m 



Legislature, but for some unexplained reason was nev^er report- 

 ed. Your Committee, in behalf of the Essex Society, would go 

 heart aid hand for such a law, provided it could be passed and 

 carried into successful operation. 



At present, in lieu of such a law by the Legislature, your 

 Committee cannot too strongly urge upon agriculturalists and 

 fruit growers everywhere, to cut down old and neglected apple 

 trees, not only in pastures and by road sides but in fields and 

 gardens, those that your good judgment and com.mon sense 

 would lead you to think are past recovery or not worth protect- 

 ing we would say emphatically ait down. The same would ap- 

 ply to tlie wild cherry tree, which is a pest and a nuisance every- 

 where. Those of our apple trees which are worth anything we 

 would 'Ad.y protect and cultivate as for any other farm crop, which 

 treatment we have found both by obsen'ation and experience 

 will recover the trees, causing them to make a strong vigorous 

 growth and bear abundant crops of fruit, thus in themselves rid-, 

 iculing the idea of a "permanent decline." 



This Society has for several years past offered very liberal 

 premiums for the "best conducted experiment for preventing the 

 ravages of the canker worm," and although experiments have 

 been made and patents applied for, and in one or two instances 

 premiums awarded, we regret to say that in many sections of 

 this county the canker worms still have it pretty much their own 

 way. Probably if carefully attended to, these new fashioned 

 troughs for oil or coal tar would be effectual ; but how often do 

 we see them neglected for a whole season. How often do we 

 see the oil overflowing or oozing out and covering a large portion 

 of the trunk below, thus injuring the tree as much as the worms 

 themselves. These troughs are expensive and ought to be at- 

 tended to when applied, and for a few trees in garden or orchard 

 are probabl}'- the best thing, but, without treading on any one's 



