adequate control measures can be devised. In other words we must know the symptoms of the disease in all its phases, its life history, its host plants and other facts before we can hope to deal most successfully with its control. This means that the various state plant pathologists must be in close communication with each other and with the govenment pathologists, and that they are willing to pass along the information gleaned from their researches as rapidly as such information is obtained and reliable. This question has been brought before the American Phytopathological Society and its members are heartily agreed as to the wisdom of such a procedure and already steps have been taken to carry out this plan. We now feel that the state pathologists are in a positon to give careful information regarding the prevention and control of diseases to the officers who have in direct charge the powers of in- spection and regulation. The Federal Plant Quarantine Act. The increasing necessity for some radical action by the United States Government in order to prevent the further introduction of plant parasites, resulted in the passage by Congress of the Simmons Bill which became the Plant Quar- antine Act, August 20, 1912. This act (10) provides for a system of inspection and regulation of plant importations into this country by the issuance of permits to importers, foreign certificates to exporters from other countries and inspection in the country exporting the plants as well as inspection at the point of destination by state officials. If such permits and inspections are lacking the custom officer refuses to admit the goods to entry. In the instance of special cases arising the prohibition of domestic interstate trade may be effected. Parcel post shipments are specially provided for. For the violation of this law a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both may be imposed. Permits may be cancelled and further permits refused to the offenders. For the enforcement of this Act, the Secretary of Agri- culture appointed a Federal Horticultural Board of five mem- bers from the Bureau of Entomology, Bureau of Plant In- 64 dustry and the Forest Service. This board is assisted by a corps of trained experts for the inspection duties. The results of this Act are evidently bound to be far reaching. Not only do we feel that the future imporation of plant parasites shall be prevented but this law is apparently setting an example to the individual states which should re- sult in adequate measures being taken by the several states to prevent the inter-state exchange of plant diseases. State Quarantine Laws. So far as we have records the colony Massachusetts was the first to pass in 1755 what was virtually quarantine law for the destruction of the barberry, a plant which harbors the al- ternate stage of the black rust of cereals. Her example was followed by other colonies and states for the control of the same disease. Virginia and West Virginia have within the past two years passed laws of a similar nature with regard to the de- struction of the red cedars which harbor the alternate stage of the apple rust. Our own state in 1911 passed a law giving to the Chestnut Tree Blight Commission the power to quarantine any section of the state for the control of the Chestnut Blight and even to destroy diseased trees. California has had since March 10, 1885 a general plant quarantine law covering nearly all crop diseases which has proved very effective, and valuable to the horticulturists of the state (11). So far as I have been able to ascertain Cali- fornia was the first state to put such a law into effect and she is far in advance of any ther state in respect to plant disease control. The State of Maine has been under quarantine by the Federal Government for the past two years and the State has been very active in assisting the Federal officials to stamp out the powdery scab of potatoes within their borders as well as preventing its spread to other states. That the situation last fall looked hopeful is the concensus of opinion of those offi- ically connected with the work there. Methods of Quarantine and Inspection. Several methods may be effective and what may be effect- ive in one state might fail in another. The most important factors to take into consideration are the diseases with which the state must contend. So much depends upon a knowledge of the habits and life histories of the parasites that the assist- ance and advice of a trained plant pathologis is necessary as an adjunct to the quarantine service. For certain diseases such as plant rusts which have alter- nate stages as for example the pine blister rusts, (Cronartmm 65 sop.) and the apple rusts (Gymnosporangium spp.) the de- struction of the alternate hosts may be sufficint to control them Such diseases as fire-blight (Bacillus amylovorus) (Burr.) de Toni) of the apple, pear and quince present a more serious problem and require not only the active cooperation ot all orchardists but probaly also strict laws with penalties at- tached to prevent wilful neglect in destrymg the cankers on the part of orchard owners. For nursery diseases, the inspectors must be trained men familiar with the early symtoms of disease, such as spotting of the twigs, slight gall ormations on the crown and roots such as are caused by wooly aphis (Schizoneura lamgera) and the crown gall organism (Bacterium tumefaciens b. & 1.). The presence of fire blight, or any other abnornial appearance which may suggest the presence of parasites should be ample evidence for failure to certify nursery stock. State wide quarantine of any crops should be resorted to only in special cases where it is desired to stamp out serious diseases. Generally it would mean only a quarantine of the diseased districts of the state. Such a methcd has been work- ing satisfactorily in connection with the Maine quarantine for powdery scab of potatoes. It should mean that certificates to the effect that the plants or plant products shipped from place to place have been inspected and are free from all diseases. Inspection of nursey stock as well as of all plants and most Dlant products should be made in the field during the growing season for the reason that most foliage diseases can only be detected with certainty at that time. One annual inspection should be made in midsummer for the presence of leaf twig and stem diseases and another in- spection of the trees should be made at such time as the trees may be removed for sale in order to detect collar and root Certificates of freedom from diseases should be authorized only by the chief inspector or his deputy after the final in- spection. It is probable that a certain per cent of the trees niight be affected with some of the diseases of lesser impoit- ance without a refusal of certification. In such cases however the certificate or permit to sell should contain a statement ot the extent to which such diseases were present. The presence of any blotch or bitter rot of apples, crown gall, the various phases of fire-blight root rot ot apple or other trees; black-knot of cherry and plum ; yellows, b^own rot cankers, shot-hole of peach and other stone fruits; rust yel- lows, double blossom, cane blight and anthracnose of brambles should disqualify them for certification. The Organization of Quarantine Laws Inasmuch as the California law (H) is unique it may be of interest to review it in some of its details. 