25th January, A. D. 1894. 

 ESSAY 



BY 



HOMER T. FULLER, Worcester, Mass. 



TJieme: — Causes of and Remedies for the Non-Uniform Bearing of 

 Fruit Trees in successive years. 



This topic was suggested before the writer had read the able and inter- 

 esting report of the Secretary of this Society — Worcester County 

 Horticultural, — for the year, 1892-93. Moreover it was suggested 

 for discussion with the hope that some one else, more competent than 

 the writer, would undertake its introduction. I can present only the 

 results of my own observation, very slightly supplemented by the 

 conclusions of others, except as touching the point presented by our 

 Secretary, since my engagements have prevented my thorough exami- 

 nation of the literature of the subject. I apprehend, however, that the 

 literature of the topic is meagre, and that scientific investigation of the 

 subject has scarcely begun. We now really know little more about it 

 than did Mr. Downing forty years ago. In the reports of the meet- 

 ings of the American Pomological Society I find allusions to it, but no 

 thorough discussion of the subject. Nor has the pomologist of the 

 National Department of Agriculture — a division of the work estab- 

 lished only six or seven years ago, — yet, apparently, amid the pressing 

 considerations of diseases of vines and citrus fruits, had time to give 

 to this important theme. 



What are some of the facts which demand attention — which, indeed, 

 have received some attention, but which must yet have more thorough 

 investigation ? 



1 . First, that certain regions of our country' which formerly pro- 

 duced abundant annual crops of some kinds of fruits now rarely pro- 

 duce any crop of these fruits. For example, on the southern shore of 

 Lake Erie in Chautauqua county, New York, and Erie county, Peuu- 



