Third Annual Exhibition of Fruits 227 



secretary of the Eastern New York Horticultural Society. Mr. 

 Powell complimented the Society on the excellence of its fruit 

 exhibit and said that it was by far the best in quality of anything 

 he had seen before. The speaker gave an interesting account 

 of apple orcharding as carried on at his father's fruit farm in New 

 York state. The president next called upon Mr. George M. 

 Clark, of Higganum, who said he came to this meeting to learn 

 how to care for his trees, believing that care is half the battle in 

 our business. 



At this point the apple-growers present compared notes as to 

 the amount of fruit destroyed by the recent severe wind -storm. 

 Mr. Piatt was of the opinion that there was still quite a crop 

 left on the trees. Mr. Merriman said that the wind had taken 

 off two-thirds of his crop and that the drought of the past 

 season had caused a heavy dropping of the fruit besides. Mr. 

 Gold thought that in his section the wind took ofif only the im- 

 perfect fruit. Such trees as have flexible limbs suffer the least 

 m such storms. 



Professor A. G. Gulley, of the Connecticut Agricultural 

 College, was next called upon. He told of his experiences in 

 spraying in the apple orchard, and that during the past season 

 the work had seemed to have little effect upon insect pests. 

 Professor Gulley called attention to the value of the Wagener 

 apple, which bears young, sometimes at the age of three years, 

 and bears profusely. It is a good variety to plant as a "filler" in 

 orchards. 



Mr. J. H. Hale was asked to speak on the question of plum- 

 growing. Mr. Hale said: "We know that the Japan varieties 

 will succeed on a greater variety of soils than almost any other 

 fruit. They do well even on the poorest soil. Sometimes, 

 however, the trees die suddenly, and apparently without any 

 good cause." He recommended cutting back the trees severely. 

 Very few growers do this, but in order to secure profitable crops, 

 it must be done. 



The fruit should be carefully thinned also, to secure high 

 quality. Japans vary greatly in quality, one season with another. 

 The demand in our markets for good plums is steadily increas- 

 ing. Head your plum trees low, cutting back the limbs every 

 spring. 



