26 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1897. 



It will be remembered that some years ago there was alarm among 

 the farmers, feariug the}" would be obliged to give up the cultivation 

 of the potato, so many rotted in the field or soon after they were 

 gathered. A small farmer in Vermont brought to notice a new seed- 

 liug variety called the Early Rose. From that have come many new 

 varieties, mostly with slight variation from the original. The old 

 varieties were cast aside and the disease among potatoes reduced to 

 a minimum. Would that some one would give to us a seedling 

 Early Rose peach that should restore to this most delicious of all our 

 tree fruits its original strength and vigor ! 



The cultivation of the Plum has been, and is at present, limited in 

 this State on account of two enemies of this fruit. The Black Knot 

 destroys the tree and the Curculio destroys the fruit. The practice 

 in dealing with the Knot has been to cut them out and paint the 

 wound with shellac ; but by this treatment the remedy often proves 

 as bad as the disease, as the constant cutting destroys the form and 

 eventually the life of the tree. When the Knots first make their 

 appearance they may be seen by the discoloration and swelling of the 

 bark on the limbs of the trees. Recent experiments have shown that 

 if they are painted over with kerosene mixed with some pigment 

 (ordinary whiting answers the purpose) to the consistency of thick 

 paint, to prevent it from running down the limbs, it kills the wart 

 and does not disfigure or apparently injure the tree ; it is also claimed 

 that spraying the trees with the copper solutions recommended for 

 fuugus growths will prevent their appearance. The usual method of 

 combatting the Curculio has been where there were but few trees to 

 spread a sheet upon the ground under the tree, and with a sharp rap 

 upon the limbs of the trees with a padded mallet, the insects would 

 fall upon the sheet when they could easily be gathered and destroyed; 

 but if any considerable number of trees are grown, the most economi- 

 cal and efficient method is to enclose the space allotted to the trees 

 and keep fowls in the enclosure, and by an occasional jarring of the 

 trees the fowls will do the rest. 



The Plum makes a quick growth and comes early into bearing. 

 It adapts itself readily to different locations, though it succeeds best 

 in a heavy clay soil. Among the varieties of plums the Green Gage 

 has always held the same relation that the Seckel holds among pears. 

 The Washington, Jefferson and McLaughlin approach it closely, and 

 many think the latter fully its equal in quality. The Hradshaw and 

 Lombard are more largely grown for market than any others, and 

 where the two enemies are kept at bay, prove a very profitable fruit. 



