^^48 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



meeting of the State Pomological Society. He also expressed conliclence that 

 the bill for the suppression of the yellows, which was recommended by the 

 State Society, would be enacted, and that it would be well for the members to 

 be ready to enforce it, and to educate their neighbors up to a full realization 

 of the necessity of the law, and of the importance of carrying out its provisions. 

 AVe have proved that the peach is the most prolitable fruit which we can raise, 

 and it is upon it that we chiefly rely for remuneration for our outlay in money, 

 time, and labor, which the planting and care of these orchards have necessarily 

 occasioned. 



Judge Lawton related that he learned at the State Society's meeting of a 

 simple method to employ to prevent tlie inoculating of healthy trees with dis- 

 ease in the process of pruning; which consists in preparing a small jar of 

 carbolic acid and aliixing to the jar a wire bale, or some other arrangement 

 for convenience of carrying, and this the pruner takes with him in the orchard 

 and dips the blade of his knife or shears into the liquid, after having finished 

 the pruning of a tree and before commencing to prune another. This seems 

 to be a very simple arrangement, and safe one, and as some precaution is 

 imperatively necessary, this method is, apparently, worthy of adoption. 



FUXGOID GROWTH. 



Judge Lawton also dwelt at some length upon fungoid growths, adverting 

 to the fact that the yellows doubtless belonsjs to this class, since it is a conta- 

 gious disease ; therefore there must be spores by means of which the contagion 

 is spread — unless the disease be of animal origin and infinitesimal animal life is 

 germinated in the sap of the tree. As among insects and the lower order of 

 animal life, one fungus preys upon another, and to this fact we may possibly 

 look, somewhat hopefully, for assistance in our perplexities — at any rate, many 

 of the most destructive fungoid diseases disappear ; instance the potato rot, 

 which is one that comes and goes, causing in Ireland, atone time, a famine and 

 then vanishing. The apple tree blight, which a few years ago spread all over 

 the country with alarming effect, seriously threatening the, at least, partial 

 destruction of our apple orchards, has disappeared. The black knot, which 

 many years ago destroyed the plum trees and cherry trees, is seldom heard of 

 now ; and the pear tree blight, which has been extensively prevalent for the 

 few past years, has, according to Mr. Downing, its periods of coming and 

 going. 



The peach tree curl-leaf is a fungus and some seasons, doubtless due to cli- 

 matic conditions, is very prevalent, other years it does not appear at all. It 

 was suggested that the members experiment, the coming season, with tlie use 

 of carbolic acid, sulphur, lime, ashes, etc., in staying the yellows, pear tree 

 blight, etc. Try introducing carbolic acid into the circulation by boring a 

 small hole into the tree, pointing downwards, and filling it with the liquid : one 

 member stated that he had used kerosene in that way, without any ill effect, 

 and he thinks with benefit. Prof. Tracy, it was said, had cut off the bliglited 

 limbs of a pear tree and had applied carbolic acid to the body of the tree 

 where the excision was made, with apparent benefit; there was no further 

 blighting, and the pear tree flourished. 



SULPnUE. 



Mr. H. Waters said that two years ago he dug about the roots of 300 peach 

 trees, and applied a mixture of sulphur, salt, and ashes, and last year, while 



