FJFTEHXTII AXXUAL MHHTING. 153- 



With this kind of fruit we have something good enough to 

 largely displace the orange, the great competitor of the apple 

 in our markets. For years the speakers before this Society 

 have been urging for the apple orchard better treatment in 

 the way of thorough spraying for both insect and fungous 

 troubles, to give sound and perfectly colored fruit, to cultivate 

 and fertilize to give vigor and strength to the tree, to be re- 

 flected in turn by the fruit in the way of yield, size and 

 flavor. What better can I do at this time than to empha- 

 size these, essential points? 



In the early season, just past, our apple orchards were full 

 of promise, having a phenomenally full bloom, but by fruiting 

 time the orchard showing a heavy yield was the exception, 

 and the quality, as to soundness of fruit, was worse yet. I 

 think I may. with confidence, urge that the experiences of 

 this season are such as to show the great value of scientific 

 handling and care of our apple orchards. A good strong soil 

 and tillage is not enough, for while such trees may have re- 

 tained enough fruit for a fair yield, 90 to 99 per cent, of 

 it was wormy and defective, selling for the lowest price and' 

 the last choice by the buyer of fruit, while fruit of the best 

 grade has an almost unlimited demand, selling easily for one 

 to two dollars per bushel, and it has been on sale on fruit 

 stands in the city of New Haven at fifty cents per dozen, or 

 the same price as fine oranges. Without doubt the possessors 

 of apple trees of bearing age, here in Connecticut, have the 

 past season lost thousands of dollars that might have been 

 theirs by simply spraying, according to well-known rules. The 

 failure to do so being shown first by the loss of a large per- 

 centage of fruit before it became of any value or any pur- 

 pose, another large percentage salable at only at ten to twenty 

 cents per hundred weight, and of that remaining on the tree 

 at picking time nearlv all of it imperfect and salable only 

 at huckster's prices. Our orchards were among the fortunate 

 few in our locality to yield a crop of fine apples. I must 

 say I am surprised at the ease with which the fruit found 

 buyers. Local grocerymen tell us that their customers bought 

 them freely at the high price, preferring them to oranges. We 

 have not been obliged to move a barrel of apples from our 



