FRUIT EXTENSION WORK IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



R. A. Van Meter 



Extension Pomologist, Massachusetts A^cultiiral College. 



The last few years have seen a great change in our 

 methods of producing and marketing fruit. We are go- 

 ing through a period of rapid development. New insects 

 and new diseases have appeared. Their depredations 



threatened, for a time, to put the orchard man out of busi- 

 ness. But our knowledge of insect and disease control has 

 increased with each emergency. Scarcely had scale, scarce 

 ly had scab appeared, before our experiment stations found 

 Avays to attack them effectively during some period of their 

 lives. This performance is being repeated again and again 

 as new pests put in appearance. Our orchard machinery is 

 being improved and new sprajang chemicals are being com- 

 pounded. Experimental work is uncovering better methods 

 of pruning and better methods of soil management. New 

 varieties are appearing. Changing economic conditions 

 are forcing us to adopt better methods of packing and mar- 

 keting. The whole industry is being transformed. 



All this means a wealth of new ideas coming into the 

 business of growing fruit. They center about and emanate 

 from the experiment stations and agricultural colleges. 

 Before the fruit industry can be benefited, some way must 

 be found to collect this information and get it to the man 

 who can use it in his orchard. This is the work of the Ex- 

 tension Service. That is why we have county agents. 



The extension service in pomology of the state agricult- 



