STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 305 



together with the alternate hot, dry, and wet weather. It was stated 

 as a common fact that apples did not keep as well as usual this year. 



THE CURCULIO 



Claimed and received a good deal of attention. The result of the dis- 

 cussion may be summed up as follows : That it was necessary to tight 

 the Little Turk early and often. P'all and summer plowing; plenty of hogs 

 in the orchard; clean tillage around the trees, and the use of the curcu- 

 lio catcher as long as any were to be found. In fact, any and all ways to 

 destroy the insect should be resorted to, if a fair, sound crop was expected. 

 It was admitted that an orchaicl or two had yielded a fair crop the last 

 season without the use of the catcher, but these were regarded as excep- 

 tional cases, and in these, if only a light crop had set, the curculios would 

 have destroyed it. 



The President was aware that some of the members were tired of 

 hearing this so often repeated, but he considered it essential to impress the 

 important fact upon the minds of all who desired to realize a profit from 

 the cultivation of peaches; thought this locality had sustained a loss of 

 $20,000 in the aggregate the last season by picking peaches too soon. If 

 they had remained on the trees three to six days longer, the fruit would 

 have been larger, finer, and consequently would have made more boxes 

 and brought a better price. 



Considerable was said in reference to the failure of the Hale's Early 

 peach. Some attributed the decay to the attack of the curculio. This 

 peach has a thin, smooth skin, and being early, is attractive to the rascals. 

 Others thought the loss might be attributed to other causes. Mr. Brun- 

 ton suggested that such culture as would give an excessive growth of 

 wood was favorable to the rot in this variety. Mr. Taylor's orchard, on 

 the best of land and highly cultivated, had a remarkable growth of wood, 

 but the peaches rotted very badly, while the fruit of wormy trees, or 

 those on poo'r soil, was generally sound. 



December 17, 1S70. 

 Extracts from a report made to this Association by Mr. B. Pullen, 

 from the Committee on 



ORCHARDS AND ORCHARD FRUITS. 



Mr. President : — * * * \Yg ^..^j^g pleasure in being able 

 to report the condition of orchards, as a general rule, good. The maturity 

 of the immense crop of peaches the past season seems to have alfected 

 the thrift of the trees but little, and judging from appearances, we can 

 not see but that the prospect for a crop the coming year is as good as it 

 was for the past. We might make the single exception, that the fruit 

 buds seem to be slightly swollen; vet it is so slight that it is diillcult to 

 determine if it be so or not. 



We are inclined to the opinion, that the good condition of our 

 orchards, after such an exiiaustive season as the past, is attributable to 



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