STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill 



use of different fertilizers have been conducted, the vitality of seeds 

 offered for sale in the State has been tested the past year, and with 

 the live stock several feeding experiments are being conducted, and 

 some of the results have been made public. The diseases of farm 

 acimals are made special objects of study by the veterinarian, as 

 well as the conditions of food and shelter that secure good health. 

 There are other features of special interest, but time will only 

 permit reference to one or two lines of work of a general nature. In 

 order to raise large crops, and to raise them cheaply, it is important 

 to know what kinds of plant food are the best for this purpose. 

 Should the seeds be planted in the open field, no one can tell with 

 certainty from what source all the plant food does come. To gain 

 this knowledge a series of experiments is being tried at the Station, 

 called the "pot experiments." The problem to solve is, what makes 

 the plant grow? Pots of suitable size are filled with ground glass, 

 or clean sand, in which no available plant food is found ; in these 

 pots seeds of the same kind are planted ; chemically pure water is 

 used to water them. The pots must be marked and a record of 

 every condition so far as known must be made. When the seeds 

 begin to germinate, the several pots are treated with the various 

 kinds of plant food in soluble form. One receives nitrogenous food, 

 another potash, another phosphoric acid, and others receive some 

 combination of these. Results are closel}' watched and noted for 

 reference, under which treatment does the plant thrive the best? A 

 definite result may not be reached this year, but it is believed this 

 line of work accurately followed for a series of years will give results 

 in determining the most economical manures to apph' to our various 

 crops. 



SPECIAL WORK OF THE STATION. 



A few years ago, from some unknown source, a troublesome little 

 insect settled down among us in Maine. So small an insect was 

 hardly noticed at first by our fruit growers, but when our King 

 Sweets and other summer favorites were found to be the abode 

 of a disagreeable maggot that would peep out at one at every mouth- 

 ful, we began to feel uneasiness, and wonder what business the 

 creature had in Maine apples. Year by year the insect spread over 

 the State, till its presence is recognized in nearlj' every county, and 

 an alarm exists among fruit growers lest the Trypeta ma}' ruin not 

 onl}' our autumn fruits, but spoil the sale for our winter apples. In 



