334 State Horticultural Society. 



the interest of the bee industry, and among other things, the for- 

 bidding of spraying while apple trees are in bloom. I don't think 

 there is much, if any, spraying done in Missouri during the blos- 

 soming period, but I believe in time it will become a necessity to 

 do so in order to prevent blossom blight, caused by bacteria, that 

 deposits poison on the blooms, which effectually prevents the set- 

 ting of fruit. I have a letter from John Evans that our brilliant 

 prospects for an apple crop at Olden are all ruined from this cause. 

 Now, the value of the apple would have been worth, probably, 

 $25,000 — to us; while the value of all the bees in that neighbor- 

 hood, with the honey they produce, are not worth $250.. So you 

 see it behooves us fruit groM^ers to be on our guard and not let 

 so-called sentimental sympathy for "bee buzzers" destroy our in- 

 dustry. I believe that spraying in bloom will often save an apple 

 crop. 



Yours truly, 



Louis Erb. 



p. s. — On this place I have no blight, and fruit has set well 

 with the exception of Missouri Pippin, which dropped a little too 

 much. 



Next year I expect to spray all trees that usually bloom heavy 

 and set light while in full bloom. I believe spraying at that time 

 will make apples, and that's what we are all after. 



I understand apple growers in New York State are after the 

 Legislature to repeal the bee law. Bees may do good in an or- 

 chard, but I believe (and it has been demonstrated) that Bordeaux 

 and Paris green do more good. 



I hold that apple growers are under no more obligations to 

 feed their neighbors' bees than their hogs. Usually the most un- 

 successful apple growers are the loudest talkers about the bene- 

 ficial work of bees in an orchard. One of the most successful 

 growers near Gasport, N. Y., for years raised the best crops of 

 apples without the assistance of bees, but by thorough spraying 

 during the blossoming period ; and while I like bees, and especially 

 their honey, as well as any bee buzzer, I believe this theory and 

 practice is correct. 