66 It is to be noted that there is a triple guard in California: first the state laws are enforced under the direction of the Commissioner of Horticulture at Sacramento; secondly, the county ordinances, enforced by county horticulural commis- sions, entirely independent of the state commissioner, the duties of which are to prevent the spread of diseases within the state; and thirdly, the Federal Plant Quarantine enforced in the Pacific Coast by State officials acting: as collaborators of the Federal Horticultural Board. While these organizations lead to a very close watch being kept in the state the system seems faulty on account of the lack of coordiation. It seems probable that the same results might be obtained under one State organization in cooperation with the Federal Horticul- tural Board and thereby lessen considerably the expense of en- forcing the law. A movement is now underwav in California to centralize the work of the county commissions and the State Department of Agriculture. Most states have laws at present which although inade- quate in respect to the control of bacterial and fungous di- seases, could be so revised or amended as to include inspection service and quarantine regulations for these parasites. PennsyWania has had since March 31, 1905 a law (12) providing for the inspection and certification of nursery stock for San Jose scale and other insect pests. The law also pro- vides for the inspection of nursery stock for certain orchard diseases, *'such as crown-gall, black-knot or peach yellows '' but appears to be limited to these above mentioned diseases There are now within our state or in other parts of the coun- try where they are in imminent danger of being introduced into the state, many diseases of equal or more importance than those mentioned above. Some of these have been men- tioned earlier in this paper. It would seem advisable to revise the present law and to add to the duties of the State inspectors the work of inspection for all nursery diseases. It is of course very pertinent to the situation that the inspectors be trained men, who are familiar with both the insect pests and plant diseases as they appear in the held or on specimens for shipment. The expense of putting such an act into operation in Pennsylvania would be slight in comparison with the benefits derived. The existence of the Federal Horticultural Board, further- more, would assist the state greatly in carrying out its quar- antine regulatmns for that Board notifies the inspection officials of the btate of the entrance of all plants and plant products into the country and give the results of their inspect- ion. When therefore, especial watchfulness is needed on ac- count of threatening new diseases the state officers would be informed at once and special precautions immediately taken. It IS very fortunate then that the Federal Horticultural Board 67 already exists and its work must be necessarily in close co- operation with that of the state. The plant pathologist of the Pennsylvania State College and Experiment Station who is a Collaborator of the Federa Horticultural Board and who keeps a systematic record of all plant diseases reported in the State is in a position to render valuable assistance to the inspectors. In view of the ?reat need of thorough inspection for the control of plant diseases it is hoped that prompt action may be taken to place the work on a proper basis. Bibliography. (1.) Stevens, F. L., & Hall, J. G. Diseases of Economic (2,) ScKeE'H:ltnTs%^^ ^^?iKo%? the ADole U S. D. A. Bu. PI. Ind. Bull 44:10, 1903. (3.) Spaulding, Perley. Undesirable Foreign Plant Diseases. Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc. Part 1, 1914. ., „ ^ , (4 ) Wetson, James. Report of the Secretary, U. S. D. A. Yearbook 1912:20, 1913. ^ ^ , * +v,» (5 ) Metcalf, Haven & Collins. J. F. The Control of the (5.) *l™„^"tVk Diseases. U. S. D. A. Farmers Bull. 467 • 5 1911 (6.) Spaulding, Perley. Undesirable Foreign Plant Diseases ^ *^Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc. 1914:171,1914 n ) Tones L R., Giddings, N. J., & Lutman, B. F. Inves- ^ Tg^tions of the Potato Fungus, Phytophthora mfestarm. US. D. A. Bu. PI. Ind. Bull. 245. 1912 . ^r v,. (8 ) Shear. C. L. & Stevens, N. E., The Chestnut Blight Parasite (Endothia parasitice) from China, science. n. s. 38:295-297. 1913. . ^ ^ ^ ^. , (9.) Orton, W. A. The^Bioligical Basis of International Phytopathology. Phytopathology 4 : 329, 1914 (10.) Office of the Secretary. U. S. D, A. Circular 44. 1912 11 Supt. of State Printing. Horticultural Statues of the State of California. Sacramento 1912. ^12 ) Act No. 60. To provide for the protection ot trees. ^ ^ shrubs, vines and plants against destructive inserts and diseases; providing for the enforcement of this Act, the expenses connected therewith, and hxing nen'alties for its violation. _ „ , . Act of General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania, sS^lso Act No. 73. Amendment to Section 8 of the foregoing Act. Acts of General Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania 1907. Additional Important References. Jones, L. R. A Plea for Closer Interrelations in Our Work. Science n. s. 38:16. 1913. I 68 Jones, L. R. Problems and Progress in Plant Pathology. Am. Jour. Bot. 1 : 97-111. 1914. Orton, W. A. International Phytopathology and Quaran- tine Legislation. Phytopathology 3:143- 151. 1913. Orton, W. A. Plant Quarantine Problems. Jour. Am. Entomology 7 : 109-116. 