NINTH ANNUAL MEETING. ii 



and no fertilizer applied, orchard trees were making 

 equally strong growth as those that were cultivated less, 

 but heavily fertilized. With the leading fertilizer dealers 

 in the combine or trust, which, of course, means much 

 higher prices for goods, there is more than ever a necessity 

 for thorough cultivation, which will enable us to take 

 from the soil and make available plant food already 

 therein. I am glad to state that Lucien Sanderson of New 

 Haven, Conn,, a reliable fertilizer dealer, and also the 

 well-known Mapes Company of New York, are independent 

 of this combine, and are worthy to receive a liberal share 

 of our patronage. In the matter of thorough cultivation, 

 there is a new style of the Cutaway Harrow, "California 

 Sr,," now on exhibition here, and anew "Acme" that works 

 closer up under the tree than anything we have had before, 

 which are going to be of great value in orchard cultivation. 



From information received from leading growers 

 and entomologists of this and other States, I am con- 

 vinced that the San Jose scale has already secured 

 substantial footing in every fruit growing region of 

 America, and while it is well to guard against its further 

 distribution on nursery stock, the main dependence in the 

 guarding against its injurious work in the future is by 

 each one fighting it on their own ground. Badly infested 

 specimens had best be cut and burned. Spraying with 

 dilute kerosene or crude petroleum, when the trees and 

 plants are in a dormant condition, is the best remedy 

 known at the present time. 



Peach yellows is being largely held in check by the larger 

 orchardists by pulling out and burning the trees as soon as 

 diseased trees appear; but with the small orchardists and in 

 the home grounds less attention is given to it and it is 

 gaining ground rapidly. This disease does not kill the 

 trees immediately, and so they are left to stand for the 

 sake of getting the little inferior fruit that they produce, 

 and thus the disease is spread to the healthy trees adjoin- 

 ing. I hope the time will come when the intelligence of 

 the General Assembly will discover the great financial 

 injury done to the fruit interest of the State by the repeal 

 of the yellows law. 



