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REPORT    OF    THE 

Connecticut  Pomological 
Society 

For  the  Year  1903 

WITH 

PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE 
THIRTEENTH    ANNUAL 

MEETING  %i,'U4<i^'i<i'U^'U'%^  1904 


Published  by 

The  Connecticut  Pomological  Society 

1904 


'    CHAP€t 
Officers  of  the  Connecticut  Pomological  Society 

FOR    1904. 


President. 
PROF.  ALFRED  G.  GULLEY Storrs. 

Vice  President. 
JOSIAH  M.  HUBBARD Middletown. 

Secretary. 
HENRY  C.  C.  MILES Milford. 

Treasurer. 
ROSWELL  A.  MOORE Kensington. 


Vice  County  Presidents. 

Hartford George  H.  Hale So.  Glastonbury 

New  Haven Albert  B.  Plant Branford. 

Fairfield William  E.  Waller Bridgeport. 

Litchfield J.  H.  Putnam Litchfield. 

INIiddlesex Roscoe  H .  Gardner Cromwell. 

New  London S.  P.  Sterling Lyme. 

Windham L.  O.   Haskins Scotland. 

Tolland C.  H.  Baker Andover. 


Standing  Committees. 
Legislation.  Fungous  Diseases. 

J.  C.  Eddy,  Simsbury.  Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton,  New  Haven. 

Edwin  Hoyt,  New  Canaan.  Connecticut  Experiment  Station. 

A.  C.  Sternberg,  West  Hartford.  G.  W.  Spicer,  Deep  River. 


G.  A.  Parker,  Hartford. 
Neiv  Fruits. 


Membersliip. 
Orrin  Gilbert,  Middletown. 

E.  M.  Ives,  Meriden.  Stancliff  Hale,  So.  Glastonbury. 

Frederic  Kelsev,  Higganuni.  G.  C.  Comstock,  Norwallc. 

J.  H.  Putnam,  Litchfield. 

Exhibitions. 
Elbert  Manchester,  Bristol.  Markets  and  Transportation. 

L.  C.  Root,  Farmington.  J-  H.  Hale,  So.  Glastonbury. 

E.  R.  Bennett,  Storrs.  J-  N.  Barnes,  Yalesville. 


J.  T.  MoLUMPHV,  Berlin. 
Finance. 


Injurious  Insects. 

Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  New  Haven. 

Connecticut  Experiment  Station.  N.  S.  Platt,  New  Haven. 

H.  B.  Buell,  Eastford.  J.  C.  Eddy,  Simsbur)-. 

T.  M.  Savage,  Berlin.  J.  Norris  Barnes,  Yalesville. 

Auditors. 
G.  W.  Staples,  Hartford.  A.  B.  Plant,  Branford. 


CONTENTS. 


Proceedings.  page 

President's    Opening   Address i 

Secretary's  Report  5 

Treasurer's  Report    10 

Report  of  Committee  on  Legislation 12 

'■  "  Injurious   Insects 15 

"'  "  Fungous  Diseases  of  1903 19 

How  to  Secure  Clear-Skinned  Fruit.     E.  M.  Ives 28 

Utilizing  Rough  Lands  for  Orchard  Purposes.     J.  H.  Hale 32 

Planting  and  Care  of  the  Trees.     H.  W.  Collingwood 36 

The  Making  of  Bordeaux  Mixture 46 

Prof.  Greene's  Address 48 

What  is  the  Future  Outlook  for  the  Peach  Growing  Industrj- 

of  Connecticut  ?     N.   S.   Piatt 55 

Reports  from  Growers  on  the  Condition  of  the  Peach  Buds 58 

Remarks  by  Visiting  Delegates 61 

The  Fruit  Garden  in  its  Relation  to  the   Suburban  and  Farm 

Home.     Prof.   F.  A.  Waugh 63 

The  Advantages  of  a  Map  or  Plan  for  Farms  and  Gardens  and 

how  to  Make  it.     G.  A.  Parker 69 

Fighting    the    S^n    Jose    Scale-Insect.     The    Latest    and    Most 

Effective  Sprays.     Prof.  W.  E.  Britton 83 

Experiments    in    Spraying    for    the    Scale — -Work    in    the    Hale 

Orchards.     E.  R.  Bennett 92 

Costs  and  Results  of  the  Work.     J.  Norris  Barnes loi 

Cooperation    and    Cost   of    Production    as    Factors    in    Meeting 

Competition  in  Fruit  Growing.     Edwin  Hoyt 107 

Resolutions  adopted  113-116-136 

Election   of   Officers 115 

How  I  Grow  Strawberries  for  Profit.     R.  H.  Race 116 

Field  Culture  of  Raspberries  and  Blackberries.     J.  T.  Molumphy.  128 

Report  of  Committee  on  Implement  Exhibit 137 

Report  of  Committee  on  Fruit  Exhibit 138 

Condensed  Report  of  Field  Meetings,  Institutes,  etc.,   held  in 

1903. 

Outing  at  Branford  Point 142 

Field   Day   at   Higganum 144 

Field  Meeting  at  J.  H.  Hale's 147 

Field  Meeting  at  Andovcr 150 

Meeting  at  Wethersfield 152 

Record  of  Institutes 154 

Sixth  Annual  Fruit  Exhibition 156 

List  of   Members,    1904 160 

39255 


Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  the  Society. 


CONSTITUTION. 

Article  I. — The  name  of  this  Association  shall  be  The  Connecticut 

POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

Article  II. — Its  object  shall  be  the  advancement  of  the  science  and 
art  of  pomology,  and  the  mutual  improvement  and  business  advantage 
of  its  members. 

Article  III. — Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this  Society  by 
paying  into  the  treasury  the  sum  of  one  dollar  per  annum.  If  the  annual 
fee  remains  unpaid  for  two  years,  the  membership  shall  cease  and  the 
name  be  taken  from  the  role. 

Article  IV. — Its  officers  shall  consist  of  a  President,  First  Vice  Presi- 
d  "t,  one  Vice  President  from  each  county  in  the  State,  a  Secretary,  and 
a  Treasurer,  to  be  elected  annually  by  ballot,  to  hold  office  for  one  year, 
or  until  their  successors  are  duly  elected. 

The  President,  First  Vice  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  shall 
constitute  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Society. 

Article  V. — The  Society  shall  hold  its  annual  meeting  during  the 
month  of  February,  the  time  and  place  to  be  decided  by  the  Executive 
Committee,  at  which  time  the  annuaj  election  of  officers  shall  be  held, 
various  reports  submitted  and  an  exhibition  and  discussion  of  fruits 
take  place;  also  other  necessary  business  be  transacted.  Other  meetings 
for  special  purposes  may  be  arranged  for  and  called  by  the  Executive 
Committee  whenever  it  is  deemed  advisable.  Printed  notice  of  each 
meeting  to  be  sent  to  every  member  of  this  Society. 

Article  VI. — The  following  Standing  Committees  of  three  members 
each,  on  the  following  subjects,  shall  be  appointed  by  the  President,  to 
hold  during  his  term  of  office ;  the  appointments  to  be  announced  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Society : 

Business  and  Legislation,  Fungous  Diseases, 

Membership,  Nezv  Fruits, 

Exhibitions ,  Markets  and  Transportation, 

Injurious  Insects,  Tzvo  Auditors. 

Article  VII. — This  Constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  vote  of  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  present  at  any  annual  meeting. 


vi  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

BY-LAWS. 

Article  I. — The  President,  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  the  chairman  of 
each  standing  committee  shall  each  present  a  report  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  Society. 

Article  IL — The  President  shall  appoint  annually  two  members  to 
audit  the  accounts  of  the  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Article  III. — The  Treasurer  shall  pay  out  no  money  except  on  the 
written  order  of  the  President,  countersigned  by  the  Secretary. 

Article  IV. — It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Executive  Committee  to 
arrange  the  programs  for  the  meetings  of  the  Society,  to  fill  all  vacancies 
which  may  occur  in  its  offices  between  the  annual  meetings,  and  to  have 
general  management  of  the  affairs  of  the  Society. 

Article  V.^ — The  Committee  on  Legislation  shall  inform  themselves  in 
regard  to  such  laws  as  relate  to  the  horticultural  interests  of  the  state, 
and  bring  the  same  to  the  attention  of  the  Society  and  also  the  need  of 
further  legislation.  And  when  sa  directed  by  the  Society,  shall  cause 
to  be  introduced  into  the  General  Assembly  such  bills  as  may  be  deemed 
necessary,  and  to  aid  or  oppose  any  bills  introduced  by  others,  which 
directly  or  indirectly  affect  the  interests  of  the  fruit-grower. 

Article  VI. — The  Committee  on  Membership,  with  the  cooperation 
of  the  County  Vice  Presidents,  shall  bring  the  work  of  the  Society  to  the 
attention  of  fruit-growers  throughout  the  state  and  by  such  means  as 
they  deem  best  strive  to  increase  the  membership. 

Article  VII. — The  Committee  on  Exhibitions  shall  suggest  from  time 
to  time  such  methods  and  improvements  as  may  seem  to  them  desirable 
in  the  conduct  of  the  exhibitions  of  the  Society,  as  w^ell  as  fruit  exhibi- 
tions throughout  the  state ;  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  Executive 
Committee  shall  arrange  the  premium  lists,  and  have  charge  of  all  Exhi- 
bitions given  by  this  Society. 

Article  VIII. — It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committees  on  Insects  and 
Diseases  to  investigate  in  regard  to  the  ravages  of  these  enemies  of  fruit 
culture;  and  to  suggest  how  best  to  combat  them  and  prevent  their 
spread;  to  answer  all  inquiries  addressed  to  them  by  the  members  as 
far  as  possible,  and,  when  necessary,  promptly  '  lay  before  the  Society 
timely  information  on  these  subjects. 

Article  IX. — The  Committee  on  New  Fruits  shall  investigate  and  col- 
lect such  information  in  relation  to  newly-introduced  varieties  of  fruits 
as  is  possible,  and  to  report  the  same  to  the  Society,  with  suggestions  as 
to  the  value  of  the  varieties  for  general  cultivation. 

Article  X. — The  Committee  on  ]\Iarkets  and  Transportation  shall 
inform  themselves  as  to  the  best  methods  of  placing  fruit  products  upon 
the  market,  and  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the  Society 
this  and  any  other  information  concerning  profitable  marketing. 

Article  XL — The  Society  will  adopt  the  nomenclature  of  the  Ameri- 
can  Pomological    Society. 

Article  XII. — These  By-Laws  may  be  amended  by  a  majority  vote  of 
the   members   present   at    any   regular   meeting. 


PROGRAMME 

Arranged  for  the  Thirteenth  Annual  Meeting 


TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  2nd 

Morning  Session,  Opening  at  10  o'clock 

1.  President's  Address. 

2.  Annual  Report  of  the  Secretary. 

3.  Annual  Report  of  the  Treasurer. 

4.  Reports  of  Standing  Committees. 

Legislation,  J.  C.  Eddy,  Chairman. 
Membership,  Orrin  Gilbert,  Chairman. 
Exhibitions,  Elbert  ^Manchester,  Chairman. 
INIarkets  and  Transportation,  J.  H.  Hale,  Chairman. 
Injurious  Insects,  Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  Chairman. 
Fungous  Diseases,  Dr.  O.  P.  Clinton,  Chairman. 
New  Fruits,  Stancliff  Hale,  Chairman. 

11.30.     Ten-Minute  Paper — "How   to   Secure   Clear-Skinned   Fruit." 

E.  M.  Ives,  Meriden. 
Discussion. 

RECESS. 

Afternoon  Session,  at  1:30 

"  Utilizing  Rough  Lands  for  Orchard  Purposes." 

J.  H.  Hale,  South  Glastonbury. 

"Planting  and  Care  of  the  Trees." 

H.  W.  Collingwood,  Editor  The  Rural  Nezv  Yorker, 
New  York. 
Discussion. 

2.45.     "  The  Production  and  Marketing  of  Apples." 

T.  E.   Cross,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

3.30.     Ten-Minute   Paper — "What   is   the    Future    Outlook    for   the 
Peach  Growing  Industry  of  Connecticut?" 

N.  S.  Platt,  New  Haven. 

Reports  from  Growers  on  the  Condition  of  Peach  Buds. 


viii  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

Evening  Session  at  7:30 

Lecture — "The    Fruit    Garden    in   its    Relation   to  the  Suburban  and 
Farm  Home." 

Prof.    F.    A.    Waugh,    Dept.   of    Horticulture,    Mass. 
Agricultural  College,  Amherst. 
Ten-Minute  Papers—"  The  Advantages  of  a  Map  or  Plan  for  Farms 
and  Gardens  and  How  to  Make  it." 

G.   A.   Parker,   Supt.  Keeny  Park,  Hartford. 
"  Co-operation  and  Cost  of  Production  as  Factors   in    Meeting  Com- 
petition in  Fruit  Growing." 

Edwin  Hoyt,  New  Haven. 


WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  3fd 

Morning  Session  at  9:30 

"FIGHTING   THE    SAN   JOSE    SCALE." 

(a)  "The  Latest  and  Most  Effective  Methods." 

Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  State  Entomologist,  New  Haven. 

(b)  "  Some  Extensive  Spraying  Experiments  of  the  Past  Season." 

Mr.   E.  R.  Bennett,  Storrs  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station. 

(c)  "Cost  and  Results  of  the  Work." 

J.  NoRRis  Barnes,  Yalesville. 
Discussion. 

10.45.     Address  —  "Some    York    State     Ideas     in     Successful     Fruit 
Culture." 

S.  W.  Wadhams,  Clarkson,  N.  Y. 

11.30.     Five-Minute  Talks  and  Demonstrations  by  Students  in  Horti- 
culture from  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  College. 

RECESS. 

Afternoon  Session  at  1:30 
Election  of  Officers. 

2.00.     Address^"  Cultivation  vs.  the  Mulch  System  in  Fruit  Grow- 
ing." 

Wm.  H.  Skillman,    President    New    Jersey   Horticul- 
tural Society,  Belle  Mead,  N.  J. 
Discussion. 
2.45.     Address—"  Commercial  Small  Fruit  Culture  ;  and  How  I  Grow 
Strawberries." 

R.  H.   Race,  North  Egremont,  ^lass. 
3.30.     Ten-Minute  Paper—"  Raspberries  and  Blackberries  for  Profit." 

J.  T.  ]\IoLUMPHY,  Berlin. 
Questions  and  Discussion. 

Closing  Business, 


THE 


Connecticut!  pomological  ^ocietij 


IRK-OCEEDinNTOS 

OF    THE 


IN  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution,  the 
thirteenth  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  was  held  February 
2  and  3,  1904,  in  Unity  Hall,  Hartford. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  10.30  o'clock  Tuesday 
morning,  February  2d,  by  the  President,  Prof.  Alfred  G.  Gulley 
of  Storrs. 

The  session  opened  under  the  most  auspicious  conditions,  a 
large  representation  of  the  members  of  the  Society,  besides 
numerous  visitors,  being  present. 

Immediately  upon  the  opening  of  the  meeting  President 
Gulley  delivered  his  annual  address  as  follows : 

PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS 

Members  mid  Friends  of  the  Connecticut  Pomological  Society: 
We  are  again  assembled  for  our  annual  interchange  of  ideas 
and  experience,  and  I  trust  the  importance  of  the  session  will 
at  least  equal  that  of  its  predecessors.  The  Secretary  has 
prepared  a  good  program ;  still  this  is  only  a  leader  to  the  dis- 
cussions which  bring  out  fully  the  experiences  of  the  speakers 
and  others,  and  that  experience  can  be  obtained  best  by  freely 
asking  questions  by  those  desiring  information.  To  our  friends 
from  a  distance,  we  tender  a  hearty  welcome,  and  invite  them 
to  take  part  in  these  discussions,  and  share  all  the  good  things 
of  the  meetinsf  with  us. 


2  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

The  past  season  has  been  one  of  abrupt  and  marked  changes 
from  normal  conditions,  with  results  fully  as  marked.  The  loss 
of  the  peach  crop  by  the  sudden  freeze  of  last  winter,  predicted 
by  President  Piatt  in  his  address  of  a  year  ago,  was  fully  as 
great  as  anticipated.  Connecticut  had  but  few  peaches  to  sell. 
Winter  was  succeeded  by  an  unusually  early  spring,  which 
caused  all  fruit  trees  to  bloom  much  in  advance  of  the  average 
date.  During  the  time  of  bloom  came  the  dreaded  frost  to  be 
expected  at  that  early  season,  but  in  case  of  the  apple,  at  least, 
without  the  expected  result  of  totally  killing  the  blossoms.  It 
might  be  said  that  the  rather  heavy  blooming  of  apples  was  of 
itself  rather  unexpected  after  the  enormous  crop  of  1902.  As 
a  further  development,  just  with  the  planting  season  commenced 
the  unprecedented  drouth  of  over  fifty  days  with  less  than  one 
inch  of  rainfall,  and  this  again  followed  by  wet  and  cool  weather 
a  great  part  of  the  remainder  of  the  growing  season,  completing 
a  year  which  as  a  whole  has  been  very  unsatisfactory  to  the 
general  farmer  and  fruit  grower. 

In  addition  to  the  very  unusual  season  the  fruit  grower  also 
had  another  experience,  not  unknown  before,  but  much  more 
severe  than  usual,  in  the  continued  presence  of  plant  aphis, 
or  plant  lice,  on  trees,  particularly  young  apple  and  pear  trees. 
On  many  orchards  set  last  spring  they  almost  entirely  checked 
all  growth  and  put  them  back  a  full  year,  if  indeed  they  did 
not  weaken  the  trees  to  such  an  extent  that  the  latter  will  not 
survive  the  extreme  cold  of  the  present  winter.  There  is  some 
encouragement  to  believe  that  the  pest  will  not  be  as  serious  the 
coming  summer. 

As  a  slight  offset  to  these  drawbacks  was  the  partial  apple 
crop  already  referred  to,  and  for  which  good  prices  were 
obtained ;  this  last  also  applied  to  all  horticultural  products  of 
the  year.  From  this  apple  crop,  the  most  important  information 
derived,  aside  from  effects  of  frost  upon  bloom,  was  the  fact 
that  the  largest  crops  were  from  orchards  that  have  had  good 
care  the  several  previous  years.  Uncared  for  trees,  as  a  rule, 
bore  but  little  fruit,  indicating  that  continuous  good  care  Avill, 
to  a  certain  extent,  overcome  the  biennial-bearing  habit.  In 
this  connection  it  may  be  stated  that  substantial  progress  has 
been  made,  the  past  season,  in  the  use  of  the  box  as  an  apple 
package.  In  nearly  all  sections  its  increased  use  is  reported, 
and  usually  with  profit.     There  is  not  yet  that  uniformity  of 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  3 

size  or  shape  that  would  be  desirable.  Another  year  or  two 
will  probably  be  required  to  determine  just  what  is  wanted. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  occurrence  of  the  season  was 
the  remarkable  second  crop  of  strawberries.  Without  question 
that  is  the  most  noticeable  freak  of  that  valuable  fruit  since  it 
has  been  under  cultivation.  It  was  not  confined  to  New  Eng- 
land, but  occurred  all  over  the  northeastern  United  States  where 
strawberries  are  grown.  To  account  for  this  second  crop, 
which,  in  some  sections,  and  on  some  varieties,  almost  equalled 
the  usual  one,  many  reasons  have  been  advanced,  none  of  which 
it  seems  to  me  to  definitely  explain  it,  nor  can  I  add  anything 
to  make  it  more  clear.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  years  will  elapse 
before  New  York  market  reports  will  again  regularly  quote 
home-grown  strawberries  in  September  and  October ;  or  that 
such  an  exhibit  of  this  fruit  will  be  found  at  our  annual  fair 
as  was  on  the  tables  at  Berlin  last  fall.  Probably  the  most 
interesting  question  to  arise  from  this  peculiar  crop  is  as  to  the 
efifect  upon  the  product  on  those  bearing  beds  next  season. 

The  San  Jose  scale  is  still  the  leading  insect  topic  discussed 
by  the  horticulturist.  P)Ut  we  have  the  assurance  that  extensive 
experiments  made  the  past  season  have  demonstrated  that  the 
insect  con  be  controlled,  if  not  eradicated,  with  reasonable  out- 
lay, but  that  only  the  thorough  operator  will  be  successful.  The 
details  of  this  work  will  be  presented  later  in  the  session. 

The  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  Commission  of  Con- 
necticut placed  the  preparing  and  making  of  the  pomological 
exhibit  from  this  State  in  the  charge  of  this  Society,  and  placed 
'at  its  disposal  funds  for  the  purpose.  To  make  that  display 
there  has  been  collected  and  is  now  in  cold  storage  something 
over  100  barrels  of  apples,  which  will  be  used  during  the  earlier 
part  of  the  Exposition.  This  collection  embraces  the  principal 
valuable  varieties  grown  in  the  State,  and  will  be  supplemented 
by  fruit  of  the  coming  season  as  soon  as  mature.  Visitors 
there  will  be  able  to  compare  our  New  England  apples  with 
the  home-grown  fruits  of  the  land  of  "the  big  red  apple"  and 
upon  its  own  territor\-.  I  trust  the  comparison  will  be  favor- 
able in  all  respects  for  eastern-grown  fruit.  The  annual 
exhibitions  of  this  Society  have  become  one  of  its  most  impor- 
tant features.  Under  the  present  plan  of  holding  them  in 
connection  with  the  fairs  of  other  regular  organizations  of  the 
State,  they  are  proving  great  sources  of  education  and  pleasure. 


4  THE    CONNECTICUT    FOMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

That  they  are  becoming  vakiable  and  popular  is  evident  from 
the  interest  exhibited  by  visitors,  and  from  the  fact  that  the 
Society  has  already  received  good  offers  to  hold  its  exhibit  next 
season  in  connection  w^ith  some  of  the  largest  fairs  in  the  State. 
That  they  are  needed  is  demonstrated  by  the  showing,  each  year, 
of  even  old  and  well  known  varieties  of  fruits  under  wrong 
names.  These  errors  are  corrected  and  the  growers  prevented 
from  unintentionally  disposing  of  fruit  wrongly  named.  Tlie 
wide-spread  desire  for  information  along  pomological  lines  is 
demonstrated  by  the  increased  call  for  Institutes  all  over  the  State. 
This  demand  was  met  by  the  Society  last  year  as  far  as  its 
means  would  permit.  By  a  plan  recently  adopted  it  is  hoped 
that  the  information  spread  by  these  meetings  will  be  increased 
until  the  whole  territory  of  the  State  is  covered. 

Brother  fruit  growers,  the  unfavorable  conditions  of  the  past 
season  should  not  discourage  us.  Even  the  dark  outlook  for 
the  Connecticut  peach  grower  for  the  coming  year  will  bring 
with  it  some  valuable  lessons  for  future  use.  It  is  certain  that 
the  fruit-growing  industry  is  making  rapid  and  favorable 
progress  in  the  State.  Nor  do  I  think  we  need  to  be  disturbed 
by  the  large  increase  of  orchard  planting  in  other  sections  each 
year.  Possible  over-production  has  long  been  a  bugbear,  yet 
it  seems  as  far  away  as  ever.  Increased  demand  from  greater 
use  and  better  means  of  distribution  promise  to  dispose  of 
increased  product  for  some  time  to  come,  and  the  thorough 
grower  who  gives  close  attention  to  the  disposal  of  his  products 
is  probably  as  sure  of  profits,  although  perhaps  not  as  great, 
in  the  future  as  in  the  past. 


President  Gulley — Next  in  order  Avill  be  the  annual  report 
of  the  Secretary,  H.  C.  C.  Miles. 

Before  reading  his  report.  Secretary  Miles  said :  "As  you  all 
know,  our  President  is  nothing  if  he  is  not  brief  and  right  to 
the  point ;  and  in  getting  up  this  program  he  and  I  agreed 
that  brevity  should  be  a  leading  feature;  that  is,  we  agreed  to 
leave  out  none  of  the  essentials  but  so  far  as  possible  we  would 
endeavor  to  be  brief.  In  preparing  my  report  to  read  to  you 
this  morning  I  tried  to  follow  that  idea,  but  there  are  so  many 
things  to  report  upon,  it  was  not  a  question  of  what  I  should 
leave  out,  but  what  ought  to  be  put  in." 


THIRTEEKTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


SECRETARY'S    REPORT 

Mr.  President  and  Fellozv  Members  of  the  Pomological  Society: 

We  come  together  in  this  our  thirteenth  annual  gathering, 
to  Hsten  to  reports  of  the  work  of  the  past  year,  to  discuss 
the  problems  before  us  as  fruit  growers,  and  to  plan  for  the 
future. 

The  year  just  closed  was  one  full  of  disappointment  and 
unsatisfactory  returns  for  fruit  growers  generally,  and  those 
of  our  own  State  in  particular.  Characterized  by  very  unfavor- 
able weather  conditions,  as  well  as  serious  attacks  of  insects  and 
diseases,  it  must  be  recorded  as  a  season  of  poor  crops  of  most 
of  our  standard  fruits. 

But  the  failures  of  a  single  season  have  not  discouraged 
our  Connecticut  growers  ;  on  the  contrary,  profiting  by  such 
unpleasant  experiences,  they  seem  to  have  taken  fresh  courage 
and  are  planning  wisely  for  the  future  with  the  expectation  of 
reaping  more  satisfactory  results  and  greater  profits,  yet  realiz- 
ing that  the  lot  of  the  fruit  grower  of  the  present  day  is  far  from 
being  one  of  certain  or  easily  attained  success. 

With  our  Society,  however,  it  has  proved  a  year  of  continued 
prosperity  and  growth. 

Discouragement  on  the  farm  and  in  the  orchard  has  not 
lessened  the  interest  or  enthusiasm  of  our  members  in  the  work 
of  the  Society,  and  I  believe  we  are  to-day  stronger  than  ever 
before, — stronger  in  numbers,  stronger  in  helpful  influence, 
stronger  in  equipment  for  work,  and  stronger  in  the  respect  of 
the  general  public  of  the  State. 

I  congratulate  3'ou  upon  the  fact  that  Connecticut  has  such 
a  splendid  organization  devoted  to  her  horticultural  interests 
— an  organization  ready  to  protect  and  work  for  those  interests, 
which  are  so  rapidly  increasing  in  extent  and  importance. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  compliment  to  our  Society  that  it  was  recog- 
nized by  the  Connecticut  Commission  of  the  St.  Louis  Exposi- 
tion and  that  the  matter  of  a  fruit  exhibition  from  Connecticut 
at  the  Exposition  was  placed  in  its  charge. 

I  have  to  report  to  you  first,  on  the  condition  of 


6  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Our  Membership. 

To  keep  its  membership  grozving  is  of  first  importance  in  an}- 
organization,  but  especially  in  a  Society  like  this. 

Our  g-rowth  has  been  gradual,  steady  and  strong  from  the 
very  beginning,  thirteen  years  ago,  and  the  past  year  has  been 
no  exception. 

From  February  i,  1903,  to  February  i,  1904,  we  have  gained 
i^^  new  members  ;  5  have  died  or  withdrawn ;  38  member- 
ships have  not  been  renewed  for  the  past  two  years,  and  under 
the  rules  of  our  by-laws  we  are  not  allowed  to  longer  count 
them  as  members.  After  making  all  these  deductions  our  pre- 
sent total  membership  is  5(5/,  a  net  gain  of  8/  members  over 
the  number  I  reported  to  you  last  year,  which  was  480. 

In  making  this  substantial  gain  the  efforts  of  your  officers 
have  been  ably  seconded  by  the  work  of  the  Membership  Com- 
mittee, and  again  I  wish  to  express  my  appreciation  of  their 
valuable  services  and  especially  their  willing  sacrifice  of  time 
and  money. 

We  have  embraced  every  opportunity  to  bring  the  purposes 
and  work  of  the  Society  to  the  attention  of  the  farmers  and  all 
others  who  are,  or  ought  to  be  interested  in  fruits,  and  urge  their 
membership. 

Perhaps  some  may  think  we  have  pressed  this  matter  too 
strongly,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  in  order  to  live  we  must  grow, 
and  new  members  are  the  fresh  life  of  the  Society,  and  undoubted 
evidence  of  its  growth. 

Therefore,  we  want  more  viciiibers,  because  more  members 
will  mean  larger  funds  for  better  and  more  extensive  work, 
and  give  us  greater  opportunities  for  carrying  the  benefits  of 
the  organization  into  every  corner  of  the  State.  Then  let  us 
continue  the  "campaign"  until  we  number  among  our  members 
every  cultivator  of  fruits  in  Connecticut,  and  let  me  suggest 
that  each  one  of  our  present  members  resolve  to  bring  into  the 
Society  this  year  at  least  one  friend  or  neighbor.  If  we  do 
this,  I  am  sure  we  shall  find  it  mutually  profitable. 

From  February  i,  1903,  to  February  i,  1904,  I  have  received 
and  paid  over  to  the  Treasurer,  $495.95. 

From  membership  fees  $483.00 

From  sale  of  exhibition  fruit  I--95 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  7 

Orders  have  boon  drawn  for  the  payment  of  bills  to  the 
amount  of  $1,770.10,  besides  the  distribution  of  $507.08  in  pre- 
miums awarded  at  the  annual  exhibition,  and  $12.50  for  pre- 
miums at  the  last  annual  meeting. 

\Miile  we  have  been  able  to  meet  our  expenses  with  our 
present  income,  still  our  funds  are  none  too  large  and  our 
treasury  seldom  shows  much  of  a  balance  on  hand  at  the  end 
of  the  year.  But  we  believe  w^e  can  show  results,  and  that  is 
really  what  we  want  for  the  money  expended. 

Our  Meetings. 

Since  the  annual  meeting  last  February,  the  Society  has  held, 
during  1903,  eighteen  meetings.  Twelve  of  these  were  insti- 
tutes, held  by  invitation  of  the  following  Granges:  Madison, 
W'atertown,  Winsted,  Deep  River,  New  Canaan,  Ellington, 
Prospect,  Easton,  East  Canaan,  North  Haven,  Collinsville  and 
Southington.  Five  were  summer  field  meetings,  and  one  the 
annual  fall  meeting  and  exhibition  in  September.  All  these 
various  gatherings  were  largely  attended,  full  of  interest  and 
enjoyment,  and  we  believe  were  w^orth  to  the  people  of  the 
State,  and  to  our  members  especially,  many  times  their  cost. 

The  institute  has  come  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  best 
agencies  for  reaching  the  masses  of  farmers  and  carrying  to 
them  the  latest  results  of  scientific  investigation  and  practical 
experience. 

The  institute  work  of  this  Society  still  continues  one  of  its 
most  popular  features,  and  as  showing  the  demand  for  it 
throughout  the  State,  I  may  say,  w^e  received  last  year  twace  as 
many  applications  as  we  could  accept,  because  of  lack  of  avail- 
able funds  and  sufficient  time. 

In  this  connection,  I  should  perhaps  state,  what  is  already 
known  to  most  of  you,  that  institute  work  in  Connecticut  is  being 
conducted  on  a  somewhat  different  plan  this  w'inter. 

Acting  on  the  suggestion  of  this  Society,  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  the  Dairymen's  Association,  and  the  Pomological 
Society,  are  combining  their  institute  forces  and  have  planned 
a  schedule  of  meetings,  jointly.  The  cost  of  the  work  is  to  be 
divided  between  the  three  organizations. 

While  it  is  expected  that,  in  the  absence  of  any  State  law 
in  the  matter,  this  plan  will  prove  to  be  an  improvement  over 
the  old  order,  still  we  can  but  hope  that  the  near  future  will 


8  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

develop  a  properly  organized  institute  system,  thus  placing  Con- 
necticut among  the  list  of  States  that  have  carried  this  impor- 
tant educational  work  to  perfection. 

Our  series  of  field  meetings  last  summer,  although  a  little 
late  in  beginning,  were  all  very  successful  and  called  out  a 
larger  attendance  than  ever  before.  Starting  August  7th,  with 
the  shore-outing  at  Branford  Point,  coupled  with  a  very  inter- 
esting visit  to  A.  E.  Plant  &  Son's  splendid  farms  and  orchards ; 
— meeting  again  on  August  26th  in  an  enjoyable  Field  Day  at 
Higganum  as  the  guests  of  that  hospitable  Grange ; — then  on 
September  4th  accepting  the  invitation  of  Brother  J.  H.  Hale, 
it  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  big  field  meeting  at  his  South 
Glastonbury  farm,  nearly  400  enjoying  the  many  good  things 
Brother  Hale  knows  so  well  how  to  provide ; — still  another 
successful  day  at  Orchard  Hill  farm,  Andover,  on  September 
15th,  at  the  home  of  ]\Ir.  C.  H.  Baker,  one  of  our  new  but 
enthusiastic  members,  and  lastly  the  meeting  with  Wethersfield 
Grange,  when  we  united  with  the  Dairymen's  Association  and 
held,  in  spite  of  the  rainy  day,  an  extremely  profitable  session. 

Our  hearty  thanks  are  due  to  those  who  thus  entertained  the 
Society  and  by  whose  kindness  our  members  were  afforded  so 
many  pleasant  outings. 

Our  sixth  annual  fruit  exhibition  was  again  held  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Berlin  Fair,  September  23-24.  The  Executive 
Committee  decided  in  favor  of  Berlin  after  receiving  and  con- 
sidering offers  from  several  other  towns.  The  exhibit,  as  a 
whole,  was  fully  up  to  the  standard  of  previous  years  ;  and, 
considering  the  scarcity  of  good  fruit  last  season,  in  the  number 
of  entries  and  the  generally  fine  quality  and  appearance  of  the 
fruit  shown,  the  exhibit  was  highly  creditable  to  the  fruit 
growers  of  the  State.  Over  1,200  plates  were  shown  by  75 
exhibitors,  70  of  whom  were  awarded  premiums  amounting  in 
all  to  $5i5-75- 

Our  annual  fruit  shows  are  certainly  proving  "eye-openers" 
to  the  people,  especially  in  the  matter  of  showing  what  fine 
products  may  be  grown  in  Connecticut,  and  to  those  growers 
who  attend  them  they  are  wonderful  educators.  The  fairs  of 
the  State  are  beginning  to  recognize  the  advantages  of  such 
an  exhibit  on  their  grounds,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  we  shall  not 
be  troubled  to  find  ways  and  means  for  holding  our  exhibitions 
in  the  future. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  9 

Your  Executive  Committee  has  met  frequently  through  the 
year,  whenever  the  business  of  the  Society  demanded.  Under 
their  supervision  the  annual  report  of  some  230  pages,  packed 
full  of  up-to-date  pomological  wisdom  and  experience,  was 
prepared  and  issued  to  the  membership  in  the  early  summer. 
Hereafter  it  will  be  more  desirable  if  this  report  can  be  sent 
out  earlier.  The  Executive  Committee  believe  an  arrangement 
can  be  made  so  that  in  the  future  the  report  will  reach  members 
with  the  opening  of  spring  and  be  at  hand  when  most  needed 
by  the  working  fruit  grower. 

Among  other  lines  of  work  of  the  past  year  was  the  gather- 
ing of  statistics  for  crop  reports,  continuing  the  important 
work  started  two  years  ago.  Although  the  results  were  not 
as  valuable  as  in  a  year  of  heavy  crops  and  glutted  markets, 
yet  as  a  matter  of  future  reference  the  w'ork  proved  to  be 
entirely  worth  w^hile,  and  incidentally  the  growth  of  the  fruit 
industry  of  the  State,  as  evidenced  by  the  planting  of  new 
orchards,  was  brought  out.  Provision  for  continuing  this 
branch  of  the  work  from  year  to  year  should  be  made.  I  may 
add  that  a  more  general  response  on  the  part  of  the  growers, 
where  figures  are  asked  for,  is  necessary  to  the  full  success  of 
such  a  census. 

As  far  as  future  work  for  this  Society  is  concerned,  probably 
nothing  is  of  greater  importance  than  that  we  should  strive  to 
bring  about  a  closer  union  of  our  fruit  growers,  especially  in 
fighting  common  enemies  and  in  applying  better  methods  to 
the  marketing  of  our  products.  By  common  enemies  I  refer 
to  such  as  the  San  Jose  scale,  acknowledged  by  those  w^ho  know, 
to  be  the  greatest  problem  on  our  hands  to-day,  and  in  con- 
trolling which  we  ought  to  be  mutually  interested.  Also  we 
should  realize  the  value  of  our  organization  when  applied  to 
the  market  end  of  our  business. 

Connecticut  is  a  small  State,  and  in  the  extent  of  her  orchards 
and  vineyards  is  not  to  be  mentioned  in  the  same  class  with 
those  vast  areas  devoted  to  fruit  in  our  western  country,  but 
she  can  excel  in  quality,  if  not  in  quantity,  and  the  time  has 
come  when  her  growers  must  apply  cooperation  and  business 
methods  in  the  grading,  packing,  shipping  and  selling  of  their 
fruit  crops.  We  are  planting  and  grozving  along  advanced  lines, 
but  do  we  know  how  to  sell  to  best  advantage?     I  believe  we 


lO  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

should  keep   this   subject   uppermost   in   our   discussions,   until 
some  practical  plan  is  devised  and  put  in  operation. 

In  conclusion,  we  have  built  up  a  Society  that  we  may  well 
feel  proud  of  as  a  State  organization.  Let  us  guard  our  good 
name  and  the  interests  we  represent,  push  on  wnth  unabated 
enthusiasm,  interesting  others  in  the  work,  and  extending  our 
efforts  wherever  possible,  ever  keeping  in  mind  the  motto  "We 
have  not  done  our  best  yet." 

With  thanks  to  all  who  have  so  kindly  assisted  me  in  my 
busy  office,  this  report  is 

Respectfully  submitted, 

H.  C.  C.  Miles,  Secretary. 


The  report  of  the  Treasurer,  R.  A.  Aloore,  was  next  called  for. 
Mr.  Moore  presented  a  report  of  receipts  and  disbursements 
for  the  past  year,  of  which  the  following  is  a  summary : 

TREASURER'S    REPORT 

For  the  Year  ending  February  ist,  1904. 
1903.  Receipts. 

Feb.  I.     By  cash  on  hand $  63.36 

Received  from  Membership  fees 483.00 

"         from  State  Appropriation 1,093.54 

"         from   State   Board  of   Agriculture    (Bounty 

on  Fair  Premiums) 182.77 

"         from  Sale  of  Exhibition  fruit 34-35 

"         Barnes  Bros.  (Plates  in  Annual  Report).  ..  .  2.00 

$1,859.02 
1903.  Expenditures. 

Feb.  I.     Expenses  of  Annual  Meeting  1903 $254.74 

"             Secretary's  office 92.14 

'■             Treasurer's  office   7.24 

Publishing  and  distributing  Annual  Report 464.05 

Expenses  of  Fall  Exhibition 113.31 

Premiums  paid,  account  Fall  Exhibition 507.08 

Premium  paid,  account  Annual  Meeting 12.50 

Expenses  of  Institutes,  season  1903 168.31 

Field  Meetings   50.58 

Miscellaneous  printing,  postage  and  stationery 71.60 

Sundry  expenses   58.63 

1904. 

Feb.  I.     Cash  in  Treasury ' 58.84 

$1,859.02 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  n 

This  certifies  that  we  have  examined  the  books  of  R.  A.  Moore,  Treas- 
urer of  this  Society,  and  have  compared  the  vouchers  with  the  Treas- 
urer's accounts  and  find  the  same  correct. 

Signed,  Geo.  W.  Staples,  1    ^     -•, 

.     „    „  Auditors. 

A.  B.   Pl.\nt,         t 

Hartford,  Feb.  2,  1904. 


A  Member  :  Mv  President,  may  we  ask  a  question  ?  Where 
does  this  money  come  from  under  the  heading  of  ''State 
Board?" 

Treasurer  jMoore  :    From  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

A  MEiNtBER :    Does  it  come  from  their  regular  appropriation  ? 

Treasurer  Moore  :  I  don't  know  what  appropriation  it  is 
taken  from ;  it  comes  direct  to  us  as  a  bounty  from  the  State 
to  societies  holding  fairs  and  exhibitions  and  awarding  pre- 
miums. Now  I  would  like  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  this. 
The  Pomological  Society  last  year  held  its  exhibition  in  con- 
nection with  the  Berlin  Fair,  and  the  Berlin  officials  had  to  be 
on  the  lookout  to  keep  gamblers  away.  They  would  come  in, 
innocently  look  around,  and  pretty  soon  we  would  discover 
gambling.  But  in  every  case  we  stopped  them.  Now  I  know 
of  certain  fairs  in  the  State  that  provide  for  selling  liquor  and 
gambling.  They  tell  me  of  one  Society  which  takes  in  more 
than  $1,400  in  this  way. 

A  Member:  Do  you  know  this  to  be  true,  ]Mr.  Treasurer? 
Why  don't  you  make  complaint  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture? 

Treasurer  ]\Ioore  :  Well,  I  did  not  know  it  at  first.  But 
the  matter  was  laid  before  the  Attorney  General  and  he  said 
it  would  be  a  very  hard  thing  to  prove  and  he  advised  the 
State  Board  to  pay  the  money.     So  much  for  that. 

Mr.  Hale:  We  have  got  a  large  Society  and  we  are  doing 
a  lot  of  good  work  in  the  State  and  we  are  also  spending  a 
good  deal  of  money.  W^ould  it  not  be  feasible  to  have  the 
Treasurer  and  Secretary  go  through  those  figures  and  report 
to  us  in  a  lump  sum  how  much  our  annual  meeting  costs  us, 
how  much  our  field  meetings  cost,  and  also  our  exhibitions,  etc. 
Give  it  to  us  under  three  or  four  heads.  It  can  be  done  by  the 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  better  than  by  anyone  else.  I  wish  they 
might  do  so. 


12  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Treasurer  Moore  :  Do  you  want  this  before  the  meeting 
closes  ? 

Mr.  Hale  :    Sometime  before  the  session  is  over. 

Secretary  Miles  :  I  have  been  thinking  over  this  very  point, 
and  commencing  January  ist,  1904,  I  have  classified  our 
expenses  somewhat  so  that  it  will  be  a  very  simple  matter  in 
future  for  the  Treasurer  and  Secretary  to  report  as  has  been 
suggested.  Mr.  Moore,  our  Treasurer,  on  his  books,  I  presume, 
does  not  state  what  an  order  is  drawn  for ;  in  making  payment 
he  simply  states  the  amount  and  to  whom.  Of  course,  on  my 
books  I  record  what  the  order  is  drawn  for. 

Mr.  Hale  :  Mr.  President,  would  it  not  be  in  order  to  accept 
these  reports  and  place  them  on  file? 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Hale  the  Secretary  and  Treasurer's  reports 
were  then  accepted  and  ordered  placed  on  file. 

The  Auditing  Committee  reported  through  Mr.  Staples,  the 
Chairman,  that  the  books  of  the  Treasurer  and  Secretary  had 
been  examined  and  found  correct. 

The  President  :  We  will  now  take  up  the  reports  of  the 
Standing  Committees :  first  the  Committee  on  Legislation,  Mr, 
J.  C.  Eddy,  Chairman. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Legislation. 

Mr.  President  and  Members  of  tJie  Connecticut  Pomological 
Society: 
At  the  last  annual  meeting  the  Legislative  Committee  were 
instructed  to  represent  the  Society  before  the  Legislature  then 
in  session,  in  regard  to  several  matters  of  interest  to  fruit 
growers. 

First,  was  an  amendment  to  an  Act  Concerning  Insect  Pests, 
requiring  the  shipper  of  any  nursery  stock  into  this  State  to 
furnish  a  certificate  that  the  stock  had  been  fumigated.  The 
amendment  and  Act  is  as  follows  : 

(See  Pubhc  Acts,  1903,  page  39,  chapter  88.) 
Another  matter  along  the  same  line  was  an  amendment  giv- 
ing additional  powers  to  the  State  Entomologist  as  follows : 
(See  Public  Acts,  1903,  page  59,  chapter  125.) 
As  per  vote  of  the  Society  your  Committee  drew  up  a  bill 
increasing   the    appropriation    for   the    Pomological    Society   to 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


13 


$1,500  per  year.  Your  Committee,  with  several  of  the  officers 
and  other  prominent  fruit  growers,  appeared  before  the  Appro- 
priation Committee,  and  were  accorded  a  full  hearing,  but  failed 
to  convince  the  Appropriation  Committee  that  the  increase  was 
necessary ;  therefore,  the  amount  appropriated  by  the  State 
remains  at  $2,000  for  the  two  years  ending  September  30th, 
1905. 

(See  page  161,  Special  Laws,  number  451.) 

This  is  not  an  annual  appropriation,  but  must  be  brought 
up  again  before  the  next  Legislature,  to  retain  even  the  $1,000 
per  year.  It  will  be  time  enough  to  arrange  for  this  at  the 
next  annual  meeting,  but  it  must  not  be  overlooked  at  that  time. 

As  is  generally  known,  the  last  Legislature  appropriated 
$100,000  for  State  representation  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition :  $18,000  of  this  sum  was  assigned  for  the  agricul- 
tural interests,  to  be  used  in  making  a  suitable  exhibition  of  the 
products  of  Connecticut.  The  different  agricultural  interests 
of  the  State  came  to  an  agreement  as  to  the  relative  amount 
of  mone}^  needed  b}'  each  to  make  a  suitable  exhibition.  This 
schedule  was  practically  adopted  by  the  Exposition  and  Appro- 
priation Committees  and  passed  by  the  Legislature. 

Our  Society  has  $4,000,  which  will  no  doubt  be  used  to  make 
a  creditable  showing  of  the  pomology  of  the  State,  as  our  Presi- 
dent, Treasurer  and  Secretary  have  the  matter  in  charge. 

The   bill   to   regulate   the   selling  of   home-made   wine   was 
passed,  but  owing  to  some  doubt  as  to  the  exact  eft'ect  of  a 
few  words,  was  not  approved  by  the  Governor. 
Respectfully  submitted, 
J.  C.  Eddy, 
Edwin  Hoyt, 
A.  C.  Sternberg, 

Legislative  Committee. 

On  motion  it  was  voted  to  accept  this  report  and  place  it 
on  file. 

President  Gulley  :  We  will  now  listen  to  the  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Membership  by  Mr.  Orrin  Gilbert,  Chairman, 

Mr.  Gilbert  :  Mr.  President,  and  members  of  the  Pomo- 
logical  Society — I  think  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  make 
any  extended  report  after  listening  to  our   Secretary's  report, 


14  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

for  he  has  said  nearly  everything  I  could  say.  I  would  add 
your  Membership  Committee  feels  that  the  best  and  almost 
the  onl}-  way  we  can  get  members  is  to  advertise  the  work  of 
the  Society.  Alany  of  you  very  kindly  furnished  us,  three  years 
ago,  with  a  goodly  list  of  names  for  the  mailing  list  and  I 
think  the  Secretary  has  every  year  sent  a  copy  of  our  program 
to  those  addresses.  I  believe  we  have  something  like  28,000 
farmers  in  the  State  and  we  have  less  than  600  members  on 
our  list,  so  you  see  our  work  is  only  just  begun.  And  the 
reason  we  have  not  sent  more  advertising  matter  is  because 
we  have  not  had  more  names.  I  would  like  to  suggest  to  the 
members  that  we  would  like  every  one  of  the  28,000  farm 
owners  to  be  on  our  list  if  we  could  get  them,  and  I  assure  you 
the  Secretary  will  send  each  of  them  a  program.  I  don't  know 
of  anything  more  I  can  say. 

Secretary  jMiles  :  Mr.  President,  I  think  Brother  Gilbert 
might  have  said  a  little  more  if  he  had  not  been  quite  so  modest. 
I  want  to  make  known  to  the  Society  at  this  time  that  our  adver- 
tising work  has  been  materially  helped  by  contributions  from 
Mr.  Gilbert's  pocketbook.  I  want  to  make  a  motion  that  the 
thanks  of  the  Society  be  extended  to  Mr.  Gilbert. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  would  like  to  second  that  motion  and  amend 
it  by  making  Mr.  Gilbert  a  life  member  of  the  ^Membership 
Committee. 

President  Gulley  :    You  always  want  too  much,  Mr.  Hale. 

Mr.  Hale  :  The  everlasting  prodding  ^Ir..  Gilbert  has  kept 
up  has  resulted  in  nearly  600  members ;  and,  do  you  know, 
Mr.  President,  that  out  of  the  forty-five  States  of  the  Union 
only  three  States  have  societies  with  a  larger  membership? 

A  Member  :    I  second  that  amendment. 

Motion  and  amendment  passed. 

Mr.  Gilbert  :  I  think  this  Society  is  too  generous.  You 
are  loading  me  with  a  "white  elephant."  I  don't  know  how 
I  shall  be  able  to  carry  it. 

President  Gulley:  We  will  now  have  the  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Exhibitions  by  Mr.  Elbert  ^Manchester. 

Mr.  AIanchester  :  iMr.  President,  ladies  and  gentlemen. — It 
seems  to  me  it  is  hardly  necessary  that  any  report  be  made 
after  what  you  have  heard  from  our  Secretary.  Our  annual 
exhibition  was  verv  nearlv  the  same  as  the  vear  before,  and 


THIRTEEXTH  AXXUAL   MEETIXG.  15 

so  our  report  will  have  to  be  quite  similar.  The  fair  was 
held  in  the  same  place  and  under  very  much  the  same  condi- 
tions, the  Berlin  people  furnishing  us  wath  a  tent  and  equipping 
us  in  every  possible  way.  I  think  we  rented  1,000  plates,  besides 
some  200  more  the  Society  already  owned.  Still,  we  didn't  have 
plates  enough. 

They  said  it  was  an  off-year  for  fruit,  but  from  the  amount 
brought  in  and  the  way  our  tent  was  filled  it  seems  to  me  it 
was  no  oft"-year  in  Connecticut,  although  I  know  in  many  places 
the  fruit  was  very  light  and  very  poor.  In  some  lines  we  had 
but  little  fruit  shown,  especially  in  the  peach  class.  Only  a  few 
plates  \\eve  presented,  but  these  w^ere  of  high  quality. 

There  are  one  or  two  suggestions  I  would  like  to  make  to 
benefit  those  who  may  be  on  this  Committee  in  the  future,  and 
that  is  that  all  exhibitors  should  bring  in  their  fruits  at  least 
one  day  before  the  commencement  of  the  fair.  This  is  neces- 
sary, especially  in  so  large  an  exhibit,  in  order  that  the  Com- 
mittee may  have  time  to  get  them  arranged  and  ready  for  those 
who  are  to  examine  them,  and  also  that  the  judges  may  act 
at  once. 

I  don't  know  that  there  is  anything  special  I  can  say  further 
than  this. 

This  report  was  accepted  by  vote  of  the  Society. 

The  report  of  the  Committee  on  Injurious  Insects  was  pre- 
sented by  Prof.  \\^  E.  Britton,  the  State  Entomologist,  of  New 
Haven. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Injurious  Insects. 

It  is  customary  for  this  Committee  to  present  at  this  time  a 
general  review'  or  survey  of  the  season,  as  regards  fruit  insects. 
Unquestionably  the  most  prominent  feature  of  the  past  year  in 
this  respect  was  the  great  abundance  of  the  green  apple  aphis  or 
plant  louse.  Aphis  pomi  De  Geer.  This  pest  attacks  chiefly 
the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  and  the  stems  of  the  new 
shoots,  causing  the  leaves  to  curl  and  noticeably  checking  the 
growth.  The  lice  could  be  found  also  on  the  old  leaves,  but 
were  more  abundant  on  the  new  ones,  w^here  the  tissues  are 
softer  and  more  succulent.  They  attack  not  only  orchard  trees 
but  also  the  young  trees  in  nursery  rows,  and  much  of  the 
apple  stock  in  the  nurseries  this  year  is  below  the  usual  size 
on  account  of  the  injuries  caused  by  this  aphis.     In  one  large 


1 6  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

nursery  the  tops  of  the  trees  were  dipped  in  kerosene  emulsion 
to  kill  the  lice,  and  though  the  treatment  was  successful,  the 
species  multiplies  with  such  rapidity  that  trees  were  again  soon 
covered.  Most  nurserymen  declare  that  they  cannot  afford  to 
do  any  spraying  work  in  their  nurseries,  and  consequently  the 
trees  are  considerably  dwarfed  by  the  aphis.  We  found  that 
spraying  the  trees  with,  or  dipping  them  into,  common  soap 
and  water  (i  lb.  in  -6  gallons)  would  kill  all  plant  lice  with 
which  the  mixture  came  in  contact.  The  apple  aphis  passes 
the  winteT  in  the  egg  stage  on  the  twigs,  and  last  winter  these 
eggs  were  very  abundant.  I  have  not  observed  so  many  this 
winter.  The  eggs  are  oval  in  shape,  black  and  shiny,  and  are 
glued  around  the  buds. 

Plant  lice  were  also  abundant  on  plum,  cherry,  currant  and 
in  fact  nearly  all  other  kinds  of  plants.  The  protracted  drought 
in  spring  doubtless  favored  their  multiplication,  and  later  a 
black  fungus  grew  in  the  honey  dew  given  ofif  by  the  aphids, 
making  the  trees  look  as  if  they  had  been  scorched.  Natural 
enemies  were  at  work,  however,  as  aphis  lions,  syrphus  flies, 
and  lady  beetles  were  abundant  everywhere  feeding  upon  the 
plant  lice. 

The  pear  psylla  Psylla  pyricola  Forst.  was  a  scourge  to  the 
pear  trees  in  southern  Connecticut,  and  specimens  were  received 
from  various  parts  of  the  State  indicating  that  it  was  also 
severe  elsewhere.  This  insect,  which  has  been  mentioned  sev- 
eral times'  in  previous  reports  of  this  Committee,  injures  the 
trees  by  sucking  out  the  sap  from  the  leaves  and  tender  shoots, 
like  the  plant  lice  to  which  it  is  closely  related.  It  gives  off 
honey  dew  and  is  followed  by  the  sooty  fungus  in  the  same 
manner.  Trees  that  are  badly  infested  and  not  in  full  vigor 
shed  many  or  most  of  their  leaves  during  July  and  August. 
As  the  pear  psylla  is  a  difficult  insect  to  combat,  most  fruit 
growers  make  no  attempt  to  control  it.  We  found,  however, 
that  a  large  proportion  of  the  nymphs  and  some  of  the  adults 
could  be  killed  by  careful  spraying,  even  in  July,  with  soap  and 
water  (i  lb.  in  4  gallons). 

The  San  Jose  scale-insect  has  increased  with  great  rapidity 
during  the  season,  and  the  severity  of  the  winter,  which  killed 
the  peach  buds  and  the  injured  trees,  seemed  to  have  no  unusual 
effect  on  these  insects.  In  fact,  a  much  larger  percentage  sur- 
vived than  was  the  case  the  preceding  winter.     Fifty-six  new 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  ly 

infested  localities  have  been  discovered  during  the  year.  Some- 
thing like  40.000  trees  in  Connecticut  have  been  sprayed  with 
the  lime  and  sulphur  mixtures  during  the  past  season.  The 
results  were  generally  satisfactory.  To  go  into  details  here 
regarding  the  treatment  against  this  insect  Avould  be  to  antici- 
pate the  subject  which  our  Secretary  has  given  a  place  on  the 
program  of  this  meeting. 

It  has  not  as  yet  been  possible  to  obtain  from  the  authorities 
at  Washington  any  of  the  Chinese  lady-beetles  for  Connecticut, 
though  the  application  was  made  more  than  two  years  ago  and 
has  been  several  times  renewed. 

The  tent  caterpillar,  Clisiocainpa  americana  Harr.,  was  abun- 
dant throughout  the  northern  and  central  portions  of  the  State, 
in  some  sections  the  nests  being  extremely  common.  Many  of 
the  caterpillars  died,  however,  before  reaching  maturity,  accord- 
ing to  reports  received  by  your  Committee  too  late  to  examine 
material  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  death,  though  the  circum- 
stances indicated  the  presence  of  the  bacterial  disease  which  is 
known  to  attack  the  caterpillars. 

The  injuries  from  the  codling  moth,  Carpocapsa  pomonclla 
Linn.,  were  about  what  we  expect  each  year,  and  the  apple 
maggot,  Rhagolctis  pomoncUa  Walsh.,  was  very  destructive  in 
some  sections  of  the  State.  This  latter  insect  is  a  difficult  one 
to  control  as  it  is  out  of  the  reach  of  sprays  and  we  must  rely 
upon  the  choice  varieties  and  the  destruction  of  infested  fruit. 
The  codling  moth  can  be  controlled  by  spraying  with  the 
arsenites. 

The  seventeen-year  locust  or  periodical  cicada  was  expected 
to  make  its  appearance  in  Connecticut  during  the  season,  but  I 
have  been  unable  to  obtain  a  single  record  of  its  occurrence, 
though  it  has  been  reported  from  Rhode  Island. 

Two  new  beneficial  insects  have  been  brought  into  the  State, 
which  we  hope  may  prove  of  considerable  value,  as  they  feed 
upon  other  insects,  chiefly  injurious  ones.  Both  belong  to  the 
order  Orthoptera,  and  the  family  Mantidce.  The  European 
Praying  3ilantis,  Montis  rcligiosa  Linn.,  is  about  2)^  inches 
long,  green  or  brown  in  color,  and  has  become  firmly  estab- 
lished in  the  vicinity  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  It  was,  ]:)robably, 
introduced  from  Europe  in  shipments  of  nursery  stock.  The 
Chinese  Mantis,  Tenodera  sinensis  Saus.,  has  evidently  been 
accidentally   introduced  into  Connecticut,  as   egg-masses  were 


1 8  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

found  near  New  Haven,  in  the  fall,  after  spring  importation  of 
plants  from  Japan.  Another  eg-g-mass  was  found  in  the  same 
locality  last  summer.  This  insect  has  also  been  introduced 
accidentally  into  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  and  has  become 
well  established  near  Philadelphia.  The  Chinese  Mantis  is  about 
four  inches  long,  and  when  young  feeds  voraciously  upon  plant 
lice.  Both  of  these  insects  rest  upon  the  leaves  and  stems  of 
plants  and  trees,  and  devour  caterpillars,  and  other  insects  that 
happen  to  come  along.  A  number  of  egg-masses  of  each  have 
been  procured,  and  these  will  be  distributed  in  Connecticut. 
Some  will  be  hatched  in  the  greenhouse,  where  observations 
can  be  made  upon  their  habits  and  life  stages. 

