REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 20$ 



A large lot of nursery trees were examined last spring with 

 the result that many of them were found to be in a very poor 

 condition. These trees had evidently been kept in cold storage 

 during the winter and lacked the necessary vitality for a good, 

 vigorous growth. I venture the assertion that not 25% of them 

 are alive today. They were small, cheap trees and time, money 

 and fertilizer were wasted. 



It is poor economy indeed to buy cheap trees, for in the 

 course of nature they will always be cheap in name but dear 

 in quality and yield of fruit. It is a lamentable fact that we 

 have but one nursery in Maine that is growing fruit stock alone, 

 and this on a very small scale. The question of each man rais- 

 ing his own stock is being agitated by some, but this would not 

 be practical for many of our orchardists as they have too 

 many other demands on their time and energy. 



The demand for good Maine grown nursery stock is an 

 increasing one and must be met in the near future. We trust 

 that the proposed New England Fruit Show to be held in Bos- 

 ton during the week of October 19-23, 1909, will be an incen- 

 tive for better nursery stock, not only for Maine but for the 

 whole of New England. 



Oregon and Washington are forging to the front with rapid 

 strides and shall we of New England sit idly by and let them 

 monopolize the fruit industry of the country ? There will prob- 

 ably be set this spring 1,000 trees in the above named states to 

 every ten in Maine. 



The great secret of success is to start our orchard with 

 healthy, vigorous trees and be sure to keep them in that condi- 

 tion. There is much that is human about an apple tree. It has 

 an individuality all its own and must be treated fairly in order 

 to return such favors as are bestowed. A tree that is allowed 

 to run to suckers will turn out nothing but suckers, and so with 

 the human tree. We need to touch elbows in this matter. 



As has been said, tons of literature have been distributed and 

 we sit at our firesides and read in our daily and weekly papers 

 of the experiments tried and the results obtained by some lead- 

 ing expert along horticultural lines. We sit up and take notice 

 for the time being but the vision fades away hke a dream and 

 the next morning we are back in the old well worn path, trodden 

 bare by the feet of habit. 