1914. Spaulding, Perley. Inspection for Plant Diseases. Jour. Am. Entomology 7 : 106-108, 1914. THE VALUE OF CHEMISTRY TO HORTICULTURE. C. W. StODDART, State College, Pa, (Editor's Note -This paper was read by Dr. C. W. Stoddart, at the Summer Meeting held at State College.) At first thought chemistry seems to have no connection with horticulture. The former apparently is a profession by itself, based on pure science; the latter is a profession based on the practical raising of fruits and vegetables. As a matter of fact, however, the science of chemistry is intimately con- nected with the art of horticulture, as it is with every other phase of agriculture. To consider the various ways in which chemistry can be applied to horticulture, the latter subject can be considered in respect to the soil which supports plants; to fertilizers which feed plants; and to spray materials which protect plants. The soil serves not only as a physical home for the plant but also as a source of food to the plant. It is a storehouse of reserve food material and it is also a factorv for the product- ion of available plant food. And at this point possibly it would be well to say a word about plant food. It is claimed, and rightly from the scientific point of view, that the mineral compounds which the plant absorbs are not actual foods, but that they help the plant manufacture its food, and also supply the raw material for foods. So far as the grower of plants is concerned, however, soluble mineral substances and fertilizers are plant foods, for they are the only forms of food materials which can be supplied to the plant from the outside, and for our purpose at least it is sufficiently correct to call them plant foods. The agents in the soil which render soluble and available the various necessary compounds are oxygen from the air, water, and carbon dioxide from decomposing organic matter! It has been customary from time immemorial to cultivate the soil, to plow under or spade under the residues of plants, or to plow under whole crops as in green-manuring, and to apply barnyard manure. It has been customary to desire moisture in the soil. In former times the only way to get it when there \i 69 was an insufficient amount was to wait for it, now we have the Skinner system of irrigation, and other means of adding water to the soil when necessary. All of these processes seem natural and are carried on without question. But can not even these obvious methods be improved in quality, be applied much more intelligently, and be undertaken with much more interest if the man who does the work has some knowledge of the actual causes of the benefits derived? Cultivation adds more oxygen to the soil, which oxygen in turn helps to decom- pose minerals and organic matter. By the decomposition of organic matter supplied from crop residues and manure, car- bon dioxide is evolved. Water which goes to the soil by natural or artificial means, is used directly by the plant, but in addition by holding carbon dioxide and other compounds in solution, it attacks minerals and dissolves the valuable salts of pottassium, phosphorus, calcium, and other elements. Sometimes a soil is worn out and can not supply enough food for crops. Sometimes a soil does not contain enough of one particular food for special crops. At other times a soil may not supply enough food for very large crops, and in this day of intensive farming this fact is of importance. As a re- sult of this lack of food it is customary to add fertilizers, and fortunatelv it is only necesasry to supply those compounds which contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium —at least that is the extent of our present knowledge. It is easy enough to follow directions and applv a 1-6-4 fertilizer or a 4-8-10 fertilizer,or whatnot, and it is possible to obtain pay- ing crops in return, but it is not always necessary to blindly follow empirical formulae. A man can, to a certain extent, use his own judgment if he has had experience and a know- ledge of the chemical effect of these food elements on the growth of crops. For example, the function of nitrogen is to stimulate the vegetative growth of plants. It gives large suc- culent leaves and stems,— just what is wanted m such crops as celery, lettuce, spinach, and cabbage. On the other hand, too much nitrogen makes a plant weak-stemmed and renders it less resistant to plant diseases. While large quantities ot nitrogen are desirable for leaf and stem crops, large quantities are highly undesirable for grain crops, causing lodging and delaying markedlv the development of seeds. The function ot phosphorus is to promote the development of seeds. It offsets the undesirable effects of extensive amounts of nitrogen. Ihe function of potassium is to aid in the development and trans- portation of carbohvdrates in plants, being especially import- ant for potatoes which contain starch, beets which contain sugar, and fleshy fruits which are also largely composed ot starch and sugar. The function of calcium is to help in the movement of carbohydrate material within the plant and to neutralize poisonous acids. These are the principal functions of the elements mentioned. Each one has its role to play and 70 undoubtedly each serves some further purpose than we have any present knowledge of. In addition, a man who is mixing his own fertilizer should know something of the effect one compound has on another — for example, ammonium sulphate should never be mixed with basic slag because there is a loss of ammonia. It is a know- ledge of chemical principles which prevents this loss. More- over, the effect of individual fertilizing compounds on the soil should be known. Sodium nitrate has a tendency to neutralize soil acids because of the way the compounds breaks up in the soil and the way in which the nitrogen is absorbed by the plant. On the other hand, ammonium sulphate makes soils acid. In this connection a word about the use of barnyard ma- nure is important. Its function is to supply organic matter to the soil, to supply bactreia to the soil, to supply plant food to the soil. The benefits to be derived are improvement to the physical condition of the soil both as regards texture, moist- ure-holding capacity, and temperature, besides the addition of fertilizing material which it contains. Chemistry gives us a knowledge of the way in which manure decomposes, how fer- tilizing material may be lost, how it is possible to retain the fertilizing constituents; why it is desirable to compost manure for some purposes, and why under other conditions it is better to use fresh manure. Chemistry tells us that manure itself is an unbalanced fertilizer, being a highly nitrogenous material, and for that reason its excessive use supplies a soil with more nitrogen than is good foi crops or at least with more nitrogen than is economical. For we learn that (to put it in round num- bers) it is a 2-1-2 fertilizer whereas, if I mistake not, one of your basic fertiliers is a 4-8-10 combination. A knowledge of compounds employed in the various spray materials is of help in the preparation of insecticides and fungicides for the orchard or garden. A knowledge of the decomposition of coumpounds, the influence of water and car- bon dioxide on various spray materials will help to solve and remedy burning difficulties. For instance, in the case of Bor- deaux Mixture it is free copper sulphate which causes leaf burning and this is produced from even a well-made Bordeaux by the action of water and carbon dioxide of the air under certain climatic conditions. Some knowledge of reactions which may take place when