In  bringing  this  report  to  an  end,  your  Committee  desires  to 
call  attention  to  .the  fact  that  certain  criticisms  have  been  made 
of  the  Connecticut  Insect  Law.  I  refer  particularly  to  the  report 
of  the  legislative  committee  of  the  American  Association  of 
Nurserymen  published  in  the  National  Niirserymaii  for  Octo- 
ber, 1903.  Some  of  you  have  read  the  article.  The  point 
of  the  argument  is  that  any  law  obliging  nurseryman  outside  of 
our  State  to  fumigate  their  stock  before  sending  it  into  this  State, 
which  does  not  require  the  same  treatment  of  Connecticut-grown 
stock,  would  probably  be  ruled  as  unconstitutional  by  the  courts 
as  an  attempted  regulation  of  interstate  commerce.  If  our  law  is 
liable  to  be  attacked  on  these  grounds,  would  it  not  be  well  to 
instruct  our  Committee  on  Legislation,  even  at  this  meeting,  to 
plan  for  such  changes  and  amendments  in  the  law  at  the  next 
session  of  the  Legislature  as  seems  best  to  remedy  the  defect? 
There  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  a  law  compelling  all  nur- 
serymen to  fumigate  certain  kinds  of  stock ;  but  other  kinds 
should  be  exempt.  The  Chairman  of  your  Committee,  who  is 
also  State  Entomologist  and  is  in  charge  of  the  inspection 
work,  will  be  glad  to  confer  with  your  Legislative  Committee, 
or  with  any  nurseryman  or  fruit  grower,  regarding  the  pro- 
posed changes,  in  order  to  put  our  law  in  the  best  possible  shape 
for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  enacted — the  protection  of  our 
pomological  interests. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

W.  E.  Britton,  New  Haven,  Chainnan. 

E.  R.  Bennett,  Storrs. 

J.  AI.  Whittlesey,  Morris. 

Coimnittcc  on  Injurious  Insects. 


rillRTF.I'.XTIl   ANNUAL   MEETING.  19 

The  report  of  the  Committee  was  duly  accepted. 

President  Gulley:  I  notice  i\lr.  J.  H.  Hale  in  the  room 
now.  We  would  like  to  hear  a  report  from  him  for  the  Com- 
mittee on  Markets  and  Transportation. 

}k[R.  Hale  :  As  to  the  market,  why,  the  market  for  1903  was 
right  here,  hut  we  fruit  growers  didn't  have  any  fruit  to  sup- 
ply it  with.  Therefore,  we  did  not  have  any  need  tO'  bother 
with  transportation  matters. 

I  have  recently,  or  just  before  the  great  freeze,  been  in  con- 
ference with  the  general  freight  agent  of  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  & 
H.  R.  R..  and  he  stated  if  Ave  were  to  have  an  extensive  fruit 
crop  in  Connecticut  this  year,  he  would  like  to  have  us  as  early 
in  the  season  as  possible  make  a  reasonable  estimate  of  how 
much  there  might  be  from  the  different  stations  and  then  notify 
the  railroad  company,  that  they  might  have  opportunity  to  pre- 
pare for  cars.  He  stated  that  in  1901,  when  we  had  a  large 
crop,  they  did  not  have  notice  enough  to  handle  it  right.  This 
is  a  comparatively  new  industry  and  we  should  every  year 
give  them  plenty  of  notice.  It  is  also  probable  that  the  rates 
will  be  somewhat  higher  in  the  future  than  in  the  past.  It  is 
claimed  that  in  the  past  the  way  the  railroad  company  has 
handled  the  fruit  has  not  been  at  a  profit  to  themselves.  A  rail- 
road company  is  not  a  charitable  institution  and  it  must  pay 
dividends  to  the  stockholders.  But  they  will  be  glad  to  coop- 
erate with  us  at  reasonable  rates. 

Report  of  Committee  was  accepted. 


Xext  in  order  came  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Fungous 
Diseases,  which  was  presented  in  an  excellent  paper  by  the 
Chairman,  Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton,  as  follows  : 

Report  on  Fungous  Diseases  of  1903. 

The  Committee  on  Fungous  Diseases  makes  the  following- 
report  for  the  past  season.  There  are  included  in  this  account 
those  troubles  that  have  been  especially  prominent ;  those  that 
are  new  or  unusual,  and  brief  mention  of  important  diseases 
that  have  been  less  conspicuous  than  usual.  There  are  also 
included  two  or  three  troubles  that  are  not  of  fungous  origin. 

The  season  of   1903  was  in  many  respects  an  unusual  one 


20  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

as  to  weather  conditions,  and  these  usually  resulted  unfavorably 
rather  than  favorably  to  plant  growth.  On  December  9,  1902, 
occurred  the  sudden  zero  weather  following  an  open  fall.  The 
first  manifest  injury  was  the  discovery  of  the  dead  peach  fruit 
buds ;  later  it  was  found  that  fruit  trees,  especially  the  apple 
and  peach,  had  also  suffered.  Then  there  was  a  very  wet  April, 
a  dry  May,  and  a  wxt  June.  These  extremes  had  pronounced 
effect  on  germination  and  subsequent  plant  growth,  with  also 
some  effect  on  the  development  of  fungous  troubles  that  start 
during  these  months.  July  and  August  were  months  of  fairly 
good  weather,  though  the  middle  of  August  had  its  blight  week 
for  the  potato,  and  both  months  were  too  cool  and  moist  for 
melons.  September  developed  the  gale  that  relieved  many  of 
the  trouble  of  picking  their  apples,  pears  and  quinces.  The 
season  was  ended  with  late  killing  frosts,  thus  atoning  some- 
what for  its  backwardness.  On  the  whole,  the  year  was  one 
very  favorable  for  the  development  of  bacterial  troubles  and 
perhaps  up  with  the  average  for  its  allotment  of  those  of  a 
fungous  nature.  Let  us  briefly  consider  those  occurring  on  our 
most  prominent  fruits. 

Apple. 

Black  Rot  (Spluvropsis  Maloriiiii).  This  is  responsible  for 
cankered  areas  on  the  larger  branches  and  for  the  death  of 
the  young  twigs.  The  rot  of  ripe  fruit  is  also  often  due  to 
it.  On  the  foliage  it  causes  roundish  brown  spots.  An  exam- 
ination of  leaves  from  a  good  many  localities  during  1902-3 
showed  that  this  was  largely  responsible  for  the  leaf  spot  that 
has  been  so  common.  The  same  kind  of  spots,  however,  may 
be  produced  by  spraying,  under  some  conditions,  especially 
when  insecticides  are  used  with  Bordeaux  or  used  alone. 

Blight  (BaciUiis  aiiiykn'onis).  The  bacterial  blight  that  kills 
the  young  twigs  during  spring  and  early  summer  was  evident 
the  past  year.  These  dead  twigs  have  much  the  same  appear- 
ance of  those  killed  by  the  preceding  fungus,  but  can  usually 
be  told  by  the  blacker  color.  The  germs  of  this  disease  are 
carried  by  the  bees  in  their  pollination  excursions.  This  was 
illustrated  in  a  young  orchard  at  Shaker  Station,  where  the 
blight  was  most  evident  in  the  trees  nearest  where  bees  were 
kept. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  21 

European  Canker  {Neetria  ditissiiiia).  As  a  result  of  the 
field  meeting  at  Andover,  specimens  were  secured  for  the  first 
time  of  the  European  Canker.  It  has  also  been  reported  else- 
where. The  fungus  causes  curious  distortions  of  the  branches, 
that  enlarge  from  year  to  year  as  a  result  of  injury  to  the 
new  wood.  The  trouble  is  to  be  looked  for  in  older  orchards. 
Proper  pruning  and  painting  of  cut  surfaces  should  control  it. 

Rust  {Gy}uiiosporaiigiu)n  sps.).  The  dry  May  was  unfavor- 
able for  infection  of  apple  leaves  by  cedar  rusts.  It  seemed 
to  be  less  prevalent  than  in  the  preceding  year.  The  preference 
these  fungi  show  for  certain  varieties  was  shown  by  a  visit 
to  a  local  nursery.  The  Wealthy  and  Fallowater  were  badly 
rusted,  but  the  other  varieties,  side  by  side  with  these,  were 
free. 

Scab  (Ventura  iiurqualis).  May  is  also  a  very  critical  time 
for  the  first  infection  of  scab.  A  wet,  cold  month  is  the  ideal 
condition  for  its  development,  and  this  is  what  we  did  not  have 
this  year.  The  wet  June,  however,  was  favorable  for  its  spread. 
On  the  whole,  scab  seemed  not  so  abundant  this  year  as  last. 

Baldwin  Spot  is  a  trouble  that  shows  as  small  sunken  spots 
on  the  exterior  of  the  apple,  or  as  discolored  patches  scattered 
within  the  flesh.  It  is  now  generally  believed  not  to  be  of 
fungous  origin,  but  possibly  due  to  the  collapse  of  the  tissues 
as  a  result  of  the  loss  of  water.  This  puts  it  among  the  physio- 
logical troubles.  The  bruised  condition  of  apples,  as  a  result 
of  the  September  gale  and  the  generally  unfavorable  season, 
were  probably  factors  in  making  this  trouble  more  serious  than 
usual. 

Winter  Injury.  The  most  serious  trouble  of  the  apple  the 
past  year  was  that  due  to  the  December  freeze.  The  general 
effects  can  be  but  briefly  indicated  here.  In  nurseries,  especially 
where  trees  went  into  the  winter  in  an  unseasonable  condition 
due  to  the  late  fall  coupled  with  late  cultivation,  the  injury 
was  most  severe.  Often  the  trees  were  killed  outright  or  so 
severely  injured  as  to  be  of  little  value.  Curiously,  the  injury 
was  usually  confined  to  the  wood,  the  bark  and  cambium 
remaining  uninjured.  The  wood  showed  this  injury  by  the 
dark  color  it  assumed,  which  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the 
healthy  wood  that  was  developed  around  it  during  the  season. 
When  such  trees  were  transplanted,  the  unfavorable  weather 


22  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

conditions  of  an  alternately  dry  and  wet  spring  finished  the 
career  of  many.  In  the  commercial  orchards,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  winter  injury  to  the  trees  showed  itself  in  another 
way.  On  trees  usually  from  four  to  twelve  years,  the  bark 
and  cambium  were  killed  in  patches,  usually  at  the  base  of  the 
tree  and  most  frequently  on  northern  exposures.  These  dead, 
irregular  areas  were  sharply  marked  ofif  from  the  uninjured 
bark,  usually  by  a  fissure.  Most  frequently  they  formed  an 
elongated  area  extending  upward  for  a  foot  or  two.  In  some 
cases  they  completely  girdled  the  trees.  Such  trees,  if  not 
examined  carefully  in  the  spring,  looked  all  right  and  put  out 
an  abundance  of  foliage.  In  July,  however,  the  leaves  began 
to  drop  and  the  injury  became  very  evident.  The  writer  saw 
one  orchard  that  was  practically  ruined.  The  owner  did  not 
discover  the  injury  until  the  leaves  began  to  drop  in  July.  He 
was  so  impressed  with  the  character  of  the  injured  bark  and  the 
suddenness  of  the  appearance  of  the  trouble,  that  he  half  sus- 
pected that  some  enemy  had  poured  chemicals  on  the  tree 
trunks. 

Currant. 

Anthracnose  (Glccosporiuiii  Ribis).  The  most  troublesome 
fungous  pest  of  the  currant  in  Connecticut  is  anthracnose.  Xot 
infrequently  one  sets  bushes  that  have  been  completely  defoli- 
ated by  August.  As  it  is  a  trouble  that  is  said  to  yield  to 
proper  spraying  earlier  in  the  season,  much  of  the  injury  could 
be  averted. 

Gooseberry. 

Pozvdery  Mildew  (SphccrotJieea  Mois-iizrc).  One  of  the 
most  serious  troubles  of  the  gooseberry  is  tlie  powdery  mildew. 
Very  curiously  it  has  never  been  discussed  in  the  Reports  of 
the  Connecticut  Experiment  Station  and  there  exist  no  speci- 
mens of  it  in  the  herbarium.  It  is  one  of  the  few  prominent 
economic  fungi  that  the  writer  has  not  found  during  the  past 
two  years.  Attention  is  called  to  it  here  in  the  hope  that  those 
troubled  with  it  will  send  in  specimens  during  the  coming  year. 
The  European  varieties  are  said  to  be  most  susceptible  to  its 
attack.  That  it  has  proved  injurious  in  the  State  in  the  past, 
is  shown  by  an  article  written  years  ago  by  Dr.  Barratt  of 
Middletown  and  published  in  the  Trans,  of  the  Conn.  Agr.  Soc. 
He  notes  its  occurrence  here  as  far  back  as  1837. 


TinRTiiiiXTn  .ixxr.iL  meeting.  23 

Grape. 

Black  Rot  (Cniignardiia  Bidtcclii).  This  trouble  seems  to 
have  been  worse  last  year  than  the  year  before,  especially  in 
vineyards  that  have  not  been  sprayed  from  year  to  year. 

JViiitcr  Injury.  A  peculiar  case  of  what  appears  to  have  been 
winter  injury  resulting  from  the  December  freeze  occurred  on 
European  grapes  grown  under  glass  at  New  Haven.  The 
injured  vines  sent  out  a  conspicuous  morbid  knotted  growth, 
usually  near  their  base.  As  the  trouble  has  been  reported 
before  in  this  country  on  grapes  grown  out-doors,  attention  is 
called  to  it  here  in  the  hope  of  receiving  further  information. 

Musk  Melon. 

Downy  Mildew.  (Plasmopara  Cubensis),  etc.  The  past  sea- 
son has  been  very  unfavorable  for  musk  melons  aside  from 
any  fungous  trouble.  The  seed  came  up  poorly  and  the  wet, 
cold  weather  retarded  the  growth  of  the  vines.  The  middle 
of  August  found  no  melons  ready  for  the  market  and  few  home- 
grown ones  found  their  way  there  later.  The  downy  mildew 
which  has  proved  so  serious  for  several  years  past,  was  later 
in  appearing  and  less  destructive  last  year  than  the  previous 
year.  Anthracnose,  leaf  mold  and  wilt,  however,  were  perhaps 
more  common  than  usual.  A  new  trouble,  called  scab,  that 
causes  sunken  areas  on  the  vines  and  fruit,  which  become  cov- 
ered with  an  olive  moldy  growth,  appeared  in  early  August  and 
did  some  damage.  On  the  whole,  spraying  last  season  was 
not  very  satisfactory,  partially  because  of  unfavorable  weather 
conditions  to  induce  proper  growth.  The  lateness  and  mild- 
ness of  the  attack  of  the  mildew  may  indicate  that  it  is  dis- 
appearing just  as  it  did  some  years  ago.  If  this  is  the  case, 
melon  growers  need  hardly  become  so  discouraged  as  to  give 
up  their  culture  as  some  are  doing. 

Peach. 

Brozi'n  Rot  (Sclerotinia  friictif^eiia).  As  there  were  very  few 
peaches  last  year  their  fungous  troubles  did  not  attract  especial 
attention.  The  trouble  that  is  usually  most  serious,  brown  rot, 
was  much  less  destructive  than  usual,  especially  to  early  varie- 
ties.      As  this   fungus  likes  to  play  havoc  where  the  peaches 


24  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

are  thickest,  probably  the  Hght  crop  had  something  to  do  with 
its  moderation ;  the  weather,  too,  at  the  time  of  the  earher 
pickings  was  less  favorable  for  its  development. 

Scab.  On  the  other  hand,  scab  seemed  to  be  more  conspic- 
uous than  usual.  Most  of  the  peaches  on  the  market  were  more 
or  less  affected  with  it.  Some  growers  who  sprayed  their 
orchards  with  lime,  sulphur  and  salt  for  the  San  Jose  scale 
seem  to  think  that  this  insecticide  also  has  considerable  fungi- 
cidal value  in  lessening  the  scab.  As  this  fungus  lives  on  the 
twigs  as  well  as  on  the  fruit  and  leaves,  there  is  not  much 
question  but  that  a  winter  spray  has  value  in  keeping  it  down 
somewhat. 

Bacterial  Spot.  An  apparently  new  trouble  of  the  peach  was 
sent  to  the  Station  for  the  first  time  last  year.  This  was  a 
bacterial  disease  that  caused  a  spotting  of  the  leaves  similar 
to  the  common  shot-hole  trouble  caused  by  various  agents,  as 
scab,  spraying,  etc.  As  the  season  was  unusually  favorable  for 
the  development  of  bacterial  troubles,  little  anxiety  is  felt  that 
this  will  become  a  serious  one. 

Winter  Injury.  As  stated  before,  the  peach  also  suffered 
from  the  freeze  of  December  9.  This  manifested  itself  in  the 
death  of  the  flower  buds  and  some  of  the  young  twigs  and  in  less 
serious  injury  to  the  wood  of  the  branches.  The  death  of  the 
fruit  buds  was  soon  discovered,  but  the  injury  to  the  wood 
was  usually  overlooked  by  the  growers,  though  it  was  easily 
shown  when  the  injured  branches  were  cut  across.  This 
showed  as  darker  streaks  in  the  wood,  becoming  more  evident 
and  general  toward  the  ends  of  the  branches  and  often  ending 
in  the  dead  twigs.  It  is  a  question  just  how  much  this  injury- 
amounted  to.  In  most  cases  the  foliage  put  forth  by  the  trees 
was  excellent.  Where  the  injury  was  most  severe,  however, 
even  if  it  did  not  show  in  the  foliage,  the  annual  growth  made 
by  the  wood  was  lessened.  Those  trees  that  were  severely 
pruned  seemed  to  make  a  greater  growth  of  wood  than  those 
that  were  not.  The  question  arises,  are  the  results  of  such 
injury  always  manifest  the  first  year,  and  may  they  not  by 
enfeebling  the  tree  show  in  later  years  as  yellows  or  other  per- 
plexing troubles? 


THIKTEEXTn   ./.VATJL    MEETIXG.  25 

Pear. 

Blight  i^Bacilltis  (Diiyloz'onis).  There  was  more  blight  in 
pears  last  year  than  the  previous  year,  though  this  did  not  become 
a  serious  trouble. 

Black  Mold  (Fiiiiiago  vagatis).  Because  of  injury  started 
early  in  the  season  by  the  pear  psylla  and  apple  louse  the  leaves 
of  these  trees  became  coated  with  the  black  mold  which  grows 
in  the  honey  dew  secreted  by  such  insects.  Because  it  was  so 
conspicuous  some  growers  were  afraid  of  this  fungus.  How- 
ever, its  growth  on  the  leaf  is  superficial  and  it  can  scarcely 
be  classed  as  a  parasite.  The  injury  to  the  leaves  was  due  to 
the  insects,  though  very  often  this  was  not  noticed  until  they 
had  disappeared. 

Rot.  Pears  seemed  to  keep  poorly  last  season,  starting  to  rot 
in  many  cases  soon  after  being  gathered.  These  ripe  fruit-rots 
are  due  to  a  number  of  fungi. 

Plum. 

Black  Knot  (PloTirigJitia  niorboso).  From  the  number  of 
complaints,  black  knot  was  more  prevalent  than  usual.  It  seems 
to  be  as  bad  now  on  the  Japanese  varieties  as  on  the  native. 

Oniiicc. 

Blight  {Bacillus  ainylozvrus).  The  quince,  apparently,  suf- 
fered more  from  the  blight  than  either  the  pear  or  the  apple. 
Proper  attention  to  winter  pruning  would  no  doubt  lessen  this 
trouble  where  serious. 

Black  Rot  {Sphccropsis  Maloruvi).  The  black  rot  on  the 
quince  seems  to  be  most  injurious  to  the  fruit.  The  rotting  of 
quinces  is  due  chiefly  to  this  fungus  and  the  brown  rot,  both 
of  which  were  more  or  less  common  last  year. 

Leaf  Blight  (Entomosporium  maculatum).  This  is  a  trouble 
that  is  usually  present,  but  Ave  have  no  especial  data  concerning 
it  last  season. 

Raspberry. 

Cane  Blight  (Sphccrella  ruhina).  The  raspberry,  especially 
the  blackcap,  like  the  musk  melon,  seems  to  be  having  a  rather 
hard  time  in  Connecticut.  I  wish  to  call  attention  to  a  trouble 
of  the  raspberry  that  seems  to  be  rather  common  here,  though 
it   has   attracted  little  attention.       This   cane  blight   shows   in 


26  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

late  spring-  or  early  snniiner  as  purplish  patches  on  the  young 
canes,  beginning  at  the  lower  nodes  and  appearing  higher  as 
the  leaves  drop  off.  These  spots  eventually  run  into  each  other 
somewhat.  In  the  fall  and-  succeeding  winter  these  canes 
become  whitish,  and  by  spring  are  dotted  with  the  small,  black, 
mature  fruiting  pustules  that  spread  the  disease  to  the  young 
canes.  While  this  trouble  does  not  kill  the  canes  it  undoubtedl\- 
aft'ects  their  fruitfulness  and  vigor.  There  is  another  cane 
blight  that  causes  more  evident  injury  to  the  canes  as  it  often 
girdles  them  with  a  dead  area,  causing  the  parts  above  to  wilt. 
Some  of  our  growers  have  been  seriously  bothered  by  the  fruit 
wilting  about  the  time  of  maturity,  l)ut  I  have  not  yet  ascertained 
whether  this  latter  trouble  has  been  responsible  for  this. 

Yellozvs.  There  is  another  trouble  common  in  our  raspberry 
which  has  very  properly  been  termed  the  yellows.  This  seems 
to  be  a  physiological  trouble,  and  is  characterized  by  sickly 
looking  foliage  which  is  usually  streaked  with  yellow  and  more 
or  less  curled.  Very  often  this  appearance  is  seen  in  vines 
also  affected  with  the  cane  blight.  It  may  be,  in  some  cases, 
a  lack  of  proper  plant  food  that  is  responsible  for  the  trouble. 

Strazvbcrry. 

Frosty  Spot.  The  last  host  with  which  we  have  to  deal  is 
the  strawberr}'.  No  serious  trouble  has  been  reported  for  this 
the  past  season.  The  effect  of  the  late  fall  fruiting  remains  to 
be  disclosed  next  summer.  There  was,  however,  one  curious 
trouble  shown  late  in  the  fall  in  some  patches  near  New-  Haven. 
I  have  called  this  frosty  spot,  because  the  appearance  was  not 
unlike  frost  or  the  mildew  fungus  on  the  upper  surface  of  the 
leaves.  This  appearance  was  evidently  due  to  the  flaking  up 
of  the  cuticle  and  eventually  to  the  rupture  of  the  epidermal 
cells  when  the  frosty  appearance  gave  way  to  dead  brown  spots. 
The  trouble  w^as  a  physiological  one,  no  doubt  induced  by 
peculiar  weather  conditions  coupled,  perhaps,  with  the  method 
of  cultivation,  the  trouble  being  most  pronounced  in  young 
plants  grown  between  rows  of  early  potatoes.  The  trouble  was 
called  to  the  attention  of  the  writer  by  growers  who  feared  it 
might  be  the  beginning  of  a  serious  fungous  disease. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

G.  P.  Clinton,  New  Haven,  CJiainiiaii. 


TUlKTEliNTH  ANNCAI.    MIAiTING.  27 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  report  Dr.  Chnton  ofifcred  the  fol- 
lowing recommendation  : 

The  Committee  on  I'ungons  Diseases  recommends  that  this 
Society  at  its  next  annual  exhibition  of  fruits  held  in  the  fall, 
include  among  its  preijiiums  a  first  premium  of  $5  and  a  second 
of  $3  for  the  two  best  collections  of  fungous  diseases  made  the 
conring  year  on  the  following  plants :  apple,  blackberry,  cherry, 
currant,  gooseberry,  grape,  musk  melon,  peach,  pear,  plum, 
quince,  raspberry,  strawberry  ;  that  these  premiums  be  open  to 
anyone  in  the  State  and  without  entrance  fee ;  that  they  be 
awarded  on  the  neatness  with  which  the  collections  are  pre- 
pared and  displayed,  the  variety  of  diseases  shown  and  the 
accuracy  with  which  they  are  named  by  common  name.  If 
the  competition  should  prove  successful,  the  Committee  further 
recoiumends  that  this  be  made  an  annual  feature  which  might 
also  be  extended  to  include  similar  premiums  for  insect  pests. 
If  this  recommendation  is  authorized  by  the  Society,  the  Com- 
mittee has  assurance  that  the  funds  for  the  first  year's  premiums 
have  already  been  provided. 

Mr.  J.  M.  HuHBARD :  I  move  this  report  be  accepted  and  placed 
on  file,  and  I  would  like  also  to  move  that  the  recommendation  of 
the  Committee  be  adopted.  I  don't  know  how  it  appears  to 
others,  but  it  seems  to  me  this  is  an  important  matter. 

Motion  seconded  and  passed.  • 

The  Committee  on  New  Fruits  reported  that  owing  to  the 
unusual  scarcity  of  fruit  last  season,  they  were  unable  to 
examine  any  new  varieties  of  special  value. 


President  Gclley  :  I  believe  that  finishes  the  reports  of 
committees. 

According  to  the  program,  we  are  now  to  have  a  short  paper 
on  "How  to  Secure  Clear- Skinned  Fruit,"  l)y  I\lr.  E.  M.  Ives 
of  Meriden.  This  is  a  very  important  question  in  connection 
with  our  business,  and  on  which  largely  rests  the  profits.  I 
might  say,  Mr.  Ives  has  furnished  us  with  some  nice  clear- 
skinned  fruit  for  our  exhibit  at  St.  Louis,  and  I  presume  he 
knows  what  he  is  talking  about. 


28  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

How  to  Secure  Clear-Skinned  Fruit. 

The  apple,  which  was  so  fair  to  look  upon  and  so  tempting 
to  Mother  Eve,  has  now  become  the  prey  of  many  enemies,  and 
to  regain  some  of  its  lost  beauty  needs  .to  be  rubbed  up  and 
powdered  now  and  then  with  a  mixture  of  blue  vitriol  and 
lime. 

Apple  scab  and  sooty  fungus  are  the  most  frequent  blemishes 
to  be  found  on  our  apples. 

Scab,  the  worst  fungous  disease,  commonly  known  as  apple 
scab,  or  cracking  of  the  apple,  attacks  both  fruit  and  leaves. 

Where  the  spots  are  large,  the  fruit  may  become  one-sided 
or  ill-shaped  and  frequently  crack  open. 

This  fungus  is  likely  to  get  in  its  work  early  in  the  season, 
for  it  may  develop  enough  to  be  discovered  by  the  naked  eye 
on  unopened  blossom  buds. 

Cold  and  damp  seasons  are  especially  favorable  to  its  early 
development,  and  it  has  been  observed  to  cause  great  injury 
by  destroying  the  blossoms  and  much  of  the  young  fruit,  and 
breeding  black  spots  on  the  remainder.  To  control  the  disease, 
it  is  important  to  begin  treatment  early. 

It  must  be  understood,  that  treatment  for  preventing  the 
germinating  of  the  spores  is  more  effective  than  treatment  for 
kiHing  the  fungus  after  it  becomes  lodged  on  the  foliage  or 
the  fruit. 

Scab,  when  prevalent,  may  be  held  in  check  with  Bordeaux. 
Where  three  sprayings  are  given,  the  first  should  be  after  the 
buds  break  and  before  the  blossoms  open,  the  second  'after  the 
blossoms  fall,  and  the  third  about  two  weeks  later. 

The  Sooty  Blotch  Fungus  on  the  Apple. 

This  is  a  disease  in  which  the  skin  of  the  fruit  is  covered 
with  spots  and  blotches  of  a  fine  black  mold,  giving  the  fruit 
a  dirty,  unsightly  appearance. 

As  the  mold  grows  only  on  the  surface  of  the  fruit,  it  does 
no  injury  to  the  apple  except  to  impair  its  selling  qualities; 
the  brightness  is  gone,  the  market  value  of  the  affected  fruit 
lessened.  This  disease  is  widespread,  evidently,  as  it  is  men- 
tioned as  prevalent  in  New  England,  the  Hudson  \''alley  and 
throughout  New  York  state  and  westward  into  Ohio,  where 
it  has  frequently  in  the  past  been  referred  to. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


29 


It  has  boon  nl)sor\-0(l  that  this  fungus  dovelops  and  spreads 
more  rapidly  late  in  the  season,  and  does  not  menace  the  crop, 
as  does  the  scab,  by  its  earlier  work. 

Under  favorable  conditions,  the  sooty  fungus  will,  doubtless, 
attack  most  varieties  of  apples  and  some  kinds  of  pears,  but  this 
fungus  can  be  controlled  by  Bordeaux. 

The  blotches  are  round  in  outline,  pale  at  first,  but  later  sootv 
black. 

The  spots  make  the  apple  dull,  unsightly  and  less  salable 
except  at  lower  prices.  Apples  covered  with  it  are  very  apt  to 
become  shriveled  and  soft  after  being  stored  late  into  the  season 
under  ordinary  storage. 

As  the  mold  grows  upon  the  surface  of  the  skin,  it  does 
no  harm  to  the  flesh  of  the  fruit,  but  the  brightness  is  impaired 
and  the  market  value  lowered. 

I  do  not  need  to  call  attention  to  it  here  in  Connecticut,  it  is 
self-evident  to  most  of  us. 

It  is  troublesome  in  orchards  having  poor  air  drainage,  and 
thrives  best  in  damp,  shady  places. 

In  some  cases  it  may  be  largely  checked  bv  thorough  prun- 
ing, so  that  the  fruit  gets  much  sun  and  good  circulation  of  air 
through  the  tree. 

This  is  an  old  enemy  in  a  wet  season,  particularly  last  season, 
when  it  was  very  much  in  evidence.  As  the  latter  end  of  the 
season  was  rainy  and  cloudy,  just  the  right  conditions  prevailed 
for  its  spread. 

I  believe  more  work  will  be  required  to  get  rid  of  it  than 
for  the  scab. 

Late  Spraying. 

The  usral  sprayings  recommended,  some  seasons,  like  the 
past,  have  not  checked  the  fungus,  as  it  usually  does,  and 
some  are  thinking  that  a  later  spraying  or  tw^o  may  have  to  be 
given  in  late  summer,  perhaps  August  ist  or  earlier,  and  would 
be  found  beneficial  :  this,  to  my  knowledge,  has  not  been 
tested  yet. 

Since  the  lime,  sulphur  and  salt  mixture  has  been  used  for 
winter  treatment  for  the  San  Jose  scale  on  the  peach,  it  has 
also  been  found  to  drive  out,  in  a  large  measure,  the  peach  scab. 
Since  the  apple  scab  is  carried  over  the  winter  on   the  apple 


30  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOWGICAL    SOCIETY. 

tree  and,  possibly,  the  sooty  fungus,  where  the  apple  needs 
spraying  for  the  scale,  I  am  inclined  to  think  we  shall  get 
some  benefit,  indirectly,  in  helping  us  to  secure  cleaner  fruit 
of  both  peach  and  apple. 

As  to  codling  moth  and  other  insect  work,  Palmer  worm, 
which  eats  pockets  out  of  the  fruit  when  small,  these  can  be 
controlled  by  adding  poison  to  the  Bordeaux  mixture  while 
spraying  for  the  scab  and  sooty  fungus. 

After  Mr.  Ives'  paper,  Air.  N.  S.  Platt  said :  ]\Ir.  Presi- 
dent: This  is  a  subject  that  demands  attention  from  us  all  on 
account  of  the  prevalence  of  sooty  fungus.  It  is  a  thing  we 
apparently  have  got  to  make  a  special  effort  to  get  rid  of.  I 
should  say  Air.  Ives'  recommendations  are  right  in  line  with 
what  would  apparently  be  the  best  practice  to  pursue.  This 
is  only  the  starting  point  of  investigation  on  this  subject.  If 
any  of  our  own  people  or  any  visitors  from  other  States  can 
tell  us  anything  about  it,  we  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  them. 
President  Gulley  :  We  should  be  glad  to  have  other  infor- 
mation brought  out  at  this  time.  There  is  no  cjuestion  but  this 
is  important. 

Mr.  Fexn  :  I  neglected  to  spray  three  Baldwin  apples  and 
I  suft'ered  in  consequence.  The  majority  of  the  trees  which 
I  did  spray  had  clean,  nice  fruit,  but  the  ones  I  did  not  spray 
were  in  a  condition  such  as  Mr.  Ives  has  stated.  The  outside 
was  shriveled  and  the  apple  did  not  look  good.  It  showed 
the  damage  caused  by  neglect  to  spray  two  or  three  trees.  _  I 
think  the  spraying  is  really  going  to  be  a  benefit.  It  was  my 
pleasure  to  be  present  at  a  meeting  of  a  Massachusetts  society 
last  spring.  There  were  some  apples  on  exhibition  there  which 
had  been  sprayed  five  or  six  times.  Not  a  blotch  was  found  on 
those  apples.  Those  growers  are  thorough  believers  in  spraying, 
I  think  the  more  of  it  we  do  the  more  we  will  get  clean,  bright 
apples,  and  the}^  will  certainly  command  a  better  price. 

President  Gulley  :  Which  was  the  most  serious  with  you, 
the  black  fungus  or  the  scab? 

Answer  :  The  black  fungus. 

President  Gulley:  We  have  a  few  moments  now,  and  if 
there  is  anything  you  would  like  to  bring  up,  you  can  do  so  at 
this  time. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


31 


A  ]\1emi!Kr:  i  wtnild  like  to  call  for  question  No  22,  on  the 
printed  list:  "What  about  "Tyrox'  (Bowkers)  as  compared 
with  home-made  Bordeaux  mixture  for  spraying?" 

]\Ir.  N.  S.  Pr.ATT :  I  have,  from  year  to  year,  received  circu- 
lars descrihing  '"Pyrox."  1  have  figured  it  out  and  found  it 
would  cost  about  twice  as  nuich  as  Bordeaux  for  the  same 
amount.  I  know,  however,  of  a  certain  orchard  where  they 
have  used  it  for  several  years,  and  they  have  had  nice  crops 
there,  clean  and  nice  looking.  The  fruit  hung  on  and  the 
leaves  were  retained  on  the  trees.  So  it  has  been  successful 
on  this  mature  orchard.  It  has  borne  better  crops  for  the  last 
three  years  since  they  have  used  the  Pyrox. 

Prkstdext  Gulley:  Do  you  know  whether  they  ever  used 
Bordeaux  or  not? 

Answer  :   They  did. 

]\Ir.  Staples  :  I  have  used  Pyrox  in  my  orchard  in  Maine 
with  good  results. 

President  Gulley:  Do  you  know^  anything  about  the 
expense  as  compared  with  Bordeaux? 

Answer  :   I  do  not. 

President  Gulley:  My  own  idea  is  that  it  would  be  an 
expensive  thing.  The  advantage  is  in  having  the  material  in 
shape  for  the  uninitiated  to  handle,  but  it  is  certainly  a  very 
expensive  thing  if  the  members  will  figure  it  out  by  the  barrel. 

]Mr.  Gaylord  :  I  have  used  the  Bordeaux  mixture  on  my  trees 
and  I  find  by  using  the  Lenox  lime  and  also  the  compressed 
air  sprayer,  made  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  I  have  good  success. 
But  I  have  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  slaking  the  lime.  Now 
I  want  to  know  if  it  is  right  to  let  the  lime  settle  to  the  bottom 
of  the  barrel  and  then,  just  use  the  clear  water  remaining  on  top 
and  mixing  that  with  the  vitriol.  That  is  the  only  way  I  could 
get  it  through  the  nozzle  wdthout  clogging.  I  want  to  ask 
the  members  how  they  can  slake  the  lime  so  as  to  make  it  not 
clog  the  nozzle  ? 

A  Member  :   Do  you  strain  it  before  you  put  it  in  ? 

Answer:   Yes,  sir.     Through  two  or  three  kinds  of  cloth. 

A  Member:  Well,  you  don't  want  to  use  cloth.  You  ought 
to  use  a  wire  strainer.     Try  that  and  you  will  have  better  luck. 

]\Ir.  IMoses  :  I  commenced  spraying  about  three  years  ago ; 
I  knew  very  little  about  the  Bordeaux  mixture.     I  used  Pvrox, 


32  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

and  I  found  it  cost  three  times  as  much  and  did  not  spray  quite 
as  well. 

President  Gulley  :  I  think  the  gentleman's  trouble  is  in 
slaking  the  lime.  It  is  certainly  possible  to  slake  the  lime 
properly.  I  think  the  matter  of  the  strainer  is  an  important 
one.  I  know  of  those  made  of  brass  but  not  of  iron,  and  it 
need  not  be  so  very  fine. 

j\Ir.  Clinton  :  It  makes  a  difference  how  the  Bordeaux  is 
made.  You  want  to  dissolve  your  lime,  strain  it  and  then  pour 
in  your  copper  sulphate,  and  when  you  mix  the  materials  in  that 
way  it  will  stand  longer. 

Mr.  Bennett  :  Some  time  before  this  meeting  is  over  I 
want  to  illustrate  how  to  make  Bordeaux  properly. 

President  Gulley  :  This  is  an  important  matter  so  far  as 
suspension  is  concerned.  It  does  not  make  any  difference  really 
in  the  working  of  the  pump. 

At  this  point  a  recess  was  taken  for  dinner. 


AFTERNOON   SESSION. 

The  Convention  reassembled  for  the  afternoon  session  at  1.30. 
When  President  Gulley  called  to  order,  nearly  every  seat  in  the 
hall  was  occupied.  The  large  gathering  manifested  much 
interest  in  the  subjects  under  discussion,  and  every  speaker 
was  listened  to  attentively. 

Doubtless,  many  were  attracted  by  the  very  practical  and 
interesting  nature  of  the  first  topic  of  the  afternoon,  that  of 
utilizing  the  rough  lands  of  Connecticut  for  profitable  fruit 
crops,  and  also  by  the  fact  that  two  such  well-known  horticul- 
turists as  Messrs.  Hale  and  Collingwood  were  to  discuss  it. 

The  President  first  introduced  ]\Ir.  J.  H.  Hale  of  South 
Glastonbury,  who  gave  a  splendid  address,  as  follows : 

Utilizing  Rough  Lands  for  Orchard  Purposes. 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Penological  Society: 

Those  of  you  who  visited  ni)-  farm  last  fall  and  looked  over 
some  of  the  rorgh  work  we  were  attempting  to  do  in  orchard 
planting,  and  have  seen  some  of  the  other  orchards  where  we 


THIRTRRXTH  ANNUAL   MRRTING. 


33 


have  taken  rough  land,  know  I  am  in  it  to  a  certain  extent, 
to  such  an  extent,  in  fact,  tliat  a  distinguished  brother  from  a 
neighboring  State  said,  "Air.  Hale  is  either  a  damn  fool  or 
crazy ;"  and  your  Pomological  Society  last  summer  endorsed 
that  opinion.  It  leaves  me  in  the  position  of  the  colored  man 
in  court.  Senator  Bacon  tells  the  stor}^,  and  he  says  his  first 
case  was  defending  a  negro  for  stealing  chickens.  The  colored 
gentleman  was  on  the  stand,  and  the  opposing  lawyer  said  to 
him  rather  sharply,  ''Are  you  the  defendant  in  this  case?" 
"No,  sah,"  said  the  scared  negro,  "I  ain't  the  defendant,  I'm 
the  fellow  what  stole  the  chickens."  In  this  case,  I  am  the 
fellow  what  stole  the  chickens. 

My  experiments  in  this  line  date  back  some  seven  or  eight 
years  ago,  when  a  rough  piece  of  land  was  offered  me  and  I 
refused  to  take  it  at  any  price.  I  had  been  tilling  land  easily 
ploughed  and  easily  cultivated,  with  only  a  moderate  amount 
of  stones ;  but  later,  needing  more  land,  I  bought  this  tract 
and  cleared  away  the  stone  walls,  and  planted  it,  and  found  it 
not  so  difficult  after  all.  Then,  in  connection  with  my  friend, 
Coleman,  I  bought  a  share  of  two  abandoned  farms,  having 
sixteen  fields,  divided  by  stone  walls  and  then  sub-divided  by 
rocks  every  fifteen  feet  each  way.  We  had  quite  a  time,  I  tell 
you.  The  land  was  quite  well  broken  up  with  ploughs,  but  it 
was  a  difficult  matter  to  till  it.  No  modern  implements  of 
torture  would  work  that  soil  at  all,  and  so  some  improvised  A 
harrows  were  made  out  of  white  oak  that  grew  outdoors,  by 
that  I  mean  trees  that  grow  out  in  a  field  by  themselves ;  if  you 
w^ant  to  have  good  white  oak,  get  that  kind.  And  then  we  used 
Bessemer  steel  teeth.  After  that  we  went  over  the  land.  You 
will  recollect,  I  asked  this  Society  some  time  ago  how  we  should 
till  that  land.  There  were  boulders  from  two  to  five  feet  in 
diameter,  and  anywhere  from  five  to  twenty  of  them  in  the 
square  between  each  tree.  It  did  not  seem  at  that  time  it  was 
possible  to  move  those  stones  at  a  cost  that  would  warrant  the 
outlay,  in  comparison  with  the  final  returns,  but  after  another 
year,  we  began  one  fall  with,  I  think,  eight  horses  and  stone 
drags,  and  worked  from  six  to  eight  weeks  with  twelve  or 
fifteen  men  and  these  teams,  and  moved  the  roughest  of  the 
stones ;  but  even  then,  it  was  hardly  possible  to  drive  on  any 
part  of  that  orchard  with  a  farm  wagon  and  load.  I  think, 
3 


34  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

about  the  end  of  the  fourth  year,  we  did  get  on  so  it  was  pos- 
sible to  drive  around  with  a  team.  Until  two  years  ago  it  was 
entirely  impossible  to  get  around  with  spring  wagons,  but  now 
we  can  do  it  nicely.  Men  were  put  at  work  planting  the  trees, 
and  they  made  a  wonderful  growth  without  any  fertilizer  except 
clover  in  the  late  fall.  This  has  made  a  successful  orchard  so 
far  as  tree  growth  is  concerned.  It  is  planted  with  peaches 
and  apples  interplanted. 

Three  3'ears  ago,  needing  more  land,  I  began  at  home,  and 
wanting  higher  land,  I  bought  some  fifty  acres  of  rough,  partly 
abandoned  pasture  land  and  partly  wood  land,  where  the  timber 
had  been  cut  away,  and  I  began  clearing  that  away  by  taking 
off  the  walls,  blasting  out,  digging  out,  and  in  every  other 
way  getting  out  the  rock  as  well  as  getting  out  the  stumps.  I 
used  some  100  pounds  of  dynamite  to  the  acre.  It  has  taken 
two  years,  or  nearly  three,  to  clear  that  tract  of  land,  although 
.  some  of  it  was  planted  the  first  year,  and  some  of  it  planted 
with  apples  last  fall. 

On  the  adjoining  side  of  the  road  was  a  field  of  75  acres 
on  a  high  hilltop,  nice  fruit  land,  but  covered  with  chestnuts 
and  other  sprouts.  These  were  of  about  eight  years  growth. 
This  last  summer,  I  put  a  number  of  men  in  there  cutting  down 
this  growth.  The  largest  of  the  trees  was  perhaps  eight  inches 
diameter  at  the  base,  the  average  was  probably  not  more  than 
three.  But  we  cut  it  all  down  and  left  it  on  the  ground,  so 
that  it  lay  there  during  July,  August  and  September.  On 
this  ground  was  a  lot  of  decayed  sticks  and  brush  of  the  earlier 
cutting,  and  the  accumulation  of  leaves  for  a  century  or  more. 
When  this  cutting  was  all  done,  along  in  October,  on  a  still  day, 
when  there  was  practically  no  air  or  motion  at  all,  we  started 
a  fire  around  the  edges  of  this  field.  What  wind  there  was  was 
in  the  southeast.  We  started  on  the  west  side,  across  the 
field,  and  then  around  the  south  side.  There  was  a  slow, 
gentle  back  fire  all  the  time  until  we  got  it  started  on  the  south 
side.  Then  in  a  moment  a  hurricane  of  wind  came  and  you 
could  not  hear  yourself  think ;  but  in  an  hour  and  fifty  minutes 
from  the  time  the  match  was  applied  everything  was  clear, 
except  the  rocks.  As  I  said  before,  there  were  a  great  many 
leaves  on  the  ground.  These  leaves  had  made  it  impossible 
for  the  fire  to  get  through,  and  after  the  fire  was  all  gone. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  35 

you  could  walk  over  the  field,  dig  your  toe  in  and  find  fire 
still  there. 

Then  came  the  question.  This  field  had  cost  me  money,  we 
had  spent  some  time  clearing  it,  and  the  cost  of  a  hundred 
pounds  of  dynamite  to  the  acre  stared  me  in  the  face,  as  well 
as  an  empty  bank  account.  I  wanted  to  get  the  grass  growing, 
and  so  I  put  men  at  work  there  on  that  75  acres,  lining  for 
apple  trees.  This  was  difficult  work,  as  sometimes  a  tree 
ought  to  come  right  where  there  was  a  rock.  It  was  not 
possible  to  use  a  spade,  and  so  we  followed  along  with  a  crow- 
bar, and  we  also  used  a  lot  of  dynamite.  The  ground  was 
hard,  and  we  had  to  blow  it  up.  If  a  rock  or  stump  was  in 
the  way,  this  was  the  method  we  pursued.  The  cost  of  dig- 
ging holes  with  dynamite  was  not,  on  the  average,  any  more 
than  digging  with  a  pick  or  spade.  Sometimes  it  would  take 
one-eighth, of  a  pound,  sometimes  one-quarter,  and  sometimes 
even  one-half,  but  the  average  was  not  one-quarter  pound. 
When  the  holes  were  dug  in  that  way  the  field  was  planted 
with  apples,  and  I  have  been  waiting  to  know  what  I  should 
do  to  get  returns.  I  haven't  the  exact  figures,  but  the  cost 
of  the  rough,  rocky  fields  that  have  been  cleared  runs  all  the 
way  from  $200  to  $400  per  acre,  a  pretty  big  proposition,  and 
if  I  thought  I  had  got  to  pay  the  bills  I  would  not  do  it ;  but  I 
am  hoping  the  consumer  of  the  fruit  will  pay  the  bills,  and  I 
am  waiting  for  the  profit.  To  be  sure,  I  advanced  the  money, 
but  I  am  looking  for  it  to  come  back. 

An  Italian  man,  whom  I  had  at  work  with  me  for  some 
years,  said  to  me  one  day,  "Mr.  Hale,  why  you  no  plant 
peaches  in  there?"  I  said,  "It  is  too  rough.  Peaches  won't 
grow  without  tilling."  (I  mean  I  think  so,  Brother  Colling- 
wood.)  But  the  Italian  said,  "You  give  me  the  contract,  and 
I  will  make  them  grow."  I  replied,  "How  are  you  going  to 
dD  it?"  He  said,  "Well,  I  will  put  some  Italian  men  there 
and  we  will  keep  grubbing  and  grubbing,  and  we  will  make 
them  grow.  We  will  make  them  grow  like  h — 1."  So  I  closed 
the  contract  with  him.  I  thought  he  had  said  "make  them 
grow  like  hail"  and  I  felt  pretty  good,  but  I  am  trying  to 
make  them  grow  like  "Hale,"  and  he  is  trying  to  make  them 
grow  like  h — 1  also.  That  is  all  I  can  say  about  it.  These 
fields  cost  a  great  deal  of  money  to  prepare  to  till,  but  they 


36  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

are  rich  in  fertility,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  expend  any 
money  for  fertilizer.  They  are  elevated  and  well  drained,  and 
after  this  past  winter  you  will  know  that  drainage  means  a 
good  deal,  and  also  elevation  means  a  good  deal.  When  you 
find  a  difference  of  twenty  or  thirty  degrees  in  the  temperature, 
and  find  the  buds  alive  at  the  top  of  the  hill  and  killed  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  you  will  see  it  means  something.  On  a  field 
like  this,  you  can  have  good  crops  on  an  off  year,  get  good 
money  for  them  and  then  pay  your  bills,  if  you  are  an  honest 
man.  While  this  Society  has  endorsed  what  the  gentleman  said 
about  my  being  either  a  damn  fool  or  crazy  one,  it  remains  to  be 
seen. 

That,  in  brief,  is  as  far  as  I  have  got.  I  haven't  any  well 
defined  plans  for  the  future.  If  you  ask  me  what  I  shall  do 
next  year,  I  will  tell  you  what  I  hope  to  do,  but  I  cannot  tell 
for  sure.  I  am  satisfied  that  the  rough  lands  of  Connecticut 
can  be  developed  for  horticultural  purposes,  and  they  will 
make  better  lands  than  any  we  own. 

President  Gulley  :  What  do  you  think  you  will  do  next 
year? 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  think  we  shall  take  some  grubbing  hoes  and 
grub  around  those  trees.  If  there  are  any  that  need  taking 
out,  we  will  take  them  out.     I  think  that  is  the  best  we  can  do. 


The  subject  was  continued  by  JMr.  H.  W.  Collingwood,  editor 
of  the  Rural  Nezv-Yorker,  Xew  York,  who  explained  his 
methods  of  planting  and  caring  for  the  trees  in  the  "Rough- 
land  Orchard." 

Planting  and  Care  of  the  Trees. 

By   H.    IV.   Collingixiood. 

Mr.  President  and  Members  of  the  Connecticut  Poinological 
Society: 

I  am  very  glad  to  speak  to  you  to-day.  I  feel  we  have  been 
living  as  neighbors  for  fifty  years,  and  I  like  to  speak  to  a 
Connecticut  audience.  In  one  way  they  are  like  the  gathering 
of  colored  gentlemen.  Colored  gentlemen  say  that  at  a  political 
convention  "every  nigger  has  a  razor  in  his  boot."     Now,  every- 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  37 

one  here  has  a  razor  in  the  end  of  his  tongue,  and  he  can  get 
up  and  tell  a  man  if  he  gets  off  the  track.  I  am  glad  of  that, 
because  I  have  tried  to  put  the  truth  into  what  I  am  to  say  this 
afternoon,  and  the  more  questions  that  are  asked,  the  more  good 
it  is  going  to  do. 

I  am  glad  to  have  a  chance  to  explain  one  thing.  Brother 
Hale  has  had  a  lot  of  fun  with  my  "crowbar  method"  of  plant- 
ing trees.  I  want  to  say  right  here,  that  I  planted  one  thousand 
trees  with  a  crowbar  and  I  will  never  plant  another  that  way 
again.  But  somebody  had  to  go  to  the  expense  of  planting 
a  thousand  trees  with  a  crowbar  to  learn  how  to  do  it. 

Now  I  am  going  to  try  and  show  you  on  the  screen  how 
the  trees  are  growing.  But  first  let  me  say  how  I  came 
to  attempt  this  work.  For  a  long  time  I  have  thought,  with 
all  due  respect  for  our  horticultural  brethren  here,  who  have 
been  verv  successful  at  the  experiment  stations  and  agricultural 
colleges,  I  have  thought  sometimes  those  men  did  not  get  down 
to  the  natural  conditions  which  surround  the  average  man  on 
the  average  farm.  I  find  as  I  go  through  the  country,  people 
tell  me  they  are  not  going  to  go  into  fruit  culture,  because  it 
costs  too  much,  requires  too  much  capital.  They  thought  it 
an  expensive  thing.  They  thought  they  must  start  with  the 
best  of  soil.  These  ideas  have  gone  out ;  and  when  an  average 
farm  came  into  my  hands  with  average  conditions,  average 
capital,  etc.,  to  carry  it  on,  I  wanted  to  see  if  I  could  make  that 
land,  from  which  five  generations  had  made  a  living  and  the 
sixth  had  run  away,  I  wanted  to  see  if  I  couldn't  take  that  land 
and  make  it  yield  an  income. 

It  was  rough,  stony  land :  you  have  got  some  of  it  here  in 
Connecticut;  I  knew  it  when  a  boy,  and  I  can  tell  you  my  land 
is  as  rough  as  yours.  It  was  all  right  except  it  was  abandoned. 
But  I  had  faith  in  it,  for  I  believe  that  land  which  will  grow 
a  good  chestnut  tree  or  a  good  maple  tree,  with  proper  handling 
will  grow  a  good  apple  tree  or  peach  tree. 

I  have  found  that  the  currant  as  it  ordinarily  grows  and  is 
planted  will  better  stand  hard,  rough,  conditions  than  will  any 
other  fruit  I  have  ever  grown.  It  will  give  year  after  year  a 
better  fruit  than  raspberries  or  strawberries  or  any  other  fruit 
under  the  same  conditions.  I  began  to  try  and  find  why  that 
was,  and  it  seemed  to  me  it  was  largely  the  rooting  of  the  currant 


38  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

that  gave  it  that  advantage.  I  think  our  nurserymen  will  bear 
me  out  in  saying  that  the  currant  has  this  advantage  over  any 
other  small  fruit.  And  when  I  began  planting  the  apple  and 
pear  trees,  etc.,  I  began  to  cut  the  roots  so  that  they  would  come 
as  close  as  possible  to  a  cutting  like  the  currant.  My  trees 
are  now,  I  believe,  long  lived,  vigorous  and  strong. 

Another  thing.  I  have  two  lads  at  home,  not  my  own,  but 
I  want  them  to  start  on  my  farm  and  become  fruit  growers. 
I  want  them  to  be  farmers,  and  it  seemed  to  me  if  I  could 
bring  those  two  little  boys  up  with  a  tree  and  have  them  take 
500  trees  and  1,000  trees  and  use  their  little  hoes  and  grow 
up  to  25  years  of  age  and  then  look  at  those  trees  and  say: 
"I  have  lived  on  this  farm  eighteen  years ;  the  boys  on  the 
next  farm  have  lived  there  eighteen  years,  and  what  have  they 
got  to  show  for  it.  They  have  raised  potatoes,  etc.,  but  to-day 
they  haven't  anything  to  show  for  it.  I  have  my  tree.  It  is 
the  product  of  my  care.  Year  after  year,  slowly  and  gently 
those  trees  have  grown  along  and  I  have  grown  along  with 
them.     They  are  mine." 

Now  I  will  show  you  on  the  screen  how  we  progressed. 

(At  this  point  the  hall  was  darkened  and  a  large  number  of 
pictures  were  thrown  on  the  screen,  descriptive  of  Mr.  Colling- 
wood's  methods  and  trees.  Figures  i  to  5  are  but  a  few  of 
the  many  varieties  shown.) 

I  first  bought  700  June-budded  peach  trees  which  were 
cut  severely  back  at  the  nursery.  They  cam,e  late  in  the 
season,  and  were  cut  back  to  about  12  or  15  inches  of  top, 
and  all  the  side  root's  cut  off  so  as  to  leave  a  stem  below 
ground  as  smooth  as  a  lead  pencil.  As  trimmed  they 
were  put  into  a  bucket  of  water  and  carried  in  this  to  the 
hole.  The  field  was  first  staked  ofif  18  feet  each  way.  Then 
with  an  ordinary  crowbar  holes  were  punched  in  the  sod 
10  inches  or  more  in  depth.  From  an  old  woodchuck's  hole 
sand  was  scooped  up,  and  the  method  of  planting  was  as  fol- 
lows :  The  little  tree  was  put  down  in  the  center  of  the  hole  and 
some  of  the  sand  sifted  down  around  it  to  hold  it  upright. 
Then  sand  and  water  were  poured  around  the  little  tree  until 
the  hole  was  full ;  when  it  was  packed  firm  and  solid.  The 
object  of  this  was  to  exclude  air  from  the  bottom  of  the 
root,  and  pack  the  sand  solidly  around  the  sides  so  that  when 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


39 


the  roots  did  start  they  would  come  from  the  bottom  of  the 
root  in  much  the  same  way  that  a  cutting-  starts.  Of  course 
this  work  was  rapidly  done  and  cost  but  little. 

The  Field;  Care.  The  field  is  an  old  abandoned  brush 
heap  at  the  back  of  the  farm.  It  is  very  light  and  stony,  and 
had  not  been  plowed  for  thirty  years,  as  far  as  I  can  learn.  The 
soil  where  these  peach  trees  are  planted  is  so  poor  that  only 
a  few  coarse  weeds  will  grow.  A  scattering  growth  of  cedars 
and   birches   covers   part  of  the   field,   while  the   rest  is   quite 


Fig.  I. — In  a  crowbar  hole. 

thickly  covered  with  brush  and  small  trees.  The  field  was  not 
cleared  except  that  the  brush  was  mowed  where  the  trees 
stand.  I  planted  the  trees  in  this  crude,  rough  way  because 
I  wanted  to  test  the  peach  under  the  hardest  conditions.  The 
experts  have  clearly  shown  what  high  cultivation  and  heavy 
feeding  on  cleared  land  will  do.  Can  a  man  without  large 
capital  or  competent  help,  and  mostly  by  the  labor  of  his 
own  hands,  raise  good  fruit  on  rough  land?  That  seems 
to  me  one  of  the  most  important  questions  connected  with  fruit 
growing.  It  is  what  I  started  out  to  answer.  I  had  agreed 
with  ]\Ir.  String-fellow  to  hoe  around  these  trees  several  times 


40 


THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY 


during"  the  season,  to  fertilize  them  weH  and  to  cut  grass  and 
brush  to  throw  around  them  as  a  mulch.  As  the  trees  started 
to  grow  I  became  interested  in  another  side  of  it,  and  I  decided 
to  let  them  shift  for  themselves  and  try  the  original  experiment 
elsewhere.  I  therefore  let  most  of  those  trees  alone  until  June, 
then  hoed  around  them  and  gave  each  a  small  handful  of  fer- 
tilizer.    I  will  admit  that  I  tried  hard  to  kill  them  with  neglect. 


Fig.  2. — First  year's  sjrowth. 


except  a  few  which  were  handled  as  I  agreed.  Part  of  these 
trees  were  Mountain  Rose,  which  had  put  out  their  leaves 
before  we  could  plant  them.  We  pruned  these  forward  trees 
as  we  did  the  others,  and  lost  nearly  all  of  them.  I  have  since 
learned  that  this  entire  root-pruning  will  not  answer  when  the 
trees  are  so  far  advanced.  Of  the  trees  with  dormant  buds, 
not  half  a  dozen  died.  They  were  slow  to  start,  and  sent  out 
shoots  from  the  lower  buds,     ^^'e  dug  up  thirty  or  more  at 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


41 


different  times  to  study  their  root  growth.  In  every  case  the 
bottom  of  the  root  had  calloused  over  and  little  tap  roots  had 
formed,  which  started  straight  down  into  the  soil.  The  ordi- 
nary branched  or  surface  roots  which  are  found  when  a  tree 
with  long  roots  is  set  in  a  large  hole  were  not  found  on  these 
little  trees.  Later  in  their  growth  a  mass  of  feeding  roots 
appear,  and  run  out  all  over  the  upper  soil.  These  trees  made, 
without  any  question,  a  deeper  rooting  system  than  the  ones 
I  planted  wath  long  roots  in  large  holes.  This  was  to  be 
expected,  since  there  was  no  chance  for  the  first  roots  to  go 


Fig.  3. — A  mulch  of  stones. 


anywhere  save  straight  down.  These  neglected  trees  headed 
close  to  the  ground  and  made  a  fair  growth  the  first  season. 
The  summer  was  very  dry.  I  had  been  assured  by  good  peach 
growers  that  trees  so  closely  pruned  would  not  start,  and 
could  not  endure  the  hot  season.  That  was  the  chief  reason 
I  neglected  most  of  them — in  order  that  the  system  might  be 
tried  under  the  worst  possible  conditions  as  well  as  under  more 
favorable  ones.  In  the  fall  we  planted  larger  trees  in  the  places 
where  the  JMountain  Rose  trees  had  died.  These  we  also  close 
root-pruned.     The  trees  had  no  protection  through  the  winter. 


