32 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Chairman. The Professor has given us tibuiidant 

 food for discussion. It is understood that discussions are 

 to follow these lectures, and any questions or any remarks 

 will now be in order. If gentlemen in the audience have 

 any questions they would like to ask the Professor, they 

 will never have a better opportunity to ask them than 

 now. 



Mr. Williams of Sunderland. What shall we do with 

 the rose bug, that eats our grapes in the blossom? I have 

 lost my crop entirely by the insect. 



Prof. Maynard, In the vineyard there are very few 

 cases where they cause serious injury. Where the vines 

 are single a few are destroyed. Perhaps the best means of 

 overcoming the rose bug Avould be to lay the vines down 

 upon the ground, which would cause earlier blossoming, 

 and in that way they ought to escape. Upon warm hill- 

 sides they generally bloom before the rose bug appears in 

 any great numbers. 



Mr. Graves of Sunderland. I would like to inquire as to 

 the best fertilizer to be applied to the apple and the quince? 



Prof. Maynard. The best fertilizer for the apple I 

 should sa}^ is wood ashes, but there are few orchards 

 that would not be benefited by stable manure. 



Mr. Graves. When should it be applied ? 



Prof. Maynard. Late in the fall, or very early in the 

 spring. The apple is not a tree that is injured by winter 

 killing very often. 



Mr. Graves. Do you apply the same fertilizers to a 

 bearing tree as to a young tree ? 



Prof. Maynard. Yes, sir. I do not know of any rea- 

 son for not applying the same. 



Mr. O. B. Hadwen of Worcester. I would like to in- 

 quire of the Professor if pyrethrum in solution will destroy 

 the canker worm? 



Prof. Maynard. It will do so. In the experiment made 

 at the College two years ago pyrethrum was used at the 

 rate of a pound to a hundred gallons of water, and within 

 half an hour the younger and smaller insects that were 

 not over half an inch in length were all destroyed ; the 

 larger ones were only paralyzed, and after a time began to 



