178 STATE HQRTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



results. They will produce when every grower has a crop, but when there 

 is a shortage these locations will have none at all. They are a detriment 

 to the country at large, and a source of annoyance and a loss to their 

 owners. There has never been too much said in horticultural meetings 

 and writings, on the indiscriminate planting of fruits. Some speakers 

 have discouraged planting in all locations. Perhaps this does not apply 

 to this part of the state, but in my part of Michigan, and all through the 

 interior region, there is only an occasional place where fruit will be uni- 

 formly successful. In that sense, I believe all fruits are being planted 

 in excess. 



Mr. Morrill. I think nine tenths of all well-informed men will agree 

 that this is a fact. 



Mr. Hamilton: People in the nursery business do not think so. I think 

 it is to their interest, also, to find out what is being grown in excess. 

 Such things as are grown in excess are not pacing the nurserj^men to 

 raise, and there is little use for them to grow them. The gooseberry, at 

 the present time is being grown to excess, and nurserymen, I fear, are 

 going to find but slow sale for the plants, and it may be that they are 

 producing other plants and trees largely, which are grown to excess; 

 and if so, they would be very glad to be warned in time. 



Mr. JMorrill: The nurseryman's work must be laid out two or three 

 years in advance, and he must know, in order to make a success, what 

 will be wanted. I think this subject should be considered carefully, for 

 all are interested in that question. 



Can cmxuUo he controlled by spraying, especially on peaches, and what is the 

 time to apply ? 



Prof. Taft: Eeplying to that, my own experience is that we can con- 

 trol curculio by spraying, and we can rely on spraying, provided we can 

 spare a few of the peaches or plums. I mean that, in order to be effectual, 

 the tree must be sprayed before the peaches have been injured. The 

 insect, of course, in order to be affected, must eat some of the poison, 

 and it will take twenty-four hours or more before the insect is destroyed. 

 In that time the insect is able to deposit its eggs and, provided the fruits 

 are not numerous, the injury w^ould be so great that we would be justified 

 in jarring or using any other method of destroying them. But provided 

 the fruits are numerous. I believe we can save in that case three fourths 

 to perhaps nine tenth of the crop by spraying. If they are very scattered, 

 the curculio will take most of them before the poison takes effect. My 

 practice in this matter is, if the fruits are not numerous, to jar. and save 

 what I can. As, this year, the fruit is plentiful it would be a good thing, 

 perhaps, to have part taken off by the curculio, and by careful spraying 

 we can save all we want of the crop. I spray with Paris green and lime, 

 and for the first application I have also used copper sulphate, mixing 

 Bordeaux mixture and Paris green. I would not think of using Paris 

 green without the lime or Bordeaux mixture, and, aside from the effect of 

 Paris green on the curculio, I would consider that I would be well repaid 

 by the increase of leaf growth, and the check to the fungus in case of the 

 peach and plum, and the rot; and the use of copper sulphate at this time 

 will do very much to increase the strength and vigor of the tree and make* 

 healthier foliage. My impression is that in this alone, the improvement 



