No. 4.] FRUIT TREES AND INSECT FOES. 137 



part of the total number of the foes the fruit grower has to 

 meet. Nearly four hundred different kinds of pests may feed 

 upon the apple, while the pear, plum, peach and the other 

 fruit trees all have their share. That this alone should dis- 

 courage the fruit grower is but natural, but a little considera- 

 tion will show that each treatment is effective for several differ- 

 ent insects. Bringing these together, it becomes evident that 

 for the apple spraying with arsenate of lead and Bordeaux 

 mixture just before the blossoms open, again a little less than 

 a week after they have fallen and again about two weeks later, 

 should give a large measure of relief from most of the impor- 

 tant pests except scale insects; while for these one winter 

 wash of the lime and sulfur mixture thoroughly applied will 

 be sufficient to check the San Jose scale, and a mild soap wash 

 in June should accomplish the same result for the others. 

 And if it still seems as though the odds are against the fruit 

 grower in Massachusetts, we must remember that equally 

 serious foes, most of them the same, occur in the west, but do 

 not prevent the man who means business from raising his 

 fruit, shipping it to the east at high cost and selling it at high 

 prices. The Kansas, Iowa and Oregon fruit growers have 

 few advantages over those of Massachusetts; while the latter 

 have home markets, cheap freights, and a climate and soil not 

 excelled anywhere in the world for this purpose. The real 

 difference to-day is that the western fruit sold here and exported 

 is produced by business men who are in this business for every 

 cent it is worth, who apply business methods to every part of 

 their work, and who propose to furnish the finest fruit for the 

 highest prices. How long this shall continue depends entirely 

 upon the ability, energy and enterprise of the Massachusetts 

 farmer. 



THIRD DAY. 



The session was called to order at 10 o'clock a.m. by Secre- 

 tary Ellsworth, who introduced Mr. Warren C. Jewett of 

 Worcester as the presiding officer. 



The Chair. I think you will all agree that we have had 

 a very successful meeting, and that every one of us has had 

 an opportunity to learn something about our business. I be- 

 lieve this morning's topic is perhaps one of the most impor- 



