REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRUITS FOR 

 THE YEAR 1908. 



BY WILFRID WHEELER, CHAIRMAN. 



Aside from the strawberry the fruit crop of Massachusetts, 

 with a few rare exceptions and shining examples, might be said 

 to be picked but not grown; but when a combination of favorable 

 circumstances occurs, like good weather and a partial freedom from 

 insects, we manage to harvest a small crop of good fruit. Fruit 

 growing in Massachusetts and particularly orcharding are not 

 carried on as a business but rather as a side issue to general farm- 

 ing. In traveling through the state we see, instead of fine orchards, 

 neglected, unpruned, unsprayed, and generally uncared-for apple 

 trees, standing beside walls or in pastures, fighting out their battles 

 with insects, decay, and fungous diseases; yet, bearing under 

 these unfavorable conditions fruit, which it is possible to use but 

 which is capable of great improvement. These apple trees stand 

 a silent tribute to the quality of our soil for apple production and a 

 promise of better things to come. 



About 1840 Massachusetts had more apple orchards than are 

 now contained in all New England. These orchards were the 

 pride of many of the farmers and were good examples of wonderful 

 tree growth; for the general idea then was that in order to get apples 

 at all, a very large tree was necessary. Little pruning therefore 

 was done beyond removing decayed and broken limbs so that the 

 trees not only rapidly encroached upon each other above ground 

 but also robbed the soil of its nourishment which was in no way 

 artificially supplied again. Thus year after year the fruit became 

 poorer and poorer and the farmer, who could not see the cause of 

 it all, allowed matters to go from bad to worse, so the case soon 

 became almost hopeless and we are now, in Massachusetts at least, 

 confronted with a problem which, if not speedily remedied, will 

 mean an appleless state. 



The actually bearing, cultivated, and cared-for orchards in 



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