No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 4S9 



ouce or twice dniiug suminer. ^^'lle^ nitrogen seems to be iiecdcd, 

 eomnion red or crimson clover are excellent cover crops. When 

 wood growth seems to indicate sntrtcient nitrogen, rye answers the 

 purpose and is easily grown. 



Twelve correspondents ri>port good results from mulching apple 

 trees, especially on hillsides and recommend using grass, weeds or 

 any other material available for the mulch. 



Orchard Enemies. 



As means for destroying the English Sparrow, shooting and feed 

 ing with poisoned grain are suggested. One correspondent recom- 

 mends otlering a price for them. 



A good deal of damage by mice and rabbits is reported. This 

 can be avoided to a considerable extent hj Iceeping grass and rubbish 

 away from trees and hilling up the ground slightly before winter sets 

 in. Several correspondents recommend protecting with coverings 

 of veneer, wire netting or building paper. Twigs or clippings left on 

 the ground under trees will often divert mice from attacking the 

 tree. Most persons advise the use of knife and wire for extracting 

 borers. A few suggest as partial preventives lime around tree, 

 whale-oil soap and carbolic acid, boiling water, and wood ashes. 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDKESS. 



In looking back over the year that his passed since our Harrisburg 

 meeting, I see many things that encourage me as a fruit grower, and 

 as a member of this Society. 



We have had a very proiitable season, our orchards and vineyards 

 have produced a splendid crop of handsome fruit, which found a 

 readv market at fair prices. 



The scarcity of fruit in many other sections induced buyers to come 

 to Pennsylvania, who would not otherwise have done so. As a conse 

 quence, Pennsylvania fruits, especiall}' apples, have been distributed 

 over this country as they have never been before, and the men Avho 

 bought our fruit this year will come back again for more. 



Some of the remedies that have been used for the control of scale 

 have proven effective, and the reports come from all sections that 

 the orchards are in much better condition than they were at this 

 time last year. 



The advent of the San Jos6 Scale frightened many orchardists into 

 studyi::g the spraying problem, and after they had secured the 

 proper machinery to spray for scale, we find the great majority 

 pruned and cleaned up their orchards and ^SI)rayed also against the 

 codling moth and fungus diseases. As a consequence we never had 

 in Pennsylvania as many carefully si)rayed, intelligently cared for or- 

 chards as we had this year, and we never had as uniformly good a 

 crop of fruit. 



This (excellent crop of fruit a'nd the ready market that it found, 

 added greatly to the popularity of the county horticuKui-al societies. 

 We find that thev all rc^port increase of membership and a much 

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