202 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



President, T. T. Lyon, of South Haveu ; secretary, Charles W. Garfield,. 

 of Grand Kapids; treasurer, S. M. Pearsall, of Grand Rapids; members of 

 executive committee, W. K. Gibson, of Jackson, H. W. Davis, of Lapeer. 



Pending the report of the nominating committee, discussion was begun 

 upon the question, 



ARE MICHIGAN APPLES DETERIORATING. 



President Lyon — They are deteriorating. Probably there is not more than 

 one in twenty growers but are impoverishing their land. 



Prof. Bailey — The increasing age of the orchards may acccount for it. 



E. H. Scott — The apples certainly are deteriorating. We can no longer 

 grow Esopus spitzenberg, fall pippen, Newtown pippin, or bellflower. 



President Lyon said many reasons conduced to this. Growth from year 

 to year in untoward conditions, the increasing age of trees, tend to deterior- 

 ation. Yet in some particulars there is improvement, as increase in age of 

 trees gives better flavor and keeping qualities, and it is a question where 

 the balance of gain or loss would fall. 



The following note was read from B. W. Steere of Adrian : 



I had wished and intended to write something on the question touching 

 the deterioration of some old varieties of apples, but can only say here that 

 I cannot agree with those who lay it mainly to insects, but believe that 

 exhaustion of the soil — may we not say the almost complete destruction of 

 some of the prime elements of successful fruit culture — has had more to do 

 with it than any other cause. Deep, black strong clays are the exception in 

 our State, and our light sands and gravels cannot stand for forty or fifty 

 years the constant draft of exhausting grain, grass, and root crops. Suc- 

 cess with farm crops on such soils may be secured with the help of stable 

 manure, clover and plaster. Not altogether so, however, with fruit. Those 

 of us who can look back fifty or sixty years know that most of our unculti- 

 vated lands were burnt over nearly every year, so that ashes made from 

 leaves, grass, bushes, decayed wood, bark, etc., were abundant. It is also 

 true that in many places particles of limestone were freely mixed with our 

 sands and gravels. Assuming that these, and probably other important ele- 

 ments in fruit culture, have been worked out of our land a partial remedy 

 at least should be plain to all. 



With us the Newtown pippin was one of the first to suffer, and experiments 

 with that variety suggested that more lime might be the great need. Under 

 medium sized trees that were bearing imperfect fruit, Dr. Bailey spread (to 

 each) a bushel of stone lime, and within a year or so exhibited fine apples 

 from them. He even claimed that trees limed only on one side bore much 

 better apples on that side. I am aware that it is claimed that the Newtown 

 needs more lime than others, but can you prove it, or may it not with the 

 help of other defects succumb the quicker for want of it? Some of our horti- 

 culturists want to drop these good old kinds from our premium lists. Rather 

 might it not assist in finding what is the matter to double the premium, and 

 thus possibly help in restoring the old favorites? Think, for instance, of 

 losing the E. spitzenberg, where should we go to find its equal for cooking? 



W. K. Gibson: If the first apples were good, and the climate is not differ- 

 ent, we should seek the adverse influences in the soils, and there we may find 

 why apples deteriorate, if they do. 



S. M. Pearsall would set spitzenbergs, were he to plant an orchard to-day. - 