42 


THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


In  the  spring  about  twenty  of  the  small  ones  were  thrown  out 
by  the  frost.  There  being  no  side  roots  to  anchor  them,  the 
lift  of  the  freeze  in  the  upper  surface  of  the  soil  pulled  them 
gradually  up  until  the  roots  were  enough  exposed  to  dry  out. 
I  now  know  that  had  these  trees  been  fertilized  and  mulched 
or  hoed  as  Mr.  Stringfellow  desired,  they  would  have  made 
more  growth,  so  that  when  properly  banked  for  winter  they 
would  not  have  been  lifted  by  the  frost.  The  next  vear  the 
trees  made  a  good  top  close  to  the  ground.  Here  another 
trouble   developed.     The   winds   on   this   hill   are   very   strong, 


7^H 

"/  -^^ 

^^"^W 

^^^ 

fe 

i^Hm^^ 

^f^i$ 

^'t^^ 

Fig.  4. — Crowbar  hole  peach  tree. 


whirling  around  through  an  opening  in  the  w^oods.  The  close- 
pruned  trees  without  brace  roots,  wdiirled  about  until  holes  w^ere 
made  at  the  base,  much  like  a  large  funnel.  In  some  cases 
the  trees  lay  flat  on  the  ground,  and  one  produced  a  few  peaches 
in  this  position.  I  have  left  about  fifty  trees  in  the  brush  with 
absolutely  no  attention  whatever.  They  are  now  mere  little 
runts.  This  year  I  shall  clean  them  up,  keep  them  well  hoed 
and  fertilize  them  heavily.  ]\Iy  object  is  to  see  if  a  runt  tree 
is  like  a  runt  calf — incapable  of  good  growth  or  profitable 
response  to  feeding.  I  will  also  add  that  I  intend  to  leave  1,000 
trees  to  head  out  as  they  please — simply  removing  ingrowing 
or  conflictina:  branches. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  43 

What  About  It?  What  can  be  said  of  this  plan  of  planting 
trees  without  any  side  roots  in  crowbar  holes  ?  From  my  expe- 
rience, I  conclude  that  trees  will  certainly  live  when  properly 
planted  in  this  way.  With  me  they  root  deeper  and  head  lower 
than  trees  with  long  roots  in  large  holes.  I  am  quite  sure  of 
this.  They  make  a  slower  growth  the  first  season,  but  when 
fully   established   make  wood   enough   for  practical   purposes. 


Fig.  5. — Trees  trimmed  for  planting. 

This  method  of  planting  is  rapid  and  cheap.  The  chief  dis- 
advantages that  occur  to  me  are  as  follows :  \Vitli  the  small 
crowbar  hole  you  are  likely  to  leave  an  air  space  at  the  bottom 
of  the  root.  This  will  kill  or  stunt  the  tree.  With  a  larger 
hole  you  can  be  sure  that  the  soil  is  packed  firmly  around  the 
root.  While  I  think  the  tree  without  any  side  roots  and  packed 
in  a  small  hole  will  root  deeper,  it  is  better,  in  our  practice,  to 
leave  stubs  from  one  to  two  inches  long  at  the  side.  This 
anchors  the  tree  firmlv  in  the  soil.     It  will  not  be  whirled  about 


44  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

by  the  wind  or  lifted  by  the  frost.  True,  the  young  tree  might 
be  staked  until  the  side  roots  are  firmly  started,  but  that  is  not 
practical  on  a  large  scale  or  the  plan  I  have  in  mind.  I  have 
decided  therefore  to  leave  short  side  roots  on  the  trees  and 
dig  small  holes  with  a  spade  so  that  we  can  pack  the  roots  in 
firmly.  Otherwise  I  shall  follow  Mr.  Stringfellow's  methods 
closely,  except  that  while  he  advocates  cultivation,  until  the 
tree  comes  in  bearing,  I  expect  to  mulch  from  the  first  and  use 
fertilizer. 

The  Pictures.  Figure  i  shows  one  of  the  larger  peach 
trees  planted  in  a  crowbar  hole  in  the  fall,  after  other  trees 
were  pulled  out.  Figure  2  shows  the  growth  this  tree  made 
the  first  season  after  planting.  It  was  "mulched"  by  piling 
a  few  stones  around  it,  and  had  no  fertilizer.  Figure  3  shows 
the  same  tree  with  its  clothes  on.  It  is,  as  you  will  see,  a  low- 
headed  bush.  Its  wood  is  firm  and  solid.  It  made  a  slow, 
gentle  growth  and  has  put  out  a  fair  setting  of  fruit  buds, 
which  are  now  mostly  alive.  I  shall  let  it  produce  a  few 
peaches  this  year.  Figure  4  shows  a  June-budded  tree  planted 
in  a  crow-bar  hole  in  good  sod.  It  has  never  been  cultivated, 
but  simply  mulched  once  with  manure  and  again  with  cut 
grass.  It  is  quite  easy  to  see  what  this  tree  would  have  come 
to  had  it  been  headed  high  and  fed.  These  trees  will  give  an 
idea  of  what  I  have  in  mind  on  this  windy  and  rocky  hillside. 
I  prefer  low-down  chunky  bushes  which  can  be  pruned  with  a 
knife,  and  picked  and  sprayed  from  the  ground.  By  crowd- 
ing such  trees  16  feet  apart  and  thinning  the  fruit  severely, 
I  think  w^e  can  make  an  acre  of  our  poor  land  pay  well. 
Experienced  peach  growlers  tell  me  that  the  plan  will  fail 
because  I  do  not  get  wood  growth  enough  on  the  trees.  They 
favor  forcing  the  trees  to  large  growth  and  then  cutting  half  of 
it  off.  They  ought  to  know^,  but  I  am  going  ahead  to  find  out 
what  is  best  for  our  rough  land.  The  picture  at  Figure  5 
shows  a  Kieffer  pear  and  a  peach  tree  as  they  came  from  the 
nursery,  and  how  similar  ones  were  trimmed  for  planting. 
These  trees  were  planted  on  poor  soil  in  spade  holes,  with  the 
dirt  pounded  hard  about  the  roots.  A  space  about  three  feet 
in  diameter  was  hoed  around  them  three  times  and  about  a 
pound  of  high  grade  fertilizer  scattered  around  each  one. 
Weeds  and  brush  were  cut   and  thrown  around  them.     Last 


THIRTEENTH  ANXUAL   MEETING.  45 

spring-  was  vcrv  hard  on  young  trees,  yet  handled  in  this  way 
both  peach  and  pear  sent  out  several  shoots  from  two  to  three 
feet  long.  I  have  nothing  that  could  be  called  rich  land  on  the 
hills  where  we  are  planting  trees.  I  intend  to  use  fertilizer  in 
fair  quantities  until  I  can  get  a  fair  catch  of  grass.  On  some 
fields  I  do  not  expect  to  obtain  a  sod,  but  shall  fertilize  the 
trees  and  cut  weeds  and  brush  to  throw  around  them.  I  shall 
tell  of  our  experience  in  apple  planting  later. 

I  have  planted  a  fair-sized  orchard  of  apple  trees  on  a  some- 
what different  plan.  The  roots  are  cut  back  to  from  four  to  five 
inches,  and  the  tops  cut  back  to  correspond.  Holes  are  dug 
large  enough  to  contain  the  roots  without  crowding.  The  dirt 
is  packed  down  hard  around  the  roots,  a  mound  raised  around 
the  base  and  about  fifty  pounds  of  manure,  or  corresponding 
amount  of  straw  or  leaves,  put  around  outside  this  little  mound. 
This  planting  is  done  in  the  fall ;  the  mound  is  raised  to  keep 
mice  from  the  trees  and  to  hold  the  tree  firmly  in  the  ground. 
I  have  tried  three  different  methods  of  caring  for  such  trees. 
In  one  the  ground  is  left  in  sod  from  the  beginning.  We  cut 
a  swath  with  the  scythe  along  the  row  of  trees  early  in  June, 
and  pack  this  grass  around  the  trees.  The  rest  of  the  field 
is  cut  with  a  machine.  About  two-thirds  of  the  grass  is  hauled 
out  for  hay,  the  rest  put  around  the  trees  for  a  mulch.  In 
such  meadows  we  use  five  hundred  pounds  or  more  per  acre  of  a 
high  grade  fertilizer,  and  the  manure  from  feeding  the  hay 
is  mostly  brought  back  and  throw'n  around  the  trees.  In 
another  situation  where  there  are  fewer  stones,  we  work  the 
space  between  the  trees  with  a  spring  tooth  harrow,  sow  cow 
peas  late  in  May  broadcast  among  the  trees,  leaving  a  space 
about  four  feet  square  around  each  tree,  heavily  mulched. 
Late  in  August  we  broadcast  Crimson  clover  and  cow  horn 
turnips  right  among  the  cow  peas.  The  turnips  will  grow,  and 
there  is  usually  a  fair  stand  of  Crimson  clover,  most  of  which 
dies  out  during  the  winter  on  our  exposed  hillsides.  In  other 
cases  in  rough  land,  which  could  not  be  easily  cultivated  or 
worked,  we  plant  the  trees  right  in  the  brush,  pruning  the  roots 
and  putting  them  in  small  holes,  cutting  the  brush  and  piling 
it  around  the  tree  with  weeds,  coarse  grass  or  anything  else 
that  will  grow.  We  also  use  in  connection  with  this  mulch 
a  fair  amount  of  fertilizer  around  the  trees.     My  object  in  try- 


46  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

ing  these  different  plans  is  to  adapt  the  culture  to  the  conditions 
of  the  farm.  It  is  in  one  respect  an  experiment,  for  I  am  trying 
to  learn  if  there  is  any  form  of  culture  that  will  enable  one 
man  with  a  good  boy  to  plant  and  develop  a  fair-sized  orchard 
with  their  own  labor.  Thus  far  the  trees  that  have  been  cul- 
tivated have  made  a  larger  growth.  Yet  this  growth  is  not 
so  much  larger  than  that  on  the  mulched  trees  as  I  had  been 
led  to  expect.  My  judgment  is  that  the  mulched  trees  are 
going  to  make  lower  heads,  closer  to  the  ground,  and  with  a 
better  top  for  spraying  and  handling.  The  trees  in  the  brush 
have  not  made  as  large  a  growth  as  the  others,  which  was 
to  be  expected.  I  am  confident,  however,  that  they  will  make 
a  slow  and  steady  growth,  and  prove  in  the  end  profitable  trees 
at  a  much  less  expense  for  the  finished  orchard  than  would  be 
the  case  had  they  been  plowed  and  cultivated.  I  have  learned 
that  it  is  a  mistake  to  sow  rye  in  a  young  orchard.  If  it  is  cut 
early,  as  soon  as  the  head  appears,  and  thrown  around  the  trees, 
it  will  not  do  much  damage,  but  if  it  is  allowed  to  mature,  or 
allowed  to  come  anywhere  near  it,  the  trees  are  bound  to  suf- 
fer, for  rye  is  the  greatest  robber  of  moisture  of  any  grain 
we  have. 

After  a  brief  recess,  President  Gulley  announced  that  Mr. 
E.  R.  Bennett,  Assistant  Horticulturist  at  the  Storrs  Experi- 
ment Station,  would  give  a  demonstration  of  how  to  make  a 
perfect  Bordeaux  mixture. 

Mr.  Bennett  then  took  the  platform,  and  in  plain  view  of 
the  audience,  proceded  to  mix  the  lime  and  copper  solutions  used 
in  the  Bordeaux. 

Mr.  Bennett  said  in  explanation : 

The  proper  making  of  Bordeaux  mixture  has  much  to  do 
with  its  ease  of  application  as  well  as  its  efficiency  as  a  fungi- 
cide. The  cut  on  page  47  shows  two  jars  of  Bordeaux  mixture, 
both  made  by  the  same  formula  (4,  4,  40)  and  at  the  same 
time.  The  mixture  in  the  jar  on  tlfe  right  was  made  b}- 
mixing  the  dissolved  copper  sulphate  and  slaked  lime  when 
in  a  concentrated  solution,  then  adding  water  to  make  up  the 
required  amount.  This  is  the  wrong  way  to  make  the  mixture. 
The  photograph  was  taken  five  hours  after  the  mixture  was  made. 
As  the  cut  shows,  the  precipitate  of  copper  sulphate  and  lime 


THlRTliliXTH   ANNUAL   MIUiTING. 


47 


has  settled  to  the  bottom,  leaving  clear  water  above.     The  jar 
on  the  left  of  the  cut  shows  the  Bordeaux  made  bv  reducing 


Fig.  6. 


the  dissolved  copper  sulphate  and  the  lime  solution  to  the  full 
amount  of  water  before  pouring  them  together.  An  examina- 
tion of  precipitate  in  the  two  samples  will  show  the  one  on  the 


48  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

right  to  be  much  more  coarse.  Consequently,  it  would  not 
spray  as  easily  nor  make  so  good  a  coat  of  Bordeaux  on  the 
plants  being  treated. 

President  Gulley  :  On  the  program  you  will  notice  that 
the  next  paper  was  to  have  been  on  the  ''Production  and 
Marketing  of  Apples."  \\'e  will  be  obliged  to  omit  this,  having 
received  word  from  '\lr.  Cross  of  Poughkeepsie,  New  York, 
that  he  is  detained  at  home  by  sickness  in  the  family.  In  place 
of  that,  we  are  to  have  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  an  address 
which  is  in  some  degree  a  continuation  of  the  subject  which 
has  occupied  our  attention  this  afternoon.  I  now  have  the 
pleasure;  of  introducing  Prof.  W.  J.  Greene  of  Wooster,  Ohio, 
the  well-known  Horticulturist  of  the  Ohio  Experiment  Station, 
whom  we  are  very  fortunate  in  having  with  us. 

Professor  Greene's  Address. 

Mr.  President  and  Members  of  the  Penological  Society: 

This  question  of  grass  mulching  is  now  attracting  a  great  deal 
of  attention,  for  many  people  believe  it  will  have  a  great  influ- 
ence on  fruit  culture  in  the  future ;  largely  because  it  will 
extend  operations  where  they  could  not  be  carried  out  satis- 
factorily by  any  other  method. 

I  came  here,  principally,  to  hear  what  ]\Ir.  Hale  and  I\Ir. 
Collingwood  had  to  say.  Out  in  Ohio  we  have  conditions 
something  like  yours  in  Connecticut.  \\'e  may  not  have  as 
many  stones  in  our  fields,  but  we  have  fully  as  hard  a  soil 
to  till,  and  if  we  are  going  to  grow  orchards,  we  must  find 
some  other  method  than  the  ordinary  one  of  cultivation.  But 
I  have  been  much  interested  in  what  has  .been  said  here. 

There  have  been  many  difficulties  in  our  way,  out  in  Ohio. 
Things  are  not  just  as  we  would  like  to  have  them.  This  mulch 
method  seems  to  be  about  the  only  plan  we  can  adopt.  I 
am  going  to  tell  you  about  two  orchards,  one  we  will  call  ]\Ir. 
Vergon's,  and  the  other  ]Mr.  Hitchings'.  These  gentlemen 
have  been  working  along  the  same  lines.  ]\Ir.  \''ergon's  soil 
is  not,  perhaps,  as  good  as  ]\Ir.  Hitchings',  but  both  are  doing 
well.  In  this  grass-mulch  method,  so  far  as  they  have  gone, 
there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  encouragement.     ^Ir.  A^ergon 


THIRTF.RXTH   AXXUAL   MEETING. 


49 


bcg'an  fifteen  years  ago  with  his  young  orchard.  He  has  an 
older  orchard,  which  has  been  worked  for  forty  years,  but  he  did 
not  follow  the  mulch  system  there. 

He  commenced  his  young  orchard  by  planting  the  sod  ;  the 
field  was  an  old  pasture.  He  planted  in  the  sod,  and  dug 
large  holes,  three  feet  across.  The  holes  were  dug  in  the  fall  or 
winter,  whenever  he  could  work.  He  planted  the  trees  very 
early  in  the  spring  and  they  were  put  in  in  good  shape.  When 
they  were  first  planted,  he  put  cinders  around  them  to  keep 
mice  away.  In  addition  to  that  he  put  straw  and  grass,  or 
any  other  material  he  could  find.  The  soil  between  the  trees 
was  not  touched.  He  did  not  plough ;  he  has  never  put  a 
plough  into  that  field  since  the  trees  were  planted.  He  allowed 
the  grass  to  grow.  At  first  he  cut  and  made  hay  out  of  it  for 
two  or'three  years  ;  1)ut  finally,  he  concluded  it  was  not  the  best 
course  to  pursue.  The  land  was  rich  enough  to  grow  good  trees, 
and  he  decided  to  take  no  hay  from  the  field,  nothing  but  apples. 
And  he  has  kept  his  resolution.  He  has  put  back  more  than 
he  took  aw^a}'  in  the  way  of  mulching.  He  has  now  gotten  the 
orchard  pretty  well  mulched  and  in  good  condition.  That  is 
about  the  sum  and  substance  of  his  operations. 

I  became  interested  in  this  matter  some  ten  or  twelve  years  ago^ 
and  I  watched  Mr.  \'ergon  and  Mr.  Hitchings  and  a  few  others, 
and  it  seemed  to  be  worth  while  to  carry  out  an  experiment 
along  those  lines  at  the  Station.  \\>  had  some  soil  there  that 
was  pretty  poor,  soil  that  was  not  rich  enough  to  raise  an 
average  crop,  without  fertilizers.  But  we  started  to  plant  our 
land  without  fertilizer.  The  ground  was  laid  out  and  divided 
up  into  two  parts.  ( )ne-half  has  been  cultivated  ever  since 
the  trees  were  planted  ;  the  other  one-half  we  planted  as  Mr. 
V^ergon  did.  But  we  made  one  sub-division.  In  the  cultivated 
part,  we  are  growing  cover  crops  each  year,  and  on  the  other 
part  we  arc  not  growing  anything.  On  the  part  that  is  not 
grass,  one-half  were  mulched  from  the  sod  and  one-half  were 
not.     So  }'ou  see,  we  are  trying-  quite  an  experiment  there. 

Xow   the  best   trees   in   the  lots,   those  that   have   made   the 

best  growth,  are  the  ones  that  have  been  mulched,  cultivated 

and  cover  crops.     One  season,  the  mulched  trees  were  a  little 

better,  and  another  the  cultivated  and  cover  crops  were  a  little 

4 


50  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

better.      Those  that  have  been  mulched  were  not  quite  as  good, 
on  the  whole,  as  those  where  the  ground  has  been  cultivated. 

Now,  back  to  Mr.  Vergon's  trees.  They  began  bearing 
when  they  were  five  years  old.  They  began  bearing  quite  young 
and  gave  good  crops  when  they  were  ten  years  old,  and  have 
been  giving  a  crop  every  year  since,  except  one,  when  the 
blossoms  were  killed  by  frost.  He  has  now  40  acres  of  young 
orchards.  He  does  everything,  I  think,  that  is  necessary,  to  get 
a  good  crop  of  apples.  The  trees  began  bearing  young,  and 
they  seem  to  have  vigor  enough  to  bear  a  good  crop  of  fruit. 
They  don't  seem  to  be  lacking  in  anything. 

Now,  there  are  some  of  the  benefits  claimed  by  i\Ir.  Vergon 
that  Mr.  Hitchings  also  claims.  They,  and  others  who  have 
studied  this  question,  believe  that  the  mulching  improves  the  soil. 
These  gentlemen  are  mulching  the  entire  surface,  yet  they  are 
mulching  more  around  the  trees  than  between.  The  soil  between 
does  not  lie  idle.  It  is  producing  a  crop  of  grass,  and  that  falls 
down  and  makes  a  mulch.  The  supply  of  vegetable  matter  is 
increased  year  by  year.  They  are  laying  up  for  the  future  of 
that  orchard  something  that  will  stand  it  in  good  stead  for 
many  years  to  come. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  mulching  has  been  of 
benefit  to  them.  One  can  examine  the  ground  and  see  how 
much  vegetable  matter  there  is.  There  is  increased  fertility  of 
soil  far  beyond  the  fertilizers.  You  may  cover  the  soil  with 
straw  or  stone  or  any  thing  so  as  to  cover  it,  and  the  soil 
becomes  richer.  But  it  seems  to  me,  the  greatest  benefit  arises 
from  the  fact  that  the  trees  never  suffer  for  water.  There 
seems  to  be  a  plentiful  supply.  It  is  important  that  the  trees 
should  have  moisture  all  the  season  through,  and  this  is  an 
important  benefit. 

Now  I  have  nothing  to  say  against  cultivation.  I  believe  in 
it,  I  know  what  the  good  eft'ects  of  cultivation  are ;  but  there 
is  one  weak  point  in  it.  In  growing  cover  crops  late  in  the 
season,  there  is  likely  to  be  an  insufficiency  of  moisture.  The 
fruit  ripens  too  early  and  rots  too  early.  This  does  not  occur  in 
the  grass-mulch  method.  The  fruit  there  hangs  on  longer,  it 
grows  up  better,  and  while  I  will  not  say  it  keeps  better,  I  will 
say  this,  it  does  not  have  to  be  put  in  storage.     It  will  stay  on  the 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


51 


tree  better,  and  you  don't  have  to  store  it  so  soon.     There  is  a 
great  advantage  so  far  as  keeping  qualities  are  concerned. 

I  would  Hke  to  say,  I  advise  everyone  to  practice  this  system. 
But  I  cannot  do  that.  I  cannot  advise  anyone  to  practice  any 
particular  system  unless  I  know  the  circumstances  and  con- 
ditions by  which  they  are  surroiuided.  Each  one  must  study 
it  out  for  himself,  and  decide  whether  this  plan  is  adapted  to 
his  conditions  or  not.  I  believe,  in  most  cases,  it  will  fill  the 
bill.  In  many  cases  it  will  fail.  There  are  some  out  in  Ohio 
who  think  the  grass-mulch  method  means  turning  trees  out  to 
grass  and  letting  them  shift  for  themselves.  They  think  it  is 
the  same  thing  as  a  slip-shod  method.  It  is  not  that  at  all.  It 
means  to  get  the  trees  in  the  very  best  possible  condition,  so 
that  they  will  thrive  and'bear  fruit. 

Some  of  our  fruit  growers  seem  to  think  it  will  answer  just 
as  well  to  pasture  an  orchard  because  the  droppings  will  enrich 
the  soil.  They  forget,  however,  that  they  are  taking  that 
cover  off  which  protects  the  fruit  late  in  the  season,  when  the 
fruit  needs  as  much  moisture  as  it  can  possibly  get.  Hence, 
mulching  is  an  entirely  different  thing  from  pasturing  an 
orchard.  It  is  a  different  thing  from  allowing  grass  and  weeds 
and  briers  to  grow  up.  In  the  grass-mulch  method,  we  are 
making  mulch  of  the  grass.  We  are  using  grass  for  the  benefit 
of  the  trees. 

Now  I  think  I  have  explained  this  method  sufficiently.  I 
did  not  intend  to  do  any  more  than  explain  what  had  been  done 
out  in  Ohio.  I  don't  care  to  go  into  the  cause,  and  a  technical 
treatment  of  the  method  here.  But  I  would  like  to  see  the 
subject  extended.  We  are  doing  all  we  can  at  our  Experiment 
Station  in  Ohio  to  get  the  fruit  growers  of  our  State  to  try  it. 
We  are  doing  this  because  we  believe  in  it.  We  believe  it  will 
help  the  poor  land  in  the  southeastern  part  of  our  State  and 
make  it  more  profitable  for  the  cultivation  of  fruit. 

If  I  have  not  made  the  matter  at  all  plain  so  far  as  I  have 
gone,  I  will  be  very  glad  to  answer  any  questions  you  may  ask, 
and  explain  more  fully. 


A  Member  :  Do  you  cut  the  grass  growing  between  the  trees, 
or  let  it  fall  down  naturallv? 


52  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Prof.  Greexe  :  We  cut  it  once  during  the  season  and  then  let 
it  fall  down.  It  probably  wouldn't  answer  quite  as  well  to  allow 
it  to  grow  up,  because  the  leaves  and  briers  would  grow  over 
it.     It  is  better  to  cut  the  grass  at  least  once  a  season. 

A  Member:  What  was  the  result  of  these  different  methods 
you  have  explained  when  the  trees  came  into  bearing? 

Prof.  Greene:  They  have  not  come  into  bearing  yet.  At 
the  Station,  our  trees  are  only  three  years  old. 

President  Gulley  :  Suppose  you  were  going  to  start  on 
land  too  poor  to  raise  grass  ? 

Prof.  Greene  :  I  would  depend  on  the  leaves.  If  I  could 
possibly  get  any  mulching  material  or  manure,  I  would  use  it. 
That  is  a  problem  with  us.  We  cannot  grow  orchards  there 
by  cultivation  because  we  soon  get  the  best  strength  out  of  the 
soil. 

President  Gulley:  What  variety  do  you  grow  chiefly? 

Prof.  Greene  :   The  Rome  Beauty. 

A  Member  :  Can  you  not  grow  other  things  in  there  at  the 
same  time  as  the  grass  ? 

Prof.  Greene  :  Yes  ;  perhaps  I  should  explain  that  a  little. 
We  have  a  young  orchard  at  the  station  which  we  started  to 
grow  by  cultivation  and  cover  crops.  The  soil  is  not  nearlv 
as  good  as  Mr.  Vergon's,  in  fact,  it  is  not  good  enough  to  raise 
more  than  lo  to  15  bushels  of  wheat,  and  we  soon  found  we 
couldn't  get  a  good  crop,  but  an  indifferent  one.  We  didn't 
know  what  to  do.  The  soil  was  washed  away,  and  so  we 
hauled  as  much  manure  as  we  could  get  onto  the  land  to  start 
the  grass.  Now  we  have  got  grass  there.  But  to  start  an 
orchard  by  this  method  is  rather  uphill  business.  I  would 
rather  seed  it  to  grass  to  begin  with,  and  keep  it  in  grass.  That 
would  be  more  satisfactory. 

A  Member  :  I  would  like  to  ask  if  the  limbs  are  kept  high 
enough  to  mow  under  them. 

Prof.  Greene  :  Xo,  they  are  not.  You  see  he  mulches  there 
and  does  not  need  to  mow  under  the  trees.  They  are  trained 
very  low,  and  some  of  the  limbs  touch  the  ground. 

A  Member  :  As  they  spread  and  get  nearer  together,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  mow,  wouldn't  it. 

Prof.  Greene  :  It  doesn't  need  mowing  there.  Once  you 
have  got  it  started  between  the  trees,  and  the  grass  will  grow 
for  manv  vears  to  come. 


THiRrr.BXTH  .ixxrjL  MiiiiriXG.  53 

Mr.  Tvks  :  Isn't  that  the  secret  of  the  whole  thing-,  letting  a 
vast  amount  of  matter  drop  there  so  it  will  mulch  the  land? 

Prof.  Green  k:  That  seems  to  me  to  be  the  best  point  of  all. 
There  is  an  accumulation  of  vegetable  matter,  and  this  accumu- 
lation increases  as  the  orchard  grows  older.  How  long  it  will 
last  I  cannot  say,  but  certainly,  in  this  old  orchard  forty  years 
of  age  it  is  evident  the  trees  are  plentifully  supplied  with  food 
and  moisture. 

\*ice  President  Hubbard  was  here  called  to  the  chair. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  I  have  been  looking  in  the  question 
box,  and  it  occurred  to  me  we  might  take  out  one  or  two  ques- 
tions and  give  a  little  time  to  each  of  them.  We  have  given  this 
subject  we  have  been  discussing  pretty  full  consideration.  The 
matter  has  been  exceedingly  interesting,  and  a  great  many  will, 
no  doubt,  put  these  ideas  into  practice  and  come  here  again 
to  tell  us  about  it. 

Xow  here  is  the  first  question  I  find  in  the  box :  "What  is  the 
most  approved  method  of  keeping  apples  during  the  winter  in 
a  farmer's  cellar? 

A  AIemuer:   I  would  not  keep  them  in  the  cellar  at  all. 

\'iCE  Pres.  Hubbard:  Where  would  you  keep  them? 

A  ]\Iember  :  Out  in  the  field  all  winter.  Just  make  a  little 
cave  and  set  up  some  sticks,  making  the  cave  about  60  feet  long 
and  8  or  10  feet  wide,  put  your  apples  in  there  and  they  will 
be  all  right. 

Another  Member:  How  do  you  sort  them? 

Answer  :   I  don't  sort  them  at  all. 

Another  Memb.er  :   How  do  you  cover  them  ? 

Answer  :  I  put  up  chestnut  poles,  then  cover  with  some  earth 
or  some  other  covering  on  that. 

A  ]\Iejiber:   At  what  time  do  you  put  the  apples  in? 

Answer:  When  I  pick  them  I  put  them  in  bins  under  the 
trees  and  keep  them  there  just  as  long  as  I  can  without  having 
them  freeze. 

Mr.  ]\[erriman:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  the  best  way  is  to 
sell  the  apples  right  off  the  trees. 

]\Ir.  Cook  :  I  think  the  best  way  to  keep  apples  in  the  cellar 
is  to  keep  them  in  bins,  if  you  have  good  bins.  If  you  put 
Greenings  in  barrels   they  will   scald,  but  if  you  put  them  in 


54  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

good  bins  in  a  good  comfortable  cellar  you  will  be  able  to  keep 
them. 

Mr.  Hixman  :  We  used  to  keep  apples  in  our  cellar,  but 
owing  to  matters  over  which  we  had  no  control,  we  had  to  build 
a  fruit  cellar.  Our  new  cellar  is  a  very  good  one,  no  fire  being 
over  it  or  around  it,  and  it  makes  a  spot  where  you  can  keep 
apples  until  late  in  the  season.  We  used  to  have  apples  up 
to  January,  we  now  have  them  up  to  March,  and  they  are 
sweet  and  clean. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbakd  :  The  next  question  is,  "What  was  the 
cause  of  so  much  leaf  curl  on  peach  trees  last  season  and  what 
is  the  remedy? 

President  Gulley  :  As  far  as  leaf  curl  is  concerned,  there 
is  no  question  but  what  it  is  a  fungous  disease.  In  a  dry  or 
warm  season  we  very  seldom  see  it.  It  has  been  demonstrated 
it  can  be  controlled  by  spraying.  In  the  West,  they  have  had 
more  of  it  than  we  do  in  Connecticut  and  they  now  practically 
control  it  by  spraying  with  the  Bordeaux  or  other  mixtures. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  The  next  question  I  take  out  of  the 
box  is,  'Ts  it  safe  ordinarily  to  prune  a  peach  or  pear  tree  in 
the  late  fall  or  early  winter?" 

Mr.  Barnes  :  We  generally  prune  whenever  we  can  make 
it  convenient ;  last  year  we  commenced  in  January.  I  should 
prefer  to  prune  later  in  the  season  than  late  fall  or  early  winter. 

A  Member  :    I  did  it  once  and  the  trees  went  back  on  me. 

Mr.  S?iiiTH  :  I  pruned  early  and  found  the  trees  came  through 
the  winter  in  good  shape.  The  trees  bore  a  good  crop.  How- 
ever, this  was  on  a  very  small  scale,  I  want  it  understood. 

Mr.  Cook  :  I  tried  that  same  thing  once  and  they  killed  back. 
It  was  not  a  success  with  me. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard  :  The  next  question,  'Tn  the  recent 
great  freeze,  did  Japan  plums  prove  to  be  more  hardy  than 
peaches  ?" 

A  Member:   No. 

Another  IMember  :  I  say  they  did.  I  have  got  40  acres  of 
peaches ;  last,  year  I  lost  a  great  many.  But  my  plum  trees 
are  all  right ;   peaches  are  not. 

Another  Member  :  Last  year  we  had  very  few  peaches,  and 
very  small  ones  at  that,  but  our  Japan  plums  gave  a  full  crop. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  might  say,  that  in  one  place  at  home  where 
the  peach  trees  are  killed  entirely,  the  Japan  plums  are  only 


THIRTEENTH  ANXUAL   MEETING.  55 

sliglitly  injured.  I'licv  have  live  buds,  where  the  peaches  have 
all  been  killed. 

A  Membf.r  :  1  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Hale  how  his  "hardy" 
peaches  are. 

Mr.  Hale  :  The  snow  is  so  deep  I  haven't  seen  them  for 
some  time. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  Our  program  calls  for  a  ten-minute 
paper  by  Mr.  N.  S.  Piatt  on  "The  Outlook  for  the  Peach  Grow- 
ing Industry."  We  will  now  listen  to  Mr.  Piatt,  who  is  well 
qualified  to  discuss  this  timely  subject. 


What  is  the  Future  Outlook  for  the  Peach  Growing 
Industry  of  Connecticut? 

The  demand  for  peaches  has  grown  in  the  last  forty  years  to 
large  proportions. 

It  is  not  likely  to  be  any  less  in  the  near  future.  It  is  a  popu- 
lar fruit,  known  and  used  by  everybody. 

Nothing  else  can  quite  take  its  place.  The  demand  is  con- 
stant, and  can  be  depended  on.     How  about  the  supply? 

The  supply  is  precarious  wherever  they  are  grown,  but  we 
believe  they  are  as  reliable  here  as  anywhere,  unless  it  be  in 
California. 

They  can  be  grown  cheaper,  probably,  on  the  fertile  and 
easily  tilled  lands  of  Delaware,  Georgia  or  California,  but  the 
question  of  transportation  is  a  great  and  lasting  impediment 
in  the  way  of  growers  from  those  places  reaching  our  northern 
New  England  markets. 

The  growers  from  those  places  would  be  willing  to  sacrifice 
much  if  they  could  get  our  short  hauls  and  quick  time. 

Granted  then,  that  we  have  a  good  demand  and  good  location 
for  marketing,  what  have  we  that  we  need  to  fear  as  regards 
overproduction  ? 

Nothing,  I  believe,  but  a  universal  crop  in  one  latitude,  and 
that  does  not  often  happen. 

We  have  in  the  State  probably  four  or  five  times  more  bear- 
ing peach  trees  than  there  were  ten  years  ago. 

It  might  be  argued  that  this  number,  if  productive,  would 
vield  more  fruit  than  we  can  find  market  for.     I  should  say 


56  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

no,  unless  our  competitors  in  about  the  same  latitude  also  have 
a  full  crop.  There  are  so  many  things  that  work  against  the 
universal  crop,  such  as  we  had  in  1902,  that  we  need  not  expect 
it  to  occur  oftener  than  once  in  five  years. 

The  San  Jose  scale,  also,  is  likely  to  affect  disastrously  the 
crops  of  the  next  ten  years,  and  before  that  time  is  passed  it 
would  not  be  surprising  if  we  were  sending  volumes  of  peaches 
to  Europe.  For  the  last  few  years,  even  when  peaches  were 
scarce,  it  has  been  difficult  to  get  more  than  a  moderate  price. 

With  all  our  labor  expenses  higher,  and  the  added  cost  of 
fighting  the  scale,  which  seems  certain  to  come  to  all  of  us, 
there  is  a  probability  that  our  profits  will  be  diminished  still 
more  unless  prices  rule  a  little  better.  One  prominent  New 
Jersey  grower  dares  to  say  they  will  be  higher. 

We  don't  want  all  the  earth,  but  we  hope  for  good  crops 
and  paying  prices  a  part  of  the  time,  though  it  looks  now  as 
though  the  Connecticut  peach  crop  of  1904  would  be  no  more 
than  half  a  crop. 

After  ]\Ir.  Piatt  had  finished  reading  his  paper,  a  lively 
discussion  of  the  subject  ensued. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  would  like  to  ask  one  question.  What  is  your 
opinion  as  to  the  range  of  prices  for  peaches  in  New  England 
markets  during  the  past  five  years?  Has  it  been  an  increasing 
or  decreasing  price? 

Mr.  Platt  :   I  thought  it  had  been  a  decreasing  price. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  thought  so  too,  but  at  a  hearing  before  the 
International  Commerce  Commission  in  December,  they  under- 
took to  prove  that  the  prices  of  peaches  in  the  New  England 
markets  had  been  steadily  increasing  for  the  last  ten  years. 
I  tried  to  find  out  where  they  got  their  figures,  but  could  not ; 
so  far  as  my  own  figures  go,  the  price  has  been  decreasing 
and  Mr.  Platt  says  the  same. 

Mr.  Fenx  :  Whether  or  no  the  price  this  year  was  equal  to 
what  has  been  received  before.  In  1903  the  price  was  in  pro- 
portion to  the  crop. 

Mr.  Hale:  But  the  1903  crop  was  not  a  good  one.  The 
price  was  nothing  to  go  by,  for  it  was  not  a  market  price.  It 
was  way  beyond  any  measure  of  value  or  average.  It  was 
simply,  get  all  you  could. 


■rUIRTI-l-.XTll    .IXXC.IL    MEnTIXG.  57 

AFk.  I'kxx:  TIh'  first  crop  oi  ix>aches  1  raised  eight  or  nine 
vcars  aiid,  1  did  not  have  any  trouhle  in  gettino^  $2.00  or  $2.50 
a  basket.  You  can't  get  that  price  now  :  they  won't  give  it. 
Even  the  i)eoi-)le  who  have  got  the  money  won't  pay  such  a 
price.  I  don't  hesitate  to  say,  tlie  price  is  not  anywhere  near 
what  it  was  ten  years  ago. 

A  ^^Iember:  Well,  there  are  ten  peach  trees  now  where  there 
was  one  then. 

Mr.  Hale  :  Mr.  President,  in  the  matter  of  figures,  our  large 
crop  of  1899  netted  us  $1.56  per  half  bushel  basket,  and  the 
price  has  to-day  declined  until,  in  1902,  my  average  was  a  little 
less  than  46  cents  per  basket.  This  last  year  was  back  to  the 
old  figure,  $1.56,  exactly. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  Let  us  have  more  experiences  from 
the  growers.     Is  there  anybody  going  to  quit  the  peach  business  ? 

Mr.  Barxes:  Xo  sir,  I  think  it  is  better  to  plant  at  the 
present  time  than  for  several  years. 

Mr.  G.  H.  Hale  :  I  am  not  ready  to  quit.  I  am  going  into 
the  business  again  in  two  or  three  years  at  the  old  stand. 

]\Ir.  J.  H.  Hale  :  I  think  most  growers  having  five  hundred 
trees  or  so  are  going  to  meet  with  the  San  Jose  scale.  They 
don't  know  it,  but  they  are  going  to  be  driven  out  of  business, 
and  thev  wont  go  back  again.  Our  chairman  knows  that  the 
small  growers,  who  were  the  negligent  ones  when  the  peach 
yellows  was  so  prevalent  some  years  ago,  failed  to  appreciate 
the  value  of  fighting  it,  and  many  of  them  w-ere  driven  out 
of  business.  The  San  Jose  scale  is  about  the  same  at  this  time, 
and  I  believe  that  50. per  cent,  of  the  peach  trees  standing  in 
orchards  to-day  will  never  bear  a  crop.  I  think  50  per  cent, 
in  the  State  to-day  are  doomed  because  of  the  San  Jose  scale. 

Mr.  Platt  :  Another  thing,  wdiere  the  San  Jose  scale,  in  a 
good  many  cases,  is  found  in  the  orchard,  before  the  owner 
learns  how  to  control  it  that  scale  wall  control  the  trees.  I  think 
Mr.  Hale's  point  is  a  good  one. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  The  program  now  calls  for  reports 
from  growers  on  the  present  condition  of  peach  buds.  In  view 
of  the  severe  cold  we  have  had  this  winter,  so  far,  it  wall  be 
interesting  to  learn  the  condition  of  the  buds  in  the  different 
sections  of  our  State. 

Xow,  let  us  have  a  brief  report  from  each  peach  grower 
present. 


58  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Reports  from  Growers  on  the  Condition  of  the  Peach 

Buds. 

Mr.  J.  N.  Barnes,  Wallingford :  I  suppose  we  are  doing 
pretty  well.  I  have  been  feeling  pretty  good  over  the  pros- 
pects. We  have  from  30  to  50  per  cent,  live  buds.  In  all  the 
Wallingford  orchards  the  owners  are  feeling  pretty  good. 

President  Gulley  :  I  wish  you  would  tell,  if  you  know,  the 
elevations  of  your  orchards.  I  believe  that  is  one  of  the  most 
important  questions.  I  believe  the  orchard  that  stands  on  an 
elevation  of  five  or  six  hundred  feet  is  the  best  protected 
orchard.  In  my  own  orchard,  the  young  man  and  myself  are 
watching  this  point.  One  part  of  our  orchard  stands  350  feet 
at  the  highest  point.  There,  a  large  part  of  the  buds  are  killed, 
but  not  in  the  proportion  I  found  in  other  places.  There  is 
a  good  slope  in  every  direction.  We  know  just  exactly  where 
we  stand.  I  wish  these  growers  would  give  us  the  elevations 
of  their  orchards. 

Mr.  Hinman,  Oxford :  If  elevation  is  the  most  important 
point,  we  are  going  to  do  but  little.  Living  where  I  do,  in  the 
Naugatuck  Valley,  we  have  less  summer  than  people  living 
above  us  but  still  in  the  Valley.  The  Valley  is  300  feet  where 
I  am,  and  a  valle}-  between  hills  300  feet  between  tide  water  is 
vastly  worse  off  than  land  at  tide  water,  so  that  the  elevation 
itself  does  not  amount  to  much. 

President  Gulley  :  That  is  right ;  but  I  would  like  the 
elevation  from  the  actual  sea  level. 

Mr.  Hale,  South  Glastonbury :  In  my  own  orchard,  on  the 
level  of  my  house,  which  stands  from  75  to  125  feet  in  elevation, 
not  only  the  buds  are  killed  but  practically  all  the  trees  are 
killed  to  the  snow  line.  At  the  elevation  of  125  feet  to  200  feet 
the  buds  are  all  killed  and  the  wood  is  slightly  injured.  At 
the  next  elevation  of  about  250  to  300  feet  there  are  a  few  live 
buds  and  no  injury  to  the  wood.  And  at  a  still  higher  eleva- 
tion of  420  to  450  feet  we  have  buds  enough  to  raise  a  full  crop. 
All  this  is  within  half  a  mile.  It  is  a  steady  climb.  At  Seymour, 
700  feet  above  the  Sound,  there  are  practically  buds  enough 
for  a  full  crop,  and  they  will  be  thick  on  some  varieties.  I 
should  say  there  are  from  30  to  50  per  cent,  live  buds,  but  if 
there  are  10  per  cent,  alive,  it  means  a  full  crop,  but  this  eleva- 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  59 

tion  business  Brother  Gulley  brings  up  makes  a  great  deal  of 
difference  in  tlie  frost.  Eight  degrees  below  zero  was  what 
the  thermometer  said  at  Seymour,  but  it  was  thirty  degrees  at 
the  railroad  station.  So  you  can  see  the  difference  in  tempera- 
ture between  the  elevations  is  great. 

Mr.  Barne.s:  That  has  proved  true  this  winter.  You  take 
a  still  cold  such  as  we  have  had  this  winter,  and  the  cold 
seems  to  go  down,  but  when  there  is  extreme  cold  with  high 
winds  it  goes  on  to  the  higher  land. 

George  F.  Platt,  Milford:  We  have  an  orchard  near  the 
Housatonic  river.  I  looked  yesterday,  and  did  not  find  more 
than  5  per  cent,  of  live  buds,  and  many  of  them  were  unde- 
veloped. 

Mr.  Welton,  Plymouth :  Perhaps  I  have  had  little  experi- 
ence in  the  matter  of  location  of  a  small  orchard  which  might 
be  interesting  to  you.  In  one  orchard  surrounded  by  sprout 
land  at  an  elevation  of  about  1,000  feet,  I  have  noticed  the  buds 
are  killed.  In  some  varieties  there  are  a  very  few  live  buds. 
In  another  orchard  at  an  elevation  of  about  500  feet,  on  sloping 
ground,  where  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  frost  from  blow- 
ing off,  they  are  alive. 

Mr.  Buell,  Eastford :  Around  my  house,  where  eleven 
degrees  was  the  coldest  we  had  this  winter,  my  peach  trees 
are  all  right,  but  in  another  orchard  which  is  surrounded  with 
hemlock  trees,  I  am  unable  to  find  a  live  bud  except  on  one  tree, 
and  this  orchard  is  not  more  than  forty  feet  lower  than  the 
house.  I  have  another  orchard  down  toward  the  lake,  and  last 
year  and  two  years  ago  the  buds  were  comparatively  all  right. 
The  wood  was  all  right,  and  that  orchard  is  lower  than  the  one 
where  the  buds  were  all  killed  surrounded  by  trees. 

A  jMember:  Mr.  Chairman,  we  are  now  getting  back  to  the 
point  that  the  mere  fact  of  elevation  has  but  little  to  do  with 
it.  It  depends  a  great  deal  upon  being  up  where  the  wind  has 
a  full  sweep.  If  you  can  get  up  100  feet  where  the  wind  can 
go  through,  you  are  safe. 

:    Dry  air  doesn't  freeze  as  a  damp  air  will ;   the  mere 

fact  of  elevation  has  but  little  to  do  with  it.  It  is  the  breeze 
and  the  dry  air.  ]Mr.  Hale  has  got  a  might}'  windy  place,  but 
that  dry,  cold  air  doesn't  freeze  as  the  damp,  still  air  does. 


6o  THE    CQNNFXTICVT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

]\Ir.  Gold:  At  Cornwall,  where  we  are  up  1.200  feet  or  1,400 
feet  and  have  plenty  of  wind,  as  near  as  I  can  see,  all  the  peach 
buds  are  killed. 

Mr.  Barnes:  I  think  there  is  such  a  thing  as  getting  too 
high.  If  I  were  locating  a  i)each  orchard,  I  think  I  would 
look  to  see  how  high  it  was  and  also  to  see  how  it  was  sur- 
rounded. 

Mr.  Warner.  North  Haven :  60  per  cent,  of  the  buds  were 
killed  on  a  level  with  my  house  :  500  feet  above,  the  buds  were 
all  right. 

Mr.  Harrison  of  ]\.Iaryland :  I  have  heard  so  much  about 
Connecticut  orchards  I  will  say  a  word  about  Maryland.  The 
buds,  I  understand,  in  the  western  part  of  the  State  are  alive 
1,400  feet  above  the  sea  level,  but  lower  they  are  mostly  killed. 
This  is  in  the  western  part  of  the  State  of  Maryland  near 
Cumberland.  We  think  that  buds  of  trees  on  the  hills  are 
pretty  hard  to  kill. 

Mr.  Root.  Farmington  :  In  an  orchard  at  Farmington  about 
500  feet  above  the  sea  level  most  of  the  buds  are  killed.  They 
are  right  along  on  the  crest  of  a  mountain,  and  there  probably 
30  per  cent,  are  alive.     On  the  lower  side  the  crops  are  all  right. 

Mr.  Jackson,  Wilton:  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  like  to  say 
that  in  my  orchard,  in  the  western  part  of  the  State,  I  can 
find  hardly  a  live  bud. 

A  Member  :  I  have  four  peach  orchards.  Running  up  to  75 
or  100  feet,  the  trees  are  all  killed;  100  to  125  the  trees,  buds 
and  all,  are  killed;  175  to  200,  the  buds  are  killed  but  the  trees 
pretty  well  alive;  at  250  to  300  the  trees  are  alive,  and  a  good 
crop  of  buds. 

A  Member  :  Our  orchard  ranges  from  350  to  380  feet.  I 
doubt  if  the  elevation  makes  a  very  great  difference  in  the 
condition  of  the  buds.  There  are  about  35  per  cent,  of  the 
Elbertas  alive. 

Mr.  George  Hale  :  I  would  like  to  ask  if  there  are  any  others 
besides  J.  H.  and  G.  H.  Hale  who  have  lost  trees  by  the  cold? 

A  Member  :  I  have  found  a  number  of  trees  dead  or  nearly 
so,  but  I  think  by  a  thorough  pruning  most  of  them  can  be 
saved. 

The  discussion  was  then  drawn  to  a  close,  and  at  five  o'clock, 
after  one  of  the  most  interesting  sessions  on  record,  the  Society 
adjourned  until  7.30. 


THUUlillSTH    ANNUAL    MHETING.  6l 


EVENING   SESSION. 

Hie  convention  met  for  the  evening  session  at  7.30  o'clock, 
President  Cjulle)   presiding. 

The  Chair  announced  the  following  special  committees  to  act 
during  the  meeting : 

Coimiiitfcc  oil  the  Fruit  Exhibit — E.  [Manchester,  Bristol: 
C.  A.  W'hitnev  of  Massachusetts  ;  Edwin  Hoyt  of  New  Canaan  ; 
W.  E.  Waller,  Bridgeport;   Geo.  F.  Piatt,  Milford. 

Couunittce  on  Exhibit  of  luiplciucnts,  etc. — G.  G.  Tillinghast. 
Vernon;  J.  T.  Molumphy,  Berlin,  and  L.  P.  Chamherlain,  West 
Hartford. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  L.  C.  Root  it  was  voted  : — That  the  Presi- 
dent appoint  a  Committee  on  Nominations  composed  of  five 
members,  to  submit  a  list  of  officers  to  be  voted  for  at 
to-morrow's  election. 

President  Gulley  named  the  following  as  committee :  J.  C. 
Eddy,  N.  S.  Piatt.  L.  C.  Root,  Harvey  Jewell,  and  H.  B.  Buell. 


Remarks  by  Visiting  Delegates. 

President  Gullev  :  We  are  particularly  gratified  to  have 
with  us  at  this  meeting  a  large  number  of  visitors  from  other 
states.  1  am  very  glad  to  note  that  each  year  the  number  of 
delegates  from  other  State  societies  is  increasing. 

This  exchange  of  delegates  is  a  most  pleasant  feature  of  our 
horticultural  conventions  and  must  prove  of  benefit  to  us  and 
to  them.  We  want  to  become  better  acquainted  with  our  brother 
growers  in  other  states,  and  learn  more  of  their  conditions.  It 
is  profitable  for  us  to  discuss  together  the  work  in  which  we 
are  all  mutually  interested.  In  the  name  of  our  Society,  I 
extend  a  most  cordial  welcome  to  these  gentlemen,  and  at  this 
time  I  would  like  to  call  for  a  brief  word  from  some  of  the 
visitors. 

First,  I  will  call  upon  Prof.  W.  J.  Greene  of  Wooster,  Ohio, 
who  represents  both  the  Ohio  Experiment  Station  and  the 
State  Horticultural  Society.  Prof.  Greene  gave  us  some  valu- 
able points  this  afternoon,  and  we  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from 
him  aerain. 


62  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Prof.  Greene  :  If  I  wanted  to  preach  a  sermon,  I  would  take 
that  text  up  there — over  the  President's  desk :  "Connecticut, 
not  the  land  of  the  big  red  apple,  but  the  land  of  the  good  red 
apple."  That  is  right.  Last  year  I  visited  the  far  West,  and 
became  impressed  with  one  fact.  I  knew  it  before,  but  I  was 
not  as  thoroughly  impressed  as  I  was  after  my  visit.  And 
that  is,  our  conditions  are  so  different.  Their  conditions  are 
altogether  different  from  our  conditions  here  in  the  East.  Here 
in  the  East  }'OU  and  we  are  trying  to  grow  something  that  not 
only  looks  good  but  is  good.  That  is  the  only  way  we  can 
hope  to  get  a  market. 

We  are  trying  to  do  that  same  thing  in  Ohio,  and  I  believe 
you  are  trying  to  do  it  here.  It  seems  to  me  we  are  in  the  same 
boat  with  you.  W^e  have  got  the  Southwest  to  contend  with 
and  so  have  you.  But  perhaps  you  won't  have  so  much  trouble 
as  we  will.  We  realize  just  now  we  have  got  to  grow  some- 
thing they  don't  grow.  I  came  here  to  learn.  I  didn't  come 
here  to  give  any  extended  address  but  I  came  here  to  learn. 
I  was  very  glad  when  I  got  here  to-day  because  I  knew  I  was 
in  company  with  people  who  have  very  high  ideals. 

The  Western  Reserve,  as  you  know,  is  made  up  largely  of 
people  from  this  section.  Perhaps  it  might  be  boasting  a  little 
to  say  that  we  have  the  pick  of  the  people  out  there. 

A  Member  :   If  you  say  that  here  you'll  get  hurt. 

Prof.  Greene  :  Well,  we  claim,  anywa}-,  the  pick  of  the 
people  went  out  there.  The}-  say  there  is  never  an  office  vacant 
except  there  is  an  Ohio  candidate.  At  a  banquet  in  a  neighbor- 
ing state  a  while  ago,  the  toastmaster  introduced  a  gentleman 
from  Ohio,  and  in  doing  so  said  he  had  always  noticed  that 
when  there  was  an  office  open  there  was  an  Ohio  candidate  and 
generally  a  pretty  good  one.  But  there  was  one  election  where 
there  was  no  candidate  from  Ohio,  and  that  was  when  they 
elected  a  Pope  last  year.  However,  if  that  office  should  ever 
come  to  an  Ohioan  I  believe  he  could  fill  it  nicely. 

I  like  to  go  to  a  meeting  of  this  sort,  and  am  very  glad  I  came. 
I  will  not  take  more  of  your  time,  but  will  simply  say  that  I 
am  learning  fast  and  shall  tell  some  of  the  things  I  have  learned 
here  when  I  get  back  to  Ohio. 

Dr.  E.  P.  Felt,  State  Entomologist  of  Xew  York,  spoke 
next,  telling  in  an  interesting  way  of  the  work  in  his  state. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  65 

Orlando  Harrison,  Vice  President  of  the  Maryland  State  Hor- 
ticultiu-al  Society,  and  an  extensive  nurseryman,  gave  a  pleasant 
word  of  greeting-  from  his  Society,  and  complimented  the  work 
of  the  Connecticut  fruit  growers. 

Ethelbert  Bliss  of  Wilbraham  and  C.  A.  Whitney  of  Upton 
spoke  for  the  Massachusetts  Fruit  Growers  Association. 

Mr.  H.  D.  Lewis  of  Red  Hook,  N.  Y.,  representing  the  New 
York  State  Fruit  Growers  Association,  spoke  briefly. 

The  regular  program  of  the  evening  was  then  taken  up,  and 
the  following  very  interesting  lecture  on  "The  Fruit  Garden" 
was  delivered  by  Prof.  F.  A.  Waugh  of  the  Department  of 
Horticulture  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricultural  College. 

The  Fruit  Garden  in  its  Relation  to  the  Suburban  and 

Farm  Home. 

By  Prof.  F.  A.  IVatigJi  of  Amherst,  Mass. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

The  subject  which  I  am  asked  to  talk  on  this  evening  is  fruit 
gardening,  more  especially  in  its  relationship  to  the  suburban 
home ;  and  the  first  thing  we  notice  is  that  it  is  decidedly  out 
of  fashion.  The  fruit  garden  is  not  a  thing  of  the  present 
fashion.  Some  one  has  said, — I  don't  know  whether  it  was  J.  H. 
Hale  or  Socrates — that  you  might  as  well  be  out  of  the  w'orld 
as  out  of  style,  but  I  don't  believe  it  applies  in  this  case.  There 
are  many  people  who  make  a  business  of  not  following  the 
styles,  and  they  get  along  very  well.  But  this  is  one  of  the  styles 
that  I  think  is  coming  back  into  vogue. 

Fruit  gardening  is  a  fad,  and  one  reason  why  it  has  not  been 
in  fashion  during  the  past  fifteen  years  is  because  the  whole 
development  of  fruit  has  been  away  from  the  fruit  gardens 
and  towards  the  commercial  orchard.  Men  are  now  growing 
fruit  on  a  large  scale,  and  the  effort  has  been  constantly  in  that 
direction.  It  has  influenced  the  fruit  business,  and  pretty  much 
all  the  discussion  regarding  fruit  culture  has  been  directed  to 
this  phase  of  the  subject  and  away  from  the  fruit  garden.  A 
fruit  garden  is  something  on  which  to  spend  your  spare  time, 
and  is  a  matter  of  pride ;  but  an  orchard  is  a  business  proposi- 
tion.    It  exists  in  order  to  make  money  for  somebody.     A  fruit 


64  THE    COXXECTICrT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

orchard  is  undoubtedly  a  thing  of  beauty,  and  the  owner  cer- 
tainly takes  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction  in  it,  and  it  appeals  to 
his  esthetic  taste  ;  but  the  intention  is  to  make  money. 

Now  fruit  gardening  has  a  different  purpose,  and  one  reason 
why  it  exists  is  that  it  gives  a  man  a  personal  satisfaction  and 
gratifies  a  whim.  At  any  rate,  it  is  not  to  make  money.  This 
fundamental  difference  in  purpose  is  the  main  distinction  between 
fruit  gardening  and  orcharding. 

As  I  have  already  referred  to  this  as  a  matter  of  style  or 
fashion,  we  might  stop  just  at  this  point  to  note  that  in  these 
garden  matters  there  are  a  great  many  changing  styles.  Some- 
times one  kind  of  garden  is  fashionable  and  sometimes  another. 
We  have  all  heard  about  our  grandmother's  gardens,  and  we 
say,  as  we  look  at  some  of  the  gardens  of  to-day,  that  our  grand- 
mother's were  old-fashioned.  Therefore,  we  recognize  that  the 
fashion  has  changed  between  her  time,  in  the  early  sixties,  and 
ours.  At  the  present  time  the  style  in  gardens  in  this  country 
is  very  largely  known  to  us  under  two  different  forms.  One 
is  the  suburban  style,  which  takes  an  open  front  yard  and  makes 
an  entire  display  in  front  of  our  house  ;  the  other  is  the  elabo- 
rate kind  which  provides  more  ornamentation  in  the  rear  of 
the  house  and  which  includes  dahlias  and  other  plants.  This 
is  fashionable  with  fashionable  people  who  have  fashionable 
funds  at  their  disposal. 

