EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING 71 



and peaches were killed. European plums were somewhat 

 injured, but, so far, there was no apparent injury to Japanese 

 plums, apples, pears or sour cherries. 



Fungous diseases of all kinds had been unusually pre- 

 valent, because of the warm wet weather that continued 

 through much of the growing season, and the excessive 

 amount of rain had made it impossible to accomplish much 

 by spraying. The matter of maintaining strong, healthy 

 foliage upon all trees and plants was strongly urged ; this 

 could best be brought about by frequent and thorough cul- 

 tivation, intelligent fertilizing and spraying. It is also 

 well to keep up cultivation rather later in the summer than 

 had been the custom in the past, for it was noted that 

 where the fruit-buds usually carried best through winter, 

 they were on trees kept in vigorous foliage latest in the 

 season. 



The general falling of prices of fruits in our markets 

 should stimulate greater production at less cost, if this can 

 be done without lowering the standard of our fruits. In 

 the matter of fruit-packages, increasing quantities of fruit 

 should stimulate cultivators to study the demands of 

 individual families, and, so far as possible, to market fruits 

 in packages of the largest possible size that would sell to 

 families in unbroken lots ; in this way greater consumption 

 of fruit would be encouraged. 



Increased attention to fruit-culture, stimulated by the 

 work of this Society, is increasing the value of all farm 

 lands suitable for fruit-planting. While we are making 

 much of peaches and Japanese plums, the apple is really 

 the fruit of greatest commercial value, and can be grown 

 profitably on a greater area of land than any other of our 

 standard fruits. As to the size, beauty and high quality 

 of Connecticut apples. President Hale referred to the 

 recent fall exhibition of the Society, the influence of which 

 would result, he felt sure, in the planting of many thou- 

 sands of apple trees in the state. 



