REPORT OF THE COMIVIITTEE ON FRUITS FOR THE 



YEAR 1909. 



BY WILFRID WHEELER, CHAIRMAN. 



The subject of fruit growing the past year has been of greater 

 interest to our members than usual, for the movement to stimulate 

 better fruit growing in the East has become so popular that every- 

 one interested in this branch of horticulture has tried to do his best 

 both in growing good fruit and exhibiting the same. 



Never have we seen such an increase in the number of trees 

 sprayed, pruned, and generally cared for; and the desire on the 

 part of fruit growers to know more about better orcharding methods 

 is very marked. Knowledge of the various insect pests and their 

 control is very essential in fruit growing, as is also a thorough 

 understanding of the various fungous and bacterial diseases 

 attacking fruit trees. The Agricultural Experiment Stations are 

 being called upon to furnish information along these lines and 

 never has there been (in New England at least) such a demand for 

 trained orchardists and fruit growers. We are just beginning to 

 realize that in order to get good fruit we must take better care of 

 our trees, vines, and plants, and give to them the same careful 

 attention which the gardener gives to his flowering plants. Our 

 soils, climate, and general conditions are favorable for the growing 

 of all of the hardy fruits; and it only remains for us to supplement 

 the natural conditions with thought, patience, and skill in growing 

 the trees, vines, and plants so that they will produce in the mini- 

 mum of time the highest cjuality of fruit. The demand for the 

 higher grades of fruit in our markets has been met largely by fruit 

 from other sections of the country, while it has remained to the 

 amateur and private gardener to prove that this same class of fruit 

 can be produced here (and it is greatly to the credit of our Society 

 that we have encouraged the amateur to grow and exhibit his pro- 

 ducts), thus keeping before the public the possibilities of better fruit 



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