But  there  is  another  kind  of  garden  which  has  never  been 
recorded  in  the  books  as  a  separate  style  of  gardening,  and 
that  is  the  real  fruit  garden.  That  real  fruit  garden  has  always 
had  some  support  in  this  country.  If  we  could  go  intcWilder's 
garden  or  have  a  garden  such  as  .-Vndrew  Jackson  Downing 
made,  then  we  should  have  before  us  a  fine  example  of  the 
garden  in  which  the  fruit  dominates  and  is  one  of  the  principal 
elements.  And  right  here  I  might  say  that  the  fruit  garden 
may  be  very  ornamental  and  still  include  a  great  many  fruit 
trees.  Of  course  a  great  many  people  suppose  that  ornamental 
gardening  means  dahlias,  geraniums,  etc. 

But  this  is  not  a  fair  estimate  of  it  at  all.  for  there  are  a 
great  many  common  plum  trees,  peach  trees,  apple  trees,  fine  in 
themselves,  and  which  give  beautiful  eff"ects.  They  are  really 
beautiful,  and  they  work  well  into  any  scheme  of  ornamental 
gardening ;   so  that  when  a  garden  is  made  simply  for  the  effect 


THIRTEEXTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  65 

of  gardening'  tlicn  llie  fruit  trees  are  useful  and  ought  not  to 
be  neglected. 

A  fruit  garden,  therefore,  to  come  back  to  the  point,  may 
be  made  with  the  old-fashioned  ideas  predominating,  that  is, 
to  include  the  fruit  trees  and  give. beauty  and  grace  to  the 
place.  That  is,  the  ornamental  idea  may  prevail  as  well  as  the 
idea  to  have  fruit.  The  first  great  contrast  will  come  at  the 
point  of  selecting  the  varieties.  We  have  heard  it  preached 
to  us  that  we  should  grow  fewer  and  fewer  varieties.  I  heard 
an  eminent  man  talking  on  this  subject  a  few  days  ago,  and  he 
said,  "If  you  are  going  to  plant  apples  they  might  just  as  well 
all  be  Baldwins  ;  but  if  }ou  go  out  to  those  states  of  Southern 
Missouri,  Kansas,  etc.,  they  will  tell  you  they  should  all  be 
Ben  Davis's ;  while  this  is  open  for  argument,  there  is  a  very 
good  principle  involved."  But  that  principle  does  not  apply  in 
the  case  of  the  fruit  garden.  \M'iile  we  should  under  some  cir- 
cumstances confine  our  selections  to  a  small  number  of  varieties, 
we  should  usually  consider  a  number  of  varieties.  Indeed,  I 
think  it  is  always  advisable  to  have  as  large  a  number  of 
varieties  as  one  can  care  for.  If  one  is  in  love  with  fruit  he 
wants  a  number  of  varieties.  I  know  a  man  who  has  300  dif- 
ferent kinds  on  his  place,  and  I  have  heard  him  say  299  of  them 
are  worthless.  But  that  doesn't  make  any  difference ;  he  gets 
just  as  much  fun  out  of  the  299  as  he  does  out  of  the  other. 
He  notices  them  when  they  come  into  bloom,  and  all  their 
different  characters  appeal  to  him.  I  know  another  man  who 
has  a  very  large  collection  of  the  different  varieties  of  pear 
trees.  He  knows  a  good  many  of  them  are  not  valuable ;  he 
knows  they  are  not  a  delicious  pear,  nor  are  they  worth  anything 
at  all ;  he  knows  he  could  not  sell  them  for  anything,  and  yet 
he  gets  lots  of  pleasure  out  of  that  pear  orchard. 

Now  look  here ;  I  know  people  who  appear  to  be  in  their 
right  mind  ;  they  appear  to  be  sensible  and  of  good  judgment ; 
yet  they  will  go  and  make  a  collection  of  stamps.  Now  if  a 
man  has  a  right  and  finds  enjoyment  in  collecting  stamps,  how 
much  better  could  he  do  by  getting  up  a  collection  of  pear  or 
apple  trees?  I  don't  know  where  this  fad  for  collecting  comes 
from,  but  when  it  comes  I  would  rather  it  would  be  plums  than 
stamps. 

5 


ei6  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

And  that  is  why  I  say  without  any  reserve  that  a  large  collec- 
tion of  varieties  is  a  part  of  gardening.  We  need  them  for 
a  great  utilitarian  purpose.  A  man  doesn't  care  a  snap  about 
a  large  number  of  varieties  when  he  is  growing  for  market ; 
he  wants  something  he  can  make  money  out  of.  That's  all 
right,  but  it  isn't  fruit  gardening.  With  fruit  gardening  you 
want  to  begin  when  the  apples  are  ready  and  continue  it  on. 
A  method  of  having  a  long  succession  is  one  of  the  important 
things. 

We  find  in  the  management  of  a  fruit  garden  a  great  many 
methods  and  problems  that  do  not  occur  in  the  management 
of  an  orchard.  A  fruit  garden  is  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  there 
are  more  varieties  to  look  out  for.  Hence  more  questions  will 
arise  than  would  arise  in  an  orchard  where  there  are  but  one 
or  two  varieties  and  they  are  well  known  to  the  owner.  I  know 
a  great  many  gardens  where  a  man  gets  delight  from  and  yet 
they  show  neglect.  I  know  other  gardens  that  are  models  of 
culture  and  yet  there  is  not  so  much  fun  about  it,  for  a  hired 
or  employed  man  does  most  of  the  work.  A  man  that  is  man- 
aging his  own  garden  does  not  expect  to  work  himself  to  death 
and  keep  it  up  to  the  highest  cultivation,  but  he  will  get  lots  of 
fun  out  of  it  just  the  same. 

Now  in  a  fruit  garden  the  questions  of  pruning  and  spraying 
are  there  just  the  same  but  not  to  the  same  extent  as  in  the 
orchard.  They  can  be  attended  to  or  they  may  not,  as  the 
owner  sees  fit.  The  business  of  spraying  in  a  garden  is  quite 
dififerent  from  the  orchard.  A  man  that  has  a  large  orchard 
w^ould  have  the  best  spraying  pump  obtainable  and  all  the  mod- 
ern facilities  for  attending  to  these  things  and  looking  after 
the  trees  nicely ;  on  the  other  hand,  if  a  man  has  but  a  few  trees 
in  his  yard  he  can  hardly  afford  to  buy  an  expensive  spraying 
outfit,  and  consequently  he  has  to  get  out  in  the  old-fashioned 
way  or  else  neglect  it  altogether. 

One  of  the  things  which  may  be  spoken  about  in  the  growing 
of  a  fruit  garden  is  the  fact  that  smaller  trees  are  raised.  I 
think  it  fair  to  say  that  the  tendency  among  commercial  fruit 
growers  throughout  the  country  is  also  toward  growing  smaller 
trees.  The  trees  are  low  to  the  ground  and  the  tendency  seems 
to  be  this  way.  But  a  small  tree  belongs  more  particularly  to 
the  fruit  garden  than  to  the  orchard.     Indeed,  the  fruit  gardens 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  6y 

which  used  to  be  so  fashionable  were  made  up  particularly  of 
dwarf  trees,  and  if  you  should  go  into  some  of  the  fruit  gardens 
of  Europe  at  the  present  time  you  would  find  a  large  number 
of  trees  handled  as  dwarfs.  We  are  coming  to  that  in  this 
country.  Particularly  when  one  has  only  a  small  piece  of 
ground,  then  the  dwarf  trees  are  coming  into  fashion. 

I  have  just  now  in  my  charge  a  little  piece  of  ground  on 
which  I  am  spending  a  lot  of  time  and  getting  a  lot  of  fun 
out  of,  and  I  have  carried  this  to  an  extreme.  It  is  a  little  piece, 
less  than  one-fourth  of  an  acre,  and  yet  there  is  planted  on  that 
pears,  apples,  plums  and  peach  trees  to  the  number  of  550,  and 
in  the  spring  we  expect  to  have  enough  to  bring  the  total  up 
to  600.  All  this  on  one-fourth  of  an  acre.  That  is  carrying 
it  to  the  extreme,  but  they  are  all  dwarf  trees,  or  practically 
all,  and  if  we  find  we  don't  want  them  we  can  take  them  out. 

I  might  say,  if  I  were  starting  out  to  have  some  fun  out  of 
a  garden  of  my  own  I  should  plant  almost  all  dwarf  trees  and 
plant  them  as  closely  as  I  could.  I  might  say,  if  I  had  a  piece 
of  ground,  one-fourth  of  an  acre,  out  of  which  I  wished  to  make 
a  fruit  garden,  I  should  try  to  make  it  enjoyable  as  far  as 
works  are  concerned ;  I  should  try  to  have  the  idea  of  beauty 
as  well  as  the  idea  of  utility;  I  should  expect  to  have  them 
smile  at  me  as  I  came  out  in  the  morning,  and  that  would  be 
my  emolument  rather  than  the  dollar.  I  should  expect  to  get 
a  certain  quantity  of  fruit.  It  might  not  be  the  very  best  fruit 
but  to  me  it  would  be  very  sweet.  In  the  way  of  pears  and 
apples  some  of  the  needs  in  the  dwarf  line  can  be  supplied  by 
our  American  nurseries  to  a  certain  extent.  Some  of  the  lead- 
ing nurserymen  have  the  dwarf  trees,  sell  them  and  propagate 
them.  You  could  propagate  your  own  after  you  received  your 
first  selection.  So  far  as  I  am  personally  concerned  I  believe 
in  propagating  myself.  You  can  propagate  just  what  you  want 
and  get  just  what  you  desire.  Whenever  I  came  across  an 
apple  that  appealed  to  me  I  would  grow  it  myself.  It  is  easy. 
I  would  follow  this  same  practice  with  pears  and  all  kinds  of 
fruit. 

I  say  I  would  have  all  these  different  things  in  my  fruit 
garden  and  I  would  do  a  great  deal  of  the  work  myself.  The 
garden  is  for  the  pleasure  of  the  owner,  and  propagating  and 
budding  is  a  part  of  the   fun.     It  is  more  fun  than  ordering 


68  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

from  nurserymen  and  paying  out  your  money.  The  trees  being 
raised  in  your  own  way,  }ou  really  own  them. 

Now  at  this  late  hour  it  would  not  be  right  for  me,  even  if 
I  could,  to  outline  an}-  system  or  management  for  dwarf  trees. 
Indeed,  before  I  undertook  to  explain  to  you  or  to  grow  any, 
let  me  suggest  that  I  should  inform  myself  rather  carefully 
on  this  subject  of  dwarf  trees.  It  is  an  interesting  study  and 
one  you  would  all  delight  in. 

Perhaps  I  have  said  too  much  about  dwarf  trees.  They  are 
not  the  only  thing  in  the  world  and  the  greatest  thing,  and  per- 
haps the}^  are  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  I  want  it  understood 
I  believe  in  these  dwarf  trees  and  I  have  dwelt  on  them  because 
of  that  fact. 

I  believe  I  have  said  enough  on  this  subject  of  the  fruit  gar- 
den. I  have  tried  to  tell  you  how  I  think  it  ought  to  be  done, 
and  the  real  value  of  the  garden.  It  is  something  that  will 
give  you  opportunity  to  follow  out  your  bent  along  this  line, 
and  you  will  feel  much  pleasure  in  the  management  of  a  good 
fruit  garden. 

Following  Prof.  VVaugh's  unique  address  the  subject  was 
discussed  as  follows : 

Mr.  G.  W.  Smith  of  Hartford :  This  is  a  subject  that  rather 
appeals  to  me,  for  up  to  the  present  time  I  have  been  an  amateur 
pomologist,  and  this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  remember  hearing 
this  subject  brought  out  at  our  meetings.  I  think  Prof,  ^^^augh 
omitted  to  give  the  amateur  the  credit  that  belongs  to  him  for 
keeping  up  and  saving  from  going  out  of  existence  some  of  the 
finest  fruits  this  world  produces. 

I  have  heard  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Barry  say  that  the  best  pear  in 
the  world  was  the  Downing.  Now  how  many  men  in  this 
country  ever  heard  of  it?  Not  one  in  10,000.  Simply  because 
there  isn't  enough  money  in  raising  it,  and  yet  to  eat  it  is  one 
of  the  sweetest  pears  there  are. 

I  have  a  little  garden  something  like  Prof.  W'augh's.  It 
has  1 01  apple  trees,  70  pears,  etc.,  and  I  get  no  end  of  pleasure 
out  of  it.  I  have  tried  to  get  as  many  different  varieties  as 
possible,  and  even  had  to  send  to  California  for  one  variety  I 
wanted  badly.  Then  I  had  to  send  to  Ohio  to  get  another. 
I  am  telling  this  simply  to  show  we  are  indebted  to  the  amateur 
gardener.     I  have  enjoyed  Prof.  \\'augh's  address  very  much. 


riuR'niiiXTn  .ixxval  mrhting.  69 

and  he  iias  taken  me  back  to  the  time  when  there  were  men 
50  \ears  ag-o  Hke  Marshall  V.  Wilder.  Chas  Downing-  and  those 
men  who  loved  to  cultivate  fruit.  They  didn't  do  it  for  the 
dollar,  but  because  they  loved  to  do  it.  The  work  of  Downing 
in  my  library  on  fruit  culture  is  better  than  a  good  dictionary. 
And  when  I  go  out  into  my  garden  and  get  puzzled  over  some- 
thing I  can  go  into  the  house,  take  down  Downing  and  read 
what  he  says.  After  that  I  finish  my  work  in  the  garden  with- 
out any  doubts. 

All  I  w'ish  to  say  is  we  don't  give  enough  credit  to  the  amateur 
gardener  for  keeping  up  these  fruit  gardens. 

President  Gulley  :  If  there  is  nothing  further  on  this  topic 
we  will  take  up  the  next  number  on  the  program,  which  is  to 
be  a  paper  by  Mr.  G.  A.  Parker  of  this  city,  the  well-known 
Superintendent  of  Keeny  Park.  Mr.  Parker  is  an  acknowl- 
edged expert  in  handling  land,  and  I  am  sure  he  will  give  us 
something  valuable  on  a  subject  that  may  be  somewhat  new  to 
many  of  us.  I  now  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  to  you 
]\Ir.  Parker. 

"The  Advantages  of  a  Map  or  Plan  for  Farms  and 
Gardens  and  how  to  make  it." 

By  G.  A.  Parker,  Hartford. 

The  progress  of  the  world  might  be  measured  by  the  ability 
of  mankind  to  unite  different  factors  into  one  whole,  into  a 
unit  where  the  coordination  of  forces  are  so  manipulated  that 
the}-  will  work  together  for  one  purpose,  as  in  the  management 
of  an  army,  ship,  railroad,  manufactory,  and  city,  or  a  state 
government.  The  bringing  together  and  adjusting  the  many 
discordant  and  seemingly  impossible  parts  must  either  come 
about  by  accident  or  by  a  controlling  force.  There  is  not  one 
chance  in  a  million  for  accidents  to  produce  desired  results ; 
for  them  we  depend  upon  designs  and  plans.  A  design  for 
a  town  or  city,  as  a  whole,  is  not  common  in  the  East,  but 
common  in  the  West,  where  the  government  has  laid  out  many 
townships.  TJie  first  plan  of  many  old  cities  has  been  so 
altered  that  the  original  layout  is  scarcely  discernible.  Origin- 
ally, Hartford  w^as  laid  out  in  narrow  strips,  extending  from 
the  Connecticut  river  to  the  top  of  the  Talcott  mountains,  an 


70  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

unreasonable  layout,  and  quickly  lost  sight  of.  \Miat  I  want 
to  get  at  is,  that  whatever  man  does  for  the  betterment  of  him- 
self he  does  from  a  preconceived  purpose  and  plan,  however 
crude  or  inadequate  that  plan  may  be,  and  wherever  you  find 
the  work  of  man,  you  will  find  the  marks  of  a  purpose,  and  of 
a  plan,  even  though  the  purpose  may  have  been  transitory 
and  the  plan  but  crude.  In  determining  the  different  lands 
which  constitute  the  present  farms  and  gardens,  many  varied 
and  forgotten  reasons  have  determined  their  lines.  The  sub- 
divisions of  different  farms  into  different  fields  and  lots  is 
usually,  also,  a  forgotten  history.  They  probably  answered  the 
purposes  satisfactory  to  the  men  who  laid  them  out,  but  even 
if  they  did,  then  it  does  not  follow  that  we  should  continue  the 
old  sub-divisions  if  a  different  one  would  serve  our  purpose 
better.  Now  I  am  not  advocating  the  shifting  of  the  walls  and 
fences,  but  I  do  advocate  that  every  land  owner  should  consider 
the  uses  to  which  he  puts  his  land,  and  consider  carefully 
if  a  different  sub-division  would  be  more  desirable  and  more 
profitable  to  him. 

The  trend  of  the  times  points  to  unification  and  simplification 
of  interest,  be  it  trust,  a  workingman's  union,  a  mercantile  or 
mechanical  business,  or  farming,  fruit  growing  or  gardening. 
The  ideal  is  that  each  factor  in  the  farming  operations  shall 
come  into  such  relations  with  each  other  that  each  will  receive 
its  proportionate  part  of  the  labor  at  the  right  time  and  in  such 
a  way  that  it  can  be  easily  attended  to,  so  that  each  day  will 
bring  to  its  owner  the  work  that  will  result  in  the  greatest 
profit  to  him.  Usually  friction,  hurry  and  confusion  is  a  con- 
fession that  somewhere,  at  some  time,  there  has  been  wanting 
forethought,  energy  or  means.  Of  course,  much  depends  on 
other  things  beside  the  sub-division  of  the  farm,  and  yet,  the 
sub-divisions  may  have  much  to  do  in  the  success  of  its  manage- 
ment, the  same  as  a  well  planned  house  has  for  the  ease  of 
doing  housework,  or  a  well  designed  and  ample  factory  build- 
ing has  for  the  rapidity  and  ease  in  carrying  on  its  operations. 
Maps  of  farm  or  garden,  if  used,  are  one  of  the  best  methods 
of  keeping  original  field  records.  It  is  a  pictorial  method,  one 
used  when  people  first  began  to  read  and  write,  and  which, 
during  the  last  few  years  has  fast  supplemented,  and  in  many 
places  taken  the  place  of,  writing.     The  demands  of  life  are  now 


THIRTEENTH   ANNUAL   MEETING.  71 

so  great  that  there  is  not  time  to  write  or  to  read  long  descrip- 
tions of  those  things  which  can  be  as  clearly  told  by  pictures. 
A  map  can  be  made  not  only  a  record,  but  a  method  of  keep- 
ing memoranda,^  so  that  as  far  as  any  particular  field  or  crop 
is  concerned,  it  will  show  its  profit  or  loss  and  the  history  of 
its  ^^•ork.  All  the  arguments  that  can  be  put  forward  for  farm 
book-keeping  can  be  used  for  the  farm  map.  Farm  plan  work, 
like  book-keeping,  requires  some  effort  to  learn,  but  when 
learned,  is  very  helpful  and  profitable.  We  cannot  build  the 
simplest  hen-coop  or  carry  on  the  smallest  farm  without  a 
plan,  but  we  may  have,  and  usually  do  have,  that  plan  in  our 
heads,  and  not  on  paper ;  but  if  we  are  to  build  a  building  with 
many  rooms  or  carry  on  extensive  farming  economically,  w'e 
will  find  the  pencil  and  paper  of  great  help. 

Many  consider  a  map  or  plan  of  their  place  as  a  sort  of  an 
ornamental  appendage,  which  they  can  show  to  their  friends  and, 
occasionally,  bring  out  for  their  ow^n  inspection,  or  have  it 
framed  and  hung  on  the  wall  as  a  picture,  or  lay  away  care- 
fully as  the  matter  of  reference,  like  deeds.  Usually,  they  are 
made  bv  surveyors  and  quite  expensive.  Now  these  kinds  of 
plans  are  very  desirable,  and  I  would  not  belittle  them,  yet 
they  are  not  the  kind  that  I  imagine  the  practical  farmer  would 
use  the  most.  The  plan  which  I  have  in  mind  is  made  on  the 
larger  sized,  common  wrapping  paper,  and  made  by  the  farmer 
himself  with  a  lead  pencil,  and  for  the  doing  of  which  does 
not  require  any  great  knowledge  of  surveying.  To  illustrate 
what  I  mean,  allow  me  to  tell  you  what  I  did  some  twenty-five 
years  ago.  One  spring  I  became  the  superintendent  of  a 
country  place  for  a  millionaire.  The  place  consisted  of  620 
acres,  and  employed  through  the  winter  about  a  dozen  men, 
and  double  that  number  in  summer,  a  place  which  I  was  entirely 
unacquainted  with,  having  been  on  it  but  once  before,  and 
then  it  was  covered  with  snow\  I  found  myself  at  the  head  of 
these  men,  most  of  them  as  new  to  the  place  as  myself  and 
depending  upon  me  to  direct  them  as  to  their  work.  I  had 
received  a  brief  schedule  of  what  the  owner  thought  might 
be  done  with  the  fields,  and  his  suggestion  as  to  crops.  He 
spent  a  part  of  the  first  day  with  me.  There  was  no  map  of 
the  place,  but  as  soon  as  the  men  were  at  work  the  next  morn- 
inof  I  besran  makinc:  one,  for  I  felt  that  I  must  have  it  in  order 


72  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

to  make  estimates  for  the  work  of  the  different  fields,  and  the 
manures  and  seed  needed.  I  took  with  me  as  large  a  sized 
blank-book  as  would  comfortably  go  into  my  pocket  and  a  lead 
pencil.  The  house  I  lived  in  stood  fairly  well  in  the  open.  I 
took  the  long  front  side  of  this  house  as  a  base  line  ;  looking 
along  it,  I  located  an  object  in  the  distance  in  the  same  line, 
and  walked  to  it,  counting  my  steps,  not  pacing ;  that  is.  not 
taking  three  feet  at  each  step,  but  walking  naturally,  for  I  had 
determined  by  repeated  trials  that  forty  of  my  ordinary  steps 
made  one  hundred  feet.  As  I  passed  along  this  line  I  noted 
in  the  book  those  objects  of  interest  it  passed  through  or  near 
by  and  where  it  crossed  a  brook  or  a  fence.  On  reaching  the 
object  seen  from  the  house,  I  ranged  in  another  object  farther 
on  and  repeated  until  I  had  reached  the  outside  boundary 
of  the  place.  I  walked  back  over  the  line,  confirming  my  notes, 
and  then  located,  in  the  same  manner,  an  extension  of  this 
line  across  the  place  in  the  other  direction  from  the  house.  I 
now  had  a  base  line  which,  in  this  particular  case,  passed 
through  the  fields  which  had  to  be  worked  at  once.  I  drew  this 
line  on  wrapping  paper,  adopting  for  a  scale  one-fourth  inch 
equal  to  ten  steps,  which  made  a  plan  of  lOO  feet  to  the  inch. 
Then  I  went  to  the  field  which  I  had  to  work  first  and  through 
which  this  line  passed,  and  by  walking  along  its  sides  and 
diagonally  across  its  angles, — walking  over  more  diagonals  than 
was  really  necessary,  in  order  to  check  this  work, — I  found 
when  I  had  plotted  it  on  paper,  that  I  had  a  map  which  fairly 
well  balanced  and  sufficiently  correct  to  make  estimates  as  to 
the  time  needed  to  do  the  work,  and  the  manure,  seeds,  etc., 
needed  for  that  field.  Within  forty-eight  hours  after  coming 
onto  the  place  I  was  in  possession  of  sufficient  information,  as 
far  as  map  could  give  it,  to  intelligently  direct  the  work,  and 
by  the  time  two  weeks  had  gone  by  I  had  a  map  of  each  field 
of  arable  ground,  by  simply  walking  over  it  and  counting  my 
footsteps.  By  early  summer,  by  the  use  of  odd  time  only,  I 
had  a  map  of  the  entire  place,  showing  water  courses,  walls  and 
fences,  woodland,  orchards,  pasture  lands  and  plowed  fields.  I 
had  not  only  a  map  of  the  place  as  a  whole,  but  I  had  a  separate 
map  of  every  field :  on  these  lesser  maps  I  had  written  on  the 
margin  an  account  of  what  was  then  growing  there,  and  as 
far  as  I  could  determine,  what  had  sfrown  on  it  during-  the  last 


TIIIRTERNTH  ANXVAL    M  RET  INC.  73 

few  years,  with  its  area  and  w^hat  seemed  to  me  desirable  to 
do  with  it.  All  this  memoranda  should  be  carefully  dated,  for 
the  time  element  in  all  farming  operations  is  of  the  utmost 
importance.  At  one  time  I  might  suppose  that  a  particular 
field  would  grow  corn  best  next  year,  but  as  the  season  went 
on,  the  physical  condition  of  the  soil  and  its  plant  growth 
might  lead  me  to  believe  that  it  was  not  suitable  for  corn  the 
coming  year,  or  the  conditions  elsewhere  might  make  it  desir- 
able that  it  should  be  planted  with  other  crops  in  order  to 
balance  the  work  of  the  farm  as  a  whole.  Whenever  I  changed 
the  crop  upon  a  field  I  made  a  new  plan  for  it,  on  which  1 
made  the  records  as  to  the  times  the  different  work  was  done 
in  that  lot,  and  the  different  materials,  such  as  fertilizers,  seeds, 
etc.  used,  and  where  they  were  obtained,  and  their  cost.  Also, 
at  the  time  of  the  gathering  of  the  crop,  I  made  on  this  plan 
the  record,  not  only  of  when  it  was  harvested  but  the  quantity 
that  was  taken  from  the  field,  giving  me  the  data  necessarv  to 
compute  the  profit  or  loss  of  the  field. 

I  speak  of  this  experience  of  mine  to  show  how  easily  and 
rapidly  it  can  be  done  without  outside  help,  and  without  the 
paraphernalia  of  a  surveyor's  and  draftsman's  outfit,  and  the 
result  is  reasonably  correct.  The  method  is  correct,  but  errors 
which  come  in  from  not  walking  in  a  straight  line,  going  up 
hill  and  down  vale  and  the  variations  in  the  length  of  the  step 
would  be  a  source  of  annoyance  to  a  surveyor,  but  the  errors 
are  not  so  great  as  to  trouble  the  farmer  in  the  drawing  out 
of  the  memoranda  taken  outdoors.  P'or  paper  for  these  plans 
I  used  the  common  wrapping  paper  of  the  tradesman,  eighteen 
by  twenty- four  inches  in  size.  This  paper  is  not  thick  and 
very  cheap,  only  a  few  cents. a  quire,  and  does  not  take  up 
much  room  to  store,  and  the  size  is  one  that  is  comfortable  to 
use  on  a  common  table.  For  tools,  I  had  a  two-foot  carpenter's 
rule  and  a  soft  lead  pencil. 

The  advantages  of  these  numerous  and  frequently  made  plans 
are  not  confined  to  the  increased  ease  in  calculations,  but  in 
doing  the  work  one's  self  it  gives  a  wonderful  increased  know- 
ledge of  the  farm  itself,  and  what  it  has  done  and  what  it  can 
do.  It  leads  to  a  separation  of  the  farm  work  in  the  farmer's 
mind,  and  leads  him  to  give  to  each  part  a  more  satisfactory 
proportion,  both  as  to  the  place  it  occupies  and  the  time  it  takes, 


74  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

and  in  this  dift'erentiation  the  home  grounds  should  become  and 
will  become  more  or  less  distinct  and  separated  from  the  other 
lands.  Farming  seems  to  belong  to  that  class  of  occupations 
which  by  custom  and  convenience  mixes  the  home  and  business 
together  in  a  way  that  is  detrimental  to  both  the  home  and 
the  business.  It  is  like  a  shoemaker  living  in  his  factory,  or 
a  merchant  in  his  store :  small  mechanics,  small  merchants,  and 
small  farmers  may  have  to,  in  the  beginning,  live  in  a  huddle, 
but  as  the  success  of  farming  increases  it  should  be  possible 
to  separate  out  the  home  grounds,  and  make  them  distinct 
from  farming  operations,  and  a  most  attractive  and  delightful 
place  to  live  in.  In  theory,  the  farmer  should  have  the  best 
home  in  the  world,  but  in  practice  his  home  is  apt  to  be  sur- 
passed by  the  village  and  the  city  home.  A  more  beautiful 
city  has  come  to  stay,  and  sanitation  and  the  fine  arts  are  doing 
much  to  make  it  more  attractive.  Even  now  one  city  in  the 
United  States  claims  to  have  no  slums,  and  there  are  cities 
where  the  death  rate  is  less  than  in  the  country.  The  farmers, 
so  far,  have  taken  but  little  from  the  advancements  that  are 
being  made,  to  use  for  themselves.  True,  much  that  is  needed 
in  the  city  is  useless  in  the  country,  but  the  movement  has  a 
wider  meaning.  It  means  a  realization  that  beauty  is  an  impor- 
tant factor  in  our  lives,  in  one  sense  fully  as  much  so  as  the 
food  we  eat.  If  we  are  surrounded  with  it,  it,  as  it  were,  soaks 
into  us,  and  the  heart  grows  from  that  absorption.  Not  all  that 
strengthens  life  enters  through  the  mouth.  The  better  elements 
of  growth  enter  through  the  eyes  and  ears ;  nothing  is  more 
ephemeral  than  music, — the  sound  dies  away  instantly  when  the 
song  or  the  instrument  stops,  and  yet,  what  a  tremendous 
influence  it  exerts ;  and  now  its  twin  sister,  beauty,  which 
appeals  to  the  eye  as  music  does  to  the  ear,  and  which  has 
been  long  neglected  by  the  common  people,  is  to  take  her  place 
upon  the  throne  beside  her  sister,  music.  As  every  home  is 
happier  for  having  music  in  it,  so  every  home  is  better  when 
the  blessings  of  beauty  rest  upon  it  and  surround  it. 

I  once  asked  a  clergyman  why  he  kept  on  preaching  week 
after  week,  saying  that  sermons  were  usually  forgotten  before 
the  week  was  out,  and  very,  very  few  remembered  them  a  year, 
"Young  man,"  he  said,  for  I  was  young  when  I  asked  that 
question,    "do  you  remember  the  dinner  you  ate  a  year  ago?" 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  75 

I  had  to  confess  that  I  did  not,  neither  could  I  tell  what  my 
dinner  was  a  month  or  a  week  ago.  And  then  he  added  :  "Those 
dinners,  even  though  forgotten,  were  necessary  in  order  that 
you  should  be  alive  and  well  now.  My  sermons,  even  though 
forgotten,  were  needed  and  I  had  to  do  my  best  a  year  ago 
that  I  might  be  able  to  do  as  well  as  I  do  now,  for  if  I  do 
not  do  my  best  to-day,  I  cannot  do  better  to-morrow."  And 
so,  a  farmer's  home  should  be  a  little  paradise  on  earth,  and  it 
can  become  so,  and  I  believe  that  it  will  be  when  he  succeeds 
in  working  out  a  logical  plan  for  his  farm  and  a  reasonable 
method  of  working  it.  He  will  have  learned  to  make  and  use 
plans  as  easily  and  comfortably  as  he  reads  and  writes,  and 
the  making  of  a  plan  will  be  as  simple  a  matter  as  writing  a 
letter ;  then  he  will  have  them  in  abundance,  and  will  have  them 
as  frequently  as  he  makes  a  memorandum,  and  the  more  familiar 
he  is  with  them  the  more  useful  they  will  be  to  him. 

I  cannot  help,  in  closing,  in  giving  voice  to  a  little  prophecy. 
The  plans  of  cities  are  receiving  a  great  deal  of  attention,  and 
cities  are  being  slowly  remodelled  to  meet  modern  requirements, 
and  while  many  of  the  country  roads  are  as  well  located,  and 
as  beautiful  as  heart  could  wish,  yet  there  are  others  which  are 
not  logical  in  their  layout,  and  impose  as  great  a  burden  on  the 
farmer  as  the  illogical  city  streets  has  upon  the  business  man. 
Then  again,  most  farm  lines  are  not  the  result  of  following 
reasonable  contours,  and  enclosing  the  lands  which  naturally  go 
together,  but  are  usually  the  results  of  accidental  ownerships 
in  the  past,  the  wealth  and  poverty  of  other  owners,  and  the 
idiosyncrasies  of  the  neighborhood.  How  much  of  this  can  be 
changed  for  the  better,  I  do  not  know,  but  as  we  have  park 
commissioners  in  cities^  so  I  believe  the  time  will  come  when 
there  will  be  commissions  appointed  to  guide  the  conserving 
and  preserving  of  whatsoever  is  beautiful  in  the  country — 
that  iDeauty  which  belongs  to  no  individual  owner,  but  to  every 
one  who  has  eyes  to  see ;  and  he  who  destroys  the  beautiful 
destroys  public  property,  even  though  he  holds  the  title  deed, 
and  he  w^ho  makes  the  beautiful  more  available,  who  adds  to 
it  by  making  his  grounds  more  beautiful,  has  added  to  the 
public  wealth,  and  has  done  the  Creator  as  well  as  his  neighbor 
a  service  of  even  erreatcr  benefit  than  that  he  himself  will  receive. 


y^  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Parker's  admirable  paper  was  attentively  listened  to,  and 
at  its  close  the  matter  was  discussed  at  some  length. 

Vice  President  PInbbard  in  the  chair. 

Mr.  Hubbard  :  I  want  to  say  that  I  believe  the  suggestion 
contained  in  ]\Ir.  Parker's  paper,  if  carried  out,  w^ould  be  a 
benefit  to  every  farmer  in  the  State.  If  a  farmer  can  make 
his  own  plans,  as  ]\Ir.  Parker  says,  it  seems  to  me  entirely  prac- 
ticable that  he  should  do  so.  Each  farmer  would  have  a  greater 
familiarity  with  his  different  fields  and  he  would  get  a  better 
idea  of  what  to  do  the  next  season. 

A  jMember  :  I  would  like  to  ask  ]\Ir.  Parker  if  he  would 
include  in  that  map,  a  map  of  his  orchard. 

]\Ir.  Parker  :  Yes,  sir  :  all  the  land  upon  the  farm,  the  house, 
the  orchard,  and  everything.  All  that  a  man  owns  and  all  that 
he  hopes  to  own. 

A  AIe:\iber  :  What  method  do  you  use  to  get  the  angles? 
When  it  comes  to  laying  out  farms,  fields,  etc.,  you  need  angles. 
How^  do  you  get  them  ? 

Mr.  Parker  :  The  angles  are  determined  by  the  measurement 
of  three  sides.     There  is  no  trouble  at  all  with  the  angles. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  think  Mr.  Parker  has  given  us  a  new  idea  as 
to  a  farm  map.  I  believe  with  him  every  farm  in  the  country 
can  be  mapped,  and  I  believe  it  can  be  better  mapped  and  cared 
for  as  the  years  go  by  if  we  have  a  map  of  each  individual  field 
and  a  record  of  its  work.  I  have  always  supposed  that  to  get 
a  decent  sort  of  map  you  have  got  to  have  a  lot  of  surveying 
done,  and  that  is  expensive.  ]\Ir.  Parker  is  a  man  who  can 
walk  over  a  piece  of  ground  and  then  he  knows  pretty  well 
how  the  land  lays.  But  I  would  like  to  ask  hjm  one  question, 
and  that  is.  how  he  gets  his  elevation  ? 

]\Ir.  Parker  :  I  never  tried  it. 

Mr.  Hale  :  Well,  in  the  ordinary  map  I  don't  suppose  it  is 
absolutely  necessary.  The  average  farmer  knows  the  contour 
of  his  land  and  the  elevation.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  plan  laid 
down  by  Mr.  Parker  to-night  in  a  very  sensible  one,  and  as 
intelligently  presented  as  any  suggestion  I  have  ever  heard 
regarding  how  to  get  a  good  practical  map.  It  seems  to  me 
we  ought  to  be  thankful  that  a  man  who  knows  how  to  handle 
land  should  come  here  and  address  us. 


THJRTIlliXTH   ANNUAL   MEETING.  yy 

Prof.  Waugii  :  Mr.  Chairman,  if  I  may  sa}-  a  word,  I  would 
like  to  state  that  1  think  Mr.  Parker's  ideas  are  excellent.  But 
I  have  a  little  scheme  of  my  own  for  this  matter  and  would  like 
to  tell  you  ahout  it.  Now,  a  good  surveying  instrument  you 
can  buy,  one  which  is  suitable  for  all  this  work,  and  a  level  with 
a  horizontal  line  for  turning  ofif  the  angles,  and  stakes  for  read- 
ing the  elevations,  and  you  can  buy  this  whole  outfit  for  $i6. 
That  is  not  an  outlay  be}"ond  the  means  of  any  farmer  around 
here.  You  have  boys  on  your  farms,  and  any  good  bright  boy 
can  soon  learn  how  to  handle  this  instrument ;  then,  too,  he  can 
get  a  lot  of  fun  out  of  it.  I  have  gone  over  my  father's  land 
with  an  instrument  of  this  sort  and  thought  it  would  be  a  fine 
thing  to  map  out  the  farm  at  home.  I  borrowed  a  transit 
weighing  about  150  pounds  and  surveyed  the  whole  place.  I 
enjoyed  it  very  much,  and  I  know  the  boys  on  your  different 
farms  would  also.     They  can  make  a  good  survey. 

It  was  decided  to  defer  the  address  of  Mr.  Hoyt  on  "Coopera- 
tion" until  Wednesday's  session,  and  in  its  place  a  number  of 
questions  from  the  printed  list  were  called  up  and  discussed. 

Question  i.  The  future  selling  package  for  the  apple — shall 
it  be  box  or  barrel  ? 

Mr.  Robertsox  :  I  think,  l\lr.  Chairman,  the  box  is  the  com- 
ing thing. 

]Mr.  Lewis  :  I  should  think  that  would  depend  altogether  upon 
the  quality  of  the  fruit  to  be  sold. 

President  Gulley  :  Air.  Chairman,  we  have  been  told  it  is 
doubtful  wdiich  would  work  best,  the  box  or  the  barrel.  Now, 
I  know  of  one  man  who  has  given  this  a  thorough  trial.  ,  He 
packed  some  apples  in  a  box  and  some  in  a  barrel  and  made 
shipment.  The  result  was  that  in  every  case  of  first  grade  fruit 
the  profit  of  the  box  over  the  barrel  averaged  75  cents  for  the 
same  amount  of  apples.  The  average  of  three  or  four  ship- 
ments was  just  about  this  margin  with  ju$t  one  offset;  it  took 
just  a  little  more  work  to  pack  the  box  than  the  barrel. 

J\Ir.  Waller  :   I  would  like  to  ask  the  cost  of  the  box  itself. 

President  Gulley  :  In  this  test  I  speak  about  we  had  some 
very  nice  boxes.  They  were  neat  and  plain  and  the  cost  was 
verv  little. 


78  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Prof.  Waugh  :  I  was  going  to  say,  Mr.  Patch,  the  Boston 
commission  man,  was  telhng  us  a  few  weeks  ago  about  this 
question,  and  he  very  emphatically  said  the  apple  barrel  was  the 
best  thing;   he  is  opposed  to  the  boxes. 

Mr.  Fenn  :  I  think  when  the  public  demands  the  box  it  has 
got  to  come.  When  that  time  arrives  we  have  got  to  have  the 
box,  but  until  that  time  I  don't  think  we  ought  to  impose  it 
upon  them.  I  was  foolish  enough  to  invest  in  200  boxes  a  few- 
years  ago.  I  sold  more  to  Prof.  Gulley  than  anybody  else ; 
and  for  the  very  reason  I  did  not  find  buyers  who  would  take 
the  apples  in  boxes.  I  could  not  find  a  buyer  who  would  pay 
the  price.     That  was  the  first  objection. 

Mr.  Hoyt  :  There  was  a  case  right  along  this  line  that  came 
under  my  own  observation.  A  gentleman  in  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.,  who  bought  apples  and  peaches  and  sold  them  in 
New  York.  He  came  out  to  our  place  one  day  and  I  was  speak- 
ing to  him  about  the  bushel  box  for  apples.  I  gave  him  my 
ideas  about  the  advisability  of  packing  them  nicely  in  boxes  of 
about  a  bushel.  I  thought  no  more  about  it  until  about  Thanks- 
giving time,  when  I  had  a  telephone  from  him  one  Sunday 
telling  me  to  pack  my  apples  in  boxes.  I  had  about  a  thousand 
bushels  in  Maine,  and  I  packed  my  nicest  apples  in  boxes  and 
went  down  with  him  to  Seigel-Cooper's  big  store  in  New  York. 
We  asked  them  if  they  wanted  any  apples,  and  they  said:  "No, 
we  can  buy  all  we  want  here  in  New  York  for  a  dollar  and  a 
half  a  barrel."  But  I  said  we  had  them  in  boxes  nicely  packed. 
They  said  they'd  like  to  see  a  sample.  So  I  sent  down  a  dozen 
boxes  and  when  they  saw  them  they  asked  how  many  I  had. 
I  said  I  had  a  thousand,  and  they  said  they'd  take  them  all. 
Now,  if  you  will  look  in  the  Herald  you  will  see  in  Seigel- 
Cooper's  advertisement  that  they  are  selling  those  apples  for 
$1.45  a  box. 

You  say  here  you  don't  want  to  impose  them  upon  the  people. 
But  the  people  want  to  see  them  in  boxes  and  then  they'll  buy. 
The  supply  will  make  the  demand.  Put  your  apples  in  nice 
cases  and  the  market  will  take  them.  They  don't  ask  for  the 
boxes  because  they  are  not  acquainted  with  them.  They  take 
what  you  give. 

Mr.  Seymour  :  I  am  very  miich  interested  in  all  these  things. 
I  have  spent  nearly  five  years  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  I  have 


THIRTEEXTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  79 

vet  to  sec  the  first  apples  put  tip  in  barrels  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
Thev  won't  use  barrels.  They  claim  they  are  not  convenient, 
and  thev  can't  sell  so  many  apples  in  barrels  because  they  are 
not  in  a  shape  people  can  buy.  Lots  of  people  won't  buy  a  barrel 
of  apples  when  they  will  buy  a  box.  They  w-ant  a  smaller 
quantity  and  the  box  just  fills  the  bill. 

^Ir.  Robertson  :  I  would  like  to  add  that  in  the  winter 
people  in  the  city  have  no  place  to  keep  these  apples.  The  heat 
of  the  cellars  make  it  impossible  to  keep  apples  in  good  shape. 
They  lose  their  flavor  and  shrivel  up.  If  we  could  pift  them  in 
^  bushel  boxes  we  might  increase  the  sales  very  largely. 

I  second  what  the  gentleman  on  my  right  has  said.  The 
box  has  got  to  come  for  our  best  fruit. 

The  time  having  arrived  for  closing  the  session,  at  9.30  the 
Societv  adjourned  until  the  following  day,  after  a  very  pleasant 
and  profitable  evening  meeting. 

The  attendance  was  good,  although  not  as  large  as  at  the  day 
session,  as  many  of  the  members  were  unable  to  remain  through 
the  entire  meeting. 


8o  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Second  Day— Wednesday,  Feb.  3. 

Morning:  Session. 

The  second  da}'  of  the  Pomological  meeting  started  off  with 
an  excellent  attendance  and  with  an  increasing  interest  in  the 
proceedings  as  the  meeting  progressed. 

President  Gulley  called  the  Society  to  order  at  9.45  a.  m.,  and 
after  several  announcements  from  the  chair,  ]\Ir.  E.  R.  Bennett 
was  called  upon  and  gave  a  further  explanation  of  how  to  make 
a  successful  Bordeaux  mixture. 

Questions  from  the  List  and  from  the  Question  Box  were  then 
taken  up  and  discussed. 

Question  :  \Miat  is  the  best  nozzle  to  use  in  spraying  tall 
trees  ? 

Mr.  Barnes  said  he  used  the  \'ermorel  and  liked  it. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  have  been  spraying  peach  trees  mostly.  Have 
found  nothing  better  than  the  \^ermorel  until  this  year,,  when  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Xew  York  Fruit  Growers'  Association  at 
Geneva  there  was  a  new  nozzle  shown  by  the  Goulds  Company, 
called  "the  JMistry."  and  a  number  of  us  tested  it  there  for  a 
long  time  along  with  \'ermorel  and  other  nozzles,  and  I  think 
it  is  an  improvement  over  the  A'ermorel.  From  what  I  saw  in 
using  it  in  Georgia,  I  shall  substitute  it  for  the  \'ermorel.  It 
makes  a  finer  spray,  scatters  over  a  wider  range,  and  so  is  more 
economical  of  the  spray. 

Mr.  Fenn  and  ]\Ir.  Ives  both  recommended  the  ^NIcGowan  for 
work  on  tall  trees. 

QuESTiox  :  Can  the  "brown-spot"  on  the  apple  be  prevented 
by  spraying? 

Mr.  Ives  said  he  was  not  prepared  to  say  certainly  that  it 
could,  but  we  can  spray  later  in  the  season  with  weak  Bordeaux, 
spraying  even  up  to  picking  time  and  then  wiping  off  the  fruit 
to  remove  any  eft'ects  of  the  spray.  In  this  way  we  ought  to 
be  able  to  control  the  trouble. 

President  Gulley  :  Some  of  those  western  men  suggest 
spraying  right  up  to  picking.  From  some  work  we  did  last 
year  I  am  persuaded  that  fungus  can  be  kept  down,  but  it 
means  later  work  than  for  other  troubles. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  8 1 

A  question  relative  to  cutting-  back  and  heading  in  peach 
trees  provoked  a  vigorous  discussion. 

Mr.  G.  F.  Piatt  favored  cutting  back  with  the  idea  of  forcing 
the  growth  of  new  heads. 

IMr.  Root  had  cut  back  Reeves'  Favorite  trees  with  good 
results  and  expects  to  practice  it  this  year  again. 

Question  :  Assuming  that  our  peach  buds  are  all  dead, 
would  this  not  be  a  good  time  to  cut  the  tops  off  from  peach 
trees  over  six  years  of  age  ?     Could  it  harm  them  ? 

Mr.  Platt  :  I  think  I  w'ould  recommend  it.  If  they  are 
killed  anyhow,  we  might  as  weU  cut  it  oft"  to  begin  with,  and 
make  a  new  head.  I  think  ]Mr.  Hale  did  that  thing  in  Georgia 
and  got  a  second  growth. 

Mr.  Root  :  I  suspect  we  ought  to  trim  ten-year-old  trees 
right  back. 

A  Meiviber  :   Will  you  do  it  ? 

Mr.  Root:   Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Barnes  :  We  cut  back  about  550  trees  last  spring  quite 
severely — limbs  that  would  range  in  diameter  from  three  inches 
dow'n  to  half  an  inch — the  tree  was  cut  off  very  severely  if  the 
diameter  was  two  and  a  half  or  three ;  and  with  the  exception 
of  some  trees  that  the  scale  was  very  severe  on,  these  put  out 
in  the  spring  and  made  a  very  satisfactory  growth  through  the 
summer.  My  main  object  was  to  never  let  those  trees  get  high. 
In  an  examination  that  I  made  in  cutting  for  the  buds,  I  could 
not  make  up  my  mind  that  there  was  any  damage  this  winter. 
We  did  not  get  the  severe  cold  on  these  orchards  that  prevailed 
on  the  lower  ground.  I  might  sa}-  that  we  have  a  couple  of 
trees  on  the  flats  near  our  buildings  that  were  on  the  place 
when  I  came  there.  They  have  always  stood  in  grass — they  may 
be  twenty  years  old  ;  and  I  went  out  this  morning  about  day- 
light and  I  took  a  branch  oft'  from  the  top  of  each  of  those  trees 
and  took  them  into  the  house,  and  I  cut  the  wood  and  the  buds, 
and  the  buds,  so  far  as  I  could  detect,  were,  without  exception, 
black  in  the  center,  and  the  wood  is  very  brown,  even  of  this 
last  season's  growth  ;  and  I  think  it  has  killed  those  old  trees 
that  had  made  a  very  moderate  growth. 

A  Member  :  What  time  w^ould  it  be  best  to  cut  back  those 
trees  ? 

6 


82  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Barnes  :  I  should  prefer  to  do  it  as  near  leaving-out  time 
as  I  could,  but  I  see  no  great  objection  to  doing  it  at  any  time. 
We  commenced  last  year  not  later  than  this  time, — we  had  to 
pick  out  weather  a  little  ;  but  begin  now  if  you  are  ready. 

A  Member  :  Why  wait  ? 

Mr.  Barnes  :  If  you  should  cut  a  limb  and  expose  it  to  the 
weather  before  the  healing  process  could  go  on,  it  might  be 
detrimental. 

Mr.  Warner  told  of  cutting  back  an  eleven-year-old  orchard 
in  April.  The  trees  made  a  fine  growth  and  have  come  through 
the  winter  in  good  shape. 

Mr.  Hale  asked  what  to  do  with  peach  trees  four  to  eight 
years  old,  killed  down  to  the  snow  line  this  winter.  Is  there 
any  hope  of  saving  them  by  sawing  back  the  trunks  ? 

One  member  said,  saw  them  off  and  the  trunks  will  start  a 
new  growth. 

Mr.  Wakcman  pointed  out  the  fact  that  such  trees  will  be 
likely  to  split  later  on. 

Mr.  Liegey  :  I  have  trees  that  were  frozen,  and  I  have  been 
cutting  them  down  six  inches  above  ground — just  a  couple  of 
inches  below  the  frozen  part.  They  will  start  and  make  a  good 
tree ;  and  I  w^ould  bet  anything  you  can  get  a  good  crop  of 
fruit  two  years  from  now. 

Mr.  Root  :  We  once  had  a  few  young  trees,  three  years  old, 
broken  off  by  the  ice  storm,  that  did  not  one  of  them  sprout  out 
to  be  of  any  use. 

Mr.  Platt  :  We  have  cut  trees  off  perhaps  six  inches  high, 
and  the  sprouts  never  amounted  to  anything. 

Mr.  Barnes  :  We  have  had  a  good  many  trees  broken  down 
from  winds  and  ice,  and  I  feel  that  the  hope  is  very  small,  indeed, 
of  getting  anything  from  trees  damaged,  from  any  cause,  so 
near  the  ground. 

The  regular  program  of  the  session  was  then  taken  up,  the 
first  subject  being  "The  Fight  against  the  San  Jose  Scale." 
This  was  perhaps  the  most  important  topic  of  the  entire  meet- 
ing, and  one  vitally  affecting  the  interests  of  every  fruit  grower 
present. 

The  first  speaker  was  Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  State  Entomologist, 
who  delivered  the  followinQ-  excellent  address : 


Till RTEES Til   AX X UAL   MEETIXG.  83 

Fighting  the  San  Jose  Scale-Insect.    The  Latest  and 
most  Effective  Sprays. 

By  Prof.  JV.  E.  Britton. 

The  ideal  spray  for  killing  this  destructive  insect  should  have 
these  requirements : 

1.  Cheapness  of  materials, 

2.  Ease  of  preparation. 

3.  Effectiveness  in  killing  insects. 

4.  Not  injurious  to  trees. 

Such  a  spray  has  not  yet  been  found.  Formerly,  whale-oil 
soap  was  used  and  recommended,  but  this  was  too  expensive 
and  was  not  very  easy  to  prepare.  The  oils,  especially  crude 
oil,  are  fairly  cheap,  are  easy  to  apply,  and  are  certainly  effective 
as  an  insecticide,  but  are  liable  to  cause  injury  to  the  trees,  and 
therefore  we  cannot  recommend  their  use.  Many  trees  in  Con- 
necticut have  been  sprayed  with  oils  during  the  past  four  years 
without  apparent  injury.  Both  kerosene  and  crude  oil  have 
been  employed,  and  each  has  been  used  undiluted  and  in  25  per 
cent,  mixture  with  water.  On  the  other  hand,  many  trees  have 
been  seriously  damaged  by  the  oils  in  Connecticut  and  in  other 
States,  notably  Ohio.  The  pumps  that  mix  oil  and  water  can- 
not be  relied  upon  to  give  the  proper  percentage  of  oil,  and  at 
times  nearly  clear  water  is  being  sprayed  upon  the  tree  and 
then  perhaps  clear  oil.  These  pumps  may  work  nicely  when 
new,  but  after  being  stored  for  a  season  will  not  do  satisfactory 
work,  even  if  taken  apart  and  cleaned  and  the  valves  packed. 

The  lime,  sulphur  and  salt  mixture  combines  cheapness  of 
materials,  effectiveness,  and  is  non-injurious  to  the  trees — but 
it  is  not  as  yet  as  easy  to  prepare  as  some  other  mixtures.  Over 
40,000  trees  in  Connecticut  were  sprayed  with  some  form  of 
this  mixture  last  season  wath  generally  satisfactory  results.  In 
our  own  spraying  tests  about  11,500  trees  were  treated,  with 
the  result  that  the  scale  was  well  controlled  in  most  cases  and 
the  trees  were  all  benefited  by  the  treatment.  I  feel  that  we 
must  w^ork  along  the  line  of  cheapening  this  mixture  and  mak- 
ing it  more  easy  to  prepare.  Our  experiments  during  the  past 
season  showed :    ( i )  that  the  scale  can  be  controlled  by  a  single 


84  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

thorough  spraying-,  (2)  that  salt  is  useless  both  in  making  the 
mixture  effective,  and  in  making  it  stick  upon  the  trees,  (3) 
by  the  use  of  liver  of  sulphur  (potassium  sulphide)  we  can 
make  an  effective  mixture  without  the  trouble  and  expense  of 
boiling,  (4)  lime  and  water  (whitewash)  is  ineffective  in  kill- 
ing the  scale  and  does  not  stick  well  upon  the  trees,  (5)  strong 
Bordeaux  mixture  is  not  effective  in  killing  the  scales,  though 
it  adheres  nicely  to  the  trees. 

Other  experiments  show:  (i)  that  we  can  use  a  smaller 
quantity  of  lime,  (2)  that  less  boiling  may  suffice. 

From  the  points  gained  in  conducting  these  experiments,  then, 
we  shall  make  up  a  mixture  without  salt,  containing  less  lime, 
and  boiled  for  a  shorter  time  than  we  have  supposed  necessary. 
We  can  begin  to  practice  economy  in  the  preparation  of  the 
mixture  by  adding  the  sulphur  before  slaking  the  lime,  and  thus 
utilizing  the  heat  of  the  lime  in  slaking  to  help  dissolve  the 
sulphur. 

Recent  Experiments  in  Fall  Spraying  zi'ith  Lime  and  Sulphur. 

Following  the  indications  of  last  season's  experiments  which 

I  have  just  mentioned,  we  can  suggest  the  following  formula: 

Lime  14  pounds. 

Sulphur   14  pounds. 

Water 40  gallons. 

A  mixture  prepared  after  this  formula  was  used  at  Bridgeport 
on  plum,  pear  and  peach  trees  on  December  loth.  The  sulphur 
was  made  into  the  form  of  a  paste  and  put  with  the  lime  before 
slaking  the  latter.  These  materials  were  placed  in  the  barrel, 
and  the  lime  slaked  carefully.  By  this  method  we  can  utilize 
the  heat  of  the  lime  in  slaking  to  help  dissolve  the  sulphur,  and 
a  slight  amount  is  dissolved  by  the  slaking  of  the  lime.  Water 
was  added  to  make  the  barrel  about  one-third  part  full.  Steam 
from  a  Bigelow  boiler,  used  for  sawing  wood  in  a  wood  yard, 
was  then  conducted  into  the  barrel  through  a  rubber  hose  con- 
nected with  the  safety  valve.  The  boiler  could  then  be  used 
for  sawing  wood,  while  we  were  cooking  the  mixture,  and 
almost  no  pipe  connections  were  required. 

After  the  mixture  began  to  boil,  we  cooked  it  for  thirty 
minutes,  then  strained  it  into  the  spray  barrel  and  filled  the 
barrel  with  cold  water,  and  applied  to  the  trees. 


PLATE   I. 


Peach  trees  spra3'ed  with  lime  and  sulphur.     Orchard  of  A.  E.  Plant  &  Son,  Branford. 


View  in  orcliaid  of  A.  E.  Phmt  »Sc  Sun,  IJranford. 


THIRTEENTH   ANNUAL   MEETING.  85 

Some  of  the  spraying  was  done  on  Friday,  and  a  very  heavy 
rain  came  on  Saturday  night  and  Sunday  morning-.  We  were 
afraid  that  the  spray  had  not  dried  sufficiently  upon  the  trees, 
and  that  it  would  be  washed  off.  Such  was  not  the  case,  and 
when  I  saw  these  trees  a  few  days  ago  they  looked  just  as  white 
as  if  freshly  s])rayed.  An  examination  of  the  twigs  indicates 
that  the  mixture  will  be  effective  in  destroying  the  scales. 

From  our  present  knowledge,  it  seems  wise  to  depend  upon 
lime  and  sulphur  for  this  season,  at  least,  as  a  spray  to  destroy 
the  scale  in  our  commercial  orchards. 

^lany  of  you  have  doubtless  read  of  the  attempts  to  prepare 
this  mixture  without  boiling.  These  are  mostly  in  the  experi- 
mental stage  and  should  be  given  further  trial  before  we  can 
recommend  their  extensive  use. 

Liuic  and  Sulphide  of  PotasJt. 

This  mixture  is  an  ideal  one,  as  has  already  been  stated,  but 
is  too  expensive  for  orchard  use.  It  may  be  prepared  as 
follows : 

Lime  i  pound. 

Sulphide  of  potasli    (liver  of  sulphur)      i  pound. 

Water    2  gallons  ( i  pailful) . 

The  sulphide  may  be  dissolved  in  water,  in  a  pail  or  basin, 
the  lime  slaked  and  the  two  substances  put  together  and  diluted 
to  the  correct  proportions.  Sulphide  of  potash  or  liver  of 
sulphur  may  be  ol)tained  from  any  druggist  and  costs  12  or 
14  cents  per  pound.  The  price  is  so  high  as  to  prohibit  its 
use  on  a  large  scale,  but  for  spraying  a  few  small  trees  or 
shrubs  in  the  back  yard  of  a  city  or  town  lot  without  the  trouble 
of  boiling,  there  is  probably  no  better  or  more  convenient 
preparation. 

In  our  experiments  this  mixture  adhered  to  the  trees  and 
destroyed  the  scale  about  equally  with  the  boiled  mixture. 

Liver  of  sulphur  has  long  been  used  as  a  fungicide. 

Sulpliide  of  Soda. 

