FRUIT CULTURE. 45 



pears very much and hurts their sale in Boston. If the 

 Professor or any one in the audience knows of a reniedy 

 I should be glad to hear of it. 



Prof. jSIaynard. I know of no remedy. It is cei-tainly 

 a fungus growth and it is caused by the wetness of the sea- 

 son, brought on by moist, close weather. For many years 

 the Northern Spy has been almost wholly destroyed in our 

 section by the same thing. It appears first on the outside and 

 then works through, forming black and brownish spots 

 through the tissue. Perhaps by improving the vigor of the 

 tree we may overcome the difficulty, — to some extent, at 

 least. 



Mr. Cheever. It has been recommended to rake up the 

 leaves in our orchards and burn them in order to kill this 

 fungus. I do not like to burn leaves, I want to turn them 

 in as a fertilizer ; but if any one knows that burning the 

 leaves will destroy this fungus and prevent its attacks in the 

 future, I will burn my leaves and buy fertilizers. 



Prof. Maynard. It is possible that the application of a 

 solution of salts of potash might destroy the apple scab. 

 We use this to destroy rust and mildew, and it is possible 

 that a spraying of this kind might destroy the fungus. We 

 have found this year that apples are much less aifected by 

 the maggot than they are usually. The Fameuse is very 

 much less affected than last year, when it was totally 

 destroyed. The Seek-No-Further was almost completely 

 destroyed two years ago ; there was hardly a specimen which 

 was not riddled by the maggots. This year they are very 

 few, and yet we have used no paris green. I doubt 

 very much whether paris green can be used so as to destroy 

 the apple maggot. It is possible it may be. 



Mr. MYEicK. I see a gentleman here of whom I want to 

 ask a question. He has always refused to answer the ques- 

 tion I am about to ask, and perhaps his experience when I 

 have asked him before has been such that it will be no use 

 to ask him now. I remember three or four years ago visit- 

 ing one of the best farms in the State of Connecticut and 

 one of the best peach orchards of that State, and brother 

 Van Deusen had drenched all those trees with a certain 

 solution, evidently of sulphur and some other materials, 



