STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 37 



which commenced dropping when it attained the size of a hazel-nut and 

 continued to drop, up to maturity, leaving but few, in fact scarcely a 

 specimen, of really sound fruit on either apple or pear; and yet the trees, 

 to all appearance, made \-igorous, healthy growth. The codling moth 

 took the apples, and the curculio the pear. Out in the prairie regions I 

 saw some orchards loaded with fair looking fruit, but have recently 

 learned, from difterent quarters, that the very best specimens of apples 

 are not keeping well. We had comparatively few budded peaches, and 

 the seedlings were full of worms. My May cherries were all right, and 

 tliat may seem strange to some when I admit they are budded on the 

 Mazzard. May Dukes were more or less injured by curculio. Currants, 

 gooseberries, raspberries (black cap), and Lawton blackberries bore full 

 crops. Stra\vberries from fair to full. Wilson's Early blackberry set a 

 fine lot of fruit, the plants not being mulched, and when dry weather set 

 in th,e fruit was about matured; all went by the board. Kittatinny did 

 some better, but not equal to the Lawton, taking it all in all. I can't say 

 that with all the fruit enemies to contend with, I consider the fruit pros- 

 pects very Hatteri ng in this part of the State." 



As to grapes, none of the above writers have reported. The Concord, 

 Hartford, and Clinton did well; the Catawbas and Isabellas rotted as 

 usual — need not be depended on. The Concord should be planted every- 

 where and by every farmer. Can raise grapes plenty and as easily as 

 hops; but the people are confounded by the "Books on Grapes," and 

 fancy a man must stand over the vines with knife and pinchers, and hence 

 " they do not have time to raise grapes." 



As to plums I have not heard of one perfect one in all the district. 

 Mr. Payne, of Pana, has usually had splendid luck with plums grafted 

 on common wild plum stocks, but the curculios have found him at it and 

 gone in, in spite of old horse shoes and rusty iron, which by many have 

 been held forth as preventives; but a brighter day is dawning. We 

 have seen a picture of the Curculio Catcher, and there has been a " Wild 

 Goose" man about here with a dead sure thing on these curculios, and it 

 may be that our Entomologist will have to get out a new cut for the Turks 

 with bent or broken snouts, when these high priced trees begin to bear. 

 A word about birds and bugs and I close. The former have been on 

 the increase, and as we increase our orchards, groves, and timber belts, 

 they will be on hand with their songs. In our locality we have not as 

 yet gone to war on the birds. On the question of birds, I wojuld enforce 

 the statute against every loafer who would shoot, for mere amusement, 

 any of the feathered tribe. The robin, in cherry time, is not a thief, but 

 he helps himself freely in open daylight — rather too much so when cher- 

 ries sell at fifty cents a gallon. And for my part I should prefer that 

 they would arrange their broods a little later in the season ; yet they are 

 patterns of energy and industiy which men would do well to imitate; 

 and the planting of a few extra trees might be well, as the demand 

 increases and the tastes are cultivated. 



Bugs were rather a short crop for so good a season. The potato bugs, 

 I am glad to say, were doomed to disappointment, as we failed to raise 



