SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING 15 



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY lO 



Some Fruit Insects Prof. W. E. Brixton, 



Horticulturist, Conn. Exp. Sta., New Haven 



Mutual Relations Between Nurseryman and Fruit Grower . . 



Prof. H. E. Van Deman 

 Election of Officers for Ensuing Year. 



The Spread of Black Knot N. S. Platt, 



Conn. State Pomologist 



Base Hits and Home Runs H. W. Collingwood, 



Managing Editor, " Rural New-Yorker " 



THE president's ADDRESS 



President J. H. Hale said, in part : 



The year just past has been a particularly trying one 

 for the fruit growing interests of Connecticut. Changeable 

 climatic conditions the winter previous killed the fruit-buds 

 of all except the more hardy fruits ; the canes of raspberries 

 and blackberries were badly injured ; many fields of straw- 

 berries were killed out, and all were more or less injured. 

 This, followed by drought in May and June, gave our state 

 the lightest and poorest crop of small fruit it has had for 

 many years. 



Prices for good berries were fairly liberal, and com- 

 mercial growers who had given good winter protection and 

 were able to irrigate through the drought received satisfac- 

 tory returns. 



Peach and plum crops were almost a total failure, 

 which, considering the present magnitude of the business, 

 was a loss of fully half a million dollars. Before this loss, 

 however, five successive crops had demonstrated that the 

 climate of Connecticut was fully as reliable as that of the 

 so-called "peach growing states." Now, with the nearly a 

 million trees in the orchards of the state, the business would 

 continue to be a profitable industry if in every orchard and 

 garden a vigorous fight were continued against that dread 

 disease, the yellows ; and if all interested in growing, selling 

 and eating this delicious fruit would co-operate with the 

 State Peach Commission in driving and keeping out this 

 disease. 



Those who would repeal the law were undoubtedly honest 

 in their convictions, but wofully ignorant of the real disease 

 and its effects. But one commercial orchard ist was known 