tw^o spray materials are mixed may help in the popular practice of putting together in one spray both an insecticide and a fungicide, the desire, being of course, to kill two pests with one squirt. In the use of lead arsenate it has been found by chemists that ordinary processes of manufacture may produce the acid arsenate of lead as well as the neutral arsenate of lead. Under some conditions the acid arsenate of lead is soluble, producing free arsenic acid which injuries foliage. This does not happen in the case of the neutral arsenate of lead. o 71 Before we leave the subject of spray materials I want to say just a word about the use of hydrocyanic acid. Apparently this is an insecticide which is exceedingly valuable m the treatment of certain pests and being used quite commonly, considerable carelessness is apt to arise m the handling of it. It is produced, as you know, by adding potassium cyanide to sulphuric acid and the volatile hydrocyanic acid gas penetrates to the various recesses of the room or building in which it is evolved. Now, hydrocyanic acid, or prussic acid, is one of the most powerful poisons known to man. It takes but a grain and a half of the liquid to kill a man. Although the acid is a liquid, it volatizes very readily at ordinary temperatures and very small quantities of the vapor will overcome and kill hu- man beings. It must be remembered that the use of hydrocy- anic acid is attended with great danger unless special precau- tions are taken. Great care should be exercised m producing the gas, in providing a way out of the greenhouse after the cyanide is added to the sulphuric acid, and in thorough venti- lation before the room or greenhouse is entered after the fum- igation is accomplished. To get the best results from agricultural chemistry there are needed horticulturists with a knowledge of chemistry, not chemists with a smattering of horticulture. There are needed men who are familiar with the practical side of raising vege- tables and fruits and also have a good thorough understanding of the principles of chemistry as applied to plants, soils, and fertilizers. There is need today for more knowledge ot the effect of the different fertilizing constituents on the growth of crops. We need more accurate data as to the influences of various amounts of nitrogen, for example, in raising our stem and leaf vegetables. We already know how to feed animals intelligently; a balanced ration for animals is properly applied on every well regulated farm, but do we ever pay much atten- tion to a properlv balanced ration for plants? It is true we have empirical fomulae for fertilizers, but we have no definite scientific knowledge as to the value of these formulae. Fenn- sylvania State College has for animal husbandry. Dr. Armsby who has developed the science of animal nutrition, but what is needed for horticulture is a Dr. Armsby who will develop the scientific feeding of plants. This is not an easy matter. A respiration calorimeter is used for plants, but it has not been developed to any great extent. I do not even know that it is altogether feasible in this connection, but I am very strongly of the opinion that it is possible to increase our knowledge of plant feeding and thereby be able to apply fer- tilizers more economically, to produce larger and better crops. Agricultural Chemistry may be a profession by itselt, but its greatest value to the gardener and fruit grower lies m the aid it can give him in the intelligent solution of his problems. Agricultural Chemistry is only one of the many cogs in the machine of efficient Horticulture. ^ 72 Vegetable Section A separate prosram was carried on during the day sessons by the Vegetable Growers, the evening sessions being held jointly with the Fruit Growers. I PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF PLANT BREEDING. C. E. Myers, State College, Pa. (This address was delivered with lantern slides.) Every organ is the result of two forces, environment and heredity. By environment is meant that which has to do do with immediate surrounding of the individual as soil, air and water, and by heredity is meant those factors which deter- mine the specific nature of the individual in question. Each of the factors mentioned are of primary importance to the complete development of every individual. They are independent, and the highest degree of perfection is seldom reached unless they work in harmony. In the past most of our efforts have been directed to the improvement of plants and animals by changing and improv- ing their environment, and the work has not been done with- out a considerable degree of success. However, improvements which arise because of superior environment are of short dur- ation, and are usually accompanied by considerable expense, while improvements due to heredity, though possibly expen- sive, are usually more or less permanent. Thus we may in- crease the yield of our corn or wheat crop several bushels per acre by the application of a fertilizer rich in available plant food but the result will be for the year only, while if the in- creased yield be due to a superior strain of seed which pro- duces a larger crop because of heredity, the high yielding character will be transmitted from one crop to another through succeeding years. It is probable that more systematic attention has been de- voted to the improvement of plants since the year nineteen hundred than was done in all the previouus history of the world. Doubtless the greatest impetus to the work was the rediscovery of Mendel's law of which we shall speak in more detail later. Much interest has been aroused in the subject of plant breeding thru the work of Luther Burbank until at the present time his name is a common household word. The 73 work of Burbank has served to bring the subject before the general public. Unfortunately, however, due to the efforts of over-zealous journalists, many persons have been led to con- sider his work as magic, or else that he was runnmg opposi- tion to the Greater, and that his "creations*' were of economic importance to an extent scarcely within the bounds of the most fertile imagination. As a matter of fact it is nothing of the kind. Practically all of the results obtained by Burbank or others, when carefully scrutinized are relatively simpie and conform quite closely to well known principles. Much of the success of Burbank is due to the fact that he works with immense numbers. It is possible that some of you have heard of some of the beautiful varieties of lilies he has developed, but doubtless you have not heard of half a million plants only fifty where retained for further propagation, the others being destroyed. Likewise many of the positive results in plant breeding, about which the public hears so much, have been obtained only after an immense amount of painstaking work