220 The Connecticut Pomological Society 



on the island, all the oranges being produced from seedling 

 trees. 



The Spanish have always controlled the land and the busi- 

 ness of the island, but American capital and enterprise bids fair 

 to revolutionize things soon. 



Mr. E. M. Ives, of Meriden, next spoke on "Pruning, 

 Spraying and Thinning in the Orchard." Spraying the fruit 

 is more essential than thinning, but trees that are sprayed 

 from year to year will produce larger crops of fruit, and 

 then severe thinning is necessary. Thorough pruning is the 

 first step in the direction of producing a good crop of fruit. 

 Mr. Ives showed by means of a chart the comparative results of 

 spraying two sets of apple trees. The effect of spraying on 

 the keeping qualities of the fruit was very marked. Over one- 

 half of the fruit from the unsprayed trees decayed, while there 

 was a loss of only 17 per cent from the sprayed trees. Prun- 

 ing, thinning and spraying were all factors in these results. 

 Prune enough to open up the trees to the light. Oftentimes 

 summer pruning is necessary and very effective in securing 

 highly colored fruit. The subject was then briefly discussed 

 by several present. Mr. Innis inquired the best way of thinning 

 plums. Mr. Perry gave his method, which is to use pruning 

 shears, running rapidly along the sides of the limbs. 



President Merriman gave an account of his old Baldwin apple 

 orchard, and what thorough pruning, thinning and spraying had 

 done for it. The last speaker of the afternoon was N. S. Piatt, 

 of New Haven, who gave his views on the outlook for the fruit- 

 grower in Connecticut. 



After passing a vote of thanks to Housatonic Grange, the 

 meeting closed at 5 o'clock. Nearly one hundred and fifty were 

 present, and as a result of this institute the work of the Society 

 and the interests of the fruit-grower gained many new friends 

 in this part of the state. 



