REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



The phenomenal crop of fruit borne in 1896 was followed in 

 1897 by a small yield in all parts of the State. Some with good 

 reason claim that the trees were allowed to overbear and in con- 

 sequence were so exhausted that they were not strong enough 

 to bear another crop without time to recuperate. In 1897 there 

 was a visitation of tent caterpillars (clisiocampa Americana, and 

 clisiocampa sylvatica.) Some fought the insects with more or 

 less success, but in the absence of effective remedies the insects 

 matured and large numbers of eggs were deposited in fruit and 

 forest trees. From these large numbers of insects made their 

 appearance this year, and in many cases the foliage was com- 

 pletely stripped from the trees. Although spraying had been 

 urged as an effective remedy, few were prepared with apparatus 

 to employ it. The result was that many of the largest orchards 

 hardly bore fruit enough for family use. Fortunately all parts 

 of the State were not so much affected by these pests, and some 

 parts not at all. Aroostook county is reported as shipping some 

 fruit to other parts of the State. Waldo, Penobscot, Knox, 

 Lincoln, Northern Somerset, Northern Franklin, Northern 

 Oxford, Sagadahoc, Southern Cumberland and York counties 

 had some fruit, though lacking much of a full crop. The figures 

 representing the fruit crop in the State have been misleading. 

 Some of these placed the yield higher than 50 per cent., but so 

 far .as your secretary can learn the crop fell much below their 

 figures. The season was favorable for the growth of foliage 

 and fruit where any was set, and at the close of the season the 

 trees were looking far better than one could expect. 



THE PROSPECT FOR NEXT YEAR. 



It is believed by many that large numbers of caterpillars were 

 destroyed by some parasites. This in some localities is true, 

 but an examination of the trees shows many clusters of eggs. 