about which the public hears nothing. The practice of report- ing only one side of the story has led many persons to become interested in plant breeding, later to give it up m disgust, when they found that their efforts were not crowned with im- mediate success. . XT 4- „^ Variations in an inherent fact of all organisms. No two individuals are exactly alike. Thus the passerby looking at a field of wheat may say that the plants are all alike, but the careful observer will find that while in most instances there is a general resemblance between the plants, yet no two are exactly alike, and at infrequent intervals a plant may be found which is distinctly different from any of its neighbors. We thus have two kinds of variation. conUnuoiis, that m which they occur but rarely such as would be illustrated by the dis- tinctive wheat plant. By some this last type of variation is designated as sports or mutations. The fact that variations occur makes improvement possible: however, the manner and extent to which they occur is of fundamental interest to the plant breeder, and to a large degree is dependent on the method of reproduction. t^ ^r.^ All plants are reproduced by one of two methods, in one, the seximl method, the plant goes through the seed stage pre- vious to which the flower or blossom performs an important function. It is this type of reproduction which is most com- mon in the general farm and garden crops with the exception of potatoes. In the asexuel method, of reproduction, the char- acters are transmitted from one individual and generation to another by parts separated from the parent plant as in the case of grafting fruit trees or in potatoes when tubers are "^^ The plants which are reproduced by the sexual method are further sub-divided into those which are selMertihzered and cross fertilized. In the first class the same blossom contains \ 74 the essential male and female organs, and are so constructed that fertilization with foreign pollen is almost or entirely im- possible as is the case of the wheat plant. In the second class the plant bears two kinds of blossoms, male and female as in the case of the squash or the respective blossoms as regards sex are born on separate plants, as may be observed with re- spect to asparagus. Again the plant blossoms may contain both the male and the female organs but the construction is such that fertilization with other blossoms is essential to seed development as is the case with cabbage. Wherever for- eign pollen is essential to the development of seed the plant is said to be cross fertilized, of which the examples cited are typical. It will readily be appreciated that variation will be much greater in individuals which are reproduced sexually than those which are reproduced asexually. This may be illustrated by the Baldwin apple which was found as a chance seedling in Eastern Massachusetts in 1742, and which has since been propagated by budding and grafting until the number of Baldwin trees doubtless runs into the millions, yet the general Baldwin characters are present whether the tree be grown near its ancestral home or hundreds of miles away. It is true that there will be some slight variation due to local environ- mental conditions but in general the Baldwin characteristics predominate. Likewise in the case of plants which are self- fertilized as wheat, the variation is relatively slight, and once having selected a superior strain or plant which is superior because of heredity, no further attention need be given to maintaining its purity. On the other hand, plants which are cross fertilized as corn or cabbage produce marked variations in succeeding generations because of the mixture of other plants each of which has a different parentage. With the foregoing facts in mind it is evident that when undertaking the improvement of any crop one of the first points to receive consideration is that of the nature by which variations arise, and the extent to which they may be utilized to secure the end desired. Obviously plants which are repro- duced asexually are less variable than are those in which the sexual method is involved. Therefore, once having discovered a promising variation, it may be rapidly multiplied in many instances by division of the parent plant as was the case with the Baldwin apple, the Concord grape and the Seckel pear, each of -which originated as a sport or mutation and were later progagated. The same may be said with respect to the Gano and the Northern Spy which was discovered as a chance seed- ling more than one hundred years ago. Also the Roxbury rus- set and Johnathan, each of which have added materially to the apple industry of the country. Sometimes a branch of a tree differs materially from the general type of the parent tree and thus arises a new variety as is said to have been the case with respect to the Gano and Black Ben Davis, each of which are said to have originated as bud sports from the well known Ben 75 Davis. Also the Red Gravenstine originated as a bud sport from the regular Gravenstine. ^. j. j. Plants which are self -fertilized are quite satisfactory material with which to work in the attempt to produce im- proved varieties or strains. By isolating and propagating the chance variations, commonly called sports or mutations, new or improved sorts may be developed. It is this method ot plant improvement which has given to the world the 1^ ultz wheat. This variety was first discovered as a plant possessing striking pecularities in a field of Lancaster red by Abram Fultz of Mifflin County, Pennsylania, in 1862. The plant was saved and from these selected heads was developed the 1^ ultz which at one time was quite popular. The same method >Yas involved in the development of the variety Gold Com, which was found as a sport in a field of Hybrid Mediterranean by Ira W. Green of New York, who by five years of selection and propagation increased the yield about ten per cent. . In the field of the vegetable gardener considerable im- provement has been made by the selection and propagation of chance sports. It is said that many of the varieties of toma- toes originated by the Livingston Seed Company were found as variations in their fields of well known varieties which were being grown for seed. Likewise the variety Enormous was found as a variation in a field of Stone by Mr Meese of Lancaster, Ohio. Again the Earliana is the result of competi- tion on the part of truckers living in the vicinity of Sweeds- boro. New Jersey, who tried to excel each other in getting on the market with the first early fruits. At State College we have made some progress along this line of selecting for earli- ness and vield, at the same time taking into consideration the general character of the fruit. The result of this work with Earliana is shown in the following table. It will be seen that with respect to both earliness and productiveeness we have made considerable improvement when cornpared with the com- mercial seed used as a check, and which in this case was the best obtainable as was shown by our previous strain tests. Average Test of Earliana. REC. NO. Check" Check 1-^ 1-12^ 1-12-12 3- 3-18 3-18-26 No. 3 4- 4-15 AV. WT. YIELD PER A OF FRT. TO SEPT. 2. .281b. 9.73 T.