Winter Meeting. 367 



Domine and Wealthy produced abundant crops, and why? The trees 

 were of same age, grew in the same orchard and received Hke care. Are 

 we as intelligent fruit growers to accept the logic of some stupid people, 

 who tell us that it just happened so, by no means ; there must be a 

 natural cause for the difference, and if so, what is it? I have observed 

 that these more faithful varieties are not given to an overproduction of 

 wood growth at the expense of the fruit bearing habit, that they have 

 large vigorous fruit spurs, that the branches are stout, and the foliage 

 large, strong, glossy, which renders it to a very great extent self-resist- 

 ant to the ravage of insects and the death dealing fungus. I am con- 

 fident here is an object lesson worthy of our attention, and one that 

 we may learn and practice to our profit. 



Our large commercial orchards are made up largely of those 

 varieties that have gone down before our enemies. 



In the unfavorable seasons, had they been as productive as the 

 prolific varieties referred to, they would have made millions of dollars 

 for their owners, but they have failed, sadly failed, and made little or 

 nothing for the grower. The great cause of so much failure in these 

 varieties, and the one that is ever present following in the wake of wet 

 seasons, is the deadly fungus that has for years been sweeping over 

 our orchards like a cloud of destruction. 



To some it may appear that I am digressing from my subject; if so, 

 my only apolog}' is that conditions are now such that successful pruning 

 must rest upon thorough cultivation, spraying and first-class sanitary 

 conditions ; they are inseparable and dependent, one upon the other. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE FOLIAGE. 



The leaves are the lungs and life of the tree, and without healthy 

 leaves it is impossible to have healthy trees with strong, well developed 

 fruit buds, and if the foliage is ruined with fungus this year, we can not 

 expect fruit next year. We may grow leaves without fruit, but we can't 

 grow fruit without leaves, and a good fruit crop is always preceded by 

 a good healthy foliage. 



SCAB, 



The most serious fungous disease the fruit grower has to contend 

 with is the one that causes the scab. This fungus also grows upon the 

 stem of the young fruit and upon the leaves. The remedy will be 

 found in spraying very early in spring, before the buds open, and again 

 after the bloom drops ; the aim should be to prevent, rather than cure. 



