46 THE CONiVECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



canes had shed half or more of their leaves early in Septem- 

 ber before the wood was ripe and perfect. The retaining 

 of the full foliage would probably not only have carried 

 the canes through the winter unharmed without protection, 

 but would also have given a better crop of fruit the next 

 season. 



A good fruit crop of any kind seems to demand good 

 foliage. Is it not being impressed on you fruit growers by 

 past experiences that you will do well to aid your fruit- 

 bearing trees and plants to preserve their foliage, wherever 

 you can, from whatever destroys or injures it ? Last sum- 

 mer, as we walked over his grounds, one man said: "I 

 must spray my melons and strawberries next summer ; there 

 is no other way forme." Another large strawberry grower 

 manages to burn a part of the winter mulch along with the 

 strawberry leaves, early in spring, to destroy the rust that by 

 breeding becomes so damaging later when the fruit is ripen- 

 ing. It is a case of fighting fire with fire, but he thinks he 

 comes out ahead. 



So we must watch and, wherever we can, give aid to 

 foliage ; by using fertilizers and cultivation with judgment 

 to produce leaves and growth, by pruning away branches 

 that cannot thrive or that the root cannot support, by using 

 Bordeaux to shield the leaves from fungus and retain them 

 till their mission is done, by keeping off all the insects we 

 can, and by carefully selecting such varieties as not only 

 bear fine fruits, but also have a good leaf system back of it. 



In the discussion which followed this paper. President 

 Hale said that better foliage would make hardier fruit- 

 buds. Grov/ers are now learning to cultivate later in the 

 season to secure this result. We no longer believe in stop- 

 ping cultivation early, if we want a strong development 

 of fruit-buds that will withstand a low temperature. 



Mr. Butler : I have tried continuing cultivation late on 

 peaches and berries, and find it works well. 