^ .18 9.03 .25 12.09^ .21 n.i7 .16 9.02 .22^ 12.94- .20^ 11.75 .17 7.83 .20 7.37 .21' 12.65 .2V 9.63 YIELD PER A TO SEPT. 12. 11.04 T. 13.03 13.49 13.71 13.32 15.03 15.48 12.83 11.66 11.99 n.72 CORRECTED YIELD PER ACRE 11.43 T. 15.75 14.55 14.37 15.23 16.75 16.21 16.87 15.25 12.93 14.40 PERCENT MARKED 83 m m m 90 W! 91 95 86 92 i 76 4-15-17 .20 8.78 12.24 14.60 96 40-a .24» 8. 91 2 9.92 11.89 85 40a-15 .22^ 9.22 12.11 14.21 89 40a-15-4 .19 7.68 11.88 13.65 97 The Department of Agronomy has been conducting some experiments with wheat with respect to selection to improve the strain as may be seen by the next table. Comparison of Parent Varieties o£ Wheat With Best Selection Pa. Exp. Sta. Reliable it Selection 19-09 38-09 Dawson's Golden Chaff. D. G. G. Selection 25-08. 120-09. Fulcaster — Selection 44-9. " *' 50-09. 63-09. Av. Yield 1913-14 : 33.1 Bu. : 37.6 4t 38.8 37.1 44.0 45.5 30.1 40.2 36.5 35.8 n 4< «« ( ( ti t I I t it From the above table it will be seen that the selection of Fulcaster has given an increase over the parent of nineteen percent, while the other selections have yielded slightly less. Potatoes are a desirable crop with which to engage in plant improvement. The method usually employed is generally known as Tuber Unit. In it the tubers are cut in four pieces as nearly uniform as possible and planted one piece to a hill each four hills being designated as a unit. At harvesting time the yield of the respective four hills are thrown together and the result compared with that of other units. In an experi- ment of this kind now in progress by the Department of Ag- ronomy, there has been an average increase of 45 per cent, for the best five selections grown the past season, as may be seen from the following table. Gain from Tuber Selections of Potatoes. Twenty Select- ions from two hundred and seventy-four selected tubers in 1912. Yield of parent variety Av. Yield of selections Average gain Highest gain Average gain of the best five in 1914 1913 1914 ren hill plats Rows sixty -two feet : 10.3 lbs. : 91.8 bu. per A. : 14.5 : 118.7 : 42% : 27% 103.4% : 47.4% : 60.2% : 44.3% Pa. Exp. Sta. 77 Plants which are cross fertilized are usually very difficult material with which to work. From the fact that two indivi- duals are concerned in fertilization and seed formation, and that the same has been the case indefinitely, it is easy to see that the individual plant is really a collection of the character- istics of many plants to a greater or less degree. The difficulty of controlling pollination is not a small one, and this haying been accomplished frequently with pollen of the kind desired, and in case fertilization does take place the plant may or may not show the desired combinations. It is true that in some cases of cross breeding, we get a blending of the characters of the respective parents, while in others only one parent shows its influence on the progeny. It was not until 1900 that anything definite was generally known concerning the method by which certain characters are inherited. At that time the work of Gregor Mendel an Augus- tinian monk was rediscovered. He did this work with peas and reported it to a society in 1865 but it attracted little or no attention at the time and was almost forgotten until 1900 when it was rediscovered. Mendel as a result of his careful work, which extended over a period of eight years, showed how peas possessing certain distinct characterics when crossed will pro- duce in their progeny certain characters with mathematical accuracy. His work has done much to place the science of breeding on a firm basis, as well as to stimulate interest in the subject so that to-day we have Mendelian characters and ratios for both the animal and every gradation from snails and mice to man, including both the animal and the vegetable king- doms. The work is fascinating and its results will ultimately be of inestimable value since to a large extent it makes pos- sible the conducting of breeding work with a considerable de- gree of mathematical certainty. Another fertile field of plant breeding is that of breeding for disease resistance. For example, it is estimated that the leaf blight of the potato diminishes the value of the crop more than $36,000,000 annually. Associated with this is the indi- rect expense due to preventive measures as for machines, fungicides and labor. Again it not infrequently happens that the disease reaches such proportions that it becomes necessary to abandon the industry as was the case with respect to the rust on asparagus. It was introduced into this country in 1896 and in a few years had spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in many localities completely destroying the industry. Sprays of various kinds were tried but without positive effect and many growers gave up in despair. A few growers more ob- servant than their neighbors, noticed that sometimes a plant would be found in the infected field free from the disease. These were later isolated and through the cooperation of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture, have been used as the basis of developing resistant strains. 78 This work has been effective to an extent almost beyond the expectations of the most optimistic. . u j • -.u The history of the grape industry here and abroad is rich in inspiration for the plant breeder. Early settlers attempted to introduce European varieties but almost invariably they were overcome by either the phylloxera, which attacked the roots or the mildew on the leaves. The native varieties had become immune to these parasites but they were generally undersirable from the standpoint of the hortujulturist In some way, however, these pests were introduced into t ranee and threatened to destroy the wine growing industry because of the ready susceptibility of the European varieties, and it was not until someone discovered the possibihty of grafting the European varieties on American roots that the inqury due to the phylloxera was overcome. It was also f9und practicable to hybridize with the resistant American varieties and thus successfully combat the downy mildew Thus was the grape growing industry in both Europe and America first placed on ^ Withfn^'recent years the truckers of Wisconsin have suf- fered great loss from the attacks of a disease known as the *' yellows" on their cabbage. Spraying is impracticable, but with the aid of the scientists of the Agricultural Experiment Station thev have succeeded