12 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



back finds it difficnlt to give the time necessary to post himself thoroughly, 

 and he does not find the full knowledge, in books, which he desires. He feels 

 that there should be, somewhere, a work initiated that shall improve our 

 knowledge and facilitate our work of keeping down these enemies. Can such 

 a work be done so eflfectually, so speedily, so cheaply, as by strengthening the 

 entomological branch of the Agricultural College so as to allow the professor 

 to give the main part of his time to investigations relating to economic entom- 

 ology ? In a matter of such vast importance it would seem that the State 

 should undertake to do what individuals have, so far, mainly neglected. 

 Every interest of the farm, orchard, and garden cries out for something to be 

 <lone in this direction. 



, OUR FAILURES, AND WHAT IS WANTED. 



We have made some progress in fruit production, but there is need of much 

 more, not alone in acreage, but in methods, in quality, and in varieties. 



Good orchards in the State are paying more clear profit than any other 

 branch of husbandry; but we have multitudes of trees and many orchards 

 that are of no special value, and such are being planted every day. 



One man said, "I would give five thousand dollars to-day if I could change 

 ■my varieties." Another man says, " My orchard would be worth twenty 

 thousand dollars more if it was of the best varieties." In another man's 

 •orchard one-fifth pays more than the other four-fifths. 



Besides worthless varieties there are great numbers of trees that are nearly 

 worthless by foolish pruning, rendering them incapable of carrying a heavy 

 crop without splitting down. 



Quite commonly good orchards are found in whicli most of the fruit is 

 worthless from insect depredators. 



These evils can be remedied. 



Our Society does not expect to work miracles. We expect to labor patiently, 

 and slowly and surely to benefit the Pomology of the State. We expect to add 

 to our individual stock of practical knowledge, and hope to keep others from 

 making again the mistakes which we have made. 



And we hope to see, and believe we shall see, our fruit culture very largely 

 and profitably extended. 



We hope to see none of our farm products diminished, but we do expect to 

 see our lumber production decrease. We believe that as the oak and the pine 

 disappear they should be succeeded, to a great extent, by the apple, pear, plum, 

 peach, or cherry tree. 



As the heavy lumber trains disappear by forest exhaustion, products of the 

 farm must freight those cars ; and, as that result is reached, we expect to see 

 long trains of the fruits in their season. 



AVe expect to see fruit production a specialty. Tlie outcry against special- 

 ties, where nature has made an adaptation, belongs to the past, — to the days 

 when the commerce of the world was carried on in the insignificant galleys of 

 the Mediterranean, and the land transportation was by pack horses or camels. 



If the cheap transportation by sail and steam vessels and the railroads, of 

 to-day enables you to produce and lay down your own product in other States 

 cheaper than they can produce it, then that product, to you, may be a 

 specialty. 



The cheapening of transportation inevitably tends to specialties, and those 



