THE SUMMER MEETING. 23 



trees go iuto the winter. Peaches and apples with us are all promising. The 

 less said about my grape vines the better. I have abandoned grape culture, 

 and ought to have rooted out my vines last year, but was too tender hearted. 

 The truth is the little insects known as thrips have met me and I am theirs. 

 They live on grape vines, pear and maple leaves, American ivy, and will, to my 

 certain knowledge, thrive upon blue grass. Under a scourge like this I gave 

 up and the vineyard that has been my pride will be given up, and I shall aban- 

 don the business, hoping that the enemy will go to fresh fields, when perhaps 

 I can take advantage of his lack of attention and plant a few vines for my own 

 use. 



Mr. Kowc, Grand Rapids : I have recently paid a visit to western New York 

 and found they have suffered there fully as much as we have here from the 

 severe winter. 



President Lyon : When we have summer season in October,as we did last fall, 

 inducing a second spongy growth of wood of several inches, followed closely by a 

 severe freeze, great damage must ensue. Wherever this growth did not take 

 place there was danger that the sap of the plant was in action out of season, and 

 hence there was a general unfitness of plants to endure a severe test. Cholera 

 overtakes the weak. Calamity falls upon the feeble. The same is true of veg- 

 etable life. We must look further than the temperature of the winter season 

 to account for the calamities that have come to our orcharding. 



The following resolution presented by Mr. Mann, was adopted : 



Resolved, That as the result of the discussion, we believe the disasters to our fruit 

 trees during the past winter were due to a combination of circumstances peculiar to 

 the season, in connection with the winter, which may not occur again for years. 



HOW SHALL INJURED TREES BE RE-INVIGORATED? 



Was the next question upon which there was a rambling discussion, running as 

 follows : 



Mr. Ramsdell: Heavy pruning was recommended to me a few years ago, 

 and I killed every tree so operated upon. 



Mr. Edgell: My experience is the same. I do not believe you can re-invig- 

 orate a tree that is low in vitality by pruning. 



President Lyon : The best way to re-invigorate is to dig out, burn up and 

 plant a new tree. 



W. A, Brown : This will do for trees injured by winter, but what shall we 

 do with trees injured by premature defoliating? 



Query: Is not the early leaf falling due to an overload of fruit ? 



Mr. Brown : There is little doubt of it. 



Mr. Lord, Benton Harbor: My impressien is that the fruit should be re- 

 moved when signs of leaf falling become apparent, and but little allowed to 

 grow thereafter until the tree is strong and vigorous again. 



President Lyon : There are two known causes for the falling of the grape 

 leaf — thrips and mildew, A third cause has been suggested by Mr. Brush, of 

 Detroit, to wit: red spiders. This last suggestion is well worth investigation. 

 There is a bare possibility that the difficulty may be a constitutional one with 

 some plants. 



Mr. Lannin : Is it not probable that lack of moisture may sometimes be its 

 cause and that cultivation may be the remedy? 



Secretary: How will you shoot between the two. Good culture produces 