in developing an immune strain. Sometimes 'plants are found which are resistant to disease but are not desirable from other standpoints, but they may be used for hybridizing and their disease resistant properties trans- mitted to the progeny where it is sometimes possible to com- bine it with other desirable characters. This was done by Biffen an English plant breeder when working on rust resist- ant wheat. At State College, we have in progress an experi- ment with cabbage in which we are attempting to produce a disease resistant strain of Danish Ballhead by combining it wih a rather inferior variety, but which is resistant to In conclusion we may say that plant breeding will not have reached it fullest development until the general farmer and gardneras well as the scientists become interested in the work. In the past much of the work of economic value which has been done has been carried on by persons other than pro- fessional scientists. Riley the Indiana farmer who bred the Boone County white corn, was an ordinary farmer and not a scientific experimenter, yet the- one variety he developed is today being grown extensively over a dozen corn states and has added thousands and thousands of dollars to the corn crop of the world. . • xu ^ ^^««„ Much has been said and written concerning the tendency of boys and girls to leave the farm. Let them become inter- ested in plant improvement, the boys in field and orchard crops and the girls in vegetables and flowers and the difficulty will largely be overcome. At the present time probably no 79 field of human activity offers greater opportunity for interest- ing work and reward than does the field of plant breeding. The surface has scarcely been skimmed, and when pursued with intelligence and energy, success is almost sure to follow. FERTILIZING THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Maximum yields are seldom secured in the home garden. The vegetables produced are often not of the high quality desired for the home table nor of the attractive appearance required by the city market. Ordinarily little judgment is used in treating the soil of the garden. Too often manure is de- pended on entirely; often it is applied in excessive amounts; in other cases organic mstter is not supplied but commercial fertilizer is used alone; while not infrequently serious injury may result from the excessive use of ashes, salt, lime and refuse products of many kinds. Certainly there is great opportunity to secure, through more intelligent fertilization, larger yields of the varioua crops, and at the same time have them more attractive in appearance and more appetizing when served. There are certain basic principles in the fertiliztion of truck crops that are well established. These differ materially from those for the general farm crops. The general farmer has to deal almost entirely with quantity, while the gardener or even the trucker, not only considers yield, but also earliness, appearance and quality. His soil must be so treated that it contains in available form at all times during the growing season the right amounts of plant food to produce rapid growth, for this is one great essential in the production of early vegetables of high quality. The system of cropping is intesive: the returns justify expensive soil treatment. Ordin- arily liberal amounts of the various plant foods can be supplied in the form of manure and complete commercial fertilizers. The producer of such general farm crops as corn, oats, wheat and grass, on the other hand, must depend on utilizing the plant food already in the soil when found in sufficient amounts, rather than purchasing an additional supply in the form of complete fertilizer. Consequently a chemical soil analysis may be of great importance in connection witb the economic production of general farm crops, but of little real value in vegetable gardening. The vegetable garden should receive liberal fertilization irrespective of the soil composition. This fertilization should supply for the various vegetables plant food for maximum yields of first class quality. While it is essential that plant food be supplied in amounts to give the maximum rate of growth, it is possible to cause serious inqury bv excessive applications of various materials to the soil. Many garden soils, once very productive, are today unproduct- ive though not ** worn out.*' While the true nature of this 80 unoroductive condition isnot entirely understood in all cases, ft fs known that it results from improper soil treatment The IxLmination of samples of many of these unproductive soils reS the fact that they universally have a hi?h organic con- tent contain large amounts of wood or coal ashes, are carbra- aceousTn character, and not infreouently contain excessive amounts of soluble salts. Such soils are often spoken of as S "toxic," in a condition "unsanitary for pknt growth or as^'causing "malnutrition," of the plant. There maybe vLious causls of the unprouctiveness, but it can be prevented brintelligent crop rotation and systematic manuring and fer- tilization. ^^ ^^^^^y ^j^jg condition than to nreventi^ occurrence. Certainly there are few better exam- Kfthe old adage, "an ounce of Pfvef on >s worth a nound of cure," than an unproductive garden soil, l-irst. oi course the cause or causes should be located and removed. Thelndicftfons are that in a great majoritv of cases excessive amounts of such materials as ashes, lime, garbage or other rS have been applied. Coal ashes should never be applied oglrden sons? and wood ashes only in '"odjate amounts^^^^^^^ over one and one-half pounds per square yard for v^g^^,^'^^: In using wood ashes the tendency has ^een to ap^ly too laige QmnnntQ A ffreeii manure crop is desirable in vegeiauie garSng a^'ndSld prove of material value in restoring pro- ductivitv Crimson clover or a mixture of rye and vetch are excenent'crops for this purpose, In c^«, «f ^oS's of i Qtprili7ation is frequently practiced. When the trouDie is oi a wfficd natoeThat is." caused by the accumulation of u.