The word "diversification" should be given the broadest possible 

 interpretation. Thinking of diversification in terms of growing other tree 

 fruits or small fruits is too narrow. Any source of income, aside from the 

 main crop, whether it be running a gasoline station, renting a truck or 

 tractor to the town for road work, keeping poultry, fattening livestock, or 

 selling gravel, should be considered as diversification. Look around you, 

 Vfhat other worthwhile opportunities do you have or could you develop? 



4. "Grov;ers are advised ...." The selection of a good site and 

 good soil is highly important, especially with peaches, when one considers 

 that the success or failure of a long time venture depends to a large extent 

 on this decision. In making this decision old conceptions should be cast 

 aside and the farm thought of as a unit. How can the farm be divided up, 

 regardless of present field boundaries, to make the best use of the sites 

 and soils available? The soil conservation service has studied intensely 

 this matter of land use and is in a position to give much aid in working 

 out a plan. 



5. "No varieties ...." This may seem like a big order> but it 

 must not be forgotten that the final decision concerning any variety rests 

 with the grov;er, and further that this decision, like that regarding site 

 and soil, will have a very important bearing on the future success or failure 

 of the orchard. The State College and other agencies test varieties and 

 eliminate some which are obviously worthless and make general recommendations 

 in regard to the rest. For a particular set of conditions on a particular 

 farm the grov^er must take all the information available and use it as it ap- 

 plies to his conditions, 



6. "Better ...." Fevj- v:ould disagree with this. Massachusetts 

 needs one or more better late winter apples. An apple of Mcintosh quality 

 and season that v;ouldn't bruise so easily would be a great help, 



7. "plant ...." Sometimes the temptation to cut planting costs, 

 especially when prices for trees is high, is very great. Buying low grade 

 trees is poor economy because they usually get off to a poor start and never 

 catch up with high grade nursery stock. The chance of getting virus troubles 

 in apples is very slight, because only one virus disease has been reported 



on apples and it is irery uncommon. No virus diseases of pears have been re- 

 ported. Plums are carriers of peach yellows but are not affected by the 

 disease and show no symptoms. Peaches and cherries, on the other hand, are 

 subject to several virus diseases. V/'ith the increasing use of clonal root- 

 stocks and double working of trees to produce trees with more hardy frame- 

 works, more attention will have to be paid to getting compatible combinations, 



8. "An increase ...." The words good grade should be emphasized. 

 Anything has a market this year, but don't forget that green Mcintosh were a 

 problem last year and that in 1942 only U.S. No. 1 could be sold to the gov- 

 ernment. Ijj a big crop year, poor apples are hard to sell even for cider, 



9. "Every effort ...." Fruit growing has become during the past 

 20 or 30 years a more and more highly specialized and complex business. Can 

 this trend be reversed? Can, for example, the number of materials and the 

 number of spraye used in pest control be reduced? A single material applied 



