1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 67 



wenteru apples bring in our markets has stimulated Massachu- 

 setts urcliardists to make use of better scientific methods in fruit 

 growing, and it is no exaggeration to state that there have been 

 more pruning, spraying, cultivating and fertilizing apple or- 

 chards in the past year in this State than for thirty years before. 

 This increased interest is being shown by professional orchard- 

 ists as well as by smaller gTOwers, and the quality and yield of 

 fruit the past season is ample proof of the great value of this 

 treatment. It is, however, a significant fact that the few first- 

 class apple orchards which are to be seen here and there have- not 

 experienced the same setback, either from scale or winterkilling, 

 that the neglected trees have, and some orchards have been pro- 

 ducing good fruit each year, althongh the severe drought which 

 we have experienced the last two or three years has affected trees 

 somewhat. 



Peach orchards have suffered severely of late years from root 

 killing and other troubles, and some of the orchards which were 

 in excellent condition a few years ago are looking badly now. 

 Some growers attribute this deterioration to peach " yellows." 

 A large part of what is supposed to be " yellows " is not this at 

 all, and the yellow foliage and general unhealthy condition 

 which have been common the past few years are nothing more 

 or less than the effects of unfavorable climatic conditions. Pear, 

 quince and cherry trees have likewise suffered from scale and 

 winter injury in the same way that apple trees have. The pear, 

 moreover, has been affected severely by aphis and surface molds. 

 This could have been remedied by spraying with whale oil soap 

 or kerosene emulsion. The quince has been rather badly af- 

 fected by rust. Practically all the old cherry trees have suf- 

 fered serious injury, and, as few new trees have been set out, 

 cherries are becoming scarce. The small fruits, such as the 

 raspberry, blackberry and strawberry, owe much of their present 

 condition to unfavorable climatic conditions, and the cane blight, 

 which has recently affected raspberries, etc., may be merely a 

 secondary effect of some other cause. 



It is, however, necessary that the work of spraying fruit trees 

 be continued, since the results obtained fully justify the extra 

 expense involved. The treatment necessary for fruit trees in 