^ur- ious vacteria or protozoa-sterilization is benehcial. wnere arLImounts of soluble salts or of carbonates have accumu- Sfd. uTderfrainlge is advisable The removal of any crus that mav form on the surface in dry weather will aid in re ducinTthe excess of soluble salts. Unproductiveness may. of couisf be due to the lack of plant food or even to the unbal- anced proportion of the different foods in the soil. Intelligent tofl treatment will prevent the garden bf oi«'"/,,""P^2j'lf rl —special treatment for the case m queston is necessary to re '^"'^[hlTertSion of garden soils, there are three main mints to be considered. In the first place lime should be Sn sufficient quantities to prevent the so. becoming ac^d^ Q^i^nnrllv animal or green crop manures must be iiperaiiy !SS in oX to m/intain the^igh content of organic mat ter so essential for the various vegetables. Then, 'ai"y. Piani food in the form of commercial fertilizer should be usea in amounts and of the composition known to be suited to the different classes of vegetables. h«.Tipfited bv Practically all the commercial vegetables are benentea oy conservatve liming; excessive liming "'ay mpure many of them. Cranberries and watermelons grow best in acid sous. 81 Strawberries ordinarily respond very little to lime and it is a well known fact that potato scab develops most rapidly when a soil is well supplied with lime. On the other hand, it is especially beneficial to such crops as lettuce and spinach. Any of the common agricultural forms of lime can be used for gardens. The initial rate of application will depend on the acidity of the soil; while after the acidity is once corrected, the application every three years of 1000 pounds of burnt lie, 1500 pounds of hydrated lime, or 2000 pounds of ground lime- stone per acre is recommended. These acre applications are equivalent to 1, li and 2 pounds respectively per five square vards Stable manure is so universally used in the fertilization of vegetable gardens that it is commonly considered the one essential material that must be applied. Certainly, it gives results that can seldom be secured permanently by other materials. It not only furnishes plant food in a readily avail- able form, but it also adds organic matter to the soil, which benefits the physical condition and at the same time carries with it large numbers of beneficial bacteria. While manure is a complete fertilizer, containing, as it does, nitrogen, phos- horic acid and potash ; it is not a well balanced one for the average soil, or for many crops. The average fresh mixed manures contain approximately ten pounds of potash per ton- Manure from the cities is composed almost entirely of horse manure which contains less water and consequently more plant food than mixed cow and horse manure. It is called dry ma- nure, and decomposes very rapidly. Unless carefully handled, there is apt to be considerable loss because of overheating. Manure is deficient in phosphoric acid. It is primarily a ni- trogenous fertilizer and can easily be used in too large amounts for such crops as potatoes, causing them to go to top. Fresh manure in particular, hinders the desired development of root crops such as beets, radishes, turnips, carrots, parships and salsify. It is commonly considered that well rotted ma- nure is more desirable for most of the garden vegetables. Manuring should always be accompanied by liberal tertiUza- tion with phosphoric acid and potash. Continued excessive applications may bring about undesirable biological conditions in the soil with resulting injury to our vegetables. A sate application for ordinary soils is 20 to 25 tons per acre. This is equivalent to one ton for approximately 2100 to 1700 square feet. The initial application may be twice this amount, bat- ifactory results will accompany lighter applications when com- mercial fertilizers are used liberally. ^i„«,-«n. The large commercial truckers are gradually replacing stable manure with green crop manures. The practicability of this will depend on the cost of manure applied to the soil, compared to the cost of producing and turning under green mnaure in sufficient amounts to give equivalent results. In case of the small home garden where the space is limited, ma- 82 taming soil conditions congenial to the vegetable crops or^ri f vl^ ^^^^ ^"® r^^^ ^"^ ^uber crops, the lerame crons composition of a Iarg<, nuir of'" „d° oFTrucrand v^' /.ti7 Benoni { E. P. Garretson. Prize ) Paradise Sweet Second Prize, Fred Ellsworth, Dallas, Pa., with 1, N. Spy; 2, Walbridge; 3, Fallawater. First Prize, C. J. Tyson, with 5 plates of Stayman. Second Prize, W. H. Agnew, with 5 plates of Mcintosh. Third Prize, H. M. Ira F. Frantz, Dallas, Pa., 5 plates Baldwin. First Prize, W. J. Lewis, Pittston, Pa., 24 boxes, 12 varieties. Second Prize, E. F. Hay, Carverton, 51 plates, 10 varieties. Award of Merit, Adams Co. , Fruit Growers* Association. Chas. A. Wolfe, Sec, Aspers, Pa. The Show was made up of the following in exhibit form: 20 Barrels. 81 Bushels Boxes. 801 Bushel Trays. 336 Plates (5 Apples Each) . 39 Varieties. Class Sixteen. 110 TREASURER'S REPORT. DISBURSEMENTS. 1-29-14 To Publishing House of the United Evangel- ^^ leal Church, ^ -.o lo 1-29-14 ** Edwin W. Thomas. 249 09 1-29-14 ;; C.J.Tyson, •;;; ^g^ ^^ 1-29-14 '* C. J. Tyson, ^A^'l 18 9^ 1-29-14 *' Pub. House Evan. Church. ^7000 1-29-14 * * * * * * * n 80 1-29-14 •* Times and News Pub. Co., om 1^ 1-29-14'' C.J.Tyson,... ^^^ Jg 2-1-14 ** A. M. Seabrook ^^ ^ 2-7-14 ' ' The Gettysburg Compiler ^^ ^ 2-7-14 " Pub. House Evan. Church ^ ^" 2-7-14 " St. Louis Button Co.. ^^ ^^ 2-7-14 " Times and News Pub. Co., Y,\i 4-17-14 *' Pub. House Evan. Church, ^ ^ 4-17-14 *' D. E. Murray, 55 .^ 6-17-14 '' J. A. Runk, ^^ ^ 6-17-14 " J. L. Rupert ^^ g 1-19-15 ** balance, cash on hand, $1^111 RECEIPTS. Cash balance, Jan. 19. 1914 ^ m OO 1-28-14 From C. J. Tyson. Annual Dues, 1^4 uu 1-28-14 " Life Membership Fund, 1^^ ^ 2-9-14 '* Annual Dues, ^ "" 3-1-14 *' C. J. Tyson, Annual Dues, ^ "^ 3-1-14 " C. J. Tyson. York Show, • ^ i» $141i7 "o AUDITORS' REPORT. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., January 20. 1915. We the undersigned have examined the above account and find the same to be correct. ^ ^ ^^^^^ W. J. Lewis, Auditors. Ill INDEX Fruit Section. President's Address— C. J. Tyson, Flora Dale. Pa 14 Experimental Results in Young Orchards in Pa.— John P. Stewart, State College, Pa 16 Pruning Apple Trees— Prof. Wendell Paddock, Colum- bus, Ohio 28 Utilizing Vacant Space in the Young Apple Orchard — S. H. Fulton. Sleepy Creek, W. Va. 34 Advertising Our Fruit and Produce— L. Willard Minch, Bridgton, N. J ' 38 The Eastern Outlook from the Western View Point — A. E. Mason, State College, Pa 44 The Importance of Better Grading and Packing of Eastern Apples— Prof. H. B. Knapp, Ithaca, N. Y. 49 The Influence of the N. Y. Grading and Branding Law on the N. Y. Pack— H. B. Knapp 54 Inspectors and Quarantine Regulations in the Control of Plant Diseases — C. R. Orton, State College, Pa. 59 The Value of Chemistry to Horticulture— C. W. Stod- dart. State College, Pa 68 Vegetable Section. Principles and Practices of Plant Breeding— C. E. Myers. State College. Pa 72 Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden 79 Celery and other Muckland Crops — D. W. Hull. Way- mart, Pa 84 Hill Selection of Seed Potatoes— Daniel Dean, Nichols, N. Y 90 State Organiaztion for Vegetable Growers— Prof. Paul Work. Ithaca. N. Y 97 Abstracts from Round Table on Vegetable Forcing- Conduced by R. L. Watts, State College, Pa 102 Report of Resolution Committee 106 Fruit Show Awards 107 Treasurer's Report — 110 END OF YEAR