STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 59 



men who are selling the trees, that not one tree in fifty ever 

 comes into bearing. That being so, if we stand by our position 

 that soil and climate are natural here for the development of 

 the highest quality of fruit, we must admit that, following the 

 setting of the trees, there is great neglect in order to explain the 

 situation, stated by those who are disposing of the same. 



The next cry from the trees is for a chance to do something. 

 Everywhere, while we are growing a fair quality of fruit, that 

 lesson comes home. It was presented this morning ably by 

 Prof. Gardner, and I want to call attention to his chart, as 

 given there, showing the difference in yield of the trees in sod 

 and those in cultivation, giving us an object lesson, it seems to 

 me, of tremendous force. Yet, you will remember he had 

 hardly finished when one of our best growers defended the sod 

 conditions, and declared he was getting as large a yield and as 

 fine a quality out of sod as Prof. Gardner had claimed possible 

 out of cultivation, indicating, it seems to me, the wide range of 

 study necessary in order that we may solve these conditions, and 

 that the lessons applicable must be studied by the individual 

 grower in order that he may know what is demanded in his 

 own orchard. 



The question of pruning and sunlight necessary for the pro- 

 curing of fruit is one of the most important problems we have 

 to consider. As I have been going about the state the last 

 few years watching the work being done in our orchards, it 

 seems to me we fail to enter into an appreciation of the con- 

 ditions necessary in order to produce the best results with the 

 tree, and that pruning should be mild and frequent to induce 

 the best life and growth of the tree. 



The cry of the orchard is for more food. The trees are 

 hungry, and they should have food for the leaves and the 

 trunk and the branches. Unless our trees, twelve or fifteen 

 years of age, or more, are making a foot or more of wood 

 growth a year, something is w-rong in the work we are d ling. 

 Are they doing that? It may be, in a number of cases, but there 

 is always that large per cent who fail to do the work they should 

 and supply the food necessary. 



Here comes in the question of food supply. I was hoping 

 I miglit call attention to these rich looking Baldwins as indicat- 

 ing the use of ashes, or of potash indicated by the intense color. 



