SOME CONDITIONS OF FRUIT-SETTING iii 



that has used Bordeaux on any foliage that was suited for it 

 has not seen the added life and vigor of the leaf, the firm, 

 hard wood and bud, and fruit that go with it ? Appearance 

 favors the use of it ; reason favors it ; results favor it. 



Food and foliage are evidently what we need to make 

 the apple productive, and it is within our power to supply 

 these. Food and foliage are what we want to help the 

 pear. We can supply the food, but it is not so easy to 

 retain good foliage on account of the pear psylla and 

 because the glossy foliage does not hold Bordeaux well. 



Food and foliage again come uppermost when we talk 

 of quinces and domestic plums : both need high feeding 

 and Bordeaux. Peaches and Japan plums, so far, have 

 perfect and enduring foliage. Long may they continue to 

 have it ! They need, however, to be well fed. May not the 

 unusual productiveness of these two fruits be traced largely 

 to their habit of carrying good foliage through the season? 



Friends, take up this question and study it yourselves. 

 How many of you can say that your apple and pear trees 

 carry a full crop of foliage through to October ? How 

 many can claim even three-fourths of a crop at that time? 

 When you come to look into the matter it may be worse 

 than you think. 



Suppose at the end of August you have trees that have 

 only half, or less, of the season's foliage left on them. 

 Will it take you long to figure out the probable result of 

 such a state of things ? Take the existing conditions into 

 account and help where you can. 



Mr. Merriman : If a tree promises to bear the next 

 year does it throw off its foliage earlier than one that does 

 not give this promise ? 



A. Could not tell you as to this. 



Mr. Merriman stated that he had observed this to be 

 the case in a number of orchards. 



Q. Do you consider it necessary in planting Japan 

 plums to mix the varieties, or will they take care of them- 

 selves ? 



A. Do not think it is safe to plant one variety by itself. 

 I planted my Satsuma plums that way and they did all 



