STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 151 



tens of thousands of apple trees without one perfect leaf on them during 

 July and August, from punctures of leaf-hoppers, which puncture the leaves 

 with their beaks, suck their vital juices, and by their wounds entirely 

 destroy the digestive organs of the leaves. The aphides injured them in 

 the same way. Of acari, or mites, that feed upon leaves, there appear to 

 be hundreds of species, all closely allied to the so-called "red spider,'' 

 so well known in green-houses ; these appear to feed entirely upon the 

 under cuticle of the leaves, which is, as is well known, the most vital 

 part ; they not only gnaw away and destroy the under portion of the 

 leaves in patches, but appear to smother and destroy the rest by covering 

 it with a thick spider-like web. These mites are almost microscopic in size, 

 but as they swarm in countless millions, the effect of our mite-y dry sum- 

 mer on vegetation is appreciable. These noxious things not only do great 

 damage themselves, but their wounds and punctures from nidi, for the 

 spores of destructive fungi of various kinds; these, in these peculiar sea- 

 sons, spread with the greatest rapidity, and quickly destroy any vitality 

 that may be left in the foliage, and it falls to the ground leaving our fruit 

 trees as we often see them, entirely bare of foliage early in August. What 

 chance is there for such a tree, be it ever so hardy, to pass safely through 

 our severe winters? Why should not such a tree be dead in its roots the 

 next spring, even if there was no severe weather? To have good roots 

 we must have mature, fully organized leaves to build them up — no leaves, 

 no roots ; weakened leaves, weak roots. 



Besides the above there are many other leaf-destroyers that often 

 breed to a very noxious extent in such seasons. I may mention the Apple 

 leaf-folders and other small caterpillars. 



Mr. Nelson — I have stated that the Early Richmond has been killed 

 on the Morello stock; but for some neighborhoods, all that have been 

 killed have been on the Mahalcb stock. I have taken cions off these 

 tops, and they have grown. Now, that is a thing we want to hear about. 

 All the cherry trees killed in my neighborhood have been on that stock. 

 I lost not one single tree on a Morello stock. The Morello trees were 

 discolored, but they have made a fair growth for old trees — I will say 

 from six to ten inches. Old trees, of course, do not make as much as 

 young ones. 



Mr. Childs — In 1872, I set out several trees on the Mahaleb stock, 

 and not a single one has been injured by the winter. They all grew 

 through the winter, and came out last summer all right. 



Mr. Mann — Speaking about these cherry trees, you will remember, 

 Mr. President, that I got some from you on the Mahaleb stock, and 



