THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. Ill 



and most reliable sources of up to date matter. Finally, the press should 

 have a place with the man who desires to learn what is going on in the horti- 

 cultural world; for, since it is necessary for the columns of our journals to 

 contain much that is elementary because such a large portion of the readers 

 are yet in the primary grade of horticultural study, yet the very position 

 occupied by these journals in our society makes it possible to collect much 

 that is valuable even to the most advanced fruit men. 



If it has been your opportunity to correspond with other growers about 

 your fruit you will have recognized the conditional clauses used when advice 

 is given. The writer has looked through different volumes and many journals 

 in quest of the conditions that are attached to the information given, and 

 it is surprising how frequently they do occur. Be it remembered that the use 

 of these clauses is no discredit to the discussions, for they betray a carefulness 

 and broadness of consideration that should bait confidence; but they in- 

 dicate that the party receiving this advice must have some practical knowl- 

 edge. For example, if he is told that he should not feed his peach trees 

 too much nitrogen, he must decide whether his trees have too much, not 

 enough, or just the proper amount. Should he be told again that the color 

 of the jfoliage will indicate the amount of nitrogen that has been available 

 to the tree, then it is for him to again decide if the color of his leaves is a 

 dark green, a light or a medium. Generally when advice is sent it is supposed 

 to go to men — to thinking men who have judgment. If they are not thinking 

 men and do not have a reliable judgment, advice to them would not only 

 be of no value but would be an absolute danger. What intelligent fruit 

 grower would send a half-witted man into his plantation to spray his trees? 

 Not one; he would fear the results of the spray more than the depredations 

 of the insects or fungous diseases. So fruit men need, beside an academic 

 knowledge, a specific knowledge of their own trees, and soil, and market. 

 Let me give examples: 



A few years ago our president told us that he went to the plants them- 

 selves to learn what they wanted in the way of fertilizers. Mr. Hutchins, 

 of Fennville, rather contrary to the printed page, has found that in his 

 conditions a rotation of clover and corn is keeping up the fertility of his 

 pear orchards in excellent shape. Mr. Hartman states that tests on his own 

 grounds have proved to his satisfaction that he is a loser by practicing burn- 

 ing over his strawberry patches after harvest, which is advised by so many. 

 By trial, Mr. Perry has satisfied himself that he can grow superior apples 

 on his farm in Oakland county by following the sod mulch method rather 

 than by clean cultivation. We need go no further. These illustrate what 

 ■we might term a specific or practical knowledge of the trees or plants that 

 they are working with. Know your own orchard. Know each individual 

 tree if you can — know what it needs and what it can do for you. In other 

 words have a home experiment station. Instead of getting a little experience 

 each season, get much by having many things before you all the time for 

 study and comparison. Let every task be an opportunity for learning a 

 little more. Get the habit of observing, of thinking things through, of seeing 

 how others look at the problems that have occurred to you and how they 

 reason them out. Equip yourself, not only with a hand lens, but with a 

 microscope that will magnify many times. Break the dark glass and look 

 at things ''face to face." 



Finally, remember that ignorance is bliss, but only to the lazy. To the 

 lip to date horticulturist it is a sin, as it is in the social world, and nature 

 will ever exact a most trying punishment, with increasing severity as the 