Knowing  that  preparations  of  soda  usually  are  cheaper  than 
potash  preparation  and  have  a  similar  action,  I  have  been  look- 
ing about   for  an  inexpensive  commercial  product  of  sulphide 


86  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

of  soda  that  could  be  used  in  place  of  the  liver  of  sulphur. 
Such  a  product  was  found  to  be  on  the  market  in  two  forms. 
One  form  in  crystals  contains  about  thirty  per  cent,  of  sulphide, 
and  can  be  purchased  for  one  and  three-fourths  cents  per  pound, 
f.  o.  b.,  at  New  York.  The  other  comes  in  a  fused  form,  con- 
tains nearly  60  per  cent,  of  sulphide  and  costs  two  and  three- 
fourths  cents  per  pound.  This,  of  course,  needs  to  be  pul- 
verized or  ground  before  it  can  be  used  to  advantage  as  it  will 
not  dissolve  readih'  in  the  lumps.  When  pulverized  it  is  very 
readily  soluble.  We  h^ve  used  some  of  this  sulphide  on  a  few 
trees,  in  the  following  quantities : 

Lime  20  pounds. 

Sulphide  of  soda 20  pounds. 

Water 40  gallons. 

The  sulphide  was  broken  up  into  small  pieces  no  larger 
than  hickory  nuts,  and  added  to  the  lime  before  slaking.  These 
were  wholly  dissolved  in  the  process  of  slaking  the  lime.  This 
mixture  seemed  to  stick  fairly  w^ell  upon  the  trees  and  is  appar- 
ently killing  the  scales.  One  fault  of  this  mixture  is  its  strong 
caustic  properties,  making  it  bad  to  handle — even  worse  than 
the  lime  and  sulphur  mixtures.  But  we  can  reduce  the  caus- 
ticity of  the  sulphide  of  soda  solution  by  using  it  as  a  solvent 
for  flowers  of  sulphur.  In  it  the  sulphur  dissolves  quite  readily 
even  without  heat.  You  have  heard  about  dissolving  sulphur 
by  means  of  caustic  soda,  but  when  cold  the  sulphide  of  soda 
will  dissolve  considerably  more  sulphur  than  the  caustic  soda. 
When  hot,  however,  the  caustic  will  dissolve  more  than  the 
sulphide.  But  we  are  trying  to  find  a  mixture  that  we  can 
prepare  entirely  without  hot  water  or  boiling.  The  sulphide 
of  soda  is  certainly  a  promising  material,  but  we  cannot  recom- 
mend it  as  }'et — it  must  be  given  further  trial.  We  expect  to 
test  it  in  several  difterent  ways  the  coming  season. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  possibly  the  crystallized  form  may 
be  used  instead  of  the  fused,  though  it  contains  much  less 
sulphur,  but  in  a  small  test  made  in  December  this  did  not  seem 
to  adhere  as  well  as  the  fused. 

Lime,  Sulphur  and  Caustic  Soda. 
This  preparation  has  been  developed  at  the  Xew  York  Experi- 
ment Station  at  Geneva,  and  is  the  result  of  attempts  to  make 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  Sy 

a  satisfactory  mixture  without  boiling.     The  quantities  used  are 
as  follows  : 

Lime  40  pounds. 

Sulphur   20  pounds. 

Caustic  soda 5  to  10  pounds. 

Water 60  gallons. 

The  lime  is  slaked,  and  the  sulphur  added  in  the  form  of  a 
paste  while  the  lime  is  slaking.  These  are  thoroughly  mixed 
and  the  caustic  added.  Hot  water  is  used  for  slaking  the  lime 
and  for  dissolving  the  caustic  soda.  The  heat  makes  the  caustic 
very  active  in  dissolving  the  sulphur.  Slaking  lime  is  probably 
hotter  than  boiling  w^ater  and  a  larger  quantity  of  lime  is  used, 
doubtless  for  the  purpose  of  generating  heat.  This  is  also  a 
promising  mixture,  but  the  methods  of  preparation  should  be 
further  developed  before  it  can  be  easily  used  in  the  large 
orchard. 

Mr.  Brozun's  Method. 

Some  of  you  have  heard  of  the  mixture  used  by  Mr.  A.  N. 
Brown  of  Delaware,  prepared  by  putting  40  pounds  of  lime 
into  a  barrel  with  20  pounds  of  sulphur  and  adding  12  gallons 
of  boiling  water.  The  barrel  is  then  covered  with  blankets  to 
keep  in  the  heat,  and  the  mixture  is  allowed  to  cook  for 
twenty  minutes,  with  only  enough  stirring  to  prevent  the  lime 
from  "burning"  while  slaking.  The  mixture  is  then  diluted 
and  applied.  Mr.  Brown  seems  to  think  that  the  sulphur  is 
entirely  dissolved  in  this  process,  but  it  does  not  seem  possible ; 
and  perhaps  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  dissolve  the  whole 
quantity.  If  a  portion  is  dissolved,  the  mixture  may  be  quite 
effective. 

One  difficulty  with  both  of  the  two  mixtures  last  mentioned 
is  that  hot  water  is  required  in  their  preparation.  If  we  are 
obliged  to  use  kettles  or  a  boiler  to  heat  the  water,  we  might 
almost  as  w^ell  boil  the  spray  mixture,  for  then  we  can  use  much 
less  lime  and  do  away  entirely  wdth  the  caustic  soda,  thus  cut- 
ting down  the  cost  of  the  raw  materials. 

Caustic  Soda  Solution. 
Many  of  you  have  doubtless  read  the  account  of  this  material 
in  the  last  nimiber  of  the  Farm  Journal.     A  man  in  California 


88  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGKAL    SOCIETY. 

has  been  using  the  solution,  i  pound  of  78  per  cent,  caustic 
soda  in  6  gallons  of  water,  and  claims  great  things  for  it.  The 
Journal  calls  attention  to  the  matter  as  if  it  were  an  entirely 
new  idea.  In  the  spring  of  1901,  three  years  ago,  we  used 
caustic  soda  for  this  purpose.  To  be  sure,  only  a  few  pear  trees 
were  sprayed  with  it  and  "Babbitt's  Potash  or  Lye"  was 
the  source  of  the  caustic.  While  sold  as  potash,  this  material 
is  really  composed  of  caustic  soda,  which  is  much  cheaper  than 
caustic  potash  and  can  be  substituted  for  it  in  nearly  all  opera- 
tions. The  per  cent,  purity  of  the  lye  was  not  determined, 
but  I  pound  to  4  gallons  was  used,  a  stronger  solution  than 
was  employed  in  the  California  tests.  Something  like  12  per 
cent,  of  insects  came  through  the  treatment  alive.  There  was  no 
injury  to  the  trees.  The  record  of  the  test  was  published  in  Bul- 
letin 136  of  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
page  6.  We  did  not  further  test  the  solution  because  we  consid- 
ered other  things  more  promising,  especially  the  lime,  sulphur 
and  salt  mixtures,  and  at  that  time  we  were  using  the  oils  as  a 
basis  for  comparing  results.  \'ery  little  injury  from  the  use  of 
oils  had  then  been  recorded.  Xext  to  the  oils,  the  caustic  soda  is 
probably  the  best  thing  for  penetrating  the  layer  of  insects  on 
the  bark  and  wetting  the  twigs.  Of  course  the  soda  .solution 
will  wash  from  the  trees  with  the  first  rain,  but  its  action  is, 
doubtless,  much  more  immediate  and  less  gradual  than  the  lime 
and  sulphur  mixtures.  I  regard  it  as  worth  experimenting 
with  and  shall  use  it  in  my  own  experimental  work  this  season. 

In  concluding,  I  will  again  state  that  for  this  season  we  must 
rely  upon  the  boiled  lime  and  sulphur  mixture  to  destroy  the 
scales  in  our  orchards.  These  other  materials  may  be  tried 
in  an  experimental  way,  but  it  is  yet  too  early  to  put  our  trust 
in  uncertainties  when  there  is  so  much  at  stake. 

I  am  confident  that  we  shall  soon  find  an  efifective  and  inex- 
pensive mixture  that  can  be  prepared  without  the  trouble  of 
boiling. 

Following  this  very  comprehensive  address  a  vigorous  dis- 
cussion ensued. 

Discussiox. 
]\Ir.  Hale  :    What  sort  of  stirring  apparatus  do  you  use  to 
make  sulphur  and  water  into  a  paste? 


THIRTHIIXTH   ANXl'AL   MEETING.  89 

Prof.  liRirrox  :  ( )iir  hands.  Of  course,  on  a  large  scale  it 
might  be  necessary  to  devise  some  apparatus,  but  we  were 
making"  up  only  a  barrel  at  a  time.  We  put  warm  water  in  the 
pail  and  threw  in  four  or  five  pounds  of  sulphur, — it  takes 
perhaps  fifteen  minutes  to  mix  14  pounds  of  sulphur, — then  we 
put  it  into  the  barrel  with  the  lime  and  slaked  the  lime,  stirring 
it  to  make  sure  it  was  thoroughly  slaked.  We  added  water  to 
make  the  barrel  perhaps  a  third-part  full,  turned  on  steam  wath 
the  rub1)er  hose,  and  boiled  it  for  thirty  n\inutes.  The  sulphur 
was  all  dissolved  and  there  was  very  little  sediment,  but  we 
strained  it  into  our  spraying-barrel  and  filled  the  barrel  up, 
diluting  with  water,  then  applied  it  at  once  to  the  trees.  We 
had  a  very  heavy  rain  Sunday  morning;  this  spraying  was 
done  Thursday  and  Friday,  but,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  the  trees 
are  just  as  wdiite  as  the  day  after  it  was  applied,  and  it  has 
adhered  very  nicely  to  the  trees  and  appears  to  be  killing  the 
scale  all  right. 

Question  :  A  thirty  minutes  boil  ? 

Prof.  Brittox  :  Yes,  sir.  We  didn't  make  any  chemical  test, 
but  I  believe  all  the  sulphur  was  dissolved ;  we  got  a  very  dark- 
colored  liquid.     It  should  be  nearly  all  dissolved. 

[At  this  point  Prof.  Britton  exhibited  specimens  of  caustic 
soda  in  glass  jars.] 

This  caustic  soda  may  contain  a  little  carbonate,  but  you 
can't  afford  to  buy  a  chemically  pure  article.  In  this  case 
I  ordered  soda  78  per  cent.  pure.  They  wrote  that  they  could 
send  me  74  per  cent,  instead  of  78,  and  on  the  bill  it  was 
marked  98  per  cent.,  and  I  don't  know  which  we  got. 

]Mr.  Stoxe:   Where  did  you  get  it? 

Prof.  Britton  :  Through  the  General  Chemical  Company 
of  Xew  York  City.  They  had  it  shipped  from  the  Thomsen 
Chemical  Co.,  of  Baltimore.  It  is  certainly  a  cheap  material, 
and  I  believe  it  is  worth  further  trial.  It  has  one  advantage, 
the  ability  to  cover  a  tree  with  it  very  readily.  It  comes  next 
to  the  oils  in  that  respect. 

Mr.  Stone:   How  long  ago  did  you  use  that? 

Prof.  Britton:  In  March,  1901. 

Mr.  Stone:  W'hy  did  you  not  use  that  instead  of  the  lime 
and  sulphur? 


90  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Prof.  Brittox  :  I  thought  it  would  wash  off.  I  will  say, 
however,  I  am  going  to  use  it  more  extensively  the  coming 
spring. 

]\Ir.  Stoxe  :  \\h\  not  add  that  to  your  lime  and  sulphur? 
What  w'ould  be  the  objection,  except  cost? 

Prof.  Brittox  :  I  don't  see  any.  We  have  only  tried  it  with- 
out boiling ;  we  have  not  put  it  into  the  boiled  mixture. 

Question  :  Will  you  try  it  before  next  year  ? 

Prof.  Brittox  :  Yes. 

Question:    Will  caustic  soda  injure  rubber  hose? 

Prof.  Brittox  :   I  think  it  will  after  a  time. 

Question  :  Would  you  put  in  the  soda  before  boiling? 

Prof.  Brittox'  :  I  should  try  it  both  ways.  One  point,  how- 
ever, is  worth  mentioning.  I  don't  believe  that  caustic  soda  and 
lime  would  be  worth  much  as  a  fungicide,  while  the  lime,  sul- 
phur and  salt  mixture  has  considerable  value. 

Mr.  Stoxe  :  Why  not  kill  the  scale  with  caustic  soda  and  the 
fungi  with  Bordeaux  mixture. 

,    Prof.  Brittox  :    If  we  can  do  both  with  the  same  mixture 
at  a  single  operation  we  shall  save  considerable  expense. 

Mr.  Stone  :  Why  not  add  caustic  soda  to  Bordeaux  mixture 
for  this  purpose? 

Prof.  Brttton  :  \\'e  can  perhaps  try  adding  it  to  the  Bor- 
deaux mixture.  We  are  hunting  for  the  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages in  all  these  things.  If  we  can  get  a  good  insecticide 
which  is  also  a  good  fungicide,  we  should  use  that  on  general 
principles.  In  oiir  spraying  with  caustic  soda,  we  got  something 
like  12  per  cent,  of  living  insects  that  came  through  the  treat- 
ment. That  does  not  mean  very  much.  It  shows  that  it  will 
kill  some  of  them,  and  its  eft'ectiveness  perhaps  would  depend 
somewhat  upon  the  weather  and  whether  it  washed  off  or  stayed 
on  for  a  long  time. 

Question  :  Will  caustic  soda  kill  the  insects  inside  of  an  hour 
or  so? 

Prof.  Brittox'  :  It  will,  perhaps,  where  it  comes  in  contact 
with  the  insect :  but  where  you  have  several  layers  over  the  bark 
it  may  be  some  time  before  it  gets  down  to  the  bark. 

A  Member  :  I  can  mention  the  case  of  ]Mr.  Keller  in  Dela- 
ware.    He  uses  simply  the  Bordeaux  mixture. 

Prof.  Brittox  :  Wt  made  a  few  trials  of  copper  sulphate 
with  the  lime,  sulphur  and  salt.     In  one  case  it  did  not  stick 


PLATE 


Spraying  infested  pear  orchard. 


Cooiung  the  lime  and  sulpliur  mixture  with  steam  in  open  Ijarrels. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


91 


well ;  in  another  it  did,  and  killed  the  scale  fairly  well,  but  it 
is  a  comparatively  expensive  material.  Here  is  a  sample  of 
the  fused  sulphide  of  soda  which  I  have  mentioned.  [Exhibited 
specimen  of  sulphide  of  soda,  price  2^  cents  a  pound.]  In  this 
lump  form  you  cannot  use  it  very  well ;  but  you  can  buy  it  from 
the  Adler  Chemical  Company,  who  promise  to  grind  it  at  a  small 
expense,  making-  it  cost  slightly  over  3  cents  a  pound.  We  find 
it  somewhat  hard  on  the  hands.  I  believe  it  to  be  a  promising 
thing,  and  one  that  is  worth  testing,  but  it  is  too  early  to  recom- 
mend it  in  a  general  way. 

I  should  not  advise  any  great  outlay  of  apparatus  for  boiling. 
I  think  we  can  get  rid  of  boiling  after  two  or  three  years  more 
experimenting.  It  is  a  very  simple  matter  to  hire  a  portable 
boiler  for  a  few  days.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  iron  pipes. 
Have  your  connections  and  valve,  and  screw  on  rubber  hose 
and  run  into  the  barrel.  Have  it  so  that  you  can  shut  it  off  from 
an}'  particular  tank.     Use  some  piece  of  worn-out  rubber  hose. 

Baron  Von  Herff  :  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  necessary  to 
use  a  steam  boiler.  The  solution  can  be  boiled  in  iron  kettles. 
Much  less  water  would  be  more  economical  than  to  use  twenty 
gallons  of  water — half  a  barrel. 

Prof.  Brittox  :  I  intended  to  say  a  third  of  a  barrel.  We 
think  it  dissolves  faster  than  with  a  very  little. 

Baron  Von  Herff:  I  think  one-sixth  of  a  barrel  boiled  with 
the  lime  and  sulphur  would  be  cheaper.  It  is  well  known  that 
chemical  combination  takes  place  more  readily  in  concentrated 
solutions.  The  converting  of  the  sulphur  into  sulphides  takes 
place  more  readily.  What  you  want  is  not  free  lime,  but  sul- 
phide ;  the  chemical  combination  of  the  two  is  what  is  effective. 
It  does  not  kill  the  scale  outright,  but  some  of  it  settles  in  the 
crevices  of  the  bark.  It  remains  there,  and  it  is  probable  that 
in  course  of  time  sulphuret  of  hydrogen  develops,  which  kills 
the  young  scale.  The  ordinary  caustic  sodas  will  not  take  the 
place  of  this  solution.  They  do  not  develop  anything, — they 
kill  by  contact.  They  may  kill  the  scale  where  they  touch  it, 
but  the}''  will  not  suppress  the  scale.  It  is  quite  possible  to  mix 
this  lime  and  sulphur  beforehand  and  keep  it  in  a  solid  con- 
dition and  use  it  whenever  you  get  ready.  It  forms  crystals 
which  can  be  kept,  and  }ou  can  dissolve  these.  Any  one  can 
prepare  it  by  making  this  mixture  rather  concentrated.  It  will 
form  crystals  which  can  be  kept  and  used  later  on. 


92  THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Experiments  in  Spraying  for  the  Scale. 

Work  ix  the  Hale  Orchards. 
By  E.  R.  Bennett,  Storrs  Experiment  Station. 

I  know  of  no  better  way  to  treat  this  subject  than  to  give 
you  a  short  account  of  the  work  done  last  spring  in  treating 
1 1 ,000  peach  and  pKuu  trees  for  San  Jose  scale  at  Mr.  J.  H. 
Hale's.  !Mr.  Hale's  object  in  this  work  was  to  kill  the  scale. 
Our  object  was  to  note  the  effect  of  the  use  of  the  sulphur, 
lime  and  salt  mixture  on  the  scale,  the  trees  and  the  men,  when 
the  application  was  made  to  the  trees  under  different  conditions 
and  with  different  strengths  of  solution.  We  also  wished  to 
determine  the  cost  of  treatment  when  the  work  was  done  on  a 
commercial  basis. 

The  equipment  for  this  work  consisted  of  one  20-horse  power 
steam  boiler  with  pipes  leading  into  six  barrels.  Four  of  these 
were  used  to  boil  the  sulphur,  lime  and  salt,  the  other  two 
for  heating  water.  A  near-by  hydrant  supplied  water  both  for 
filling  the  steam  boiler  and  for  making  the  solution.  Two 
Eclipse  pumps  mounted  on  barrels  were  used ;  each  pump 
having  two  lines  of  hose  and  double  Vermorel  nozzle  attach- 
ments. Seneca  nozzles  were  tried,  but  were  not  found  as  satis- 
factory as  the  double  Vermorel.  They  did  not  spread  the  spray 
enough,  consequently  causing  a  loss  of  time.  After  a  short 
time  it  was  found  advisable  to  have  a  third  pump  and  barrel 
to  avoid  loss  of  time  from  pumps  getting  out  of  order. 

Three  men  and  a  horse  were  used  with  each  pump,  two  men 
to  make  the  solution,  and  when  the  trees  to  be  sprayed  were 
far  away  from  the  boiler  a  man  with  a  horse  and  wagon  were 
used  to  haul  the  solution  from  the  boiler  to  the  pumps. — in  all 
making  nine  men  and  three  horses. 

Details  of  making  tlic  uii.vtuvc — The  mixture  was  made  in  all 
possible  ways.  First,  30  pounds  of  lime  was  slaked  with  boil- 
ing water,  and  reduced  to  a  pasty  mass ;  then  30  pounds  of 
sulphur  was  added  and  thoroughly  mixed,  after  which  enough 
water  was  added  to  thin  the  material  and  the  steam  turned  on. 
After  boiling  about  one  hour,  15  pounds  of  salt  was  added  and 
the  whole  mass  boiled  fifteen  minutes  more.  Then  the  barrel 
was  filled  with  hot  water  and  the  material  was  applied  to  the 


THIRTJiliXTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


93 


trees.  All  material  applied  was  boiling  hot  when  it  left  the 
boiling  apparatus.  This  formula  made  a  rather  thick  mass  of 
solution  and  was  rather  expensive,  so  a  weaker  solution  was 
tried.  This  formula,  20  pounds  lime,  20  pounds  sulphur,  15 
pounds  of  salt  to  50  gallons  of  water,  made  a  thinner  solution 
and  did  not  make  quite  so  thick  a  coat  on  the  trees.  Then  25 
pounds  of  lime,  20  pounds  of  sulphur,  and  15  pounds  of  salt  to 
50  gallons  of  water  were  used.  This  gave  a  mixture  that 
appeared  just  as  good  as  the  first  formula.  From  the  amount 
of  sulphur  left  undissolved  in  the  bottom  of  the  barrels  when 
equal  amounts  of  sulphur  and  lime  were  used,  it  was  evident 
that  to  utilize  all  the  material  in  the  best  possible  manner  more 
lime  than  sulphur  should  be  used. 

Time  of  cooking — At  first  the  material  was  boiled  at  least 
one  hour  before  the  salt  was  added,  then  at  least  fifteen  minutes 
more,  but  it  w-as  found  that  wnth  a  good  head  of  steam,  i.  e., 
five  to  forty  pounds,  there  was  no  perceptible  change  in  the 
solution  after  from  thirty  to  forty-five  minutes.  Neither  was 
any  difference  detected  when  the  salt  was  added  after  the  lime 
and  sulphur  had  been  boiled,  or  when  all  three  ingredients  were 
put  into  the  barrels  together  and  boiled.  The  conclusions  were 
that  the  solution  should  be  boiled  until  it  became  a  dark  amber 
color.  Stirring  with  a  hoe  or  other  implement  was  found 
necessary  while  the  solution  was  boiling,  because  without 
thorough  stirring  several  times  the  sulphur  and  lime  settled  to 
the  bottom  of  the  barrels  and  were  not  readily  dissolved.  After 
continued  boiling  the  solution  became  a  ver}-  dark  green  and 
had  a  tendency  to  form  sticky  precipitate,  which  gave  some 
trouble  in  straining. 

After  the  solution  is  made  it  should  be  applied  within  a  few 
hours,  as  insoluble  crystals  of  sulphur  rapidly  form  in  the 
solution  after  standing  and  getting  cold,  and  cause  much  trouble 
by  clogging  the  pumps. 

Effect  of  the  solution  on  men — The  writer  has  heard  the  state- 
ment  made  several  times  that  the  sulphur,  lime  and  salt  solution 
would  cause  sores  on  the  hands  and  faces  of  the  operators.  To 
avoid  danger  of  this,  oilskin  suits  with  rubber  gloves  were  used 
by  all  the  men.  With  these  precautions  more  or  less  of  the  solu- 
tion came  in  contact  with  the  hands  and  faces  of  the  men,  but 
no  serious  results  came  from  it  even  when  continued  for  a  num- 
ber of  consecutive  davs. 


94  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Record  of  zi'ork — Work  was  begun  ]\Iarch  lo.  The  weather 
was  cool  and  clear.  Four  barrels  of  solution  were  used  cover- 
ing 264  four-year  old  peach  trees  and  plum  trees.  The  formula 
used  w^as  : 

Lime 30  pounds. 

Sulphur   30  pounds. 

Salt    15  pounds. 

Water    50  gallons. 

March  nth,  a  heavy  rain  fell  all  day  so  that  no  work  was  done. 
March  12th,  the  rain  of  March  nth  had  no  apparent  effect 
on  the  coating  of  spray  on  the  trees.  Some  solution  made 
March  loth,  kept  forty-eight  hours,  could  not  be  used  because  of 
the  crystals  clogging  the  pumps.  Work  was  continued  in  this 
way  until  April  14th,  at  which  time  some  of  the  plums  were  in 
full  bloom,  and  all  buds  were  started.  Xo  harm  came  from 
spraying  the  trees  after  the  buds  were  started  except  in  cases 
where  they  were  unfolded  enough  to  expose  the  young  leaves, 
in  which  case  they  were  burned  considerably. 

April  4th,  spraying  was  done  during  a  light  rain  which  kept 
the  trees  continually  wet.  This  was  not  satisfactory,  as  the 
material  did  not  stick  to  the  trees. 

TJie  Oregon  For  inula — In  Oregon,  copper  sulphate  has  been 
added  to  the  sulphur,  lime  and  salt  sohttion  for  the  purpose  of 
making  it  a  fungicide  as  well  as  an  insecticide,  hence  the  sul- 
phur, lime  and  salt  solution  plus  copper  sulphate  is  known  as 
the  Oregon  solution  or  Oregon  formula.  The  material  used 
was  the  same  strength  as  before  (20  pounds  of  sulphur,  25 
pounds  of  lime,  15  pounds  of  salt),  with  4  pounds  of  copper 
sulphate  added  to  it.  When  the  copper  sulphate  was  added  to 
the  other  material  in  a  concentrated  solution,  it  formed  a  heavy 
black  precipitate  like  coffee  grounds,  which  caused  considerable 
trouble  in  straining.  A  more  dilute  solution  of  the  sulphate 
did  not  give  this  trouble.  This  solution  was  not  materially 
different  in  application  from  the  other  formula,  excepting  that 
it  was  somewhat  thicker.  In  effects  this  wash  seems  to  be  no 
different  from  the  other.  It  is  quite  probable  that  the  addition 
of  copper  sulphate  to  the  sulphur,  lime  and  salt  does  no  harm, 
and  whether  it  improves  it  as  a  fungicide  or  not,  our  experiments 
have  not  vet  demonstrated. 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING. 


95 


Thoroiii:;liiicss  of  application-  necessary  for  success — In  doing 
this  work  great  care  was  taken  that  every  part  of  the  trees  were 
covered  with  the  solution,  yet  it  was  found  that  with  using  all 
the  care  possible  many  spots  on  the  trees  were  left  untouched 
by  the  solution  as  it  does  not  show  well  while  the  trees  are  wet 
from  the  spray.  A  day  or  two  after  the  application,  all  the 
"untouched  spots  become  very  noticeable  owing  to  the  difference 
in  color,  as  the  solution  on  becoming  thoroughly  dry  turns  a 
}'ellowish  white,  making  it  very  conspicuous.  After  the  trees 
had  all  been  sprayed,  one  and  one  half  days  were  spent  in 
going  over  the  orchard  a  second  time  and  covering  all  places 
that  were  missed  at  the  first  application.  The  time  spent  this 
way  was  short  as  compared  with  the  time  spent  in  making  the 
first  application,  which  took  twenty-one  full  days. 

This  retouching  is  very  important,  as  a  few  small  places  on 
a  tree  left  without  spraying  may  leave  enough  scale  to  reestab- 
lish the  pest  in  a  short  time.  The  trees  had  been  thoroughly 
pruned  previous  to  the  spraying,  without  which,  thorough  spray- 
ing would  have  been  much  more  difficult. 

Frequent  rains  occurred  during  the  time  the  work  was  being 
done,  but  these  seemed  to  have  practically  no-  effect  on  the  solu- 
tion where  it  had  become  thoroughly  dry  on  the  trees. 

The  time  spray  remains  on  the  trees — At  the  end  of  the  spray- 
ing the  trees  first  sprayed  were  as  white  as  those  recently 
sprayed,  and  at  the  end  of  three  months  a  good  coat  of  spray 
adhered  to  the  trees.  In  other  orchards  that  have  been  sprayed 
with  the  same  material,  a  considerable  coat  of  spray  could  be 
detected  at  the  end  of  one  year. 

Cost  of  spraying — Cost  of  treatment  is  always  an  important 
factor  in  deciding  wdiat  remedy  shall  be  used  for  scale-infested 
trees.  In  this  work  care  was  taken  not  to  cut  down  the  cost 
of  the  operation  at  the  expense  of  good  work.  The  best  appli- 
ances and  materials  were  used  that  could  be  procured,  yet  the 
cost  ^^■as  not  such  as  to  debar  its  use  when  compared  with 
kerosene,  whale  oil  soap  or  hydrocyanic  acid  gas.  The  total 
cost  of  the  materials  and  appliances,  including  the  wear  of  the 
tools,  amounted  to  $355.90,  and  the  cost  of  the  time  of  men  and 
horses  was  $321.60,  making  a  total  cost  of  application  of  $677.50. 
This  divided  by  the  number  of  trees  sprayed,  or  11,170,  gives  a 
cost  of  6.06  cents  per  tree.     These  trees  were  all  peach  or  plum 


96  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

and  from  three  to  twelve  years  old.  A  large  majority  of  the 
trees  were  full  grown.  This  cost  would  have,  undoubtedly,  been 
greater  had  the  work  been  done  in  a  small  orchard. 

Results  of  spraying — Most  of  the  trees  spraj-ed  were  not 
badly  infested  with  scale,  although  nearly  all  had  some  scale, 
and  a  few  were  considerably  crusted.  Within  a  short  time  of 
application,  examination  of  the  infested  trees  showed  that  the* 
insect  under  the  scale  had  a  shrivelled  appearance,  and  when 
pressed  with  the  point  of  a  knife  or  other  instrument  they  were 
found  to  be  only  a  shrivelled,  dry  skin,  while  those  on  the 
unsprayed  trees  were  plump. 

May  20th,  the  trees  were  examined  and  more  than  95  per 
cent,  of  the  scales  were  found  to  be  killed.  June  29th,  examina- 
tion of  the  sprayed  trees  showed  them  practically  free  from 
3'oung  scale,  while  trees  near  by  that  w^ere  not  sprayed  showed 
from  25  to  200  young  scale  per  square  inch.  At  this  time  some 
of  the  old,  live  female  scales  were  found  on  the  sprayed  trees,  but 
these  had  not  produced  young,  probably  owing  to  the  absence 
of  living  adult  male  scale  insects.  This  would  indicate  that 
the  female  scale  is  more  resistant  to  spraying  solutions  than 
is  the  male. 

Effect  on  the  trees — In  some  places  it  has  been  noticed  that 
trees  sprayed  early  in  the  spring  with  sulphur,  lime  and  salt 
solution  were  slower  in  developing  leaves  and  blossoms  than 
trees  not  sprayed.  Observations  in  this  orchard  seemed  to 
verify  "this  statement,  the  growth  from  some  varieties  being 
from  a  day  or  two  to  a  ^veek  later  than  on  the  unsprayed  trees 
of  the  same  variety.  This  was  undoubtedly  caused  from  the 
white  trees  absorbing  less  heat  than  the  unsprayed  trees.  In  no 
case  did  any  of  the  trees  show  any  signs  of  injury  from  the  solu- 
tion. Some  facts  noted  in  connection  with  the  work  would 
indicate  that  the  solution  acts  as  a  fungicide  as  well  as  an 
insecticide.  Peach  leaf  curl  was  quite  prevalent  this  season 
in  many  orchards,  and  while  leaf  curl  was  to  be  found  to 
some  extent  on  Elberta  trees  near  the  sprayed  orchard,  none 
could  be  found  on  any  of  the  sprayed  trees  of  that  or  other 
varieties.  However,  several  seasons'  experience  will  be  neces- 
sary to  demonstrate  it  to  a  certainty.  That  it  has  some  eflfect 
on  the  fungous  growths  on  the  barks  of  trees  is  certain,  for 
trees  sprayed  one  year  previous  had  a  much  smoother,  cleaner 
bark  than  the  trees  which  had  not  been  treated. 


THIRTEENTH  ANXUAL   MEETING.  97 

C onchisions—ThcXi  the  sulphur,  Hme  and  salt  remedy  is  prac- 
ticable in  the  East  as  well  as  in  the  West  can  no  longer  be 
denied.  The  only  question  is  one  of  cost  and  ease  of  preparation 
and  handling.  As  compared  with  kerosene  and  whale  oil  soap, 
it  is  not  so  expensive  in  the  raw  state,  but  is  somewhat  more 
difficult  to  prepare  owing  to  the  necessity  of  boiling.  This 
boiling  is  better  and  more  economically  done  by  steam,  but 
where  only  a  few  trees  are  to  be  treated  it  may  be  satisfactorily 
boiled  in  any  large  iron  kettle. 

In  application,  the  sulphur,  lime  and  salt  solution  is  no  more 
difficult  to  apply  than  the  Bordeaux  mixture.  Any  pump  and 
outfit  that  W'ill  apply  the  one  will  be  satisfactory  for  applying 
the  other,  while  for  kerosene  a  special  pump  must  be  used  and 
that  with  considerable  care.  With  sulphur,  lime  and  salt  there 
is  no  danger  of  putting  on  too  much,  it  stays  on  for  a  long 
time  and  can  be  applied  in  any  kind  of  weather  when  the  trees 
are  not  actually  w^et.  Kerosene  can  be  safely  applied  only  in 
dry,  clear  weather,  for  if  the  oil  does  not  quickly  evaporate, 
death  to  the  tree  is  almost  sure  to  result. 

When  to  spray — Sulphur,  lime  and  salt  may  be  applied  at  any 
time  when  the  leaves  are  off  the  trees,  that  is,  from  November 
to  April.  Fall  application  is,  undoubtedly,  the  most  desirable, 
because  the  weather  is  usually  more  favorable  at  that  time 
and  the  solution  has  more  time  to  act  while  the  scale  and 
trees  are  dormant.  A  very  good  plan  where  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility of  eradicating  the  pest  is  to  make  one  application  in  the 
fall,  then  repeat  the  following  spring,  thus  making  sure  of 
touching  all  parts  of  the  trees  with  the  material.  A  verv  weak 
solution  of  sulphur  and  lime  has  been  used  on  trees  in  foliage, 
but  there  is  generally  no  advantage  to  be  gained  in  attempting 
to  do  the  work  in  summer,  for  while  the  scales  are  more  easily 
killed  at  that  time,  the}-  are  much  harder  to  reach  with  the  spray, 
more  solution  is  ref[uired,  and  the  foliage  of  most  trees  will 
be  burned  by  a  solution  strong  enough  to  kill  the  insects. 

Souic  hints  about  spraying — One  month's  experience  with 
spraying  for  San  Jose  scale  has  led  us  to  think  that  the  secret 
of  success  lies  in  thorough  work.  All  the  different  formulas 
we  used  did  the  work,  so  we  believe  that  a  somewhat  weaker 
solution  can  be  used  with  good  results.  The  best  caustic  lime 
that  can  be  obtained  is  the  cheapest  in  the  end.  Air  slaked 
7 


98  THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

lime  is  worthless.  Flowers  of  sulphur  should  be  used,  though 
any  finely  ground  sulphur  will  do.  Salt  is  not  an  essential 
ingredient  in  the  solution,  its  office  being  mostly  to  make  the 
material  stick  to  the  trees,  therefore  the  cheapest  salt  is  as  good 
as  any,  providing  it  does  not  contain  dirt  that  will  cause  the 
pumps  to  clog.  By  adding  the  sulphur  to  the  lime,  then  slak- 
ing with  hot  water,  the  heat  from  the  slaking  lime  helps  to 
dissolve  and  mix  the  sulphur  with  the  lime  and  shortens  the 
time  necessary  for  boiling.  The  salt  may  be  added  at  any  time 
during  the  boiling  process. 

What  to  spray — Trees  that  have  been  infested  with  the  scale 
until  they  have  become  crusted,  as  well  as  old,  neglected  trees 
are  not  worth  spraying.  The  best  remedy  for  these  trees  is 
the  ax.  All  trees  should  be  severely  pruned  and  cut  back  before 
spraying,  as  much  labor  and  material  are  saved  by  so  doing, 
and  much  better  work  may  be  done.  All  loose  bark  should 
be  scraped  from  the  trees  with  a  hoe,  as  this  bark  is  of  no  use 
to  the  tree,  and  may  protect  the  scale  from  the  spraying  solution. 

In  spraying  trees  in  an  orchard  do  not  stop  with  the  trees 
that  are  known  to  be  infested.  If  one  tree  in  an  orchard  has 
scale,  the  others  are  almost  sure  to  have  more  or  less  scale  also, 
although  often  much  care  is  necessary  to  find  them.  It  is  better 
to  spray  a  few  trees  which  do  not  have  scale,  than  to  take  the 
chances  of  leaving  trees  that  are  infested. 

Questions  and  Discussion. 

Prof.  Britton  :  Did  it  stick  as  well  where  you  boiled  it  a 
long  time? 

Mr.  Bennett  :  We  found  no  difference.  In  some  cases  we 
sprayed  all  day  and  a  drenching  rain  followed ;  we  couldn't 
see  the  next  day  but  there  was  as  much  stuff  as  when  we  put 
it  on.  We  had  to  use  more  lime  than  sulphur.  If  we  got  the 
best  lime  and  used  flowers  of  sulphur,  we  could  use  less  lime 
than  sulphur. 

Prof.  W.  J.  Greene  of  Ohio  :  We  have  had  remarkable  results 
in  Ohio.  Last  year  our  peach  crop  was  almost  ruined  by  borers. 
Where  the  lime  and  sulphur  was  used,  it  completely  prevented 
this :  it  saved  the  crop.  And  as  a  fungicide  it  is  better  than 
Bordeaux  mixture,  we  think,  and  as  a  combined  fungicide  and 
insecticide  it  is  almost  perfect. 


THlRTEEXTll   AXXUAL   MEETIXG.  99 

Question  :  I  would  like  to  ask  Prof.  Britton  what  sort  of 
lime  he  used. 

Prof.  Britton  :  I  used  some  Canaan  lime,  and  some  from 
Lenox,  Mass.  We  like  the  whitewash  or  finishing  lime.  Mor- 
tar lime  is  cheaper,  but  leaves  a  sediment  that  tends  to  clog  the 
pumps.  Some  of  the  Canaan  mortar  lime  that  we  purchased 
contained  nearly  40  per  cent,  of  magnesia. 

Question  :  I  will  ask  Mr.  Hale  for  his  experience  in  leaving 
out  the  salt  from  the  solution.  It  is  supposed  to  make  the  solu- 
tion stick  to  the  branches. 

Mr.  Hale  :  In  our  spraying  at  Glastonbury  last  year,  salt 
was  used  in  nearly  all  the  spraying, — a  portion  without  salt. 
That  without  salt  would  stay  on  the  tree.  In  Georgia  we 
sprayed  41.000  trees  without  any  salt  in  the  mixture, — 20  lbs. 
of  lime  and  50  lbs.  of  sulphur  to  50  gallons  of  water.  The 
trees  were  thoroughly  sprayed,  and  the  month  of  December 
was  clear  and  dry,  but  after  Christmas  time  and  during  the 
early  part  of  January  there  were  heavy  and  incessant  rains, 
more  rain  than  usual.  I  have  not  seen  the  trees,  but  my  super- 
intendent reports  that  it  is  remaining  on  thoroughly  and  well, 
— no  appearance  of  its  being  washed  from  the  trees.  In  the 
matter  of  cooking,  we  found  that  thirty  to  forty  minutes  boiling 
is  enough  to  get  a  thorough  solution.  I  got  the  same  apparent 
results  in  twenty  to  twenty-five  minutes. 

I  have  never  made  much  of  a  paste  with  sulphur  and  water 
except  by  the  hand.  Put  two  or  three  gallons  of  water  in 
the  bottom  of  the  barrel,  dump  in  the  lime,  turn  on  the  steam, 
turn  on  the  water  gradually,  have  the  steam  running  through 
it  all  the  time,  and  you  have  the  heat  of  the  lime  and  of  the 
steam  at  the  same  time.     I  shall  not  use  any  more  salt. 

Dr.  E.  P.  Felt  of  New  York :  If  I  may  be  accorded  a  minute, 
I  want  to  say  this :  in  listening  to  this  discussion  on  the  methods 
of  controlling  the  San  Jose  scale,  I  have  been  much  struck  by 
the  parallel  lines  along  which  we  have  been  working  in  New 
York  State  as  compared  with  those  in  Connecticut.  While 
listening  to  Professor  Britton,  I  could  not  help  thinking  how 
precisely  he  expressed  my  own  ideas ;  his  work  and  mine  agree 
almost  entirely.  ]\Iy  object  in  rising  is  simply  to  bring  in  one 
more  line  of  evidence  concerning  the  effectiveness  and  value 
of  this  lime  and  sulphur  solution — or  mixture,  rather — and  per- 
haps throw  a  little  light  on  methods  of  preparation. 


lOO        THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

In  the  first  place,  in  New  York  State,  particularly  in  the 
Hudson  river  valley,  we  have  a  number  of  orchardists  who 
are  not  engaged  in  the  matter  so  extensively  as  many  others, 
and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  find  a  steam  engine  at  hand,  and 
we  have  been  making  our  mixture  in  a  large  kettle,  and  we 
have  found  this  a  good  method.  We  put  in  the  kettle  five  to 
eight  or  nine  gallons  of  water,  dump  in  the  lime  and  pour  the 
sulphur  right  in.  We  have  to  watch  it  as  it  boils  up.  The  man 
who  is  there  has  to  stand  by  and  stir  it  and  have  a  pail  of 
water  handy.  We  have  neglected  the  use  of  the  salt.  We  boil 
for  only  thirty  minutes.  My  attention  was  called  to  Mr.  Brown's 
method.  I  think  that  his  method  involved  bringing  to  a  boil 
the  entire  amount  of  water  in  order  to  slake  the  lime.  While 
it  is  possible  he  can  bring  about  a  partial  combination  between 
his  lime  and  sulphur,  I  doubt  if  it  is  a  method  that  we  can  use. 
That  "40-20"  is  a  formula  that  has  been  around  before,  and 
we  were  told  it  was  necessary  to  boil  two  or  three  hours.  We 
are  obliged  there  to  use  small  kettles,  consequently  after  we 
have  got  six,  eight  or  ten  gallons  of  the  mixture  boiled  about 
thirty  minutes,  we  take  it  out,  strain  it  and  dilute  with  water,  and 
make  the  application  at  once.  \\q  have  found  it  unadvisable 
to  attempt  to  keep  the  material  over.  W^e  had  about  the  same 
experience  as  Mr.  Bennett ;  our  apparatus  was  stuck  up.  In 
the  use  of  the  other  material  practically  the  same,  a  proprietary 
substance,  it  was  almost  an  absolute  failure  compared  with 
recently  prepared  lime-and-sulphur  wash. 

I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  some  New  Jersey  and  Georgia 
experiments  with  caustic  soda.  That  material  was  tried  in  com- 
parison with  lime  and  sulphur,  and  the  comparison  was  to  the 
detriment  of  these  caustic  sodas. 

My  attention  has  been  called  to  another  material  which  may 
prove  of  slight  value,  and  that  is  corrosive  sublimate.  But  that 
is  a  very  virulent,  dangerous  poison.  I  would  not  advise  the 
experiment,  but  would  state  that  the  thing  has  been  used  in 
combination  with  Bordeaux  mixture  in  the  proportion  of  about 
one  ounce  to  fifteen  gallons.  I  doubt  very  much  if  it  is  going  to 
be  of  any  value,  but  we  intend  to  test  it. 

I  was  interested  to  learn  that  there  was  a  sodium  sulphide 
which  could  be  obtained  in  a  commercial  way.  I  had  been 
making  inquiries.     It   is  certainly   well   worth   trying.     And   T 


THIKTEliXTll   .l.\.\l\lL   MEETING.  loi 

want  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  work  Professor  Britton 
has  been  conducting,  and  I  think  he  is  working  along  the  Hnes 
of  success. 

Mr.  H.ale  :  I  would  like  to  ask  jf  any  of  those  here  have 
made  an  examination  since  the  late  extreme  freeze,  and  if  they 
have  any  idea  that  the  extreme  cold  has  acted  as  a  "spray"  on 
any  of  those  "critters." 

Dr.  Felt  :  I  have  not  made  any  examination.  It  is  too  cold 
for  me  to  go  out. 

A  Member:  There  is  a  man  in  Michigan  of  the  name  of 
Thomas  Wilde  ;  and  if  any  would  like  to  correspond  with  him, 
he  has  made  experiments  with  corrosive  sublimate.  He  is  an 
acknowledged   authority   in    Michigan   to-day. 

Question  :  What  is  his  address  ? 

A  Member:    Berlin,  ]\Iichio-an. 


Costs  and  Results  of  the  Work. 

By  J.  Norris  Barnes,  Yalesville. 

In  the  statements  that  I  have  to  make  here  to-day,  in  treating 
the  subject  assigned  to  me,  "Costs  and  Results"  in  spraying 
for  San  Jose  scale  since  we  discovered  its  presence  in  our 
orchards  some  three  years  ago,  it  seems  desirable  to  describe 
at  first  somewhat  the  conditions  prevailing  at  the  time  and 
before  a  course  of  treatment  was  determined  upon. 

The  peach  orchards  to  which  treatment  has  been  given 
were  planted  in  1896  and  1897,  had  always  been  well  treated, 
had  attained  large  size  and  were  in  fine  condition,  taken 
as  a  whole,  when  a  five-year  old  tree,  one  of  the  finest  in  pre- 
vious growth  and  vigor,  was  discovered  fairly  encrusted  with 
scale.  I  may  say  right  here  that  while  that  tree  was  cut  away, 
every  surrounding  tree,  which  was  more  or  less  infested,  is 
at  the  present  time  still  in  its  place  and  apparently  in  good 
condition.  The  discovery  of  the  presence  of  scale  was  a  great 
surprise  to  us  and  some  little  time  was  used  in  trying  to  find 
out  how  large  the  infected  section  was  and  in  deciding  what 
treatment  to  give.  Finally,  a  very  strong  whale  oil  soap  wash 
was  used,  put  on  the  larger  branches  with  a  brush  as  a  tempo- 
rary relief  measure. 


102        THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

In  the  meantime,  the  oil  spray,  the  gas  treatment  •  and 
other  remedies  were  considered,  and  the  Hme-sulphur-salt  spray 
selected  as  the  method  we  would  attempt  to  subdue  and  hold 
in  check  the  enemy.  A  steam  boiler,  about  new,  of  some  four 
to  six  horse  power  capacity,  was  secured  and  the  necessary 
piping  and  fixtures  for  cooking  the  contents  of  12  casks  at  once, 
so  arranged  that  any  one  or  more  might  receive  steam  indepen- 
dently of  others.  Casks  holding  100  to  120  gallons  were  used, 
fitted  with  faucets  near  the  bottom  for  drawing  ofif  the  cooked 
liquid.  We  could  learn  of  no  place  in  this  section  where  we 
could  go  for  advice  and  instruction  and  so,  to  a  certain  extent, 
had,  as  it  were,  to  feel  our  way,  both  as  to  appliances,  arrange- 
ment of  the  cooking  plant  to  do  the  work  economically,  and  in 
preparing  and  applying  the  spray.  Many  vexatious  delays  and 
perplexing  questions  as  to  why  so  and  so,  were  more  or  less 
present  with  us  during  this  first  season's  attempt  to  save  our 
orchards  by  means  of  this  treatment.  Investigation  during  the 
preceding  year  had  shown  us  that  greater  infestation  existed 
than  we  at  first  supposed  could  be  possible,  that  probably  the 
whole  orchard  was  affected,  here  and  there  a  tree  or  more  show- 
ing the  insect  present ;  but  with  something  like  6,000  to  7,000 
trees  sprayed,  we  were  compelled  to  stop  by  the  bursting  buds. 
During  this  time  we  used  a  barrel  pump  mounted  on  a  single 
horse  stone-boat,  one  man  to  pump,  two  men  to  spray.  We 
had  to  take  men  who  had  no  idea  of  spraying  work  and  teach 
them  how  to  do  the  work.  40  lbs.  of  lime,  30  lbs.  sulphur,  15 
lbs,  salt,  60  gallons  water  boiled  about  two  hours  was  our 
formula  for  that  season's  spray  mixture,  and  we  aimed  to  put  it 
on  the  trees  very  hot.  In  spite  of  more  or  less  faulty  prepa- 
ration, frequent  heavy  rainstorms  and  the  prevalence  of  high 
winds  nearly  every  day,  also  the  necessity  of  covering  all  the 
ground  possible,  these  conditions  preventing  thorough  work 
being  done,  the  results  were  to  a  large  degree  gratifying. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  trees,  even  if  they  had  been 
badly  infested,  was  that  of  strong  vigor,  the  scale  apparently 
being  mostly  killed.  The  cost  per  tree  for  the  job  of  spraying 
was  estimated  at  10  to  11  cents. 

In  preparing  for  the  year  1903  spring  spraying,  having  found 
our  boiler  of  entirely  too  small  capacity  for  our  needs,  we  hired 
a  Kinney  Safe  engine  of  about  six  horse  power  capacity  and 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  103 

joined  it  to  our  steam  pipes,  giving  us  some  ten  or  twelve  horse 
power  capacity,  and  selected  a  place  near  water  convenient  to 
the  orchard,  using-  three  harrel  pumps  on  boats,  same  arrange- 
ments as  year  previous,  except  one  lead  of  hose  in  place  of 
two  to  each  outfit.  An  average  output  per  day  for  each  outfit 
was  10  casks  of  40  gallons  or  more,  or  from  12  to  1,500  gallons 
of  spray  liquid  per  day  for  the  three  outfits.  The  largest  day's 
work  done  was  about  40  casks,  or  1,600  to  2,000  gallons  of 
spray.  Our  steam  outfit  could  not  more  than  keep  these  three 
outfits  going  and  do  our  best  and  cook  to  properly  mingle  the 
material  so  it  would  put  on  right.  It  required  two  men  con- 
stantly at  the  boilers.  One  was  kept  busy  most  of  the  time 
stirring  the  slaking  lime  and  drawing  the  liquid  from  the  cook- 
ing tanks  and  straining  ready  for  the  pump  barrels.  The  other 
man  took  care  of  the  boilers,  attended  to  the  weighing  out  and 
putting  together  of  the  materials,  water,  etc.,  and  taking  gen- 
eral oversight  of  the  plant.  When  working  near  by,  the  spray- 
ing outfits  came  directly  to  the  boiler  for  their  spray,  but  for 
points  of  the  orchard  more  distant,  the  spray  liquid  was  strained 
directly  into  common  casks  holding  40  to  50  gallons  and  drawn 
by  w-agons  directly  to  the  place  needed,  unloaded  on  to  a  mov- 
able platform  of  convenient  height,  the  empties  returning  to 
boiler  for  use  again.  This  plan  kept  a  constant  supply  of  hot 
liquid  spray  ready  for  the  convenient  use  of  the  outfits. 

This  season  the  formula  mostly  used  was  30  lbs.  lime,  20 
lbs.  flowers  of  sulphur,  15  lbs.  of  salt,  60  gallons  water,  cook- 
ing i^  to  2  hours.  Various  other  formulas  were  tried,  also 
the  length  of  time  of  cooking  was  varied,  but  we  seemed  to  get 
the  best  results  in  putting  on  in  above  just  described  method. 
About  all  the  trees  were  gone  over  the  second  time  when  wind 
was  in  opposite  direction,  if  possible,  to  touch  every  place  not 
reached  by  the  first  "spraying.  It  is  estimated  that  we  used  a 
total  of  over  36,000  gallons  of  spray  liquid,  which  required  more 
than  13,000  lbs.  sulphur,  16,000  lbs.  lime,  and  7,500  lbs.  salt, 
costing  about  $500.00 ;  cost  of  labor  including  horses,  $562.00 ; 
cost  of  coal  besides  wood  used,  $20.00 ;  cost  of  sundry  expenses, 
repairs,  etc.,  $25.00 ;  charge  for  deterioration  in  value  of  the 
plant,  $50.00;  a  total  of  about  $1,157.00,  as  the  cost  for  spray- 
ing about  11,000  trees,  or  about  10  cents  per  tree. 


I04        THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Something"  like  one-half  the  nmnber  of  trees  sprayed  were 
quite  severely  cut  back,  for  several  reasons,  one  being  that  it 
would  presumably  greatly  lessen  the  cost  of  the  job  of  spray- 
ing ;  and  we  found  that  said  cutting  back  did  greatly  lessen  the 
quantity  of  material  and  labor  used.  The  last  two  or  three 
days  spraying  damaged  many  blossom  buds  as  well  as  the 
foliage  buds.  It  certainly  is  not  safe  to  use  this  spray  beyond 
a  certain  point  of  development  of  the  fruit  buds.  As  to  results, 
1  do  not  know  where  there  is  a  tree  in  the  lot  of  about  ii,ooo 
sprayed  that  scale  can  be  found  on,  still  I  would  not  dare  say 
that  there  is  no  scale  there.  The  bark  of  the  trees  in  appear- 
ance is  clean  and  glossy,  all  that  could  be  desired. 

I  am  inclined  to  think  the  spray  may  be  worth  all  it  costs  as 
a  fungicide  in  giving  clean  healthy  trees  and  handsome  fruit. 
The  few  peaches  that  we  had  (except  from  an  orchard  not 
sprayed)  were  nearly  free  from  black  spot  and  mildew  and 
possessed  excellent  keeping  qualities.  The  fruit  from  the 
unsprayed  orchard  was  in  marked  contrast,  badly  spotted  and 
mostly  low'-priced  fruit.  Some  of  the  cleanest,  soundest  and 
most  beautiful  fruit  we  had  came  from  a  section  of  the  orchard 
from  which  two  years  before  we  did  not  market  one-quarter 
of  the  fruit,  on  account  of  rotting  in  the  orchard  before  we 
could  gather  it.  On  the  whole,  we  are  past  fearing  the  San 
Jose  scale  in  our  peach  orchards,  for  we  are  confident  of  our 
ability  to  keep  it  thoroughly  in  check  by  a  method  that  appears  to 
be  valuable  also  for  its  help  in  giving  handsome  and  good-keep- 
ing fruit.  So  far,  it  has  cost  us  about  $2,000,  more  or  less,  to 
knock  out  the  scale  in  these  orchards,  and  to  learn  what  we 
know  about  how  to  do  it ;  a  large  sum,  yet  when  we  stop  to 
consider  a  moment  and  realize  that  these  orchards,  while  still 
young,  have  with  the  scale  present,  produced  fruit  in  quantity, 
well  towards  the  hundred  thousand  basket  mark  in  the  four 
full  and  partial  crops  produced,  and  at  the  present  time  give 
abundant  reason  to  expect  a  full  crop  the  coming  season, 
this  statement  as  a  showing  of  results  seems  to  me  much  better 
than  to  have  surrendered  to  ]\Ir.  San  Jose  Scale  and  cut  the 
trees  down.  Rather,  I  am  proud  (please  pardon  me  if  I  am 
out  of  place)  if  in  solving  this  problem  for  ourselves  we  may 
be  of  service  in  helping  to  down  this  seeming  great  menace  to 
.Connecticut    fruit    growing   and    to    the   beautiful,    ornamental 


rHlRTIiliXTH   AXXUAL   MEETIWl.  105 

planting's  about  our  homes,  much  of  wliich  is  in  danger  equally 
with  our  orchards. 

All  of  us  as  members  of  this  Society,  as  owners  of  Con- 
necticut orchards  and  Connecticut  homes  (and  there  are  none 
better),  have  a  common  interest  in  any  method  of  treatment 
that  promises  to  relieve  from  threatening  disaster. 

A  few  more  words  and  I  am  done.  In  the  midst  of  a  cer- 
tain section  of  our  peach  orchard,  we  have  an  apple  orchard 
of  thirty  to  forty  years  of  age,  good,  vigorous  trees.  Wc  know 
that  scale  to  some  extent  has  got  onto  them :  they  were  treated 
in  the  last  spring's  work  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that 
such  sized  trees  present  a  much  harder  problem  to  handle  right ; 
and  I  cannot  help  finding  myself  casting  about  for  a  plan  of 
apple  orcharding  that  will  give  us  a  form  of  tree  more  easy 
to  spray,  easier  to  thin  and  gather  the  fruit  from,  and,  perhaps, 
commence  to  produce  fruit  at  an  early  age.  I  believe  this  form 
of  tree  and  condition  of  orchard  is  bound  to  come ;  that  the 
old  form  of  tree  and  plan  of  apple  orcharding  is  bound  to  go 
in  time.  The  scale  and  lack  of  the  right  spraying  appara- 
tus will  force  this  even  if  other  reasons  do  not.  We  regard 
our  outfit  and  spraying  apparatus  as  good  for  an  ordinary  spray- 
ing job  as  we  know  how  to  make  it,  yet  it  is  far  from  what  we 
need  for  large  spraying  operations.  A  much  larger  capacity 
for  manufacture,  with  a  stationary  plant  fitted  up  to  economize 
labor  in  every  way,  a  cheap,  light  and  easily  managed  power 
to  drive  the  pump  to  spray,  is  much  needed.  I  doubt  if  any 
of  the  commonly  mentioned  sources  of  power  are  right,  that  is, 
are  the  best.  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  of  anything  in  the 
market  that  seems  to  fill  the  bill  perfectly.  Some  w^ay  of  using 
compressed  air  appears  to  me.  to  promise  something  desirable 
in  this  direction. 

Of  course,  it  is  desirable  to  be  good  missionaries  among  our 
neighbors,  rendering  what  aid  we  can  in  cases  of  actual  orchard 
infestation  and  encouraging  the  removal  of  all  natural  growth 
that  by  its  close  proximity  might  afford  a  breeding  place  for 
scale  and  be  the  source  of  reinfestation  of  a  sprayed  plot. 

Discussion. 
Prof.  Greene:    About  how  many  days  did  it  take? 
'Mr.  Barnes  :    About  thirtv  davs. 


Io6        THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Prof.  Greene  :  I  think  Mr.  Barnes  can  save  about  four  or  five 
dollars  per  day  with  compressed  air.  One  man  can  spray  as 
much  in  that  way  as  two  men  in  the  other  way.  And  one  man 
can  take  an  outfit  and  go  out  alone.  The  man  who  makes  the 
mixture  can  run  the  air-compressor.  There  are  three  men  saved 
in  the  work,  and  the  three  men  at  work  will  do  more  than  six 
men  could  do  pumping  by  hand,  and  do  it  better,  get  a  higher 
pressure  and  more  uniform. 

Mr.  Hale  :  You  must  have  a  driver. 

Prof.  Greene  :  The  man  who  does  the  spraying  is  the  driver. 
I  am  speaking  from  our  own  experience.  We  have  no  trouble 
in  getting  a  horse  that  will  go  right  along. 

Mr.  Hale:   How  do  you  compress  the  air? 

Prof.  Greene:  We  use  a  gas  engine,  but  the  steam  engine 
would  be  better. 

Mr.  Barnes  :  It  has  seemed  to  me  that  if  we  could  get 
possession  of  some  power  that  we  could  put  onto  our  one- 
horse  outfit,  the  horse  could  soon  be  trained  to  go  along, — a 
power  that  would  hold  until  that  outfit  came  back  to  be  refilled, 
that  would  not  require  a  first-class  mechanic  to  be  fussing  over 
the  outfit  all  the  while. 

