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310 ' Report oF THE AcTING PoMOLOGIST OF THE 
more than sufficient to insure an abundance of fruit. The spring ah 
was wet and cold, with heavy rains about the time apple orchards 
were in full bloom. This is assigned as the main cause by many, 
on the supposition that the excessive moisture destroyed to a great 
extent the pollen, thus interfering with the perfect fertilization of 
the pistils, and causing the fruit to drop when about the size of © 
peas or buck-shot. I find no data to prove that such was the case. 
It is not an unusual thing to see a perfect crop of fruit in wet, 
seasons ; and even after a cold backward spring. 
Another, and no doubt more reasonable explanation is the 
universal prevalence of the scab fungus (Fusicladium dendriticum) 
which has been on the increase of late years in the apple orchards 
of our State ; a description of which will be found further on in 
this report. The conditions for the growth and spread of this 
fungus have been perfect, as the spores grow at a low temperature 
and are aided in their development by moisture. These are the 
conditions that have been prevalent for two seasons past. Unfor- 
tunately the trouble was not anticipated in time to determine fully 
“the amount of loss to the crop from this cause. Some venture the 
assertion that the blossoms were attacked by the fungus before 
the petals had fallen ; but there is no proof of this, and it seems 
somewhat improbable. As the early spring gave promise of 
abundance of fruit, preparations were made to continue the spray- 
ing experiments commenced last year, and new ones were planned ; 
and in nearly all cases the first applications were made, but none 
could be carried to completion. The report may be divided as 
follows : 
THE GRAPE. 
The failure of autumn fruits has brought the grape to notice 
more prominently than ever before, it having been the one excep-— 
tion to the general rule the past season. With the addition of 
the many species and variety hybrids, and natural seedlings, 
offered as improvements on our older sorts, and claimed to be 
adapted to wider areas and diversity of soils and climate, large 
tracts of land before considered worthless for fruit culture, 
especially the steep banks that border our inland lakes in this 
State, have been cleaned of underbrush and debris, terraced in 
many places where too steep to pursue flat culture, and planted to 
the vine. The success attending the earlier ventures of many of 
the pioneers in the movement has created the impression that the 
