48 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Nodheads and Spys, as well as all of our earlier fruit, were 

 entirely ruined, and we propound the question to the professors 

 of our Experiment Station at Orono. What shall zve do? 



In still another direction our hopes have been rudelv shaken, 

 and that is, in the form of black knot on the Japan plum trees, 

 the Burbank suffering quite badly ; so that if tree agents claim 

 that they are exempt from the scourge, remember that in all 

 probability you will still have it to fight, although it is our opin- 

 ion, founded upon what little experience we have had, that it is 

 not nearly as susceptible to this disease as are the European 

 varieties. Some of the varieties of "Japs" are proving to be 

 shy bearers, and the advice given by some of our fruit growers, 

 to go slowly, is good and will bear inspection. 



We have seen the advice of a number of fruit growers the 

 past year on varieties to plant, and in every case they say stick 

 to the old and tried kinds. In spite of the thousands of new 

 varieties of winter apples, or rather market apples, the old Bald- 

 win is still at the front with a good lead ; the Ben Davis, with all 

 its imperfections of quality, is second ; so the old advice still 

 holds good, to let the experiment stations and those who can 

 well afford it do the experimenting with the new and untried 

 kinds that show oft" to such good advantage on paper. Every 

 year our own experience emphasizes the fact that we should 

 not plant the Baldwin direct from the nursery, but set some 

 other variety, then graft to Baldwin in the limbs. The trees 

 that have been set fifteen years already show signs of weakness 

 where the limb unites with the trimk. In choosing a stock at 

 least three things are very essential. First, a trunk that will 

 grow as fast as the Baldwin scion, so that there may be no weak- 

 ness at the union of stock and limb. Second, a hardy tree that 

 will withstand our cold, trying winters. Third, one that has its 

 limbs firmly set to the trunk with no tendency to split down. 

 With either one of those three esentials lacking, your tree will 

 surely be short lived. We have some very fine trees on the Red 

 Astrachan stock. The Talman Sweet and Northern Spy are 

 excellent. 



The Ben Davis may well be set directly from the nursery, and 

 with good cultivation and care is as sure a crop as corn, and a 

 good crop of them is good property along in ]\Iarch or April. 

 The trees can be set a little nearer than Baldwins and should be 