Dr.  Felt  :  I  know  such  a  power,  but  it  may  be  just  a  trifle 
expensive.  Last  summer,  and  again  this  winter  at  Geneva  and 
at  Rochester,  my  attention  has  been  attracted  by  the  Niagara 
gas-sprayer.  The  unique  thing  about  it  is  that  it  depends  for 
its  power  upon  a  liquefied  carbonic  gas,  which  is  superior  to 
compressed  air  because  3'ou  have  a  practically  uniform  pressure 
till  all  the  gas  in  the  cylinder  is  exhausted.  You  pay  $3  a 
cylinder ;  and  a  cylinder,  as  I  remember  it,  is  sufficient  to  spray 
about  600  gallons.  All  you  have  to  have  in  addition  is  a  tank, 
a  special  tank  for  use  in  that  way.  It  is  just  a  question  of 
opening  or  closing  a  nozzle — no  pump  to  get  out  of  order.  It 
is  ideal  in  some  ways. 

Mr.  Ives  :  Who  is  familiar  with  the  matter  which  has  come 
to  my  mind ;  that  of  a  storage  battery  something  like  Edison's 
outfit?     I  don't  know  whether  it  is  developed  or  not. 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  have  been  studying  and  looking  for  power  for 
spraying.  I  have  never  yet  found  a  power  sprayer  that  con- 
vinced me  that  it  was  as  economical  as  man  power.  I  believe 
that  power  of  some  kind  ought  to  be  cheaper  and  better  than 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  \oy 

men,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  it.  Compressed  air 
requires  a  steam  pump  or  gasoline  engine  of  some  kind.  The 
Niagara  gas-sprayer  seems  to  me  the  most  ideal  of  any  gas- 
sprayer  that  has  yet  come  out,  but  the  carbonic  acid  gas  costs 
practically  half-a-cent  a  gallon.  In  the  South,  with  the  good, 
long  days  and  level  land,  we  are  able  to  spray  a  thousand  gallons 
a  day.  Five  dollars  a  day  to  run  a  pump !  In  using  man 
power,  we  are  four  dollars  and  a  half  ahead  on  the  game.  Here 
in  Connecticut,  an  eightcen-}Tar-old  boy  can  run  the  pump. 
Farm  hands  ask,  as  one  of  the  first  things,  "Have  you  got  a 
spray  pump?"  Now,  the  modern  pumps  can  be  worked  by  a 
moderately  strong  boy  or  girl.  But  here  you  get  a  dollar  and  a 
half  as  against  five  dollars  with  the  cost  of  the  sprayer  on  top. 
It  seems  to  me  cheaper.  If  it  makes  a  finer  spray,  that  offsets 
the  cost  of  labor. 

Mr.  Hoyt  :  The  enemy  that  we  have  to  fight  is  a  formidable 
one.  It  has  come  upon  us  with  power  and  great  force  and 
strength,  but  I  am  one  of  those  of  great  faith.  I  don't  believe 
that  we  need  to  lie  awake  nights  for  fear  this  enemy  is  going  to 
overcome  us.  I  never  have  yet  seen  the  problem  so  great  but 
that  the  mind  of  man  can  overcome  it.  If  it  is  a  fact  that  we 
who  have  the  control  of  material  things  here  upon  this  earth 
cannot  overcome  this  enemy,  I  am  sorry  for  us.  I  believe 
something  will  come  up  b}'  which  we  can  kill  this  enemy ;  and 
fighting  this  enemy  will  be  a  means  of  our  producing  more 
and  better  fruit  than  we  have  done  in  the  past. 


After  devoting  nearly  the  entire  morning  session  to  the  scale 
problem,  the  discussions  were  here  drawn  to  a  close,  and  Presi- 
dent Gulley  called  upon  Mr.  Edwin  Hoyt  to  present  his  paper 
on  Cooperation,  which  was  carried  over  from  the  previous 
dav's  session. 


Cooperation  and  Cost  of  Production  as  Factors  in 
Meeting  Competition  in  Fruit  Growing. 

By  Edzcin  Hoyt,  New  Canaan. 

In  the  advance  program  sent  out  a  few  days  ago,  I  saw 
the  above  subject  announced  with  my  name  under  it.  The 
next   dav   I    received    a   letter    from   our    Secretarv   asking   of 


I08         THE    CONNECTICUT    FOMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

lue  one  favor,  viz :  to  have  a  short  paper  on  the  subject 
named.  I  wrote  him  that  I  would  fry  to  grant  this  favor.  It 
will  surely  be  onlv  to  try  to  do  it,  for  I  have  no  data  or  facts 
to  present  to  you  gathered  from  cooperative  orchardry.  That 
there  is  urgent  necessity,  not  only  to  cheapen  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion, but  to  improve  the  quality  of  fruit  here  in  Connecticut,  to 
meet  the  growing  and  ever  reaching  competition,  there  cannot  be 
a  doubt,  but  how  to  do  this  is  the  vital  question  for  our  considera- 
tion. My  theory  is  cooperation  or  combination.  When  we  see 
and  read  of  so  many  gigantic  corporations,  as  well  as  smaller 
combinations,  so  successfully  running  their  various  businesses 
against  all  competition,  it  is  well  for  us  to  ask  if  these  same 
business  principles  or  methods  may  not  be  applied  to  the  business 
of  the  farmer  and  fruit  grower. 

In  looking  over  the  Farm  and  Home  paper  a  few  days  ago, 
my  eyes  caug'ht  the  following:  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.  says, 
"To  fight  the  battle  alone  is  to  be  lost.  Association  with  others 
is  an  absolute  necessity,  if  we  would  be  successful.  We  can 
see  this  illustrated  every  day  in  our  business  world."  The 
editor  remarked,  "Reference  to  the  business  world  at  present 
does  not  include  the  farmer.  Everybody  knows  that  they  are 
not  doing  business  on  thorough  business  principles,  but  is  it 
not  time  that  they  got  into  the  business  world?"  What  is  good 
for  one  class  of  people  who  produce,  manufacture  and  sell, 
ought  to  be  good  for  others.  If  in  imion  there  is  strength 
and  success  for  Rockefeller  and  his  associates,  why  would  it 
not  mean  strength  and  success  for  the  farmer?"  There  can 
be  no  doubt  about  this  reasoning,  provided  the  union  is  per- 
fectly formed  and  managed,  so  that  the  imion  is  as  one  man, 
which  pulls,  works,  acts  and  sticks  together.  Now,  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  much  cheaper  or  more  profitable  fruit  can  be 
raised  by  cooperation  to  meet  the  present  competition,  than  it 
is  now  raised.  To  my  mind,  however,  it  is  perfectly  clear  that 
fruit  can  not  only  be  produced  at  less  cost,  but  of  finer,  more 
attractive  and  salable  appearance,  and  sold  at  better  prices  by 
combination  than  that  which  is  now  grown  and  sold  by  most 
of  the  farmers  throughout  Connecticut.  It  is,  no  doubt,  evi- 
dent to  you  all,  that  large  operations,  when  systematically 
managed,  must  tend  to  lessen  the  cost  of  production  more  or 
less.     As  an  example,  let  me  briefly   state  what  expert  work 


THIRTERXTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  109 

I  saw  in  Chicago  at  Armour's  slaughter-house.  Stalls  were 
arrang-cd  about  five  feet  wide,  to  hold  one  steer,  and  about 
thirty  of  these  stalls  w^ere  in  line  beside  one  of  the  places  of 
slaughter.  One  man  who  walked  the  plank  at  the  top  of  these 
pens  did  nothing  but  shoot  a  bullet  into  the  brain  of  the  animal. 
As  soon  as  the  animal  was  shot,  the  door  was  opened,  a  rope 
placed  over  its  head,  and  by  power  the  animal  was  drawn  into 
its  place  for  slaughter.  The  man  with  the  rope  did  nothing 
but  draw  in  the  animals  to  their  places.  One  man  followed 
who  did  nothing  but  cut  their  throats  ;  he  was  followed  by 
another  who  did  a  certain  but  small  part  of  the  skinning,  to 
be  followed  by  another  and  another,  until  each  had  completed 
his  alloted  part  in  dressing  the  animal.  By  the  time  the  last 
one  in  the  line  was  drawn  in,  the  place  of  starting  was  ready 
for  a  repetition  of  the  same  work.  So  each  man  passed  down 
the  whole  line  and  did  his  alloted  work,  and  returned  to  the  place 
of  starting  to  go  over  the  same  routine  work.  Now  each  man 
had  only  a  certain  part  of  the  work  to  do  in  dressing  the  animal, 
but  in  that  part  he  had  become  an  expert,  a  specialist.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  a  dressed  carcass  was  moving  away  every  minute 
or  less.  This  was  cooperative  work,  trained  experts,  perfec- 
tion, system,  cost  per  animal  to  slaughter  reduced  to  lowest 
minimum.  Xo  mistakes,  no  clashing  of  work,  but  simple,  well 
directed  and  well  executed  business  methods. 

To  do  work  well,  rapidly  and  at  the  least  possible  cost,  men 
must  not  onl}-  be  thoroughly  trained  in  the  work  to  be  done, 
but  the  most  approved  machinery  and  implements  provided. 
Now  a  farmer  who  has  an  orchard  of  50  or  100  or  500  fruit  trees 
cannot  readily  procure  and  hold  trained  and  expert  workmen  to 
care  for  his  small  orchard.  He  has  either  to  do  it  all  himself, 
or  hire  such  inexperienced  help  as  comes  along,  to  assist  him. 
In  most  cases,  the  cultivating,  trimming  and  spraying  is  not 
done  at  all.  for  lack  of  capital,  knowledge,  or  experienced  help. 
Now,  suppose  a  combination  was  formed  of  50  or  100  farmers, 
with  50,000  or  100,000  trees  or  more.  Intelligent  men  could 
be  employed  and  trained,  each  to  have  his  part  to  do,  and 
become  expert  in  that  particular  line  of  work  set  for  him  to  do. 
The  man  whose  business  it  is  to  buy  for  the  company  could 
buy  everything  wanted  in  the  way  of  tools,  teams,  fertilizers, 
spraying   machines   and   materials    for   spraying,   barrels,   lum- 


no        THE    COXXECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

ber  for  boxes,  etc.,  etc.  He  would  soon  learn  where  best  to 
buy  and  buy  at  the  lowest  jobbers'  prices.  He  would  soon, 
if  a  bright  man,  become  an  expert  in  that  line  of  work,  and 
know  whether  he  was  buying  a  good  article  and  at  the  lowest 
rates. 

The  spraying,  so  necessary  to  be  done  now  for  perfect  fruit, 
cannot  be  trusted  to  inexperienced  men  every  year.  This  work 
should  be  done  by  intelligent  men  who  can  run  machinery  and 
apply  the  spray  to  the  trees  with  judgment,  and  with  as  little 
waste  as  possible,  yet  with  thoroughness.  One  man  to  mix 
the  material  to  be  sprayed ;  the  men  who  spray  and  the  teams 
must  not  be  stopped  to  do  the  mixing.  Each  has  his  work  to 
do  while  it  lasts,  and  it  must  be  done  in  time  well  and  no  mis- 
takes made.  Experience  will  soon  attain  greater  perfection 
and  speed  in  the  work. 

The  cultivating  and  trimming  of  the  trees,  thinning  and 
picking  the  fruit,  sorting,  packing, — each  branch  to  be  in  charge 
of  men  trained  and  expert  in  each  of  the  kinds  of  work 
intrusted  to  him.  When  this  cooperative  work  has  been  run 
a  few  years,  men  will  become  educated  to,  and  experts  in  their 
kind  of  work,  which  cannot  be  so  thoroughly  taught  only  by 
practice  in  large  operations. 

It  must  be  evident  to  you  that  the  per  cent,  of  cost  will  be 
very  much  lessened  by  this  cooperative  management.  This  is 
not  all :  fruit  grown  by  these  large  combinations  would  not 
only  be  grown  more  perfectly,  but  would  be  in  quantities  large 
enough  to  employ  an  expert  salesman  to  look  up  the  best  mar- 
ket, and  sell  all  the  fruit  and  at  better  prices  than  the  farmer  can 
with  his  small  stock  of  fruit.  Buyers  prefer  to  buy  and  will 
buy  where  large  stocks  of  goods  are  for  sale. 

The  cold  storage  plant,  now  so  necessary  for  holding  fruit, 
for  the  single  grower  (unless  a  very  large  one)  is  out  of  the 
question,  while  cooperatively  the  cold  storage  would  be  perfectly 
feasible  and  comparatively  of  small  cost  for  amount  stored. 
As  a  modern  business  scheme,  cooperative  orcharding  I  believe 
to  be  practicable  and  it  can  be  made  profitable  to  those  who  join 
the  corporation.  "Oh  !  you  cannot  make  farmers  hold  together, 
you  cannot  make  such  a  scheme  work,"  some  will  say.  "These 
farmers  will  not  stick.  Too  selfish ;  wall  not  hang  together." 
Do  you  believe  it?     Well,  if  this  is  so,  let  them  go.     There 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  m 

are  those  who  will  cooperate  and  hang  together.  It  will  not 
be  necessary  to  have  all  farmers,  or  any  farmers  in  fact,  to 
form  an  orchard  company.  With  brains,  capital,  faith  and 
energy,  success  is  very  closely  allied.  We  older  farmers,  many 
of  us  at  least,  are  creatures  of  habit,  and  it  is  quite  hard  to  get 
and  keep  us  out  of  the  old  ruts  we  have  so  long  been  in.  But 
we  older  ones  with  our  fixed  ideas  and  ways  are  not  to  be 
here  long  to  block  the  wheels  of  modern  business  progress. 
Educated  young  men  are  coming  forward  every  day.  Our 
places  are  soon  to  be  filled  by  others  younger  and  more  pro- 
gressive than  many  of  us  are.  There  is  no  fear  about  coopera- 
tive companies  made  from  such  material  as  may  be  had  now, 
not  holding  together  and  being  successful. 

Millions  of  dollars  are  lying  almost  idle,  waiting  for  pay- 
ing investments.  For  investments  not  to-day  worth  ioq  cents 
on  the  dollar  and  to-morrow  shrunk  away  to  50  cents  and  next 
day  to  25  cents.  There  can  be  no  such  shrinkage  in  money 
invested  in  Connecticut  farm  lands.  They  are  through  with 
their  shrinking  and  are  beginning  now  to  come  up  again  in 
value.  Some  capitalists  have  already  bought  up  large  farms 
and  others  are  seeking  like  investments. 

Xow  I  am  not  a  promoter  of  corporations,  but  there  are  men 
who  are  trained  to  this  work.  Let  a  company  of  fruit  growers 
organize  and  look  for  a  promoter  to  organize  the  company  if 
needed,  and  one  will  soon  be  found  who  can  arrange  all  details 
and  start  the  company  right,  and  besides  find  plenty  of  capital- 
ists who  would  be  very  glad  to  join  a  company  of  this  character, 

I  do  not  know  how  long  it  will  be  before  cooperative  orchard- 
ing will  be  carried  into  operation,  but  I  do  believe  the  time  is 
not  far  distant  w  hen  such  a  movement  will  be  inaugurated. 
The  beginning  may  not  be  large,  but  with  time  and  experience, 
I  believe  its  growth  would  be  healthy  and  rapid.  With  our 
good  roads,  automobiles,  rural  free  delivery  and  telephones, 
the  orchards  or  farms  of  a  large  corporation  could  be  easily 
and  quickly  reached,  or  communicated  wdth,  and  the  advice  or 
presence  of  the  president  or  manager  of  the  company  could 
quickly  be  had  at  any  point  it  is  wanted.  With  experience, 
system  and  an  expert  man,  his  especial  part  to  look  after, 
a  very  large  business  in  fruit  growing  or  general  farming  may 
be  carried  on  with  but  little  if  any  more  care  to  the  president 


112         THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

or  general  manager  of  the  company,  than  is  required  of  any 
single  large  farmer,  while  the  per  cent,  of  profits  from  the 
capital  employed  would  be  greatly  increased.  The  subject  is 
a  large  one,  as  well  as  an  important  one,  to  us  all.  I  wish  I 
could  have  handled  it  better  in  the  ten  minutes  alloted  me.  I 
trust  I  have  said  enough,  however,  to  cause  you  to  think  about 
it  and  discuss  it. 

President  Gulley  :  I  suppose  it  is  safe  to  say  that  not  half 
of  this  audience  have  ever  visited  the  Connecticut  Agricultural 
College.  You  have  not  the  least  idea  what  we  do  or  how'  we 
do  it,  and  you  don't  know  what  we  are  trying  to  do.  The 
only  way,  if  you  won't  go  there,  is  to  bring  it  over  here.  I  do 
a  little  horticultural  work,  and  I  have  brought  my  "kinder- 
garten class," — that  is,  the  class  that  began  this  last  fall.  They 
had  never  been  in  the  institution  until  last  August  or  September  : 
they  are  beginners  in  the  art.  I  may  say,  too,  they  have  not  yet 
gone  into  pomological  work,  as  they  only  began  on  the  subject 
about  ten  days  ago.  What  they  have  been  doing  is  in  vegetable 
and  floricultural  work  ;  their  demonstrations  will  be  along  that 
line. 

We  are  not  going  to  give  you  any  new  information,  yet  not  one 
of  you  at  their  age  would  have  known  anything  about  it ;  these 
boys  are  getting  a  ver}-  early  start.  I  have  brought  up  half  a 
dozen  of  them  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  on  some  topics  they 
have  had  something  to  do  with. 

Short  papers  with  a  demonstration  of  each  subject  were  then 
given  by  the  following  students  : 

Clark   H.    Welton,   ^^"aterville,     "Three    Parasites   of   House 

Plants." 

Roy  C.  Gulley,  Storrs,   "Protection  by  Water  and  Elevation." 
William  W^  Oflweiler,  Bethel,    "Propagation  by  Hardwood 

Cuttings." 

Paul  W.   GrafT,   Bridgeport,    "Propagation   by   Soft   ^^'ood 

Cuttings." 

W.  Robert  Xash,  Xew  Britain,   "Seed  Germination." 
vSherman  P.  Hollister,  Washington,   "Points  of  a  Good  Seed 

Drill." 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  113 

Mr.  H-vle  :  I  think  we  ought  to  pass  a  special  vote  of  thanks 
to  these  young  men  for  coming  here.  We  who  have  been 
employed  in  this  business  for  the  past  thirty  years  can  but  feel 
a  deep  interest  in  the  instruction  of  bright  young  men  to  become 
Connecticut  farmers  who  are  going  to  follow  in  our  footsteps. 
We  also  thank  our  president  for  his  thoughtfulness  in  bringing 
them  here.  I  believe  this  feature  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
on  our  program,  showing  the  way  in  which  their  work  has  been 
carried  on.  Wc  want  to  know  that  our  young  men  are  being 
educated  in  the  State  of  Connecticut  to  take  up  this  most  impor- 
tant feature  of  fruit-growing  in  this  State.  Others  have  shown 
it  can  be  done  with  profit. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Sternberg  followed  in  an  earnest  speech  of  apprecia- 
tion of  the  work  of  the  Agricultural  College. 

A  resolution  of  thanks  was  unanimously  passed. 

The  following  resolution  was  then  introduced  by  Mr.  Hale : 

Resolved,  That  a  finance  committee  of  three  be  appointed  by 
the  President  and  Vice  President,  who  shall  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble, after  each  annual  meeting,  make  an  estimate  of  the  receipts 
of  the  Society  for  the  coming  year,  and  from  these  estimated' 
receipts  make  such  appropriations  for  the  various  departments 
of  the  Society's  work  as  in  their  judgment  may  seem  best,  pro- 
vided, however,  that  the  total  appropriations  shall  not  exceed 
85  per  cent,  of  the  Society's  estimated  income. 

Mr.  Hale  :  W"e  have  our  annual  meeting,  which  is  one  of  our 
largest  expenses ;  w-e  have  our  institute  work  throughout  the 
State  ;  we  have  the  expenses  of  our  Secretary's  office,  etc.  But 
it  seems  to  me  now,  instead  of  gbing  on  in  no  systematic  way,  the 
appointment  of  a  finance  committee  should  be  made  and  our 
business  brought  in  under  regulations.  Therefore  I  offer  this 
resolution. 

Secretary  Miles  :  I  heartily  approve  of  the  appointment  of 
this  finance  committee.  Few  of  you  have  an  idea  of  the  growth 
of  the  Society  and  its  work,  and  the  increasing  necessary  expen- 
ditures ;  if  you  have  some  of  the  responsibility  placed  upon  a 
finance  committee,  it  will  systematize  the  work  so  that  at  the  end 
of  the  year  you  will  have  the  record  brought  out  in  better  shape. 
8 


114        THE    CONNECTICUT    POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

]\Ir.  Brixton  :  I  would  like  to  inquire  whether  it  is  intended 
that  this  committee  shall  be  a  regular  standing  committee  of 
the  Society.  It  might  be  well  to  look  at  the  constitution  to  see 
whether  we  need  to  make  any  change  in  that  in  order  to  elect 
this  committee. 

Mr.  Platt  :  I  understand  the  duties  were  to  apportion  85  per 
cent,  of  the  funds.     Would  that  committee  also  approve  bills  ? 

Secretary  Miles  :  At  present  they  go  through  the  Secre- 
tary's and  President's  hands. 

Mr.  Hale:  My  resolution  simply  limits  the  expenditure  of 
money  to  the  various  departments,  as  is  done  in  our  town  and 
city  offices  and  in  many  associations, — gets  the  Society  onto  a 
business  basis. 

Secretary  Miles  :  ]\Ir.  Britton  brought  up  the  matter  of 
whether  this  conflicts  w'ith  our  by-laws.  It  might  be  brought 
in  as  an  amendment ;   adding  to  our  list  of  standing  committees. 

]\Ir.  Platt  :  I  will  bring  it  in  in  that  way.  I  spoke  of  mak- 
ing the  duties  of  the  finance  committee  cover  the  auditing  and 
approving  of  the  bills.  If  Mr.  Hale  accepts,  w-e  will  put  it  all 
under  one  motion. 

Mr.  Hale  accepted  the  amendment  and  the  resolution  as 
amended  was  adopted  as  follows  : 

Resolved,  That  a  finance  committee  of  three  be  appointed  by 
the  President  and  Vice  President,  who  shall  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble, after  each  annual  meeting,  make  an  estimate  of  the  receipts 
of  the  Society  for  the  coming  year  and  from  these  estimated 
receipts  make  such  appropriations  for  the  various  departments 
of  the  Society's  work  as  in  their  judgment  may  seem  best,  pro- 
vided, however,  that  the  total  appropriations  shall  not  exceed 
85  per  cent,  of  the  Society's  estimated  income. 

The  duties  of  the  Finance  Committee  shall  also  be  to  approve 
all  bills  of  the  Society  before  they  are  paid  by  the  Treasurer. 

The  noon  hour  having  arrived,  President  Gulley  declared  a 
recess  until  1.30  p.  m. 


THIRTEENTH   ANNUAL   MEETING.  115 

Afternoon   Session. 

The  Society  was  called  to  order  at  1.45  for  the  closing  session 
of  the  meeting. 

President  Gulley  :  The  first  order  of  business  on  our  pro- 
gram for  this  afternoon  is  the  election  of  officers. 

Is  the  Committee  on  Nominations  ready  to  report? 

j\Ir.  Eddy  :  Mr.  President  and  Members  of  the  Society — 
Your  Nominating  Committee  beg  leave  to  report  the  following 
list  of  persons  and  to  recommend  them  as  officers  of  this  Society 
for  the  coming  year : 

For  President — Prof.  Alfred  G.  Gulley  of  Storrs, 

Vice  President — Josiah  M.  Hubbard  of  Middletown. 
Secretary — Henry  C.  C.  Miles  of  Milford. 
Treasurer — Roswell  A.  Moore  of  Kensington. 

County  Vice  Presidents : 

Hartford — Geo.  H.  Hale  of  South  Glastonbury. 
New  Haven — Albert  B.  Plant  of  Branford. 
Fairfield — Wm.  E.  Waller  of  Bridgeport. 
Litchfield — J.  H.  Putnam  of  Litchfield. 
Middlesex — Roscoe  H.  Gardner  of  Cromwell. 
New  London — S.  P.  Sterling  of  Lyme. 
Windham — L.  O.  Haskins  of  Scotland. 
Tolland — C.  H.  Baker  of  Andover. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  C.  Eddy, 

Norman  S.  Platt, 

L.  C.  Root, 

Harvey  Jewell, 

H.  B.  BUELL, 

Committee  on  Nominations. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Fenn,  it  was  then  voted 

That  the  report  of  the  Committee  be  accepted  and  the  Secre- 
tary be  authorized  to  cast  the  ballot  of  the  Society  for  the  Hst 
of  officers  as  recommended. 

The  Secretary  proceeded  to  cast  the  ballot,  whereupon  the 
above  mentioned  list  of  officers  was  declared  duly  elected  for 
the  ensuing  year. 


Il6       THE    COXXECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Mr.  N.  S.  Piatt  offered  the  following  resolution : 

Resolved,  That  the  publishing  of  the  Annual  Report  of  the 
Society  be  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Executive  Committee  and 
that  they  be  empowered  to  employ  special  assistance  if  neces- 
sary, and  that  the  sum  of  $50  be  appropriated  for  the  purpose 
of  editing  the  same,  provided  that  the  report  shall  be  ready  for 
distribution  in  April. 

Perhaps  I  should  say  a  word  on  this  resolution.  It  is  offered 
for  two  reasons.  One  is  that  the  business  of  editing  and  pub- 
lishing the  report  has  properly  been  the  work  of  the  Secretar}'. 
The  Secretary  receives  the  sum  of  $100  for  his  services ;  and 
for  all  the  work  that  is  done  by  the  Secretary,  including  the 
editing  of  this  report.  I  think  it  is  rather  a  small  amount.  The 
other  is  that  the  issuing  of  this  report  has  been  delayed  later 
that  the  date  named  in  this  motion — and  it  seems  to  me  later 
than  it  ought  to  be. 

The  institute  work  goes  on  in  the  winter  and  takes  up  con- 
siderable of  the  Secretary's  time ;  and  this  plan  is  suggested 
with  the  hope  of  aiding  the  publication  of  the  report  and  getting 
it  out  in  time.     It  is  presented  for  your  discussion. 

The  resolution,  after  a  brief  debate,  was  put  to  vote,  and 
adopted. 


President  Gulley  :  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  ©ne  of  our 
speakers  for  this  afternoon,  Mr.  Skillman,  has  failed  to  put  in 
an  appearance,  so  that  the  first  speaker  will  be  Mr.  R.  H.  Race 
of  North  Egremont,  Mass.,  who  will  talk  to  us  on  the  subject 
of  "Commercial  Small  Fruit  Culture,"'  with  special  reference 
to  the  strawberry. 

I  now  have  the  pleasure  of  calling  upon  ]\Ir.  Race  to  take 
the  platform. 

How  I  Grow  Strawberries  for  Profit. 

By  R.  H.  Race,  North  Egremont,  Mass. 

Little  did  I  ever  expect  to  stand  before  you,  to  give  my  views 
and  experiences  in  the  culture  of  strawberries.  It  has  been 
my  privilege  from  time  to  time  to  read  the  writings  of  your 
very  successful  fruit  growers  in  the  Homestead  and  Rural  Xezv 


rHIRTEEXTli   .IXXCAL   MEETISG.  117 

Yorker,  and  to  protit  h\  them  and  criticise  them,  bnt  to  stand 
before  \o\\  and  give  my  experiences  never  entered  my  head, 
and  to  say  that  I  esteem  it  an  honor,  is  putting  it  mildly.  I 
hope,  my  brother  fruit  growers,  that  I  may  be  able  to  treat  the 
subject  so  well  that  you  may  not  be  dissappointed,  but  be  pro- 
fited. When  I  received  your  Secretary's  invitation  to  come  and 
address  vou,  I  said,  "Oh,  my!  every  one  of  those  fellows 
down  there  can  teach  me. — I  am  nothing  but  a  little  fellow  in 
the  berry  business,"  but  the  invitation  was  so  kindly  given, 
and  along  with  it  a  very  interesting  letter  from  my  friend  Sharp, 
saving,  "]\Iy  brother,  you  cannot  afford  to  miss  the  chance  to 
get  acquainted  with  the  brightest  lot  of  fruit  growers  you  ever 
met,"  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  try  it ;  if  I  make 
mistakes  and  get  criticised,  w^ell  I  will  surely  come  out  ahead, 
for  criticism  makes  men  grow. 

Strawberry  growing,  commercially  speaking,  is  no  funny  job,- 
or  bov's  play,  although  industrious  boys  w^ould  succeed  most 
certainly.  You  all  know  that,  for  you  have  the  success  of 
the  push-cart  fellow  right  here  tjefore  you.  Preparing  the 
ground  is  the  first  and  by  no  means  the  least  essential  thing 
to  getting  good  results.  Any  land  that  will  grow  corn  or 
potatoes  will  grow  good  strawberries,  and  the  same  treatment 
that  corn  needs  is  what  strawberries  need.  As  to  growing  the 
plants,  I  have  tried  several  different  ways  of  preparing  a  bed, 
all  with  success,  but  will  give  the  one  that  I  now  have,  which 
is  the  most  promising  bed  that  I  ever  had.  I  plow^ed  the  land, 
two  acres,  which  was  a  clover  and  timothy  sod,  mostly  clover, 
early  in  the  fall  of  1901.  In  the  spring  of  1902  I  planted 
potatoes,  and  was  very  careful  to  keep  them  well  cultivated. 
I  used  Stockbridge  potato  manure  plentifully  on  my  potatoes. 
Potatoes,  before  a  crop  of  strawberries,  where  a  heavy  sod  is 
taken,  are  the  best  to  mellow  the  ground,  of  any  cultivated 
crop  that  I  have  ever  tried.  The  only  drawback  that  I  find 
is  that  June-bugs  are  more  apt  to  lay  their  eggs  in  a  potato 
field  than  in  any  other  field  of  cultivated  crops  except  straw- 
berries. They  seem  to  prefer  strawberries  to  anything.  Some- 
times I  think  that  they  know  that  I  am  going  to  set  strawberries 
after  the  potatoes,  and  pitch  in  and  fill  the  field  with  eggs. 
They  have  given  me,  at  different  times,  a  great  amount  of 
trouble,  and  thev  seem  to  be  increasing,  which  gives  me  some 


Il8       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

uneasiness,  as  I  have  known  them  to  drive  growers  out  of  the 
business.  I  was  very  careful  not  to  let  any  weed  go  to  seed, 
as  weeds  in  my  strawberry  bed  are  the  bane  of  my  life.  I  dug 
my  potatoes  early  and  went  over  the  ground  with  a  spring 
tooth  harrow,  then  left  it  to  let  the  weeds  start ;  they  started 
all  right,  then  the  last  of  October  I  plowed  the  ground  and 
did  not  put  on  any  cover  crop,  as  it  was  too  late.  Usually  I  sow 
rye  as  a  cover  crop,  but  this  time  it  was  no  use  as  it  was  too 
late.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1903  I  plowed  the  ground  again, 
and  put  on  1,500  lbs.  of  Stockbridge  strawberry  manure,  using 
an  eleven-tooth  seed  drill,  and  going  over  the  ground  both 
ways,  setting  the  fertilizer  attachment  to  sow  to  its  full  capacity, 
which  is  between  350  and  400  lbs.  to  the  acre;  going  both 
ways  gave  me  between  seven  and  eight  hundred  pounds  to 
the  acre.  The  drill  teeth  are  set  about  eight  inches  apart,  so 
that  in  setting  plants  it  is  almost  impossible  to  set  one  without 
getting  the  fertilizer,  and  as  the  drill  puts  the  phosphate  about 
two  inches  under  ground,  it  makes  the  method  a  very  complete 
and  to  me  a  very  satisfactory  one.  Then  I  put  on  an  iron 
band  roller  and  made  the  surface  as  smooth  as  a  house  floor. 
It  also  serves  to  keep  the  moisture,  and  also  to  start  the  weeds 
several  days  quicker.  I  am  very  careful  not  to  roll  the  land 
when  wet.  I  like  to  have  the  dust  rise  behind  the  roller,  but 
just  before  a  rain. 

Then  I  take  twine  and  string  across  my  bed  four  feet  apart, 
and  set  my  plants  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  in  the  row, 
setting  from  four  to  six  rows  of  non-fertilizing  varieties  and 
two  rows  of  perfect  flowering  kinds,  as  I  find  that  pistulate 
varieties  bear  heavier  crops  than  the  perfect  flowering  kinds. 
I  do  not  raise  a  great  number  of  varieties.  Four  or  five  of 
the  old  reliable  market  varieties  I  have  found  most  profitable. 
I  do  change  varieties,  and  like  very  much  to  keep  up  w'ith 
the  times,  but  am  satisfied  to  let  the  other  fellow  do  the  experi- 
menting. From  three  to  five  dollars  per  thousand  for  some- 
thing that  has  been  thoroughly  tried  and  found  reliable  is 
enough  for  me  to  pay  for  plants  for  profit. 

I  set  usually  the  first  week  in  May,  and  it  takes  a  week  to 
dig  and  set  the  plants,  which  is  plenty*  long  enough  to  leave 
the  weeds,  so  that  I  start  the  cultivator  just  as  soon  as  I  get 
through  setting,  and  keep  it  going,  as  the  weeds  show  them- 


THIRTEENTH  ANNUAL   MEETING.  119 

selves,  all  summer.  I  think  that  there  is  no  danger  of  over- 
cultivation.  I  narrow  up  the  cultivator  as  the  runners  spread 
and  try  to  leave  the  plants  in  uniform  matted  rows,  two  or 
two  and  one-half  feet  wide.  Right  here  let  me  say  that  I  long 
ago  gave  up  trying  to  carry  over  an  old  bed,  as  I  would  rather 
set  new  ever}'  spring,  and  care  for  the  new  bed,  than  clean 
out  an  old  one.  I  used  to  try  setting  in  the  fall,  but  it  only 
gave  me  extra  work  in  weeding  with  a  greater  per  cent,  of 
winter-killed  plants  that  had  to  be  re-set  in  the  spring,  and 
worst  of  all,  an  inferior  quality  of  fruit,  because  plants  did 
not  get  strong  enough  to  carry  out  their  fruit,  so  abandoned 
fall  setting  altogether. 

Perhaps  I  ought  to  give  my  method  of  setting  plants ;  I 
do  not  trim  the  roots  ;  although  1  like  the  plan,  time  is  worth 
too  much.  I  use,  in  setting,  a  hoe.  Buy  a  new  hoe,  as  good 
a  one  as  I  can  find,  cut  the  handles  off,  fifteen  or  eighteen 
inches  long,  then  cut  one  side  of  the  hoe  off  to  a  point,  the 
right  side  for  a  right-hand  man,  and  the  left  side  for  a  left- 
hand  man,  and  I  find  this  tool  very  valuable  in  weeding,  so 
much  so  that  most  of  my  men  choose  it  in  preference  to  any 
other.  Taking  this  hoe  and  striking  it  into  the  ground  its 
full  depth  and  drawing  it  toward  me,  enough  to  give  room  for 
the  roots  of  the  plant  to  be  set  behind  it,  so  that  the  roots  will 
be  straight  down  in  the  ground,  then  place  the  plant  in  and 
withdraw  the  hoe,  and  taking  both  hands  press  the  plant  in 
firmly,  the  harder  the  better,  unless  the  ground  is  very  wet. 
In  setting  in  this  way  I  avoid  the  hot  dry  dirt  that  is  on  the 
surface,  coming  in  contact  with  the  roots,  wdiich  in  a  dry  time 
is  very  much  to  be  avoided. 

When  it  is  very  dry  and  hot  I  brush  away  the  dry,  hot  dirt 
before  striking  in  my  hoe.  I  have  always  been  very  success- 
ful setting  plants  when  I  set  them  myself.  I  seldom  lose  any ; 
not  more  than  two  or  three  to  the  thousand.  I  have  had  a 
great  many,  at  different  times,  ask  me  how  I  set  my  strawberry 
plants  and  have  them  live,  when  they  could  not.  I  always 
gave  them  the  recipe,  which  was  about  the  same  as  they  did, 
yet  they  failed  and  I  succeeded.  It  always  brought  to  my 
mind  a  little  incident  in  my  early  married  life,  when  my  wife 
and  myself  were  invited  to  tea  at  the  home  of  an  old  neighbor. 
The  old  lady  was  a  splendid  cook,  and  on  the  table  were  some 


I20       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

delicious  sugar  cookies,  of  which  I  am  very  fond,  and  which 
at  the  time  my  wife  was  very  much  puzzled  to  make.  So  she 
asked  our  kind  hostess  how  she  made  such  splendid  cookies, 
and  she  told  her  formula.  "Why,"  my  wife  says,  "that  is  just 
like  my  receipt,  why  cannot  I  make  them  like  yours?"  The 
old  lady  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  holding-  up  her  hands, 
those  lovely  old  wrinkled  hands,  said,  "Belle,  if  you  had  those 
two  hands,  you  could  make  cookies  as  good  as  I."  So  I  say 
to  those  who  fail  in  setting  plants,  "If  you  had  my  two  hands, 
which  includes  all  that  is  behind  them,  there  would  be  no  trouble 
making  plants  live." 

I  aim  to  finish  weeding  the  firs't  week  in  September,  as  then 
the  young  plants  need  to  have  their  own  way  and  not  be  dis- 
turbed. I  go  over  them  carefully  the  last  time,  and  if  any 
plants  are  uprooted,  throw  a  little  dirt  on  them  and  they  go 
on  all  right.  This  last  weeding  seems  to  do  them  the  most 
good  of  all,  and  when  I  get  through  I  often  think  of  what 
our  friend  Hale  says,  "that  weeds  are  a  blessing."  But, 
mind  you,  it  is  after  I  get  through,  and  my  back  stops  aching, 
because  it  isn't  pleasant  to  think  of  my  friends  when  my  back 
aches  from  being  punished  by  pulling  weeds. 

I  never  have  put  on  any  fertilizer  in  the  fall,  although  it 
may  be  well  to  do  so.  I  mulch  carefully  with  oat  straw,  and 
am  satisfied  that  it  should  be  put  on  before  the  ground  freezes. 
I  have  always  been  led  to  think  that  I  must  wait  until  the 
ground  freezes  before  putting  on  the  mulch,  but  that  is  a  mistake, 
emphatically.  I  have  seen  as  much  damage  done  in  November 
by  freezing  and  thawing,  as  in  March.  The  plants  are,  many 
of  them,  weak  in  November  and  if  the  mulch  is  put  on  before 
they  freeze,  it  gives  them  a  chance  to  grow  strong,  as  putting 
on  the  mulch  stops  the  outside  or  top  growth  and  keeps  the 
ground  warm,  which  produces  a  bottom  heat  earlier,  and  thus 
increases  the  root  growth,  and  gives  them  a  longer  time  than 
they  would  have  had  if  they  were  left  uncovered,  and  the 
gain  at  that  time  of  the  year  will  go  a  long  ways  toward  a 
better  quality  of  fruit  in  the  spring.  I  am  so  much  in  favor 
of  early  mulching  that  I  am  cheerfully  ready  to  do  the  extra 
labor  and  stand  the  extra  expense  of  putting  on  the  mulch. 
I  never  remove  the  mulch  in  the  spring  until  forced  to  by 
the   plant   growth,   which   is   about    May    loth.      Then    I    rake 


THIRTEENTH  .IXXUAL   MEETING.  12 1 

between  the  rows  so  as  to  retain  the  moisture  and  give  a  place 
to  walk  in,  in  picking  the  fruit.  Leaving  the  mnlch  late  insures 
against  late  frosts  and  brings  my  fruit  into  market  a  week 
after  the  rush,  when  I  obtain  a  much  better  price,  as  straw- 
berries, like  peaches,  are  always  in  demand. 

Consumers  seem  never  to  tire  of  them,  and  the  last  ones 
very  often  bring  better  prices  than  the  first,  although  of  inferior 
quality.  After  removing  the  mulch  I  give  a  liberal  dressing 
of  unleached  ashes.  I  have  never  seen  anything  that  was 
better  than  ashes,  and  the  more  I  put  on  the  better  the  berries. 
For  strawberries,  ashes  seem  to  be  complete.  Other  fertilizers 
may  do  as  well  for  others  who  may  be  differently  situated ; 
it  certainly  is  difficult  to  lay  down  a  rule  that  will  cover  all 
conditions  of  climate  and  soil.  What  would  be  best  for  one 
might  work  ruin  for  another.  One  must  study  carefully  his 
own  soil  and  climate  conditions  and  work  out  his  own  berry 
problems.  ]\Iy  simple  little  story  relates  only  to  my  practical 
experience,  as  I  never  studied  any  books  on  the  subject,  although 
much  is  written.  Yet,  not  all  that  is  written,  if  followed,  would 
give  good  success. 

I  do  not  pick  my  fruit  until  ripe,  as  I  have  found  that  if 
anything  should  hinder  picking  when  ripe,  so  some  of  the  fruit 
was  over-ripe,  that  my  customers  are  better  satisfied  with  it 
than  green  or  under-ripe  fruit.  I  do  not  depend  entirely  on 
fruit-growing  for  bread  and  butter ;  if  I  did  in  a  season  like 
last  season,  my  bank  account  would  be  minus. 

Now  comes  the  hardest  part  of  the  subject — marketing  the 
fruit.  If  we  fail  in  this,  as  many  do,  then  the  labor  and  care 
and  anxiety  are  all  lost.  No  doubt  this  has  discouraged  many 
an  otherwise  successful  grower.  In  the  first  place,  we  must 
make  our  fruit  first  class,  put  it  up  in  an  attractive  form,  have 
as  good  fruit  in  the  bottom  of  the  basket  as  on  the  top  every 
time,  put  our  name  on  the  package,  and  when  consumers 
find  they  can  depend  on  fruit  with  our  name  on  it,  there  will 
be  no  trouble  to  sell  for  good  prices.  I  think  that  more  depends 
upon  the  honesty  of  putting  up  the  fruit  than  any  other  one 
thing.  I  have  sold  in  many  different  ways,  by  retail  to  con- 
sumers direct,  by  the  crate  to  retailers,  and  by  wholesale  at 
bed  or  express  office,  and  find  that  w^here  I  can  get  a  good 
man  or  party,  the  wholesale  is  the  best  way  for  me.  as  my  time 


122       THE    COXXECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

at  that  time  of  the  year  is  so  much  taken  that  I  cannot  superin- 
tend it  all,  and  to  put  a  man  in  my  place  that  would  be  able  to 
fill  the  place  without  great  loss  would  be  almost  an  impossibility. 

I  find  too,  that  all  the  best  consumers  have  their  groceryman 
who  supplies  them  every  day,  and  all  the  best  grocerymen  are 
depending  upon  the  wholesaler  or  commission  man,  and  to  put 
one's  fruit  in  against  these  organized  business  methods  is  a 
pretty  difficult  and  costly  matter.  What  we  need  is  a  fruit 
grower's  organization  in  these  days,  when  ever3^body  is  organ- 
ized against  the  farmer  and  fruit  grower.  The  trust  is  against 
us,  to  buy  our  products  and  then  raise  the  price,  making  the 
consumer  pay  exorbitant  prices,  and  we  get  no  benefit,  making 
millionaires  of  a  few  at  the  expense  of  the  unprotected  and 
helpless  many.  Also,  the  labor  unions  are  against  us.  How 
can  the  farmer  or  fruit  grower  get  along  without  his  twelve- 
hour  day?  I  say  he  cannot  and  have  success.  And  how  can 
we  keep  the  intelligent  boys  on  the  farm  at  work  twelve  hours 
when  he  sees  the  other  fellow  off  at  five  o'clock,  and  loitering 
around  in  his  good  clothes  and  cigar.  These  are  conditions 
that  are  facing  us,  that  we  are  having  to  meet,  and  that  are 
robbing  us  of  our  success.  Both  of  these  organizations  are 
hostile  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil,  as  one  can  readily  see.  Now, 
the  question  is,  and  it  is  a  broad,  wide-open  one  too,  how  are 
we  going  to  meet  them  and  win?  It  looks  to  me  as  if  they 
would  both  have  to  go  b}'  the  farmer  coming  to  the  front, 
where  he  belongs,  and  managing  the  matter  himself.  I  speak 
of  this  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  fruit  growing,  as  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  properly  belongs  to  it. 

I  do  not  grow  strawberries  simply  to  get  bread  and  butter, 
or  to  have  a  bank  account.  I  grow  them  to  get  the  means  to 
help  make  a  man  of  myself,  and  coming  here  and  standing 
before  you,  and  telling  you  my  simple,  home-like  story  of  my 
way,  and  looking  into  your  bright,  happy  faces,  will  go  a  great 
ways  to  help  me  make  a  man  of  myself,  which  I  could  not  do' 
were  it  not  for  the  strawberry  business. 

Now,  in  treating  this  subject,  I  have  one  thing  that  I  think 
should  come  in.  The  fruit  grower  has  to  treat  with  nature 
and  natural  things.  Now  nature  is  God ;  and  one  to  have 
success  must  have  fellowship  with  God.  This  brings  us  into 
an  open  field  of  glorious  things,  that  when  we  love  God  with 


THIRTEENTH    ANNUAL    MEETING.  123 

all  our  being,  we  will  love  our  brother  as  ourselves ;  that  brings 
us  into  fellowship  with  each  other,  and  that  fellowship  lifts 
us  up  into  a  broader  and  better  way  of  living,  makes  life  more 
worth  living,  and  strews  life's  pathway  with  flowers,  and  makes 
our  pilgrim's  journey  useful  and  glorious.     For,  my  brothers, 

"Our  hopes,  our  aims,  our  joys  are  one, 
Our  comforts  and  our  cares." 

Mr.  Race's  very  bright  and  practical  address  was  received 
with  great  interest,  and  at  its  close  the  speaker  was  asked 
numerous  questions. 

DiSCUSSTOK. 

Mr.  Race  :  I  am  not  a  "professor."  I  am  a  simple  berry- 
grower.  Don't  tax  me  beyond  my  capacity.  L  will  do  my 
best  always. 

A  Member  :   What  varieties  do  you  grow  ? 

Mr.  Race  :  Well,  I  am  only  growing  this  year  four  different 
kinds.  My  main  reliance  is  Mammoth  Beauty.  We  might  call 
it  Mammoth  Haverland.  It  was  originated  somewhere  in  the 
central  part  of  New  York  State  and  never  was  taken  up  by 
the  nurserymen  under  the  name  of  Mammoth  Beauty.  It  is 
a  beautiful  berry  and  carries  out  to  the  last  berry.  Every  one, 
if  the  season  is  right  and  it  is  carefully  grown,  will  get  ripe. 
It  is  an  immense  producer. 

I  use,  as  a  "fertilizer,"  Senator  Dunlap  and  Brandywine.  I 
also  have  quite  a  large  quantity  of  Sample.  I  am  not  very 
remarkably  impressed  with  Sample,  because  I  found  last  year 
too  many  false  berries.  The  season  was  not  very  favorable 
for  determining  quality.  I  have  discarded  the  Bubach  and  the 
Greenville,  which  is  a  seedling  of  the  Bubach,  because  they  don't 
give  me  fruit  enough.  The  last  ripening  berries  lose  their  color 
and  seem  to  lose  their  flavor  with  it. 

A  Member  :  Do  3-ou  try  any  new  varieties  to  give  new  tests  ? 

Mr.  Race:  I  said  I  am  willing  to  let  the  other  fellow  do  that. 

President  Gulley  :  Are  there  an}-  new  ones  of  great 
promise  ? 

Mr.  Race:  I  will  say  that  ]Mr.  Hale  says  there  are,  and  also 
Mr.  Allen  of  }ilaryland  and  others ;   but  my  experience  is  that 


124       ^^^    CONNECTICUT   TOMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

nine  out  of  every  ten  new  strawberries  are  failures  commercially 
speaking. 

Mr.  Comstock  :  How  many  years  have  you  fruited  ^Mammoth 
Beauty  ? 

Mr.  Race  :  I  think  ten  years.  It  is  a  strawberry  that  will 
stand  resetting'  on  the  same  qualit}'  of  soil,  the  best  of  any  I 
have  had.  You  know  that  where  you  grow  your  own  plants 
without  changing  them  they  are  liable  to  run  out,  like  rye  or 
corn — you  must  change  once  in  a  while.  In  some  cases  this 
is  so,  but  with  the  jMammoth  Beauty  I  find  that  they  bear 
setting  over  and  over  again  from  one  piece  to  another,  and  are 
strong  and  vigorous. 

A  Member  :  I  think  you  said  you  use  a  ^^'eek  to  set  two  acres. 
How  many  men  do  you  employ? 

Mr.  Race:  Well,  men  are  scarce  up  our  way,  and  I  have 
always  had  the  pleasure  of  doing  a  lot  of  my  own  work.  I 
have  two  good  hired  men  right  along.  I  aim  to  hire  two  more 
in  the  busy  season — that  is,  men  or  boys.  Then  I  have  two 
rousing  good  girls  that  drop  strawberry  plants  when  I  want 
them  to  do  it.  I  don't  suppose  it  is  fashionable  for  women  to 
do  it,  but  they  do  it  and  are  not  any  worse  for  it.  and  their 
pocketbooks  are  not  any  worse  for  it  either.  So  that  would 
make  about  six  or  seven  of  us  all  told. 

Mr.  Flight:   How  many  quarts  do  you  grow  to  the  acre? 

Mr.  Race  :  Well,  I  am  not  much  of  a  figurer,  and  I  don't 
keep  track  of  it  as  some  of  my  neighbors  do ;  I  have  made  a 
mistake  in  not  doing  that.  I  had  an  acre  and  a  half  that  I  told 
the  fruit  growers  down  at  Worcester  last  spring  about,  that  I 
raised  on  a  field  where  I  plowed  under  some  corn.  I  tried 
the  green-fertilizer  method.  I  plowed  under  corn  eight  feet 
high,  which  was  sown  broadcast,  using  clover  after  the  corn, 
and  rye  after  the  clover.  The  berry  that  I  used  as  a  pollenizer 
was  Lovett's  Early.  It  didn't  prove  to  be  a  good  bearer.  The 
first  few  berries  were  fine,  but  the  rest  were  little  berries,  and 
dealers,  of  course,  didn't  like  to  take  them,  so  a  good  many 
of  those  berries  went  to  waste.  But  on  that  acre  and  a  half 
I  picked  316  bushels  of  strawberries.  If  the  Lovetts  had  been 
Mammoth  Beauties,  I  would  have  had  500  bushels.  That  is 
the  best  crop  I  ever  raised  and  gathered.  They  sold  for  good 
prices. 


THIRTEENTH    ANNUAL   MEETING.  125 

A  Member:  Do  you  set  the  plants  in  rows,  and  how  far 
apart  ? 

Mr.  R.\ce:  If  I  were  going  to  set  Bubachs,  I  would  set  them 
4  feet  apart  one  way  and  about  12  inches  the  other;  Mammoth 
Beauties,  15  to  18;  Brandywine,  20  to  24.  Those  kinds  that 
produce  a  great  many  plants  ought  to  be  set  far  apart.  I  aim 
to  have  a  row  about  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  a  matted  row. 
That  w'idth  leaves  about  a  foot  to  walk  in.  The  Mammoth 
Beauties  will  sometimes  come  so  close  together  that  pickers  that 
are  anxious  to  get  the  most  quarts  will  step  on  a  good  many  of 
the  green  berries. 

A  Member  :  What  size  crates  do  you  use,  and  where  do  you 
get  them? 

Mr.  Race  :  I  buy  of  my  groceryman  when  he  has  the  face 
to  ask  me  to  bu}'.  Sometimes  he  gives  them  to  me;  in  fact, 
he  has  had  so  many  of  mine  that  he  owes  me. 

yiR.  Flight  :  You  say  you  raised  about  ten  thousand  quarts 
on  an  acre  and  a  half.  Does  the  Mammoth  Beauty  do  better 
than  the  Wilson  and  those  old  sorts  ?  We  think  down  our  way 
four  to  five  thousand  quarts  is  quite  a  yield.  I  have  read  in 
the  papers  of  where  they  got  six  hundred  bushels  off  an  acre; 
but  two  hundred  is  an  awful  big  crop. 

Another  ]\Iember  :  I  was  a  little  surprised  that  you  put  the 
yield  so  high.  I  consider  four  to  five  thousand  quarts  to  the 
acre  is  a  good  yield. 

Mr.  Race  :  \\'ell,  sir,  some  men  w'ill  lie  about  their  berry 
crop.  You  don't  raise  one  acre  at  a  time.  When  you  keep  a 
dozen  cows,  they  don't  do  quite  as  well  as  when  you  keep  only 
one  and  she  gets  all  the  care  and  feed — do  you  ? 

A  Member:  Have  you  any  plants  to  sell — of  Mammoth 
Beauty  ? 

Mr.  Race:  I  don't  aim  to  sell  plants,  although  if  a  friend 
wants  a  few  I  don't  refuse.*     I  don't  raise  plants  to  sell. 

A  Member:   What  do  you  recommend  for  mulching  plants? 

]\Ir.  R.\.ce  :  You  can  use  hay.  If  you  sow  corn  thick  enough, 
it  would  not  be  too  coarse.  Let  it  grow  not  too  high;  don't 
put  it  on  too  thick.     Oat  straw  is  just  the  thing. 

A  Member  :   How  do  you  set  the  plants  ? 

Mr.  R.\ce:  My  land  is  not  very  heavy,  nor  is  it  light,  but 
we  have   stones.     That   is   whv   I   don't   use   Allen's  tools   for 


126       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

setting  plants.  He  has  a  sandy  loam,  and  can  use  tools  to  set 
plants  with.  There  they  can't  get  a  stone  to  throw  at  a  squirrel, 
but  up  here  in  New  England  we  have  stones;  and  you  take 
a  plant-setting  machine  where  there  is  a  stone,  and  it  is  not 
successful.     This  simple  hoe  is  successful. 

A  Member  :   How  about  the  hay  from  salt  marshes  ? 

Mr.  Race  :   Just  the  thing — only  don't  put  it  on  too  thick. 

Mr.  Hale:  Why  would  you  zvant  to  throw  a  stone  at  a 
squirr-el  ? 

Mr.  Race  :  Because  I  have  seen  him  get^  into  a  robin's  nest 
and  eat  them  right  up  alive.     (Applause.) 

A  Member:    Does  the  robin  eat  the  strawberries? 

Mr.  Race:  No  sir,  but  they  get  into  my  early  cherry  tree, 
and  I  sometimes  think  "darn"  towards  them  then,  but  Massa- 
chusetts laws  won't  let  me  shoot  them.  Down  south  those 
fellows  don't  care  which — they  shoot  them.  They  never  get 
into  my  strawberry  bed.  That  old  fellow  that  we  call  "crow" 
is  the  worst  fellow  in  a  strawberry  bed.  I  think  just  as  much 
of  him  as  I  do  of  the  squirrel.  My  sympathies  are  in  favor  of 
the  robin  and  against  the  squirrel.  If  I  was  a  law-maker,  I 
would  get  rid  of  all  the  crows  and  squirrels  and  blue-jays.  I 
would  foster  the  robins  because  they  eat  the  grub  that  eats  my 
strawberry  roots. 

President  Gulley:  Mr.  Race  intimated  that  his  men  are 
boys.  Do  1  understand  that  you  expect  to  make  boys  work 
twelve  hours  a  day  at  any  kind  of  work  ? 

Mr.  Race:  No,  sir.  Yes,  sir.  I  don't  mean  to  be  hard.  I 
mean  to  be  a  good  sort  of  a  fellow,  but  I  have  seen  a  good  many 
days  when  1  had  to  put  in  more  than  twelve  hours  a  day  in 
order  to  save  the  crops,  but  before  the  week  is  over  there 
comes  a  play  day  and  they  get  it.  I  never  had  a  man  grumble 
when  I  asked  him  to  work  a  little  more  or  less  to  save  a  load 
of  hay,  because  he  knows  he  would  get  a  stick  of  candy  or  a 
cigar,  or  a  day  off,  to  pay  for  it. 

A  Member:   Did  you  ever  have  any  trouble  with  strikers? 

Mr.  Race:  No,  sir.  I  had  a  little  fellow  come  into  my 
strawberry  bed  one  time — I  didn't  want  him  when  he  came.  He 
picked  a  half-a-day  or  more,  and  then  I  found  him  running 
round  among  the  other  pickers.  (I  have  to  employ  my  neigh- 
bors and  their  wives  and  children.)     This  little  fellow,  it  seems. 


THIRTEEXTH    ANNUAL   MEETING.  127 

was  telling  them  they  could  get  more  pay  somewhere  else. 
"Now,"  he  says,  "you  strike  for  bigger  wages,  and  you'll  get 
it."  So  one  of  the  women,  she  says,  "They're  paying  more 
somewhere  else  than  you  are  paying.  Guess  ^we  won't  come  on 
to-morrow."  "All  right !"  I  said,  "I  am  ready  to  pay  you." 
I  collared  that  little  fellow.  I  said :  "What  have  you  been 
doing  ?  You've  been  talking  with  that  mouth  of  yours  !  You've 
been  telling  these  folks  something  about  getting  more  for  pick- 
ing somewhere  else  than  here.  You  take  your  bundle !  and 
go  home !  Get  right  out  of  here !  I  am  paying  all  I  can 
afford."  (Some  of  the  pickers  were  making  $2.50  to  $3.00  a 
day,  and  I  said,  "That's  enough;  that  's  good  pay.")  And  I 
didn't  hear  anything  more  about  it.  I  give  a  cent-and-a-half  a 
quart  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  season.  At  the  last  end,  if 
the  berries  are  getting  scarce,  and  are  worth  picking,  I  will  pay 
by  the  day  or  hire  by  the  hour,  simply  to  get  the  gleanings. 
I  have  thought  sometimes  I  would  have  trouble,  but  somehow 
the  pickers  come  into  the  field  like  robins.  The  farmers  and 
their  wives  and  children  will  come  if  they  say  they  will. 

A  Member  :  Do  you  pick  more  than  one  crop  from  your  beds  ? 

Mr.  Race  :  No,  sir.  Something  Avas  said  in  the  fore  part  of 
this  meeting  yesterday,  in  one  of  the  reports  here,  about  the 
crop  of  strawberries  last  fall,  and  I  have  been  thinking  about 
that  matter.  I  heard  about  it.  I  didn't  see  anything  of  it — 
got  as  fine  a  bed  as  I  ever  set  out.  It  must  be  that  it  was  on 
the  old  beds  that  they  are  trying  to  carry  over,  that  must  have 
got  an  early  growth,  too  early  a  growth.  You  know  a  straw- 
berry never  bears  but  once  and  then  dies.  The  twig  on  your 
apple  tree  never  bears  but  once;  a  new  one  comes  out — a  new 
bud.  Now,  these  fellows  had  made  their  growth  too  early, 
and  the  late  fall  moisture  started  them  into  bearing.  They 
will  never  bear  again — that  is  laid  down  in  the  system  of  plant 
life. 

