EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 103 



REPORT OF HORTICULTURIST. 



Prof. Clinton D. Smith, Director: 



Sir — The work done by the horticulturist of the experiment station 

 during the past year has consisted in supervising the work of the South 

 Haven Sub-station and the co-operative work that is being done in 

 various parts of the state, and replying to the numerous inquiries re- 

 garding horticultural matters that are addressed to or referred to this 

 department. 



THE SOUTH HAVEN STATION. 



At the end of the year 1905, Mr. T. A. Farrand, who had been in 

 charge of the sub-station for three years resigned and Frank A. Wilken, 

 who had acted as foreman for Mr. Farrand for two seasons, was ap- 

 pointed to take his place. Before leaving, Mr. Farrand prepared a re- 

 port of the work done during the year and it was issued as Special 

 Bulletin No. 35. 



This bulletin gives very complete notes upon the varieties fruiting 

 in 1905, and especially upon those that had not borne in previous years. 

 Considerable attention was also paid to the spraying experiments that 

 were carried on in the station orchard and also in some of the com- 

 mercial orchards in the vicinity. 



The results of the work as published show the importance of spray- 

 ing orchards of all kinds. For the most part the applications were 

 made in accordance with the spraying calendars issued by this depart- 

 ment. Although the season was very favorable to the development of 

 fungous diseases, and equally unfavorable to success in the application 

 of fungicides, excellent results were secured in every case where the 

 standard remedies were used as recommended in previous bulletins. 



Cherry Leaf -Might. — Nothing was more marked than the results at- 

 tending the spraying of the cherry orchard. Applications of Bordeaux 

 mixture and Paris green were made just before the blossoms opened and 

 again as soon as the fruit was free from the calyx. A third applica- 

 tion was made two weeks later. As was generally observed last year, 

 nearly all of the leaves dropped from unsprayed trees, in the vicinity, 

 by the middle of June, from the attack of various fungi commonly 

 known as "leaf blight." The weather continued cold and wet, a condi- 

 tion favorable for the development of these fungi, and as the new leaves 

 were also attacked as they came out, the trees remained almost bare 

 of leaves. As a result of this, the fruit could not ripen properly and 

 even though it became somewhat colored, it did not soften and was so 

 bitter that it could not be used. Not only was the cherry crop lost 

 entirely on unsprayed trees but, owing to lack of leaves, the wood did 

 not ripen properly and thousands of trees in the state were killed by 

 the winter. In fact it can be said that nearly every cherry tree in 

 Michigan that was not properly sprayed was injured to a serious ex- 

 tent. The writer has seen a number of orchards that were in splendid 

 condition previous to 1905 in which fully one-half of the trees were 