President  Gulley  :  Don't  you  attribute  that  to  the  fact  that 
the  dry  weather  in  May  kept  them  from  carrying  out  their 
fruit  in  June? 

Mr.  Race  :   I  had  no  experience  in  the  matter. 

A  Member:  On  the  old  beds  that  bore  pretty  well  in  June 
at  the  beginning  of  June — from  the  3d  of  October  to  the  7th 
of  November  I  marketed  berries. 


128       THE    COXXECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Race  :  It  was  so  late  that  those  plants  can't  renew  them- 
selves. They  will  die — you  can  set  that  down  as  a  fact.  Take 
an  old  plant  that  has  raised  one  crop,  and  right  round  that  plant 
come  a  number  of  runners,  and  they  put  out  roots  outside. 
They  are  weaker,  the  old  plant  has  exhausted  a  good  deal  of 
the  fertilizer ;  unless  they  get  strong,  you  won't  have  any  fruit. 
If  they  bear  in  September,  it  stands  to  reason  that  they  can't 
produce  any  more  plants,  and  they  won't  bear  again. 

President  Gulley  :  We  will  now  listen  to  an  address  on 
another  phase  of  the  small  fruit  question — Raspberries  and 
Blackberries — by  ]\Ir.  J.  T.  Molumphy,  one  of  our  own  growers. 


Field  Culture  of  Raspberries  and  Blachberries. 

By  J.   T.  Molumphy,  Berlin. 

I  would  select  land  fit  to  produce  a  good  crop  of  corn  or 
potatoes,  and  after  ploughing  and  harrowing  thoroughly,  mark 
out  with  a  common  marker  rows  3 J -2  feet  apart,  then  set  the 
plants  2j/2  feet  apart  in  every  second  row,  utilizing  the  space 
between  the  berr}^  rows  for  potatoes,  corn,  or  any  general  hoed 
crop  the  first  year.  Fertilize  soon  after  setting  the  plants  by 
distributing  800  lbs.  or  so  of  a  good  complete  fertilizer  to  the 
acre  along  both  sides  of  each  row  where  it  will  be  well  mixed 
and  worked  into  the  soil  when  the  plants  are  cultivated.  The 
second  year  at  least  a  ton  to  the  acre  should  be  applied  in  the 
same  way,  and  this  should  be  repeated  annually  as  long  as  the 
field  continues  in  profitable  bearing.  It  rarely  pays  to  continue 
a  block  of  black  caps  for  more  than  three  or  four  crops,  as 
either  anthracnose,  crown  gall,  or  orange  rust,  and  frequently 
all  three  diseases,  are  likely  to  get  a  foothold  after  that  and  will 
spread  with  great  rapidity.  Immediately  after  picking  the  last 
crop  the  bushes  should  be  cut  and  burned  and  the  land  plowed 
and  utilized  for  the  growing  of  anything  desired  that  can  be 
put  in  at  that  time  of  the  year,  July  20  to  25  usually. 

Cultivation  is  nearly  all  done  by  horse  power,  and  consists 
of  frequently  stirring  the  soil  up  till  picking  time,  using  a  one- 
horse  plow  early  in  the  spring"  and  an  iron  frame  cultivator  of 
the  Planet  Junior  type  afterwards. 


THIRTEENTH    ANNUAL   MEETING.  129 

Have  usually  pinched  back  the  new  canes  aliout  two  feet  from 
the  ground  so  as  to  force  plenty  of  lateral  branches,  then  before 
growth  commences  in  the  spring  cut  back  the  laterals  to  10  to 
12  inches;  this  treatment  (the  shortening  of  the  main  shoots  to 
24  inches  and  the  laterals  to  10  or  12)  renders  the  plant  able 
to  support  a  crop  without  the  aid  of  a  trellis.  The  next  pruning 
is  to  remove,  preferably  right  after  the  season's  crop  has  been 
harvested,  all  the  wood  older  than  the  present  season's  growth. 
The  fruiting  wood  can  easily  be  distinguished  from  that  which 
has  grown  during  the  season.  By  taking  out  that  which  is 
useless  all  the  energy  of  the  root  is  reserved  for  the  new  growth 
which  is  to  supply  the  crop  next  season,  and  the  danger  from 
spread  of  disease  somewhat  diminished.* 

A  close  watch  is  kept  for  orange  rust  and  any  plant  showing 
the  least  sign  of  it  is  immediately  removed,  care  being  taken  to 
keep  it  from  touching  any  healthy  plant.  Have  sprayed  with 
Bordeaux  to  prevent  the  spread  of  anthracnose,  but  without 
success. 

Have  usually  followed  the  plan  of  paying  pickers  i^  cents 
per  quart  at  the  end  of  each  week  and  Yz  cent  extra  at  the  end 
of  the  season  to  all  who  worked  when  wanted  all  through  the 
season ;  those  who  work  only  when  the  picking  is  best  do  not 
get  the  extra  5^  cent. 

We  tried  at  one  time  the  plan  of  marketing  all  the  berries 
the  same  day  that  they  were  picked,  getting  the  pickers  at  work 
early  in  the  morning  and  planning  to  complete  the  day's  picking 
by  9  o'clock  or  soon  after.  It  was  difficult  to  get  enough 
pickers  so  early  in  the  morning,  however,  and  as  the  dealers 
all  wanted  berries  by  7  o'clock,  and  we  were  six  to  twdve 
miles  from  our  markets,  this  was  given  up  as  impracticable. 

My  plan  for  the  last  two  or  three  years  has  been  to  start  the 
pickers  about  six  to  seven  o'clock,  a  few  of  them  usually  getting 
at  work  much  earlier.  Through  the  middle  of  the  day  (an 
hour  or  two  before  noon  and  until  perhaps  three  in  the  after- 
noon) they  are  employed  at  picking  cherries,  finishing  up  the 
day  at  raspberries. 

Most  of  the  morning  pick  of  berries  are  marketed  the  same 
day,  those  picked  in  the  afternoon  being  kept  over  and  sent  to 
town  early  the  next  morning;  teams  leaving  for  the  nearby 
towns  about  5  a.  'M.,  and  for  more  distant  points  early  enough 

9 


130       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

to  get  there  as  the  retail  stores  open.  The  average  price 
received  for  black  raspberries  the  past  year  was  lo^  cents  per 
quart. 

It  is  important  to  keep  well  up  with  the  picking  and  not  to 
allow  a  lot  of  berries  to  become  overripe  on  the  bushes,  as  such 
fruit  will  mould  and  spoil  very  soon  after  going  into  the 
baskets.  As  to  varieties,  Kansas  easily  stands  first,  Cumber- 
land does  well  in  some  locations.  Have  dropped  all  others, 
but  ought  to  have  one  that  would  ripen  a  week  earlier  than 
Kansas. 

For  red  raspberries  nuich  the  same  care  and  attention  is 
needed  as  for  blackcaps.  A  serious  cane  blight  has  attacked 
the  Cuthberts,  especially  over  a  wide  part  of  the  State,  and 
together  with  the  croz^ni  gall  has  injured  the  plants  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  cause  a  scarcity  of  the  fruit  in  all  our  markets, 
and  while  the  prices  realized  during  the  past  year  or  two  have 
been  high,  owing  to  the  short  supply,  the  crop  has  been  far 
from  satisfactory. 

While  I  have  not  practiced  it  as  yet,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  it  will  be  better  to  adopt  the  hill  system  for  red  raspberries. 
Planting  them  about  six  by  six,  tying  to  stakes.  In  this  way 
each  plant  gets  more  sunlight  and  air,  and  the  danger  of  disease 
spreading  from  one  plant  to  another  is  reduced  to  a  minimum. 
The  Phoenix  is  one  of  the  never  reds  that  seems  less  susceptible 
to  disease  than  the  older  kinds  and  is  proving  a  good  market 
berry. 

Great  care  is  needed  in  marketing  red  raspberries  to  have 
them  picked  before  they  are  too  ripe,  and  a  good  supply  of 
pickers  is  essential  to  success.  The  oblong  pint  is  the  favorite 
basket  in  most  markets. 

In  blackberries,  the  Eldorado  is  of  good  quality  and  quite 
productive.  Snyder  occupies  about  the  same  place  that  Ben 
Davis  holds  among  apples,  but  by  good  culture  and  careful 
pruning  to  avoid  too  heavy  a  set  of  fruit,  the  quality  can  be 
much  improved.  There  is  good  demand  for  nice  blackberries 
and  plenty  of  room  for  the  man  who  will  take  pains  to  produce 
fruit  of  high  quality.  The  seashore  resorts  are  crowded  at  the 
time  this  fruit  ripens.  Much  can  be  disposed  of  there  at  fancy 
prices  if  one  is  so  situated  as  to  take  advantage  of  this  trade. 


TH/RTJiliXTH    ANNUAL    MEETING.  131 

Often  a  tew  quarts  of  berries  that  have  wilted  a  trifle  and 
turned  a  little  stale  will  g'ive  a  retail  dealer  all  that  he  can  sell 
throusiih  the  afternoon  and  stock  to  commence  on  the  next 
nmrning';  the  same  man  could  dispose  of  several  crates  if  those 
stale  berries  were  out  of  the  way,  and  some  perfectly  fresh  fruit 
in  their  place.  While  it  might  not  pay  to  grow  raspberries  and 
blackberries  in  the  wholesale  way  that  strawberries,  peaches, 
and  apples  are  being"  produced,  a  great  deal  of  fruit  can  be 
marlceted  at  good  prices  if  placed  before  customers  in  fresh 
condition.  Xo  need  of  mentioning  the  advantage  of  clean,  new 
baskets,  for  surely  no  one  uses  anything  else  now  when  they 
can  be  had  for  one-third  of  a  cent. 

Discussion. 

A  Member:    Any  experience  with  the  Rathbun  blackberry? 

^Ir.  Molumphv:  Rathbun  winterkills  so  badly  that  I  have 
given  it  up. 

A  Member  :  Do  you  think  the  red  raspberry  is  going  to  be 
entirely  destroyed  by  the  root  gall  or  cane  blight? 

Mr.  Molu]mphy  :  I  think  some  of  the  varieties  are  far  less 
susceptible  to  those  diseases ;  and  by  planting  those  varieties 
that  are  immune  we  can  grow  red  raspberries  profitably. 

A  Member:  Why  not  plant  the  Golden  Queen  raspberry  for 
market  ? 

Mr.  Molumphy  :  The  Golden  Queen  is  not  a  popular  market 
berry  on  account  of  its  color.  There  is  not  much  call  for  it. 
Only  a  few  can  be  disposed  of  to  any  advantage. 

A  Member:  Is  there  any  profit  in  growing  dewberries?  I 
understood  from  Mr.  Plant  that  they  were  going  to  give  them 
up,  not  finding  them  profitable.. 

Mr.  Plant  :  I  will  say  we  had  to  give  them  up  on  account 
of  winterkilling.     They  are  not  entirely  hardy. 


jMr.  Hubbard  was  here  called  to  the  chair,  and  cjuestions  from 
the  printed  list  were  taken  up  and  discussed. 

Question  21.  What  are  the  three  best  apples  for  fancy  trade 
and  export? 

Mr.  Hovt  :  I  would  set  out  first  the  Mcintosh,  second  the 
Baldwin,  and  third — I  guess — the  Baldwin.      [Laughter.] 

Question  27.  Should  the  Ben  Davis  apple  and  its  progeny 
be  grown  in  this  State? 


132       THE    COXNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  Anj^body  say  it  should?  Anybody 
say  it  should  not  ? 

A  Member  :  jNIr.  Albiston  has  been  quite  successful  with  it. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard:  Our  motto  here  is  not  the  motto  of 
"The  big  red  apple,"   but  the  motto  of   "The  good  red  apple." 

Question  19.  Local  associations  of  growers  for  shipping 
fruit.     Have  they  been  successfully  tried  in  Connecticut? 

Mr.  Farnham  :  I  have  been  associated  a  little  in  this  busi- 
ness, but  I  call  on  Mr.  Flight,  who  has  been  president  of  our 
association,  to  answer  that  question. 

Mr.  Flight  :  I  could  answer,  yes.  I  happen  to  be  the  presi- 
dent of  the  association  they  call  The  Highwood  Fruit  Growers' 
Association,  just  out  of  New  Haven,  and  w^e  raised  about  three 
hundred  acres  of  strawberries.  We  started  an  association,  and 
Mr.  Farnham  and  myself  made  arrangements  with  Mr.  Ballou, 
who  represents  the  Armour  Refrigerator  Company.  We  write 
to  him  every  year  for  refrigerator  cars.  They  furnish  these  at 
ten  dollars  a  car.  We  load  those  cars,  furnish  our  o\vn  ice, 
and  the  railroad  delivers  the  goods  at  22  cents  per  hundred- 
weight, which  virtually  means  the  sixty-quart  crate  of  berries. 
Now,  we  let  everybody  that  grows  berries  in  that  neighborhood 
put  their  fruit  into  the  cars.  We  tax  them  half  a  cent  a  quart 
for  ice  and  refrigerator.  At  the  end  of  the  season  we  divide 
pro  rata.  We  guarantee  to  the  railroad  company  $44  on  every 
car  that  goes  out  of  Highw^ood ;  if  there  is  a  shortage,  it  comes 
out  of  the  growers.  At  the  end  of  the  season  we  find  it  costs 
us  about  a  quarter  of  a  cent  a  quart,  besides  the  $44  and  our 
fruits.  By  cooperating,  w-e  get  yery  cheap  rates,  and  we  can 
do  it  at  a  profit.  If  we  didn't  have  this  system — if  we  didn't 
ship  by  car-loads — we  would  have  to  pay  a  cent  and  a  half  a 
quart  by  Adams  Express,  and  have  fruit  come  into  market 
sometimes  in  pretty  good  shape  to  make  wine  of;  but  with  the 
refrigerator  service  it  arrives  in  good  shape.  But,  of  course,  in 
some  neighborhoods  where  you  can't  have  a  full  car-load,  you 
couldn't  do  it.  But  where  you  can  combine  and  load  a  car,  it 
makes  no  difference  if  these  cars  stand  on  the  track  for  two, 
three,  four  days — those  berries  wull  arrive  in  Boston  in  better 
shape  than  by  express.  And  so  by  cooperating  I  would  answer, 
yes ;   we  can  send  our  berries  to  market  and  make  money. 

A  Member:  I  would  like  to  ask  if  anybody  here  is  trying 
to  raise  the  Snow  (Fameuse)  apple;  and  if  not,  why  not? 


THIRTEENTH    ANNUAL   MEETING.  133 

President  Gulley  :  I  don't  know  of  any  special  reason. 
The  fault  is  that  it  has  scab.  There  is  another,  a  full  brother 
of  the  Fameuse,  Mcintosh — better  in  color.  Nobody  could  tell 
them  apart  so  far  as  the  insifle  is  concerned.  It  has  scab,  which, 
of  course,  the  Mcintosh  also  has.  The  apple  is  a  good  one, 
will  keep  well,  but  it  is  not  as  much  of  a  success  as  in  Vermont. 

A  AIember  :     It  is  bringing;  the  highest  price  now. 

President  Gulley:  I  think  there  is  no  question  that 
Mcintosh  will  sell  anywhere. 

Question  16.  What  is  the  best  treatment  for  trees  injured 
by  the  recent  severe  freeze? 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard  :  We  had  that  matter  up  earlier,  and  a 
variety  of  opinions  were  expressed  in  regard  to  it.  Some 
seemed  to  think  that  the  trees  frozen  down  to  the  groimd  were 
completely  ruined. 

Mr.  Hale  :  Dig  them  up. 

A  Meiniber  :  That  depends,  I  suppose,  upon  how  bad  they 
are  injured. 

^Ir.  ]\Ierri:\ian  :  Trees  smaller  than  the  wrist  could  be  cut 
off  and  would  sprout  up — a  small  tree  of  one  or  two  years 
old — up  to  three,  perhaps.  Cut  down  within  three  or  four 
inches  of  the  ground. 

A  ]\Ie]\[ber  :  Several  have  said  that  such  trees  failed  to  sprout 
entirely. 

A  !Me:mber  :  They  don't  fail  to  sprout,  but  the  sprout  don't 
prove  a  success. 

A  ^Member  :  The  trees  that  Mr.  jMerriman  refers  to  are 
small  trees. 

A  Member  :  Instead  of  letting  them  send  out  several  sprouts, 
I  would  reduce  the  sprouts  to  one. 

Question  17.  Is  it  safe  to  accept  trees  infested  with  San 
Jose  scale  after  they  have  been  thoroughly  fumigated  with 
hydrocyanic  acid  gas? 

Mr.  Hale  :  I  don't  think  there  is  any  question  but  that  if 
they  have  been  properly  fumigated  in  a  proper  fumigating- 
house,  there  will  be  no  danger  from  their  having  been  infested 
when  put  there.  But  I  would  advise  everybody  to  prune  trees 
carefully,  burn  all  the  trimmings,  and  dip  in  lime  and  sulphur 
mixture  before  planting.  I  would  as  lief  plant  the  scale- 
infested  trees  as  any  other  if  they  are  not  so  badly  infested  as 
to  be  weakened. 


134 


THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


A  Member  :  I  would  like  to  ask  if  you  would  dip  any  part  of 
the  root? 

A  Member:  I  don't  think  I  would,  but  I  would  dip  them 
down  to  the  root.     ]^ut  I  see  no  harm  in  dipping  roots  and  all. 

Question  6.  Can  any  one  predict  the  leading  market  apple 
ten  years  hence? 

Mr.  Merriman  :  Baldwin.  That  is  law  and  gospel.  It  has 
taken  the  lead  for  the  last  thirty  years,  beaten  Ben  Davis  out 
of  sight.  I  defy  a  person  to  mention  an  apple  that  is  equal  to 
the  Baldwin  for  general  purposes  for  market. 

Question  15.  Shall  the  apple  or  pear  be  planted  in  large 
blocks  of  single  varieties,  or  should  there  be  an  intermingling 
of  sorts  ? 

Mr.  Hale  :  Well,  most  of  our  standard  varieties  are  self- 
fertile  and  will  fruit  alone,  but  there  is  no  question  that  the 
association  of  different  varieties  does  strengthen  the  blooming 
and  seeding  of  the  fruit.  But  it  is  better,  if  you  are  going  to 
do  this,  to  plant  a  few  in  among  the  Baldwins  even. 

A  Member  :    How  would  the  Roxbury  Russet  do  ? 

Mr.  Hale  :  Any  of  our  standard  varieties  help  the  others. 
It  always  pays  to  have  good  neighbors. 

Question  26.  Why  cannot  canteloupes  be  grown  on  a  large 
scale,  at  a  profit,  here  in  Connecticut? 

A  Member  :    Can  they  be  grown  at  all  ? 

Mr.  Manchester  :  I  don't  believe  they  can  grow  them  now 
on  either  a  large  or  a  small  scale. 

Question  :  Is  there  any  method  w'hatever  by  which  the 
bacterial  wilt  on  melons,  cucumbers  and  squashes  can  be 
prevented  ? 

Mr.  Bennett  :  I  don't  think  anything  can  be  done  except  to 
destroy  all  the  vines  infected  with  it.  If  the  ordinary  blight, 
Bordeaux  will  check  it.  I  think  thorough  work  will  have  a 
tendency  to  control  it. 

A  Member  :  This  bacterial  wilt !  \Mien  you  get  all  the  vines 
destroyed,  the  problem  is  solved. 

Mr.  Bennett  :  In  most  places  in  this  State  the  blight  is  not 
bacterial,  but  the  ordinary  mildew  kills  most  of  the  vines  and 
in  that  way  cleans  out  entirely  the  cucumbers  and  muskmelons. 

President  Gulley  :  I  wanted  Mr.  Eddy  to  speak  on  this 
question. 


THlRTEnXTH    ANNUAL   MEETING.  135 

Mr.  Eddy:  If  that  blight  starts  in  the  .greenhouse,  the  profit 
is  gone.  I  have  l-»een  successful  up  to  the  last  two  years,  but 
since  then  the  melon  crop  has  been  an  entire  failure. 

Question  5.  What  caused  the  aphis  to  be  so  abundant  last 
season,  and  what  is  the  best  way  to  combat  them? 

President  Gulley  :  Several  wrote  to  me.  I  told  them  they 
could  use  tobacco,  but  b}'  the  time  the  letter  reached  them  the 
aphis  had  disappeared.  They  go  by  streaks  somewhat.  It  is 
hard  to  tell  when  they  are  going  to  come  or  when  they  are 
going  to  leave. 

Prof.  Britton  :  We  have  them  every  year  to  some  extent, 
so  far  as  my  observation  goes.  There  were  a  good  many 
eggs  around  the  buds  on  the  apples ;  there  are  few  this  year,  I 
notice. 

Mr.  Platt  :  If  we  find  some  on  the  opening  buds,  find  half 
a  dozen  clustered  in  there,  feeding  on  the  very  first  growth, 
would  it  be  an  indication  that  we  must  go  to  spraying  right 
there  and  then? 

Prof.  Britton:  If  they  were  abundant  early  in  the  spring, 
it  might  be  worth  while  to  spray  early  in  the  season  with  soap 
and  water.  I  have  looked  in  certain  localities  where  they  were 
plentiful  last  season,  and  have  not  found  them.  I  have 
examined  for  them  around  New  Haven. 

Question  2.     How  low  should  apple  trees  be  headed  ? 

Mr.  Hoy't:  I  should  head  not  lower  than  four  feet.  But  if 
the  people  would  like  them  lower — say,  two  feet  high — I  should 
like  to  grow  that  kind  of  tree.  We  could  grow  more  to  the 
acre. 

Vice  Pres.  Hubbard  :  Perhaps  this  covers  more  than  the 
starting  of  the  tree.  How  low  should  the  head  be  kept  during 
the  bearing  years  ? 

Question  :  Can  we  prevent  the  ravages  of  the  apple  maggot 
by  spraying? 

Prof.  Britton  :  We  think  that  sj^raying  does  very  little  good. 
It  W'Ould  do  no  good  unless  it  acted  as  a  repellent  to  hinder  the 
flies  from  laying  their  eggs  on  the  fruit.  It  may  prove  that 
spraying  the  trees  may  drive  them  ofif,  and  I  think,  as  a  rule, 
the  sprayed  apples  are  not  quite  as  bad  as  the  unsprayed  ones. 

Question  4.  From  present  knowledge,  what  is  the  future 
outlook  for  Jai)an  ])lums? 


136       THE    CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

President  Gulley  :  From  my  own  limited  experience,  the 
outlook  is  that  the  black  knot  will  take  them. 

Mr.  Hale:  A  certain  weakness  of  the  Japan  plum  seems  to 
cause  the  trees  to  die  when  they  are  about  six  to  ten  years  old, 
but  the  black  knot  is  a  preventable  thing  on  ordinary  plum  trees. 
My  opinion  is,  that  there  is  a  future  for  the  Japan  plum,  but 
the  orchards  have  to  be  renewed  very  often.  The  Italian  buyers 
and  sellers  of  fruit  like  the  Japan  plum. 

A  resolution  in  relation  to  the  Parcels  Post  Bill  now  before 
Congress  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Hale  as  follows : 

Whereas,  A  bill  now  before  Congress  known  as  House  Reso- 
lution 7874,  pr6viding  for  what  is  known  as  the  Parcels  Post, 
will,  if  it  becomes  a  law,  prove  of  great  value  to  all  our  people, 
and  especially  so  to  those  living  in  the  rural  districts,  therefore 
be  it 

Resolved,  By  the  Connecticut  Pomological  Society,  that  we 
heartily  approve  this  bill  and  urge  upon  Congress  its  early 
passage  and  enactment  into  a  law,  and  we  urge  upon  our 
Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress  to  do  all  in  their 
power  to  secure  its  passage. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  forwarded  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  each  of  our  Senators  and 
Representatives  in  Congress. 

Mr.  Jas.  L.  Cowles,  of  Farmington,  Conn.,  Secretary  of  the 
Postal  League,  was  granted  the  courtesy  of  the  floor  and  spoke 
in  favor  of  the  resolution  and  explained  the  objects  of  the  bill 
now  before  Congress. 

The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted. 

President  Gulley  :  We  have  one  or  two  special  committees 
to  hear  from. 

The  Committee  on  the  Exhibit  of  Implements  is  now  ready 
to  report. 

The  following  report  was  then  read  by  the  Chairman  of  the 
Committee,  Mr.  G.  G.  Tillinghast. 


THIRTEENTH   ANNUAL   MEETING.         '  137 

Report  of  Committee  on  Exhibit  of  Implements  and 
Fruit  Growers'  Supplies. 

We  would  present  the  following-  report  of  exhibitors  and 
goods  displayed : 

Orchard  Tools  —  The  Cutaway  Harrow  Co.,  Higganum, 
Conn.  I  A-5  Reversible  Double  Action  Extension  Head  Har- 
row. I  A-6  Extension  Head  Harrow,  i  Reversible  Sulky 
Disk  Plow  for  light  soils. 

Fruit  Packages  —  The  Williams  Mfg.  Co.,  Northampton, 
[Mass.  Bushel  Stave  Basket  with  raised  slat  cover,  for  shipping 
apples,  peaches,  etc. 

C.  I.  Allen,  Terryvillc — Standard  Quart  Berry  Baskets. 

Butler  &  Jewell  Co.,  Cromwell — Berry  Baskets,  also  extensive 
line  of  pruning  shears'. 

Spraying  Apparatus — Harvey  Jewell,  Cromwell.  The  Hardie 
Barrel  Pump,  and  Hardie  Bucket  Spray  Pump,  made  by  the 
Hook-Hardie  Co.,  Hudson,  Mich. 

Rice  Automatic  Sprayer  Co.,  East  Windsor,  Conn. — Com- 
pressed Air  Spray  Pump. 

C.  I.  Allen,  Terryville — The  Eclipse  Spray  Pump,  made  by 
Morrill  &  ]\Iorley,  Benton  Harbor,  ^Nlich. 

Frank  B.  Read,  New  York — Corrugated  Apple  Barrel 
Cushion,  Apple  Barrel  Cap.  Lace  paper  circles  for  decorating 
barrels  of  fancy  fruit. 

Nursery  Stock — Gardner's  Nursery,  Cromwell.  Samples  of 
trees  and  plants. 

J.  G.  Harrison  &  Sons,  Berlin,  Md.,  trees. 

Large  and  interesting  exhibit  from  the  Connecticut  Experi- 
ment Station,  New  Haven,  comprising  specimens  of  fungous 
diseases  and  injurious  insects,  also  chemicals  used  in  making 
spray  mixtures. 

A  number  of  manufacturers  of  spray  pumps  and  other  sup- 
plies, who  were  unable  to  make  exhibits  this  year,  send  cata- 
logues and  printed  matter  for  distribution. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  these  firms  may  be  induced  to  display 
their  machines  at  the  next  annual  meeting. 


138       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

President  Gulley  :  I  will  now  call  for  the  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Exhibits  of  Fruit. 

Report  of  the  Committee  on  Fruit  Exhibit. 

J\Ir.  W.  E.  A\'aller  presented  the  report  of  the  Committee  as 
follows : 

Your  Committee  would  report  that  they  have  examined  the 
exhibit  of  fruit  shown  in  the  lower  hall,  and  find  displayed  a 
total  of  154  plates  of  apples,  6  of  pears,  i  of  cranberries  and 
3  of  nuts.  The  exhibition  is  good,  considering  the  unfavorable 
season  in  1903,  and  reflects  credit  on  the  skill  of  the  growers 
contributing  fruit.     The  list  of  exhibitors  is  as  follows : 

Twenty-eight  varieties  apples,  6  of  pears  and  i  of  cranberries, 
all  kept  in  cold  storage,  from  the  Connecticut  Agricultural 
College. 

Samples  of  fruit  taken  from  the  collection  which  will  form 
part  of  the  Connecticut  exhibit  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition. 

The  advantage  of  spraying  is  shown  by  samples  of  apples 
from  sprayed  and  unsprayed  trees. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Ives  of  Meriden  exhibits  23  plates  of  12  varieties 
of  excellent  apples,  showing  much  care  in  growing. 

Two  plates  of  apples,  i  of  hickory  nuts  from  S.  A.  Griswold, 
West  Hartford. 

One  plate  of  finely  grown  Peck's  Pleasant.  Geo.  F.  Piatt, 
Mil  ford. 

Tw^o  plates  Ben  Davis,  C.  W.  Roberts,  Middletown. 

One  plate  Baldwin,  H.  B.  Curtis,  Cheshire. 

One  plate  Baldwin  and  i  plate  Greening,  Daniels  Bros., 
Middletown. 

One  plate  of  highly  colored  Baldwins  from  trees  not  sprayed, 
S.  W.  Eddy,  Simsbury. 

Four  plates  of  very  choice  apples  grown  in  Maine,  exhibited 
by  G.  W.  Staples,  Hartford. 

Three  plates  of  apples,  i  plate  of  nuts,  Chas.  M.  Perry, 
Southbury. 

Four  plates  of  choice  apples.  John  Loomis,  South  ^Manchester. 

Eight  plates  of  apples,  5  Baldwin  and  3  of  other  varieties, 
J.  E.  Andrews,  New  Britain. 

One  plate  hickory  nuts,  F.  B.  ^Miller,  Bloomfield. 


THIRTEEXTH    ANNUAL    MEETING.  139 

One  plate  Baldwin,  i  of  Rome  Beauty  apples,  H.  B.  Buell, 
Eastford. 

Three  plates  of  apples,  C.  L.  Terrell,  Cheshire. 
Two  plates  of  apples,  Joseph  Smith,  Cheshire. 
One  plate  of  Baldwin  apples,  J.  H.  IMerriman,  Southington. 
One  plate  very  choice  Wolf  River  apples  from  F.  S.  Cobb, 
West  Norfolk. 

Four  varieties  fine  aj^ples,  W.  E.  Waller,  Bridgeport. 
Seven  varieties  of  Oregon  apples   shown  by   Hills   &  Co., 
grocers,  Hartford.     Splendid  types  of  Western  grown  fruit. 
Collection  of  8  varieties  choice  apples,  E.  Alanchester,  Bristol. 
Four  plates  apples,    i   of  Baldwn,   i   of  Spitzenberg  and  2 
of  R.  I.  Greening,  all  very  choice,  from  J.  J.  Goodwin,  Hartford. 
Collection  7  plates  apples  finely  grown,  H.  E.  Savage  &  Sons, 
East  Berlin. 

Six  plates  of  apples,  L.  J.  Robertson,  Manchester  Green. 
Seven  j^lates  of  apples,  Joseph  Albiston,  South  Manchester. 

Ellert  Manchester, 
Edwin  Hoyt, 
Geo.  F.  Platt,  ^ 

C.  A.  Whitney, 

W.    E.    W^\LLER, 

Committee. 

The  foregoing  reports  were  duly  accepted  by  the  Society. 

In  accordance  with  the  by-laws  of  the  Society,  President 
Gulley  then  announced  the  appointment  of  the  following  Stand- 
ing Committees  to  serve  for  the  ensuing  year : 

Finance — N.  S.  Platt,  New^  Haven;  J.  N.  Barnes,  Yalesville; 
J.  C.  Eddy,  Simsbury. 

Membership — Orrin  Gilbert,  ]\Iiddletown  ;  E.  M.  Ives,  Tvleri- 
den  ;   Frederic  Kelsey,  Higganum. 

Legislation — J.  C.  Eddy,  Simsbury ;  Edwin  Hoyt,  New 
Canaan  ;    A.  C.  Sternberg,  W.  Hartford. 

Exhibitions — Elbert  Manchester,  Bristol ;  L.  C.  Root,  Farm- 
ington  ;    E.  R.  Bennett,  Storrs. 

Injurious  Insects — Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  New  Haven  ;  H.  B. 
Buell,  Eastford ;  Theo.  ^I.  Savage,  Berlin. 

Fungous  Diseases — Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton,  New  Haven ;  G.  W. 
Spicer,  Deep  River  ;   G.  A.  Parker,  Hartford. 


I40       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

Nezv  Fruits — Stancliff  Hale,  South  Glastonbury ;  G.  C.  Corn- 
stock,  Norwalk  ;    J.  H.  Putnam,  Litchfield. 

Markets  and  Transportation — J.  H.  Hale,  South  Glastonbury ; 
J.  T.  JMolumphy,  Berlin ;  ].  Norris  Barnes,  Yalesville. 

Auditors — G.  W.  Staples,  Hartford ;   A.  B.  Plant,  Branford. 

President  Gulley  :  Ladies  and  Gentlemen — Our  Thirteenth 
Annual  Session  is  nearing  its  close.  I  congratulate  you,  one 
and  all,  upon  its  success.  I  believe  you  will  agree  with  me  that 
it  has  been  an  extremely  pleasant  and  profitable  gathering,  and 
that  we  shall  all  carry  home  with  us  only  the  pleasantest  of 
memories.  (Applause.)  As  there  seems  to  be  on  further  busi- 
ness before  this  meeting,  a  motion  to  adjourn  will  be  in  order. 

On  motion,  duly  seconded  and  passed,  the  Society  voted  to 
adjourn,  and  at  4.15  the  Thirteenth  Annual  Meeting  was 
brought  to  a  close. 


That  it  was  the  most  successful  meeting  in  the  history  of  the 
Society  was  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  a  membership  of  two 
hundred  and  seventy-eight,  many  of  them  being  new  mem- 
bers, was  registered  by  the  Secretary.  And  the  total  attend- 
ance was  the  largest  witnessed  at  a  Connecticut  fruit  meeting. 

In  addition  to  the  excellent  exhibits  of  fruits  and  machinery 
displayed  in  the  lower  hall,  special  mention  should  be  made  of 
the  exhibits  of  decorations  in  the  main  hall,  which  formed  an 
attractive  feature  of  the  meeting.  The  rear  of  the  stage  and 
sides  of  the  balconies  were  hung  with  the  Society's  unique 
banners,  which  bore  such  striking  legends  as  the  following: 
''Connecticut  7/0^  the  land  of  the  big  red  apple,  but  the  land  of 
the  good  red  apple !"  "Connecticut  apples  and  peaches,  than 
which  there  is  none  better  grown !"  "Her  valleys,  hills  and 
plains  shall  blossom  with  fruit  trees !" 

At  the  front  of  the  stage  was  a  most  beautiful  and  tasty 
display  of  choice  fruits,  including  perfect  specimens  of  Con- 
necticut grown  apples  and  pears,  several  plates  of  choice  ]\Iaine 
apples  shown  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Staples,  and  a  very  fine  exhibit  of 
Western  apples,  very  kindly  contributed  by  Hills  &  Co.,  the 
Hartford  grocers.  These  latter  were  noticeable  for  their  beauty 
of  form  and  color,  and  in  their  pretty  baskets  attracted  much 
attention.  To  all  who  thus  contributed  to  the  pleasure  and 
attractiveness  of  the  meeting  the  Society  renders  its  sincere 
thanks. 


ANNUAL   REPORT.  141 


Condensed  Report  of  Field  Meetings,  Institutes, 
etc.,  held  in  1903. 


Summer  Field  Meetings. 

"Fellozu  Members — 

"Your  Executive  Committee  met  recently  and  decided  in  favor 
of  continuing  these  interesting  and  helpful  gatherings.  No 
feature  of  our  work  in  the  past  has  been  more  successful 
or  benefited  the  Society  and  the  members  more  than  these  out- 
ings. We  should  liold  five  or  six  of  these  field  days  during  the 
next  four  months  in  the  principal  fruit  sections  of  the  State. 
The  question  is,  will  our  members  support  the  movement?  Will 
you  help  us  to  arrange  for  a  field  meeting  on  some  fruit  farm  or 
with  the  Grange  in  your  vicinity?  It  is  desirable,  of  course, 
to  meet  where  some  fruit  crop  is  made  a  leading  specialty  and 
when  it  may  be  seen  at  its  best;  or  if  the  Grange  extends  the 
invitation,  to  gather  for  a  picnic  lunch  and  then  visit  some 
nearby  farm  of  special  interest.  The  Society  wall  share  in  the 
expense  and  the  burden  need  not  be  heavy. 

"Members,  let  us  be  alive  to  this  opportunity  and  each  one  do 
his  part  toward  encouraging  these  mutually  pleasant  and 
profitable  meetings." 

The  above  appeal  was  sent  out  to  the  members  and  friends  of 
the  Society  early  in  the  summer  of  1903. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  season  was  an  unfavorable  one  for 
growing  crops,  especially  orchard  and  berry  crops,  fruit  growers 
had  little  of  interest  to  show  and  responses  to  the  above  were 
slow  to  come  in.  But  later  on  conditions  improved  somewhat 
and  prospects  brightened  and  invitations  for  five  field  meetings 
were  received,  all  of  which  were  gladly  accepted  by  the  Society. 

Very  successful  gatherings  were  held  at  Branford,  Higganum, 
South  Glastonbtiry,  Andover  and  Wethersfield,  each  one  adding 


142       THE    COXXECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

to  the  splendid  record  which  this  Society  has  made  for  summer 
field  meetings ;  the  lively  interest  and  large  attendance  in 
every  case  attesting  the  value  of  this  strong  feature  of  our 
work. 

SHORE  OUTING  AT  BRANFORD  POINT. 

August  7,  igos- 

A  field  day  and  shore  dinner  at  the  Branford  Point  House, 
combined  with  a  visit  to  A.  E.  Plant  &  Son's  farms  in  Branford, 
was  arranged  for  the  above  date. 

About  150  members  and  their  friends  enjoyed  this  outing. 
At  II  A.M.  a  business  session  was  held  in  the  parlors  of  the 
hotel,  President  Gulley  presiding. 

The  matter  of  the  Society's  Fall  exhibition  was  discussed, 
and  it  was  decided  to  leave  the  selection  of  the  place  and  date 
and  other  arrangements  in  the  hands  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. It  was  announced  that  President  Gulley,  Secretary 
Miles  and  Treasurer  iMoore  had  been  named  as  the  committee 
on  the  part  of  the  Pomological  Society  to  act  with  the  Con- 
necticut Exposition  Commission  in  arranging  for  the  State's 
fruit  exhibit  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1904. 

President  Gulley  said  that  growers  would  be  called  on  to 
furnish  choice  apples  of  this  year's  crop  to  be  stored  for  the 
exhibit. 

The  biennial  meeting  of  the  American  Pomological  Society  at 
Boston  in  September  was  referred  to  and  the  selection  of  dele- 
gates to  the  same  was  left  with  the  Executive  Committee. 

A  number  of  timely  fruit  topics  were  then  discussed. 
Growers  present  were  asked  to  give  reports  on  the  outlook  for 
the  apple  crop.  From  the  reports  given  it  was  evident  that  the 
crop  throughout  the  State  would  be  variable. 

Some  counties  reported  prospects  for  a  good  crop.  Litch- 
field, said  B.  C.  Patterson  of  Torrington,  would  be  light  on 
winter  sorts. 

Tolland  County  reported  a  fair  crop  of  Baldwins.  J.  H. 
Merriman  of  Southington  said  he  expected  a  good  crop  of 
Baldwins.  He  added  that  he  should  give  his  orchards  less  culti- 
vation hereafter  and  expects  to  get  fruit  of  better  keeping 
qualities. 


ANNUAL   REPORT.  143 

l"'uni;ou.s  troubles,  which  were  unusually  prevalent  this  season, 
came  in  for  a  share  of  the  discussion.  Dr.  G.  V.  Clinton  of  the 
Connecticut  Experiment  Station  addressed  the  meeting  on  this 
topic,  and  questions  and  discussions  occupied  the  time  until 
dinner  was  announced. 

At  12.30  an  excellent  shore  dinner  was  served  by  Landlord 
Sanford,  and  for  nearly  an  hour  the  fruit  growers  and  their 
lady  friends  discussed  the  menu  of  sea-food. 

Following  the  dinner,  busses  were  taken  for  the  trip  to  the 
Plant  farm,  where  many  interesting  sights  awaited  the  visitors. 
The  Messrs.  Plant  welcomed  all,  taking  just  pride  in  showing 
their  splendid  crops  of  fruits  and  general  farm  staples.  The 
Plants  are  acknowledged  to  be  expert  farmers,  but  even  in  this 
unfavorable  season  their  crops  presented  a  fine  appearance  and 
were  unusually  thrifty.  The  first  item  of  interest  was  the  straw- 
berry field,  with  a  crop  of  onions  growing  between  the  row^s  of 
berry  plants.  This  method  of  double  cropping  has  been  prac- 
tised on  this  farm  for  some  time,  and  both  crops  have  succeeded 
well. 

The  raspberry  and  dewberry  fields  were  next  visited.  Large 
and  satisfactory  crops  of  both  fruits  had  been  harvested,  the 
picking  season  being  just  over.  A  few  of  the  mammoth  dew- 
berries w'ere  found,  however,  that  gave  the  visitors  a  taste  of 
this  delicious  fruit,  large,  juicy  and  jet  black.  Mr.  Plant  grows 
chiefly  the  Austin  variety  and  was  led  to  plant  the  dewberry 
quite  largely  from  the  great  success  of  the  berry  in  Delaware 
and  Maryland.  While  it  ripens  extra  early  and  brings  good 
prices,  it  is  not  a  full  success  in  this  State  on  account  of  not 
being  quite  hardy.  It  is  also  a  hard  plant  to  control,  the  vines 
matting  thickly  near  the  ground  and  the  fruit  difficult  to  pick 
because  of  the  many  thorns. 

The  large  pear  orchard,  carrying  a  good  crop  of  fruit,  the 
ample  barns  lighted  by  electricity  and  w^here  the  very  heavy 
crop  of  hay  had  just  been  stored,  and  the  extensive  dairy,  were 
all  interesting  and  instructive  points  of  interest. 

Perhaps  no  single  feature  of  Mr.  Plant's  farm  is  more  worthy 
of  mention  than  the  intensive  cultivation  given  each  crop  and 
field.  Good  care,  intelligently  given  at  the  right  time,  cannot 
help  but  result  in  paying  crops  and  must  go  far  toward  over- 
coming unfavorable  weather  conditions,  even  in  a  season  like  the 
present  one. 


144       ^^^   CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

]\Iany  of  the  visitors  continued  their  trip  to  the  Sea  View 
peach  orchard,  a  mile  or  two  distant,  and  noted  with  interest 
and  surprise  the  prospects  for  a  fair  crop  of  fruit  this  season. 
This  orchard  is  located  on  high  ground,  not  far  from  Lake 
Saltonstall,  and  has  been  a  very  profitable  orchard  from  the 
start,  there  having  been  almost  no  "off-years"    in  its  fruiting. 

As  the  afternoon  closed,  the  members  left  by  trolley,  all 
voting  the  "combination  of  shore  picnic  and  field  meeting"  a 
success. 

FIELD   DAY   AND   PICNIC 

AT    HiGGANUM. 

August  26,  ipo^. 

"By  invitation  of  the  Higganum  Grange  and  Geo.  M.  Clark, 
the  Society  will  hold  a  Field  Meeting  at  Higganum,  Wednes- 
day the  26th. 

Members  and  their  friends  will  gather  at  the  Grange  Hall, 
located  one-third  mile  from  the  depot,  where  a  basket-picnic- 
lunch  will  be  served  at  noon. 

The  forenoon  will  be  devoted  to  looking  over  the  famous 
grass  fields  and  plum  orchards  of  Geo.  M.  Clark.  Mr.  Clark's 
success  in  intensive  grass  culture  by  which  he  has  secured  a 
yield  of  more  than  six  tons  to  the  acre,  is  well-known,  and 
this  visit  to  his  farm  will  be  of  great  interest  to  all  farmers. 

After  dinner  there  will  be  speaking,  music,  etc.,  in  the  Town 
Hall.  Prof.  L.  A.  Clinton  of  the  Storrs  Experiment  Station, 
J.  H.  Hale,  Dairy  Commissioner  Noble  and  others  will  address 
the  meeting  on  topics  of  timely  interest." 

In  response  to  this  invitation  a  very  large  number  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  and  others,  farmers  from  nearly  every 
section  of  the  State,  gathered  at  FTigganum  on  the  appointed 
day  and  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  and  profitable  field  day,  receiv- 
ing unbounded  hospitality  at  the  hands  of  the  local  Grange 
people. 

Teams  were  taken  at  the  railroad  station  and  a  trip  made  to 
Mr.  Clark's  farm  and  orchard. 

This  is  the  farm  that  has  become  famous  all  over  the 
East  for  its  immense  crops  of  grass,  its  o\\Tier  being  the 
pioneer  in  the  "new  grass  culture."  The  very  heavy  first 
crop  had   already  been   cut   and  cured,   and   the  splendid   hay 


A.\X[\IL   RUrORT. 


145 


resulting'  was  to  be  seen  in  the  extensive  barns.  A  second 
crop  or  "rowen"  was  being  cut  at  the  time  of  our  visit.  Mr. 
Clark's  liekls  appear  to  be  natural  grass  land  and  the  soil 
heavy  and  well  drained. 

Much  interest  was  shown  by  the  visitors,  and  JMr.  Clark 
was  closely  questioned  as  to  his  methods  which  have  resulted 
in  such  mammoth  crops  as  six  tons  to  the  acre.  The  plum 
orchard  of  several  hundred  trees  of  Japanese  varieties  was 
next  visited  and  admired  by  all  for  their  thrifty  appearance 
and  clean  culture.  A  fair  crop  of  fruit,  largely  of  Abundance 
and  Burbank  varieties,  had  just  been  harvested. 

The  noon  hour  arriving,  all  were  invited  to  the  Grange  Hall, 
where  a  tempting  collation  had  been  prepared  by  the  ladies. 
It  is  needless  to  add  that  the  visitors  did  full  justice  to  this 
feature  of  the  day. 

Following  dinner  many  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
to  look  through  the  factory  of  the  well-known  Cutaway  Har- 
row Co.,  also  the  Scovil  Hoe  vShops.  The  tools  made  by  both 
these  concerns  have  almost  a  world-wide  reputation. 

At  2.30,  an  informal  meeting  was  held  in  the  Town  Hall, 
which  was  largely  attended,  many  from  nearby  towns  being 
present. 

President  Gulley  of  the  Society  presided.  Dr.  L.  A.  Smith, 
chairman  of  the  local  committee  of  arrangements,  welcomed  the 
visitors  in  cordial  and  pleasant  w^ords. 

'Sir.  Geo.  M.  Clark  was  next  called  upon  to  tell  the  company 
of  his  work  in  grass  culture. 

Sir.  Clark  said  he  had  carried  on  his  experiments  for  the 
benefit  of  the  farmers  of  the  State.  He  believed  in  the.  pos- 
sibilities of  Connecticut  soil  and  its  profitable  development  when 
properly  managed.  Intensive  cultivation  w-as  the  keynote  of 
his  success.  In  his  grass  work  carried  on  for  the  past  seven- 
teen years  he  had  first  cleared  the  fields  carefully,  drained  them, 
and  then  given  the  soil  intensive  and  thorough  cultivation 
before  sowing  the  seed.  Fitting  the  land  with  special  tools, 
making  a  perfect  seed  bed,  then  fertilizing  heavily  and  using 
a  very  liberal  amount  of  seed  had  resulted  in  remarkably  large 
crops  of  hay.  With  heavy  applications  of  commercial  fer- 
tilizers each  year  he  had  been  able  to  cut  heavy  crops  for  many 
successive  years. 
10 


146         THE  COXXECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Clark  stated  that  he  cultivated  his  soil  forty  times  more 
than  farmers  did  under  the  old  methods  and  had  found  that 
it  paid.  Potash,  bone  and  nitrate  of  soda,  about  one-third 
each,  made  up  his  complete  fertilizer  for  grass.  The  potash 
has  the  effect  of  growing  strong  grass  that  will  stand  until 
cutting  time.  In  his  heavy  seeding  he  uses  fourteen  pounds 
red  top  and  fourteen  pounds  of  timothy  to  the  acre,  and  aims 
to  grow  nothing  but  grass  on  the  land.  He  is  now  trying  for 
a  third  crop  in  one  season,  and  expects  to  reach  it. 

With  regard  to  his  plum  orchard,  Mr.  Clark  explained  that 
his  trees  had  been  grown  from  the  start  without  any  fertilizer 
whatever.  Thorough  and  constant  cultivation  had  been  given, 
— as  many  as  twenty-four  cultivations  in  a  season — and  had 
been  found  to  produce  trees  of  good  size  and  sufficient  fruitful- 
ness.  He  had  done  this  to  show  what  can  be  accomplished  by 
intensive  cultivation  alone,  and  that  culture  will  largely  take 
the  place  of  manure. 

The  varieties  in  his  orchard  are  Burbanlc,  Abundance,  Wick- 
son,  and  Red  June.  All  have  done  well,  and  the  fruit  finds  a 
ready  sale  in  the  markets.  Mr.  Clark  was  attentively  listened 
to  and  many  questions  were  asked  and  answered. 

Secretary  J.  B.  Noble  of  the  State  Dairymen's  Association  fol- 
lowed Mr.  Clark  with  compliments  for  the  valuable  work  of  the 
"grass  man,"  which  he  said  was  a  grand  object  lesson  to  every 
farmer  present.  What  we  all  need  is  greater  faith  in  our  busi- 
ness and  a  more  careful  study  of  the  crops  we  grow.  Aim  to 
produce  more  at  less  cost  and  our  farming  cannot  help  but 
be  profitable.  The  speaker  closed  with  an  account  of  his 
recent  trip  to  the  Western  States,  which  he  said  had  taught 
him  to  have  a  greater  love  than  ever  for  his  native  state. 

Edwin  Hoyt  of  New  Canaan  was  called  on  and  responded 
briefly.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with  !Mr.  Clark's  results,  and 
thought  we  should  all  learn  from  them  to  realize  the  pos- 
sibilities of  our  soil  when  properly  treated  and  handled.  Let 
us  all  take  home  the  lesson  of  intensive  culture,  and  apply  it 
on  our  own  farms. 

Director  L.  A.  Clinton  of  the  Storrs  Experiment  Station 
addressed  the  meeting  in  an  interesting  way.  He  thought 
others  might  get  as  good  results  as  Mr.  Clark  if  only  they  will 
follow  his  intensive  methods.  However,  soils  differ  greatly, 
and  this  must  be  taken  into  account. 


AXXTAL    RRl'ORT 


147 


Questions  relating  to  potato  blight  were  discussed  by  Prof. 
Clinton,  the  audience  manifesting  much  interest  in  the  subject, 
because  of  the  prevalence  of  the  disease  this  season  all  over 
the  State. 

After  several  announcements  from  the  chair  concerning 
future  field  meetings  arranged  for,  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to 
the  Grange,  Mr.  Clark  and  the  Higganum  people  was  passed 
and  the  meeting  closed. 

THIRD   FIELD    AIEETING   OF   THE    SEASON 

At  J.   H.   Hale's,   South   Glastonbury, 

September  4,  igoj. 

Announcements  sent  out  for  this  next  gathering  of  the 
Society  read  as  follows : 

"By  invitation  of  ex-President  Hale,  the  members  of  the 
Society  and  all  others  interested  in  fruits  are  offered  the  oppor- 
tunity of  visiting  his  extensive  orchards  and  nurseries,  on 
Friday  the  4th. 

Probably  no  other  horticultural  establishment  in  New  Eng- 
land can  afford  greater  pleasure  and  profit  than  a  visit  to  Mr. 
Hale's.  And  while  the  orchards  are  carrying  but  little  fruit  this 
season,  the  newly  planted  orchards  and  improved  methods  of 
culture  are  well  worth  seeing  and  studying. 

In  extending  the  invitation  ]\Ir.  Hale  says :  'Here  at  the 
Hale  Farm,  we  are  probably  worse  off  than  the  average,  yet 
some  of  the  best  lessons  of  life  may  be  learned  from  failures, 
mistakes  and  disappointments.  Crab  grass  and  weeds  smother- 
ing out  clover ;  cow  peas  that  wont  grow ;  shot  hole  fungus ; 
brown  rot,  black  knot,  yellows  and  scale,  and  little  fruit  on  the 
trees,  are  things  of  orchard  interest  to  all.  A  fifty-acre  wood 
lot  that  has  been  cleared  for  orchard,  and  75  acres  in  process 
of  clearing  may  interest  some,  especially  as  I  want  suggestions 
as  to  how  to  reduce  the  cost  of  the  work.  Test  plots  of  straw- 
berries ;  fields  of  nursery  plants,  and  the  Warner  Farm,  devoted 
entirely  to  production  of  nursery  trees  and  plants,  may  prove 
attractions  for  others,  but  the  greatest  show  of  all  is  the  weedy, 
grassy  plantation  of  a  fellow  who  pretends  to  believe  in  clean 
culture.' 

This  is  expected  to  be  a  notable  gathering  of  leading  fruit 
growers  of  this  and  other  states.  Such  well-known  fruit  men 
as  Geo.  T.  Powell  of  New  York,  Prof.  F.  A.  Waugh  of  Massa- 
chusetts, H.  W.  Collingwood  of  the  Rural  Nezv-Yorker,  and 
others  will  be  present  and  address  the  meeting. 

Every  Connecticut  fruit  grower  should  plan  to  attend.  The 
ladies,  too,  are  invited.  It  will  be  the  best  meeting  of  the 
season !" 


148         THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

Xo  extra  urging-  was  needed  to  secure  the  presence  of  a  large 
company  of  fruit  men,  their  wives  and  friends ;  upwards  of  350 
were  in  attendance,  nearly  all  the  New  England  States  and  Xew 
York  being  represented  by  leading  growers,  who  came  to  observe 
and  profit  by  a  visit  to  the  Hale  Farm,  which  is  perhaps  the 
most  unique  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  country ;  and 
after  enjoying  Mr.  Hale's  warm  hospitality  and  absorbing  some 
of  his  enthusiasm,  it  is  safe  to  say  none  went  away  disappointed. 

The  morning  hours  were  spent  in  looking  over  the  extensive 
peach  and  plum  orchards  and  nurseries  on  the  home  farm,  also 
the  more  distant  clearings  located  on  the  higher  ground  where 
many  rough  fields  have  been  subdued  at  heavy  expense  and 
planted  to  peaches  with,  so  far,  most  excellent  results.  All 
agreed  that  only  the  courage  of  a  man  with  faith  in  the 
fruit  business  and  the  possibilities  of  the  Connecticut  soil,  could 
have  carried  through  to  success  so  large  and  difficult  an  opera- 
tion. 

While  many  of  the  orchards  were  not  presenting  their  usual 
fine  appearance  on  account  of  the  peculiar  season's  very  unfavor- 
able conditions  and  the  light  crop  of  fruit,  3^et  the  lessons  to  be 
learned  were  fully  as  helpful  as  in  a  year  of  full  crops  and  most 
favorable  circumstances. 

At  noon  all  gathered  on  the  spacious  lawn,  where  a  basket 
picnic  lunch  was  enjoyed  and  the  informal  talk  and  discussion, 
alwa3's  so  pleasant  a  feature  of  these  open-air  meetings,  was 
not  lacking. 

After  dinner  President  Gulley  called  the  assemblage  to  order, 
and  introduced  the  host,  Mr.  J.  H.  Hale.  Mr.  Hale  made  one 
of  his  always  enjoyable  speeches,  welcoming  the  visitors  and 
referring  to  his  orchard  work  of  the  season.  He  explained 
the  special  methods  necessary  to  overcome  the  peculiar  condi- 
tions of  excessive  moisture  and  why  the  orchards  were  found  in 
clover  sod  rather  than  clean  culture.  The  work  of  cutting 
back  old  trees  to  make  new  and  vigorous  ones  was  explained. 
Black  knot  in  his  plum  orchard  is  becoming  a  serious  ques- 
tion. What  shall  we  do  for  this  trouble  as  well  as  the  shot- 
hole  fungus  and  the  leaf  curl? 

Many  questions  were  put  to  ]\Ir.  Hale  concerning  the  new 
clearings  for  orchard  sites,  and  what  the  future  treatment  of 
these  trees  is  goinsr  to  be. 


ANNUAL   REPORT. 


149 


Mr.  H.  W.  Collingwood,  editor  of  the  Rural  Neiv-Yorker, 
folloAved  Mr.  Hale.  He  said :  We  are  changing  our  plans  in 
fruit  growing  and  this  season  arc  forcibly  reminded  that  we 
do  not  know  it  all  yet.  We  cannot  stick  to  one  rule  or  method 
year  after  year.  Each  must  change  to  meet  his  own  peculiar 
conditions.  It's  a  wise  man  who  sees  when  to  change  and  does 
it.  Our  friend  Hale  may  yet  become  a  believer  in  the  "Mulch 
System." 

An  orchard  is  the  best  monument  a  man  can  leave  behind  him. 
Aim  to  make  your  farms  better.  "Save  a  farm  and  save  a  boy" 
is  his  principle. 

Following  Mr.  Collingwood's  very  pleasant  address,  the 
President  called  on  A.  W.  Patch,  the  well-known  Boston  com- 
mission merchant. 

Mr.  Patch  said  he  was  glad  to  be  there.  Brother  Hale  is  a 
friend  to  us  all.  He  is  a  pioneer  and  goes  ahead  in  fruit  work 
and  then  others  reap  the  benefits  of  his  experimenting. 

The  apple  market  and  the  ver}^  high  prices  just  now  prevail- 
ing in  Boston  was  referred  to  by  the  speaker.  Even  immature 
Baldwins  and  Ben  Davis  are  being  picked  for  export.  Mr. 
Patch  predicted  that  the  box  as  a  selling  package  for  the 
apple  will  be  a  big  thing  within  the  next  ten  years. 

The  Apple  Shippers"  Association  estimates  that  the  apple 
crop  of  the  country  will  be  as  large  as  last  3^ear's  and  the 
quality,  Mr.  Patch  thought,  would  be  much  better.  Many 
growers  present  criticised  this  statement,  declaring  that  the 
crop  would  not  be  more  than  half  that  of  1902. 

Hon.  Geo.  T.  Powell  of  New  York  was  the  next  speaker. 
He  said  he  was  in  full  sympathy  with  the  purposes  of  ■  such 
meetings  as  this. 

This  is  a  hard  season  for  the  farmer.  Still  there  are  blessings 
to  be  counted  even  in  so  discouraging  a  year. 

Such  a  season  as  this  will  knock  theories  all  to  pieces.  We 
must  learn  to  adjust  ourselves  to  changing  conditions. 

Mr.  Powell  told  of  the  work  on  his  own  fruit  farm  in  New 
York  State.  He  follows  the  use  of  clover  in  his  orchards  and 
it  is  especially  valuable  in  seasons  of  extreme  drouth  followed 
by  heavy  rainfall.  The  trees  are  doing  well,  although  little 
fruit  will  be  harvested  this  vear. 


I50  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

The  farmer  or  the  fruit  grower  cannot  tie  himself  to  any  one 
theory,  but  must  be  ready  to  change  his  methods  if  conditions 
require  it.  What  the  future  treatment  of  the  trees  will  be 
must  depend  upon  the  condition  of  the  wood  and  the  buds  when 
next  year  comes. 

The  future  of  fruit-growing  is  bright.  There  is  a  good  time 
coming  and  even  now  we  are  getting  lots  of  pleasure  as  we  go 
along,  if  not  much  profit.     The  money  side  of  it  is  not  all. 

Horticulture  offers  an  attractive  field  of  work  for  young 
men.  The  planting  of  the  trees,  the  selection  of  the  best 
varieties  and  stocks,  the  care  of  the  orchard  and  the  selling 
of  the  fruit  requires  careful  study  and  intelligent  thought.  The 
rewards  for  good  work  is  sure  to  be  great.  The  apple  offers  the 
best  chance  for  success  and  profit  here  in  Xew  England,  said 
Mr.  Powell  in  closing  his  bright  address. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  allow  visitors  who  arrived 
late  to  look  over  the  farm. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Hale's  pleasant  home  and  the  company  assem- 
bled on  the  lawn  is  given  on  Plate  IV. 

FIELD    MEETING    AT    ORCHARD    HILL    FARM, 
ANDOVER. 

September  15,  ipoj. 

Mr.  C.  H.  Baker  and  the  Andover  Grange  entertained  the 
members  of  the  Society  and  many  other  fruit  growers  at  Jvlr. 
Baker's  fine  farm  in  the  town  of  Andover. 

The  weather  was  especially  favorable  for  such  an  outing  and 
it  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  field  days  of  the  season. 

Visitors  arrived  on  the  morning  trains  and  spent  the  forenoon 
in  looking  over  Orchard  Hill  Farm ;  apples  are  Mr.  Baker's 
leading  fruit  crop  and  the  orchards  presented  a  fine  appearance 
and  were  well  loaded  with  nice  fruit.  Baldwin,  Spy,  R.  I. 
Greening,  King,  Peck's  Pleasant  are  the  principal  varieties 
grown. 

The  orchards  are  in  sod  and  have  been  for  several  years, 
Mr.  Baker  believing  that  to  plow  them  would  be  detrimental 
to  the  trees. 

A  bountiful  lunch  was  served  at  noon,  which  was  enjoyed  by 
about  one  hundred. 


o 


> 

J 


ANNUAL   REPORT.  151 

Air.  II.  F.  Tcnnant  of  Willimanlic  i)hotogra]:)hcd  the  company 
after  dinner.  An  interesting  reproduction  of  the  picture  forms 
the  frontispiece  of  this  book. 

A  short  informal  meeting-  was  held  following  the  dinner. 
Music  was  furnished  by  Messrs.  Tennant,  Copley  and  Mrs. 
Lawton  (clarionet,  flute  and  piano),  which  was  much  appre- 
ciated. In  opening  the  speech-making  President  Gulley  referred 
to  Mr.  Baker's  success  as  an  apple  grower,  also  the  good  work 
of  the  Society  in  helping  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State.  Those 
present  were  invited  to  become  members  of  the  organization. 

State  Entomologist  Britton  spoke  on  the  methods  of  making 
and  applying  the  lime  and  sulphur  mixture  for  San  Jose  scale 
and  answered  numerous  questions. 

Prof.  L.  A.  Clinton  of  the  Connecticut  Agricultural  College 
was  called  upon  next  and  spoke  on  the  question  of  tillage.  He 
believed  that  tillage  could  be  profitably  employed  in  Mr.  Baker's 
orchards. 

A  vocal  solo  by  Mrs.  Lawton  of  Providence  was  listened  to 
with  pleasure. 

Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton  of  the  Connecticut  Experiment  Station 
called  attention  to  the  conditions  that  the  farmer  and  fruit 
grower  must  meet  and  especially  the  need  of  a  systematic  fight 
against  fungous  diseases.  The  speaker  said  that  the  fungus  to 
be  seen  on  some  of  Mr.  Baker's  trees,  attacking  the  leaves, 
was  apparently  one  of  the  canker  fungi.  The  importance  of 
spraying  was  urged  by  Dr.   Clinton. 

The  shipping  of  apples  was  discussed  at  length.  Prof.  Gulley 
gave  his  experience  in  the  use  of  the  bushel  box  as  a  selling 
package. 

The  profit  of  the  box  over  the  old  style  barrel  in  the  Boston 
market  was  a  safe  one,  he  said ;  the  box  is  sure  to  be  used  more 
extensively  in  the  future. 

After  passing  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Baker  and  the 
Grange,  and  listening  to  a  cordial  response  from  Mr.  Wm.  B, 
Sprague  on  behalf  of  the  Andover  people,  the  meeting  was 
brought  to  a  close. 


152  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

^lEETING    AT   WETHERSFIELD, 

September  I'j,  ipo^. 

The  Wethersfield  Grange  invited  the  Pomological  Society  and 
the  State  Dairymen's  Association  to  hold  a  joint  field  meeting 
in  that  toAvn  on  the  above  date. 

The  weather  was  rather  unfavorable  and  the  attendance  there- 
fore was  not  as  large  as  it  otherwise  w^ould  have  been,  but  in 
every  other  respect  it  was  a  most  successful  meeting,  bringing 
together,  as  it  did,  representatives  of  the  two  leading  agricul- 
tural interests  of  the  State. 

The  fine  old  town  of  Wethersfield,  with  its  many  attractive 
features,  made  an  ideal  place  for  such  a  gathering. 

The  State  Prison  is  located  here,  and  during  the  forenoon 
many  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  extended  by  the  man- 
agement to  visit  it. 

A  bountiful  collation  was  served  in  the  Grange  hall  at  noon. 
The  afternoon  proving  too  stormy  for  the  proposed  drive  about 
the  farming  section  of  the  town,  the  visitors  assembled  in  the 
upper  hall  and  held  a  very  profitable  session. 

President  Gulley  presided  and  called  upon  E.  C.  Birge,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Dairymen's  Association,  to  speak  first.  Mr.  Birge 
said  he  was  very  glad  to  see  the  two  societies  meet  together. 
They  are  working  in  harmony  and  should  get  together  more 
often.  The  subject  of  how  to  provide  humus  for  the  soil  is 
one  that  interests  fruit  growers  and  dairy  men  alike.  His 
practice  is  to  sow  clover  in  the  corn  at  last  cultivation.  Rye  is 
also  useful  as  a  humus  crop  to  plow  under ;  two  crops  of  clover 
and  rye  and  then  corn  the  next  year,  is  a  good  rotation.  Wq 
must  build  up  our  soil  in  order  to  get  good  crops,  and  it  must 
be  done  as  cheaply  as  possible. 

Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton  of  New  Haven  spoke  next,  and  said  he  was 
glad  to  come  to  Wethersfield  because  there  are  so  many  special 
interests  to  be  studied  here.  Gardening,  seed  raising  and  fruit 
growing,  the  town  is  celebrated  in  all  these  special  lines.  The 
melon  blight  and  other  diseases  were  discussed  by  the  speaker. 

Secretary  J.  B.  Noble  of  the  Dairymen's  Association  spoke 
in  behalf  of  that  organization  and  told  of  its  good  work  along 
dairy  lines.  He  was  followed  by  Prof.  L.  A.  Clinton  of  Storrs, 
in  a  very  practical  address. 


AX X UAL   REPORT.  153 

One  of  the  most  interesting  speakers  of  the  day  was  J.  H. 
Hale,  who  spoke  next.  He  said  it  was  very  appropriate  for 
the  two  societies  to  come  together  on  such  an  occasion  as  this. 
"Berries  and  cream  always  go  together." 

The  possibilities  before  the  Connecticut  fruit  grower  are 
great,  said  Mr.  Hale.  Western  and  southern  growers  tell  us  we 
have  the  soil,  the  markets  and  the  demand  for  fine  fruits  and 
we  should  be  alive  to  our  opportunities. 

The  influences  of  cultivating  fruits  and  flowers  is  refining 
and  worth  many  times  more  than  the  dollars  and  cents  we  get 
out  of  it. 

H.  O.  Daniels  of  Middletown  spoke  briefly  and  pointed  out 
several  valuable  lessons  to  be  learned  from  this  season  from 
the  dairyman's  standpoint. 

Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  State  Entomologist,  was  asked  to  speak 
of  the  work  of  injurious  insects.  The  prevalence  of  the  aphis 
was  discussed.  Prof.  Britton  advised  the  use  of  soap  and  water 
spray  for  this  pest.  The  San  Jose  scale  is  doing  much  damage 
all  over  the  State.  Lime,  salt  and  sulphur  wash  has  worked 
well  in  killing  the  scale.  The  insect  breeds  late  into  the  fall 
and  early  winter,  said  Prof.  Britton,  and  fall  spraying  is  to 
be  recommended.  The  spring  application  should  not  be 
neglected,  however,  as  the  wash  \vill  not  remain  on  the  trees 
through  the  winter  and  very  thorough  work  is  necessary  to  con- 
trol the  scale. 

L.  H.  [Mead  of  Keeny  Park,  Hartford,  spoke  next.  He  said 
the  worst  thing  about  this  spray  work  is  dreading  it  before 
you  begin. 

We  don't  always  appreciate  our  advantages  here  in  New 
England.  Land  is  cheaper  than  in  the  West.  Good  markets 
are  right  at  hand.  The  most  beautiful  scenery  is  ever  around 
us  and  our  work  should  be  a  pleasant  occupation. 

When  abandoned  farms  are  bought  up  by  shrewd  business 
men,  it's  time  we  waked  up  to  our  possibilities. 

Mr.  Hale  seconded  these  remarks  and  urged  farmers  to 
look  ahead  in  their  business.  The  powers  of  our  soil  are  not 
exhausted.  What  is  needed  is  a  system  of  cover  crops, — clover, 
cow-peas,  rye,  etc.,  and  let  every  bit  of  unoccupied  land  be 
covered  with  some  crop  for  green  manuring. 

Mr.  S.  F.  Willard  of  Wethersfield  was  the  closing  speaker. 
He  said  all  were  very  welcome,  but  he  regretted  the  weather 
II 


154  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

Avas  such  that  the  visit  to  leading  farms  of  the  town  had  to  be 
abandoned.  Mr.  Willard  said  seed  growing  had  been  the  lead- 
ing specialty  here  for  seventy-five  years,  but  the  times  are  chang- 
ing and  not  so  many  are  engaged  in  the  business  as  formerly. 
However,  stock  seeds  grown  here  are  still  in  demand  in  every 
section  of  the  country  and  have  an  established  reputation. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Grange  was  passed  unanimously  and 
the  meeting  adjourned. 


Record  of  Institutes  of  1903. 

The  last  annual  report,  that  for  1902,  carried  the  record  of 
the  institute  work  of  the  Society  up  to  the  end  of  that  year. 

The  present  record,  therefore,  covers  the  season  of  1903,  and 
there  were  held  in  that  period  twelve  institutes,  all  very  suc- 
cessful gatherings,  both  in  point  of  attendance  and  helpful 
influence  upon  the  pomological  interests  of  the  State. 

This  Society  has  conducted  institute  meetings  since  1895 — one 
or  more  each  year  as  opportunity  offered. 

The  object  of  such  work  has  been  two-fold.  To  meet  the 
increasing  popular  demand  among  all  classes  of  people  for  a 
better  knowledge  of  commercial  fruit  culture  as  well  as  the 
management  of  the  home  fruit  garden,  and  secondly,  as  a  means 
of  introducing  the  Society  to  a  larger  mnnber  of  people  than 
could  be  reached  at  its  annual  meetings,  held  only  once  a  year 
in  Hartford.  There  can  be  no  question  but  that  both  objects 
have  been  attained,  as  attested  by  the  fact  that  calls  for  such 
meetings  have  rapidly  increased  year  by  year,  until  in  1903 
the  number  held  has  reached  twelve,  with  nearly  as  many  more 
applications  that  we  were  obliged  to  refuse  on  account  of  lack 
of  funds. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  up  to  the  present  time,  in  the  absence  of 
any  State  law  regarding  institute  work,  the  matter  has  been 
optional  with  the  Society,  and  there  has  been  no  conflict  with 
institutes  conducted  by  other  agricultural  organizations  in 
the  State. 

In  carrying  out  the  institute  feature,  the  cooperation  of  the 
Grange  has  been  sought  and  the  response  has  always  been  most 
hearty  and  willing. 

In  nearly  every  case  the  local  Grange  has  extended  the 
invitation,    supplied   the   hall    for   the   meeting,    a   collation   at 


ANNC.IL    REPORT. 


155 


noon,  helped  in  the  advertisini^",  and  often  furnished  some  local 
speakers. — in  short,  has  had  charg"e  of  the  local  arrangements, 
and  received  full  credit  for  the  success  of  the  occasion. 

It  is  not  too  nuich  to  say,  that  but  for  the  cordial  support  of 
the  Grange  organizations  these  institutes  would  not  have 
attained  the  success  that  they  have.  Without  some  local  center 
of  interest  to  start  with,  no  farmers'  institute  is  likely  to  be 
fully  a  success. 

The  institute  season  of  1903  opened  January  27  at  Glaston- 
bury, followed  by  a  meeting  at  Scotland  January  29,  at  Madison 
February  10,  at  Watertown  February  18,  at  Winsted  February 
19,  at  Deep  River  February  26,  at  New  Canaan  March  3,  at 
Ellington  ^Nlarch  4,  at  Prospect  March  9,  at  Easton  March  19, 
at  East  Canaan  March  24,  closing  at  North  Haven  March  27. 

This  series  was  the  best  ever  held  by  the  Society,  the  attend- 
ance ranging  from  forty  to  fifty  in  some  of  the  smaller  towns 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  at  New  Canaan  and  several  other 
places.  The  cost  averaged  about  $14  per  meeting,  or  approxi- 
mately $170  for  the  series. 

To  give  any  adequate  report  of  the  addresses,  papers  and 
discussions  at  these  institutes  it  would  be  necessary  to  go  beyond 
the  limits  of  this  volume.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  proceedings 
were  of  a  most  practical  nature,  embracing  a  wide  range  of 
fruit  topics  from  the  preparation  of  the  soil  and  the  planting 
of  the  tree  or  vine  up  to  the  latest  and  most  improved  methods 
of  packing  and  selling  the  product  on  the  market. 

The  chief  aim  was  to  bring  speakers  with  scientific  and 
practical  knowledge  before  an  audience  and  following  the 
addresses  give  each  person  present  the  chance  to  question  and 
find  out  what  they  most  wanted  to  know. 

The  following  program  is  a  fair  sample  of  what  was  offered 
in  each  meeting : 

PROGRAMME  AT  NEW  CANAAN. 
March  3,  1903. 

OPENING  AT   10.30   A.    M. 

Address  of  Welcome Rev.  J.  H.  Ho3't 

Address — "Profitable    Apple    Orcharding." 

Prof.  A.  G.  Gulley,  Conn.  Ag'l.  College,  Storrs 
Paper — "The    Market    for    Connecticut    Fruits, — How    Can    it    be 

Enlarged  ?" N.  S.  Piatt.  New  Haven. 

Recess. 


156  THE  CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

AFTERNOON    SESSION   AT   2   o'CLOCK. 

^lusic. 

Address — "Some   Destructive   Fruit   Insects   and   How   to   Control 

Them"     • 

Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  Conn.  Exp.  Station,  New  Haven. 

Address — "Important    Points   in   Successful    Peach   Culture" 

J.  H.  Hale,  South  Glastonbury. 

A  Question  Box  will  be  open  to  receive  any  inquiries  on  fruit  topics, 
to  be  discussed  as  time  permits.  This  will  be  a  prominent  feature  of  the 
meeting,  and  all  are  welcome  to  participate. 

The  speakers,  with  the  exception  of  one  meeting,  were  all 
called  from  within  the  state,  and  received  pay  only  for  their 
traveling  expenses.  They  were  either  men  on  the  staffs  of  the 
experiment  stations  or  practical  orchardists  and  small  fruit 
growers,  selected  for  their  wide  experience  along  special  lines 
of  work. 

The  list  of  workers  included  J.  H.  Hale ;  N.  S.  Piatt,  State 
Pomologist ;  Edwin  Hoyt ;  Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  State  Ento- 
mologist ;  Prof.  A.  G.  Gulley  of  Storrs ;  J.  H.  Merriman ; 
Stancliff  Hale;  Prof.  L.  A.  Clinton  of  Storrs;  G.  S.  Butler: 
Dr.  G.  P.  Clinton  of  the  State  Station ;  E.  M.  Ives ;  A.  C. 
Sternberg;  J.  M.  Hubbard;  J.  H.  Putnam;  J.  C.  Eddy:  J. 
Xorris  Barnes  :   J.  T.  Molumphy,  and  Chas.  I.  Allen. 

Results  show  conclusively  the  practical  value  of  the  Society's 
institute  work  during  1903. 


Sixth  Annual  Fruit  Exhibition. 

The  Society's  annual  exhibition  of  fruits  was  again  held  at 
Berlin,  in  connection  with  the  Annual  Fair  of  the  Berlin  Agri- 
cultural Society,  September  23  and  24,  1903. 

Invitations  to  exhibit  were  also  received  from  the  Fair  Asso- 
ciations in  Wethersfield  and  Willimantic,  but  the  Executive 
Committee  were  led  to  choose  Berlin  on  account  of  its  central 
location  and  the  very  liberal  offer  made  by  that  Fair.  Prac- 
tically all  the  arrangements  for  the  exhibit  were  made  by  the 
Berlin  people  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  our  Society  without 
any  cost  whatever. 

The  exhibition  was  a  large  and  excellent  one  and  an  even 
greater  success  than  the  year  previous,  so  that  the  Committee 


A.y\'L\iL    REPORT. 


157 


felt    justified    in    iKildino"   it    in    the   same    place    two    years    in 
succession. 

The  weather  being-  especially  favorable,  the  attendance  at  this 
fair  was  larger  than  usual,  and  consequently  a  great  number  of 
]3eople  visited  the  Pomological  exhibition  and  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  some  of  the  results  of  the  Society's  work. 


A  corner  of  the  exhibition  tent,  Berlin,  1903. 

The  large  tent  provided  for  the  exhibit  was  none  too  big  to 
accommodate  the  exhibits  of  fruit,  which  numbered  over  1200 
plates,  besides  many  displays  of  canned  fruits  and  jellies,  fruit 
growers'  supplies,  nursery  stock,  and  also  specially  packed  bar- 
rels and  boxes  of  apples.  This  latter  class  was  a  new  feature 
and  one  in  which  much  interest  was  shown  both  by  exhibitors 
and  visitors. 

Eight  exhibitors  competed  for  the  prizes,  and  displayed  their 
skill  in  selecting  and  packing  the  fruit  in  the  most  approved 
market  packages. 


158  THE  COXNECTICUr  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Hale  acted  as  judge  in  this  class,  and  in  making 
the  awards  commented  as  follows: — (and  his  remarks  apply  so 
well  to  the  general  packing  of  apples  for  market,  that  they 
are  inserted  here), — "Your  committee  finds  among  the  dozen 
exhibits  in  this  class  considerable  difference  as  to  what  con- 
stitutes the  "best"  method  of  packing  and  style  of  package  as 
regards  the  barrel  or  box  for  apples. 

First  premium  barrel  of  Greenings  (exhibit  No.  7)  are  fine, 
clean  apples,  double  paper  wrapped  and  packed  in  a  new  barrel. 
Exhibit  No.  307 — barrel  of  Fall  Pippins  were  clean,  sound  fruit, 
unwrapped  and  all  faced  upward.  Exhibit  No.  187  w^as  a  very 
fine  barrel  of  Baldwins,  but  the  apples  were  unwrapped  and 
packed  in  a  second-hand  flour  barrel.  No  high  grade  fruit 
should  ever  go  to  market  in  a  second-hand  package,  for  even 
if  the  barrel  is  apparently  well  cleaned,  flour  dust  from  the 
crevices  will  be  dusted  over  some  of  the  fruit  and  injure  its 
appearance  and  salable  value. 

Exhibit  No.  7,  of  Baldwins,  was  also  packed  in  second-hand 
flour  barrels,  but  being  double  paper  wrapped,  however,  the 
fruit  escaped  injury  from  dust. 

Among  the  exhibits  in  boxes, — a  comparatively  new  package 
for  apples, — Exhibit  No.  65,  box  of  Greenings,  was  a  superb  lot 
of  fruit  packed  in  50  lb.  California  box,  solidly  made  and  of 
clear  white  wood.  The  fruit,  however,  was  not  packed  solid 
enough  to  carry  in  the  best  shape. 

Exhibit  No.  4 — Box  of  Fall  Pippins  packed  in  a  two-section 
ventilated  box  or  crate,  a  light,  strong  and  neat  package  that 
shows  all  the  fruit  to  good  advantage ;  and  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  a  ventilated  package  does  not  keep  fruit  as  well  as  a 
tight  box,  this  package  would  be  counted  of  value. 

Other  exhibits  of  premium  Greenings,  Spies  and  Baldwins, 
with  the  fruit  double  wrapped  and  packed  in  50  lb.  boxes, 
apparently  home-made,  while  not  quite  as  uniform  as  Nos. 
65  and  4,  yet  of  clean  white  wood,  and  the  fruit  was  sound 
and  perfect." 

The  exhibit,  as  a  whole,  w^as  very  creditable,  and  pointed 
some  quite  valuable  lessons  in  packing  and  packages.  It  is 
a  feature  worthy  of  continuincf  at  future  exhibitions. 


ANNUAL   REPORT.  159 

The  number  of  growers  who  exhibited  was  larger  than  ever 
before — seventy-five  in  all.  Seventy  of  this  number  were 
awarded  premiums  amcnuiting  to  $515.75. 

As  a  complete  list  of  the  awards  was  published  and  sent 
out  soon  after  the  exhibition,  it  is  unnecessary  to  include  the 
same  in  this  report. 

Those  who  acted  as  judges  were:  Apples,  all  classes,  Prof, 
John  Craig  of  the  Agricultural  College,  Cornell  University ; 
pears,  all  classes,  N.  S.  Piatt,  New  Haven,  and  G.  C.  Comstock, 
Norwalk  ;  peaches  and  plums,  C.  H.  Savage,  Storrs ;  grapes, 
all  classes,  R.  A.  Moore,  Kensington;  canned  fruits,  etc..  Dr. 
L.  A.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Frederic  Kelsey, 
Higganum ;  nuts.  Prof.  W.  E.  Britton,  New  Haven ;  unclas- 
sified exhibits.  Prof.  A.  G,  Gulley,  Storrs.  The  expense  of  the 
exhibition  to  the  Society  w^as  about  $100. 

Our  annual  fruit  shows  are  certainly  proving  "eye-openers" 
to  the  people,  especially  in  the  matter  of  showing  what  fine 
products  may  be  grown  in  Connecticut,  and  to  those  growers 
who  attend  them  they  are  wonderful  educators.  The  fairs  of 
the  State  are  beginning  to  recognize  the  advantages  of  such 
an  exhibit  on  their  grounds,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  we  shall  not 
be  troubled  to  find  ways  and  means  for  holding  our  exhibitions 
in  the  future. 


LIST  OF  MEMBERS* 

OF    THE 

CONNECTICUT  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY 
. . .  1904  ... 


Abbe,  Linden  S.,  Hazardville. 
Abbey,  Mrs.  Chas.  Pelton,  Portland. 
Abbott,  Arthur  J.,  Woodbury. 
Albiston,  Joseph,  So.  Manchester. 
Albiston,  James  H.,  So.  Manchester. 
Allen,  Chas.  D.,  Cheshire. 
Allen,  Chas.  I.,  Pequabuck. 
Allen,  W.  R,  Jr.,  Salisbury,  Md. 
Andrews,  Cornelius,  New  Britain. 
Andrews,  J.  E.,  New  Britain. 
Andrews,  Miss  Hattie  C,  New 

Britain. 
x'Vnthony,  Wm.  E.,  Southington. 
Ashton,  Frank  B.,  Middletown. 
Ashton,  Mrs.  F.  B.,  Middletown. 
Atkins,  T.  J.,  Middletown. 
Atwater,  Edwin  B.,  New  Haven, 

Box  207. 
Atwater,  E.  B.,  Plantsville. 
Atwood,  C.  B.,  Watertown. 
Atwood,  Oscar  F.,  Brooklyn. 
Atwood,  Rev.  E.  F.,  Hartford,  670 

Garden  St. 
Austin,  Franklin  B.,  Norwalk. 
Averill,  H.  O.,  Washington  Depot. 
Ayer,  Robert  E.,  Unionville. 
Babcock,  G.  P.,  Tolland. 
Bacon,  Eben  W.,  Middletown.  R. 

F.  D.  No.  I. 
Bacon,  Mrs.  Eliza  M.,  Scotland. 
Bailey,  F.  B.,  Durham. 
Baker,  C.  H.,  Andover. 
Baldwin,  Walter  H.,  Cheshire. 
Barber,  C.  W.,  New  Britain. 
Barber,  Henry  A.,  Danbury. 
Barber,  Joseph,  Rockville. 
Barker,  N.  C,  Lebanon. 
Barnes,  A.  G.,  New  Milford. 
Barnes,  J.  Norris,  Yalesville. 
Barnes,  John  R.,  Yalesville. 
Barnes,  Morris  A..  Collinsville. 
Bass,  Lucien,  Willimantic,  R.  F.  D. 

No.  2. 
Bassett,  George  E.,  Clintonville. 
Beach,  A.  S.,  Bridgeport,  R.  D. 


Beach,  Frank  H.,  Stratford. 

Beach,  G.  S.,  Winsted. 

Beach,  J.  H.,  Branford. 

Beach,  Z.  P.,  Wallingford. 

Beckwith,  G.  C,  Nepaug. 

Beers,  F.  H.,  Brookfield  Centre. 

Beers,  S.  Perry,  Greenfield  Hill. 

Beisiegel,  Jacob,  Woodbridge. 

Beman,  W.  L.,  Bloomfield. 

Benham,  Leonard  i\L,  Highwood. 

Benham,  Wilbur  H.,  Highwood. 

Bennett,  E.  R.,  Storrs. 

Bernhard,  Albert,  Meriden. 

Bidwell,  A.  F.,  Canton  Center. 

Birdseye,  E.  B.,  Middletown. 

Birdsey,  E.  T.,  Middletown. 

Birge,  E.  C,  Westport. 

Bishop,  Jared,  Cheshire. 

Blaisdell,  M.  L.,  Clinton. 

Blakeman,  J.  H.,  Oronoque. 

Blakeslee,  G.  N.,  Clintonville. 

Bliss.  Ethelbert,  Ludlow,  Mass., 
R.  F.  D. 

Bliven,  J.  B.,  New  London. 

Boardman,  F.  E.,  R.  D.  Middletown. 

Bogart,  Geo.  A.,  Chester. 

Bogue,  Nelson,  Batavia,  N.  Y. 

Bolles,  C.  P.,  Wilbraham,  Mass. 

Bradley,  E.  L.,  Norwalk. 

Bradley,  F.  N.,  Derby. 

Bradley,  Miss  Gertrude  U.,  Water- 
bury. 

Bradley.  Mrs.    Sarah,   Bristol,   R. 
F.  D. 

Brainerd,  M.  N.,  Southington. 

Brewer,  C.  S.,  Hartford. 

Bridge,  H.  J.,  Hazardville. 

Brinsmade.    W.    H.,    Bridgeport, 
R.  F.  D.  No.  4. 

Bristol,  George  B.,  Middleburj'. 

Britton,   Prof.   W.   E.,   Experiment 
Station,  New  Haven. 

Brockett,  Hobart  J.,  Clintonville. 

Brooks,  Geo.  H.,  Clinton. 

Brown,  G.  F.,  Cannon. 


This  list  is  corrected  to  April   i,   1904. 


LIST   OP   MEMBERS. 


i6i 


Brown.  T.  L.,  Black  Hall. 

Browiison,  S.  B..  Sheltoii. 

Buell.  H.  B.,  Eastford. 

Burdick,  A.  B.,  Norwich,  R.  D. 

Burnham.  T.  H.,  Bloomfield. 

Burr.  C.  R..  Hartford. 

Burr,  W.  H.,  Westport. 

Bushiiell,  Huber,  Berlin. 

Bushnell.  ]^Irs.  Huber,  Berlin. 

Butler,  George  E.,  Meriden. 

Butler,  George  S.,  Cromwell. 

Butler,  Hezekiah,  Wethersficld. 

Callahan.  Thos.,  Newington. 

Camp,  David  N.,  New  Britain. 

Carter,  Geo.  S.,  Clinton. 

Case,  Edmund  E.,  New  Britain. 

Chamberlain,  L.  P.,  West  Hartford. 

Chambers.  Frederick,  Waterbury. 

Child.  C.  H.,  Woodstock. 

Clark,  Arthur  F.,  Higganum. 

Clark,  George  ]\I.,  Higganum. 

Clark,  H.  E.,  INIiddlebury. 

Clark.  O.  R.,  Higganuin. 

Clinton,  E.  B.,  Clintonville. 

Clinton,  Dr.  George  P.,  Expr.  Sta- 
tion, New  Haven. 

Clinton.  Prof.  L.  A.,  Storrs. 

Close,  Albert  W.,  Greenwich. 

Cobb,  F.  S.,  West  Norfolk. 

Coe,  C.  W.,  Durham  Center. 

Coe,  Ernest  F.,   Edgewood  Ave.. 
New  Haven. 

Coe,  Harry  S.,  Waterbury. 

Coe,  W.  T.,  Northford. 

Colby,  Benj.  F.,  Kensington. 

Coleman,  M.  L.,  Seymour. 

Coleman.  ]\I.  P.,  South  Coventry. 

Colton.  F.  B.,  Hartford. 

Comstock,  C.  L.,  Danbury,  R.  D. 
No.  20. 

Comstock,  G.  C,  Norwalk. 

Conn.  Agricultural  College,  Storrs. 

Cook,  Allen  B.,  Farmington. 

Cook,  S.  G..  Branford. 

Cooke.  Marcus  E.,  Wallingford.    ■ 

Copley,  Wm.  E.,  Hazardville. 

Cornwall,  W.  W.,  Kensington. 

Cowles.  Gustavus,  Farmington. 

Cowles.  Percy,  Farmington. 

Crowell,  L.  L.,  Middletown. 

Cuneo,  Joseph,  Meriden. 

Curnow,  Wesley,  Cheshire. 

Curtis,  Carlos  W.,  Plantsville. 

Curtis,  H.  B.,  Cheshire. 

Curtis,  ]\Irs.  H.  B.,  Cheshire. 

Curtis,  Newton  M..  Sandy  Hook. 

Curtis,  Robert  W.,  Stratford. 

Daniels,  H.  O.,  Middletown,  Box 
646. 


Daniels,    James    E.,    Middletown, 

Box  646. 
Dann,  F.    M.,    New    Haven,    280 

Ferry  St. 
Dart,  C.  O.,  Vernon  Center. 
Davidson,  C.  M.,  Cincinnati,  O. 
Davis,  Chas.  T.,  Middletown. 
Davis,  E.,  Branford. 
Davis,  Richard,  Middletown. 
Dearden,  Greenwood,  Tolland. 
*De   Bogart,   F.   Van,    Pn-idgcpcM-t. 
Deming,  Chas.  J.,  Litchfield. 
Deming,  H.  P.,  Robertsville. 
Dempsey,  John,  Broad  Brook. 
Denny,   Geo.   W.,   North   Branford. 
Dewhirst,  E.  W.,   Bridgeport,   R. 

F.  D.  No.  7- 
Dickinson,  Robt.  J.,  Woodbridge. 
Dickinson,  W.  L.,  South  Britain. 
Dimon,  J.  J.,  Hartford. 
Doolittle,  Arthur  H.,  Bethanv. 
Doolittle,  F.  W.,  Milldale. 
Doolittle,  H.  M.,  Meriden. 
Doolittle,  S.  B.,  WalHngford. 
Douglass,  G.  F.,  Collinsville. 
Dow,  H.  L.,  Middletown. 
Dowd,  Frank  C,  Madison. 
Downs,  W.  S.,  Derby. 
Duffie,  C.  R.,  Bantam. 
Dunham,  H.  C,  Middletown. 
Dyer,  E.  W.,  Berlin. 
Eddy,  J.  C,  Simsbury. 
Eddy,  John   S.,  Unionville. 
Eddy,  S.  W.,  Simsbury. 
Ellis,  W.  L.  L.,  Ansonia. 
Ellsworth,  E.  J.,  Windsorville. 
Elsworth,  Frederick,  Hartford. 
Elton,  H.  L.,  Waterbury,  R.  F.  D. 
Elwood,  J.  F.,  Greens  Farms. 
Emmons,  F.  A.,  East  Canaan. 
Ennis,  R.  H.,  Hampton. 
Ensign,  E.  R.,  Silver  Lane. 
Faber,  W.  A.,  Waterburv,  R.  F.  D. 
Fairchild,  H.  L.,   R.   D.   No.  4, 

Bridgeport. 
Fairclough,  Mrs.  Thos.,  Wolcott. 
Farnham,  A.  N.,  Westville. 
Fawthrop,  Walter,  Cromwell. 
Felt,  Dr.  E.  P.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Fenn,  Benj.,  ]Milford. 
Fenn,  Dennis,  Milford. 
Fenn,  Robert  M.,  Middlcbury. 
Person,  E.  B.,  Chicago,  111. 
Fisher,  A.  C,  Boston,  JkLiss..  40-42 

Commercial  St. 
Flight,  S.  A.,  Highwood. 
Forbes,  J.  S.,  Burnside. 
Ford,  Chas.  C,  Washington  Depot. 
Fowler,  W.  E.,  Clintonville. 


Deceased. 


1 62       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY, 


Francis,  D.  G.,  West  Hartford. 
Francis,  J.  H.,  Wallingford. 
French,  W.  H.,  Wolcott. 
French,  Mrs.  W.  H.,  Wolcott. 
Frisbie,  Martin  M.,  Southington. 
Frisbie.  M.  W.,  Southington. 
Frost,  Frank  M.,  Yalesville. 
Frost.  Willis  E.,  Bridgewater. 
Fuller,  Wm.  H.,  West  Hartford. 
Fuller,  Mrs.  Wm.  H.,  West  Hart- 
ford. 
Gager,  J.  M.,  Willimantic. 
Gallagher,     J.  F.,  Waterbury,  R. 

■F.  D. 
Gardner,  B.  L.,  Wallingford,  R.F.D. 
Gardner,  J.  W.,  Cromwell. 
Gardner,  R.  H.,  Cromwell. 
Garrigus,  Lewis,  Waterbury,  28 

Grove  St. 
Gates,  W.  F.,  Willimantic. 
Gaylord,  E.  F.,  Bristol. 
Gaylord,  E.  W.,  Bristol. 
Gaylord,  Herman  J.,  Gaylordsville. 
Geer,  Everett   S.,   Hartford,  64 

Niles  St. 
Gelston,  J.  B.,  East  Haddam. 
German  Kali  Works,  New  York 

City,  93-99  Nassau  St. 
Gilbert,  Henry,  Middletown. 
Gilbert,  Josiah,  Wilton. 
Gilbert,  Orrin,  Middletown. 
Gilbert,  Mrs.  Orrin,  Middletown. 
Gilbert,  Thomas,  Middletown. 
Gold,  C.  L.,  West  Cornwall. 
Gold,  T.  S.,  West  Cornwall. 
Goldsborough,  H.  H.,  Eagleville, 

R.  D. 
Goodwill,  W.  E.,  Southington. 
Goodwin,  Francis,  Hartford,  783 

Main  St. 
Goodwin,  H.  H.,  Cheshire. 
Gordon,  Mrs.  Robert,  Shelton. 
Gould's  Mfg.  Co.,  Seneca  Falls, 

N.  Y. 
Greene,  Prof.  W.  J.,  Wooster,  O. 
Griffith,  Geo.  H.,  Bristol. 
Griffith,  Wm.  J.,  Bristol. 
Griswold,  Henry  H.,  Guilford. 
Griswold,  H.  O.,  West  Hartford. 
Griswold,  J.  B.,  Newington. 
Griswold,  R.  S.,  Wethersfield. 
Griswold,  S.  A.,  West  Hartford. 
Griswold,  S.  P.,  West  Hartford. 
Griswold,  Thomas,  &  Co.,  South 

Wethersfield. 
Griswold,  W.  R,  Rocky  Hill. 
Groesbeck,  F.  O.,  Hartford. 
GuUey,  Prof.  A.  G.,  Storrs. 
Hale,  G.  H.,   South  Glastonbury. 
Hale,  J.  H.,  South  Glastonbury. 


Hale,  Moseley,  South  Glastonbury. 

Hale,  Stancliff,  South  Glastonbury. 

Haley,  E.,  Mystic,  R.  F.  D. 

Hall,  Chas.  H.,  Cheshire. 

Hall,  G.  D.,  Wallingford. 

Hall,  G.  H.,  Manchester. 

Hall,  Wilbur  H.,  Wallingford. 

Hannah,  A.  J.,  Bristol. 
_  Hannah,  W.  L.,  Bristol. 
'Hardy,  Alfred,  Rockville. 

Harrison,  Orlando,  Berlin,  Md. 

Hart,  Ernest  W.,  Forestville. 

Hart,  E.  S.,  Plainville. 

Hart,  G.  W.,  Unionville. 

Hart,  Mrs.  S.  A.,  Kensington. 

Harvey,  C.  F.,  Woodbury. 

Harwood,  B.  E.,  Chester. 

Haskins,  L.  O.,  Scotland. 

Hatch,  Gilbert  H.,  Whigville. 

Healey,  E.  M.,  Plainville. 

Hersey,  G.  M.,  Hartford. 

Higgins,  Wm.    L.,    M.D.,    South 
Coventry. 

Higgins,  Wm.  W.,  Maywood,  N.  J. 

Hill,  Samuel  B.,  West  Cheshire. 

Hill,  S.  B.,  Waterbury. 

Hilliard,  H.  J.,  Portland. 

Hills,  T.  Morton,  M.D.,  Williman- 
tic. 

Hinman,  R.  S.,  Stevenson. 

Hitchcock,  L.  R.,  Watertown. 

Hollister,  A.  T.,  So.  Glastonbury. 

Hollister,  G.  H.,  Storrs. 

Hollister,  Kirkland,  South  Glas- 
tonbury. 

Hollister,  Milton  D.,  East  Glaston- 
bury. 

Hollister,  Orrin  C,  ^Manchester. 

Holt.  Joseph  E.,  Chester. 

Hopson,  G.  A.,  Wallingford. 

Hornbeck,  H.  F.,  Chester. 

Hotchkiss,  B.  S.,  Waterbury. 

Hotchkiss,  Chas.  M.,  Cheshire. 

Hotchkiss,  Chas.  T.  W.,  Cheshire. 

Hough,  E.  J.,  Wallingford,  R.  F.  D. 

Hough,  Eli  S.,  Colchester. 

Hough.  George  E.,  Wallingford, 
R.  F.  D. 

Hough,  Joel  R.,  Wallingford. 

Houston,  J.  R.,  Mansfield  Depot. 

Howe,  Louis  W.,   So.   Glastonbury. 

Howland,  Isaac,  Brookh-n,  N.  Y. 

Ho}-t,  Chas.  W.,  New  Haven,  36-40 
Union  St. 

Ho\i:,  Edwin.  New  Canaan. 

Hoyt,  James,  New  Canaan. 

Hoyt,  Stephen,  New  Canaan. 

Hubbard,  Clement  S.,  Higganum. 

Hubbard,  Elmer  S.,  Higganum. 

Hubbard,  Frank  C,  Middletown. 


LIST    OF   MEMBERS. 


163 


Hubbard.  :\[rs.  Frank  C,  Middle- 
town. 
Hubbard,  J.  M.,  ^[iddlelown. 
Hubbard.  Robert.  AJiddletown. 
Hubbard.  R.  P.,  Middletown,  R.  D. 

No.  2. 
Hull,  James.  Durham. 
Hunt,  W.  W.,  Hartford. 
Huss.  J.  F.,  Hartford. 
Hutchinson,  E.  L.,  Andover. 
Innis,  A.  C.  Berlin. 
Ives,  E.  M.,  JNIeriden. 
Ives,  Julius  I.,  South  Meriden. 
Jackson,  Elmer,  Wilton. 
Jackson,  George  O.,  Norwich. 
Jackson,  J.  C,  Norwalk,  R.  D.  No. 

42. 
Jarvis,  Chas.  M.,  Berlin. 
Jenkins,  Dr.  E.  H.,  Experiment 

Station.  New  Haven. 
Jennings.  E.    G.,    R.    D.    No.    i, 

Bridgeport. 
Jennison.  E.  F.,  Hartford. 
Jerome,  F.  M.,  New  Britain. 
Jewell,  Harvey,  Cromwell. 
Jewell,  Mrs.  Harvey,  Cromwell. 
Johnson,    Dr.    F.    E.,    Mansfield 

Depot. 
Kelley.  Edward.  New  Canaan. 
Kelsey,  Charles  B..  Hartford. 
Kelse}%  David  M.,  Durham. 
Kelsey,  Frederick,  Higganum. 
Kelsey,  James  H.,  Middletown. 
Kenney.  J.   P.,  Hockanum. 
Killam.  Edward.  Thompsonville. 
King.  Horace,  Thompsonville. 
King.  Mrs.  J.  E.,  Rockville. 
King.  N.  N.,  R.  D.  Suffield. 
Kingsbury,  Andrew,  Rockville,  R. 

D.  No.  2. 
Kingsbury.  John  E.,  Rockville. 
Kinney.  Chas.  A.,  ^Nleriden. 
Kirkham,  John  S.,  Newington. 
Knapp.  M.  C,  Danbury. 
Knowles,  Wm.  A.,  Middletown. 
Koehler.  Hans   J.,   Hartford,   46 

Smith  St. 
Lane,  A.  N.,  Wolcott. 
Lang.  C.  E.,  Winsted,  R.  F.  D. 

No.  2. 
Lapsley.  Arthur  B.,  Pomfret  Center. 
Lathrop,  E.  B.,  Rockville,  R.  D. 
Latimer,  W.  R..  Bloomfield. 
Lee,  Wm.  FL,  Guilford. 
Lee,  W.  S.,  Hanover. 
Leete,  A.  Minor,  Leete's  Island. 
Lewis,  Frederick  J.,  Highwood. 
Lewis.  H.  D..  Annandalo.  N.  ^'. 
Liegey,  Charles,  R.  D.  No.  i,  Berlin. 


Loomis,  John,  South  Manchester. 

Lord,  J.  W.,  Warehouse  Point. 

Loverin,  D.  P.,  Huntington. 

Lowrey,  H.  P.,  Whigville. 

Lowrey,  L.  L..  Bristol. 

Lowrey,  Mrs.  L.  L.,  Bristol,  R.  D. 
No.  I. 

Lucchini,  Victor  E.,  Meriden. 

Lummis.  Geo.  E..  Southington. 

Lyman,  C.  E.,  Middlefield. 

Manchester,  E.,  Bristol. 

Manchester,  E.  F.,  Bristol. 

Manchester,  George  C,  Bristol. 

Manchester,  H.  G.,  Winsted. 

Manchester.  Robert,  Bristol. 

Mansfield,  Peter,  West  Hartford. 

Mansfield.  Wm.  H..  W.  Hartford. 

Marshall.  Joseph,  Seymour. 

Martin,  J.  A.,  Wallingford. 

Mason,  H.  H.,  Farmington. 

Mason,  W.  S.,  Farmington. 

May,  W.  B.,  Hartford. 

McCormack,  Samuel.  Waterbury, 
1063  North  Main  St. 

McCormack.  Wm..  Wolcott. 

IMcKinney,  Wm.  B.,  Farmington. 

McLean,  J.  O..  So.  Glastonbury. 

Mead,  L.  H.,  Hartford,  272  West- 
land  St. 

Mead,  Seaman,  Greenwich. 

Merriman,  J.  H.,  Southington. 

Mexcur,  George,  Bloomfield. 

Miles,  H.  C.  C,  Milford. 

Miller,  C.  H.,  Berlin. 

Miller,  F.  B.,  Bloomfield. 

Mills,  D.  E.,  Bristol. 

Mills,  Geo.  E.,  Farmington. 

Minor,  Geo.  N.,  Bristol. 

Miramant,  Mrs.  Jos.,  Meriden,  No. 
Broad  St. 

Mitchell,  Herbert  E.,  So.  Manches- 
ter. 

Molumphy,  J.  T.,  Berlin. 

Molumphy,  Thos.  J.,  Berlin. 

Monson,  W.  B.,  Mt.  Carmel. 

Moore,  Charles,  Southington. 

Moore,  R.  A.,  Kensington. 

Morgan,  E.  P.,  Cheshire. 

Morgan,  Timothy  J.,  Yalesville. 

Morris,  Chas.  G.,  New  Haven,  139 
Orange  St. 

Morse,  C.  Z.,  Shelton. 

Morse,  H.  C,  Wallingford. 

Morse,  J.  J.,  East  Berlin. 

Morton,  E.  G.,  East  Windsor. 

Moses,  A.  A.,  Unionville. 

Mosley,  A.  W.,  Glastonbury. 

Moss,  J.  W.,  West  Cheshire. 

^.loss.  Julius.  West  Cheshire. 


164       'i^HE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


:\Iueller,  C.  J.,  Berlin. 

Mulford,    Walter.    State    Forester. 
Windsor. 

Munson,  W.  A.,  Huntington,  Mass. 

iNIunson,  R.  A.,  Highwood.  Sta- 
tion 4. 

Nettleton,  H.  I.,  Durham. 

Newton,  J.  P.,  Saybrook. 

Noble,  H.  C,  New  Britain. 

Noble,  John  B.,  East  Windsor  Hill. 

Norton,  A.  F.,  New  Britain. 

Norton,  Geo.  B.,  Berlin. 

Norton,  F.  N.,  New  Canaan. 

Norton,  John,  Kensington. 

O'Brien,  Jas.  B.,   Sandy  Hook, 
R.  F.  D.  No.  17. 

Orcutt,  P.  B.,  Clintonville. 

Paddock,  J.  H.,  Wallingford,  East 
Main  St. 

Paradise,  J.  G.,  Newington. 

Parker,  G.  A.,  Hartford. 

Parker,  John  B.,  Jr.,  Poquonock. 

Parsons,  Frank  W.,  Hazardville. 

Patten,  D.  W.,  Clintonville. 

Patterson,  B.  C.,  Torrington. 

Pauley,  Geo.  A.,  New  Canaan. 

Payne,  Frank  C,  Portland. 

Payne,  George  K.,  Portland. 

Payne,  Lyman,  Portland. 

Pease,  B.  F.,  R.  D.  Fairfield. 

Pease,  C.  P.,  Ellington. 

Pease,  Simeon,  R.  D.  Fairfield. 

Peck,  A.  C,  West  Cheshire. 

Peck,  B.  A.,  Bristol. 

Peck,  Chas.  E.,  Cheshire. 

Peck,  James  S.,  Westville. 

Peck,  S.  M.,  Woodbridge. 

Peck,  W.  N.,  Mt.  Carniel  Center. 

Pero,  Louis,  South  Glastonbury. 

Perry,  Chas.  M.,  Southbury. 

Perry,  F.  L.,  302  Park  St.,  Bridge- 
port. 

Petremont,  Mrs.  E..  Shelton. 

Phelps,  E.  J.,  Enfield. 

Phelps,  Mrs.  E.  J.,  Enfield. 

Phillips,  Alan,  Farmington. 

Pierpont,  A.  B.,  Waterbury. 

Pierpont,  A.  J.,  Waterbury. 

Pierpont,  W.  L.,  Waterbury. 

Plant,  A.  B.,  Branford. 

Plant,  Albert  E.,  Branford. 

Piatt,  Frank  N.,  Milford. 

Piatt,  G.  F.,  Milford. 

Piatt,  John  R.,  Prospect. 

Piatt,  N.  D.,  Milford. 

Piatt,  N.    S.,    395    Whalley   Ave., 
New  Haven. 

Piatt.  William  F.,  Milford. 

Plumb,  David  M.,  Prospect. 

Pomeroy,  E.,  Windsor. 


Porter,  D.  G.,  Waterbury. 
Porter,  Marshall,  Hebron. 
Post,  Prichard  E.,  Essex. 
Potter,  D.  C,  Middletown. 
Potter,  H.  F.,  North  Haven. 
Potter,  H.  W.,  Glastonbury. 
Powell,  E.  C,  Springfield,  Mass. 
Prann,  W.  J.,  Centerbrook. 
Prior,  J.  E.,  Moosup. 
Prisk,  T.  H.,  Yalesville. 
Putnam,  J.  H.,  Litchfield. 
Pyatt,  Chas.  S.,  Unionville. 
Race,  R.  H.,   North  Egremont, 

Mass. 
Rae,  James  S.,  New  Canaan. 
Reinhold,  R.  W.,  ^lill  Brook. 
Rice,  J.  L.,  Ludlow,  INIass.,  R.  F.  D. 
Rice,  W.  B.,  Meriden. 
Rich,  H.  E.,  East  Hampton. 
Risley,  Chas.  H.,  Berlin. 
Roberts,   Earl   C,   ^Middletown, 

R.  F.  D.  No.  2. 
Roberts,  E.  J.,  Middletown. 
Roberts,  Geo.  A.,  j\Iilford. 
Roberts,  S.  W.,  Middletown. 
Robertson,  L.  J.,  Manchester  Green. 
Rogers,  E.,  New  Britain. 
Rogers,  F.  D.,  Alonson,  ]\Iass. 
Root,  L.  C,   Farmington. 
Root,  T.  H.,  Farmington. 
Ruedlinger,  C.  N.,  Hartford. 
Rugg,  J.  H.,  Stratford. 
Russell,  Dr.  Gurdon  W.,  Hartford. 
Russell,  S.,  Jr.,  iNIiddletown. 
Sanderson,  Lucien,  New  Haven. 
Sanford,  F.  D.,  Shelton. 
Saunders,  A.  W.,  Forestville. 
Savage,  Clarence  H.,  Storrs. 
Savage,  H.  E.,  R.  D.  Berlin. 
Savage,  Theo.  ^I.,  Berlin. 
Savage,  Willis  L,  Berlin. 
Schmidt,  E.,  New  Canaan. 
Schnieder,  Herman,  New  Canaan, 

Box  260. 
Schwink,  J.  G.,  INIeriden. 
Scranton,  Charles  W.,  Box  234, 

New  Haven. 
Sedgwick,  Harrv,  Falls  Village, 

R.  F.  D. 
Seeley,  Edward.  R.  D.  Bridgeport. 
Seymour,  W.   H.,   Hartford.   126 

Garden  St. 
Sharp.  A.  G.,  Richmond,  Mass. 
Shedd.  G.  V.,  Preston. 
Sheldon,  F.  J.,  Enfield. 
Shepardson,  W.  M.,  Middlebury. 
Shepperd,  W.  S.,  Shaker  Station. 
Sherwood,  N.  H.,  Southport. 
Silliman,  J.  F.,  New  Canaan. 
Skinner,  ]\I.  G..  Higganuni. 


LIST    OF    MHMBJ-.RS. 


165 


Slattery,  Dr.  M.  D.,  New  Haven, 

352  Howard  Ave. 
Smith,  A.  A.,  IMiddlebury. 
Smith,  George  R.,  Cromwell. 
Smith,  G.  W.,  Box  38,  Hartford. 
Smith,  Harry  C..  Vernon  Center. 
Smith.  H.  P..  North  Haven. 
Smith,  J.  B..  Berlin. 
Smith,  J.    Elliot,    Wolfville,    Nova 

Scotia. 
Smith,  Joseph,  West  Cheshire. 
Smith,  Dr.  L.  A..  Higganum. 
Smith,  L.  P.,  Lebanon. 
Smith,  Nathan  E.,  Woodmont. 
Smith,  S.   A.,   Clintonville. 
Spicer,  G.  W.,  Deep  River. 
Splettstoeszer,  Herman,  R.  D.  No. 

2,  New  Britain. 
Sprague,  W.  B.,  Andover. 
Squires,  Chas.  L.,  Branford. 
Staples,  G.  W.,  Hartford. 
Steele,  Chas.  E.,  New  Britain,  Box 

702. 
Steele.  Sumner  W.,  Hartford,  41 

Washington  St. 
Stephens,  Edward,  Mansfield. 
Sterling,  S.  P.,  Lyme  R.  F.  D. 
Sternberg,  A.  C,  West  Hartford. 
Sternberg,  Max  R.,  Rleriden,  John- 
son Ave. 
Stevens,  H.  C,  East  Canaan. 
Stevens,  J.   C,   East   Canaan. 
Stevens,  N.  S.,  East  Canaan. 
Stevens,  W.  W.,  Clintonville. 
Stimson,  Rufus  W.,  Storrs. 
Stirling,  J.  C,  Rockville. 
Stockwell,  S.  T.,  West  Simsbury. 
Stokes,  E.  B.,  Westbrook. 
Stone.  D.  E.,  Cheshire. 
Stoughton,   Lemuel,   East   Windsor 

Hill. 
Strickland,  E.  C,  Middlefield. 
Strumpf.  George,  Burnside. 
Strumz,  O.  P.,  Bristol. 
Sturges,  W.  S..  Shelton. 
Sturges,  Mrs.  W.  S.,  Shelton. 
Sumner,  J,  White,  Bolton. 
Talcott.  Phineas,  Rockville,  Box 

1 166. 
Taplin,  Alvin,  Forestville. 
Taylor,  Arthur  W..  Greens  Farms. 
Taylor.  Edward  J.,  Southport. 
Teed,  Geo.  E.,  Weatogue. 
Terrell,  Chas.  B.,  Wallingford. 
Terrell,  C.  L.,  Cheshire. 
Thomas,  T.  L.,  Forestville. 
Thomas,  W.  T.,  Groton. 
Tlinmas,  Wilbert  H.,  Highwood. 
Thompson,  Chas.  A.,  Melrose. 


Thompson,  C.   IL,   Berlin. 
Thompson,  Chas.  J.,  Berlin. 
Thompson,  John,  Ellington. 
Thompson,  Thomas,  Derby. 
Thompson,  Thomas,  Highwood. 
Thompson,  Wm.  H.,  East  Fladdam. 
Thomson,  Paul,  West  Hartford. 
Thrall,  A.  O.,  R.  F.  D.  Rockville. 
Tillinghast,  G.  G.,  Vernon. 
Tillotson,  H.  D..  West  Hartford. 
Todd,  E.  A.,  Waterbury. 
Townsend,  W.  B.,  Middlebury. 
Townsend,  Wm.  W.,  Middlebury. 
Trask,  Abner,  Silver  Lane. 
Trask,  W.  W.,  Silver  Lane. 
Tucker,  F.  E.,  Vernon. 
Tucker,  Geo.  A.,  West  Cheshire. 
Tucker,  Henry  V.,  Middletown. 
Turkington,  Frank  H.,  East  Morris. 
Turney,  Oliver,  Fairfield. 
Tuttle,  A.  J.,  East  Haven. 
Tyler,  W.  M.,  Waterbury. 
Usher,  R.  C,  Plainville. 
Vibberts,  L.  A.,  New  Britain. 
Wadsworth.  A.  R.,  Farmington. 
Waite.  Ernest  H.,  Cobalt. 
Wakelee,  G.  M.,  Shelton. 
Wakeman,  J.  S.,  Saugatuck. 
Wakeman,  L.  P.,  Greens  Farms. 
Wakeman,  S.  B.,  Saugatuck. 
Walden,  B.  H.,  Experiment  Station, 

New  Haven. 
Waldo,  Gerald,  Scotland. 
Waldo,  Harold  B.,  Naubuc. 
Wallace,  Edgar  G.,  Prospect. 
Wallace,  E.  J.,  Wallingford.  West 

Quinnipiac  St. 
W^aller,  W.  K,  R.  D.  Chestnut  Hill, 

Bridgeport. 
Wander,  Eugene  A.,  Hartford. 
Warncke,  Louis  H.,  Cannon  Station. 
Warner,  E.   C,   Clintonville. 
Watrous,  J.  L.,  Meriden. 
Watson,  S.  S.,  Tracy. 
Weber,  Alfred,  Hartford. 
Webster,  Daniel,  Berlin. 
Webster,  George,  Jr.,  Rockville. 
Welch,  G.  H.,  Torrington. 
Wells,  Dudley,  Wethersfield. 
Wells,  Dudley,  2d,  Wethersfield. 
*Wells,  L.  J.,  South  Woodstock. 
Wells,  L.  S.,  New  Britain. 
Wells,  S.  M.,  Newington. 
Welton,  Ard.  Plymouth. 
Welton,  E.  B.,  Tracy. 
Welton,  Mrs.  H.  L.,  Waterville. 
Werking,  Adolph,  Plantsville. 
West,  S.  B.,  Columbia. 
Wheeler,  F.  H.,  IMiddlebury. 


*  Deceased. 


1 66       THE    CONNECTICUT   POMOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 


White,  Edgar  D.,  Andover. 
White,  W.  R.,  Vernon. 
Whitham,  Chas.  H.,  Southington. 
Whitham,  Wm.,  Southington. 
Whitney,  C.  A.,  Upton,  Mass. 
Whitney,  Howard  R.,  Southington, 

Box  50. 
Whittlesey,  J.  M.,  Morris. 
Wilcox,  Fred,  Bristol. 
Wilcox,  R.  C,  &  Sons,  Guilford. 
Wilcox,  W.  R,  Meriden. 
Wilder,  F.  W.,  Watertown. 
Willard,  S.  F.,  Wethersfield. 
Williams,  A.  W.,  New  Britain. 
Williams,  R.  W.,  Bristol. 
Williams  Mfg.  Co.,  Northampton, 

Mass. 


Wilson,  Samuel,  Wolcott. 
Wilson,  Thos.,  New  Canaan. 
Wolcott,  E.  R.,  Wethersfield. 
Wolcott,  R.  R.,  Wethersfield. 
Wood,  G.  P.,  Ellington. 
Wood,  O.  S.,  Ellington. 
Woodbury,  S.  J.,  Cheshire. 
Wooding,  M.  N.,  Hamden. 
Woodruff,  Dwight,  Plymouth. 
Woodruff,  R.  H.,  Guilford. 
Wright,  A.  M.,  Centerbrook. 
Wright,  E.  H.,  Clinton. 
Yale,  A.  C,  Meriden. 
Yale,  Allan  R.,  Meriden. 
Yale,  C.  E.,  Yalesville. 
Young,  C.  O.,  Yalesville. 


THE    TUTTLE,    MOREHOUSE    &    TAYLOR    PRESS,    NEW    HAVEN.