EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 41 



droug-ht of 1907 ; but they illustrate the fact that it is not al- 

 ways possible for even an expert to positively distinguish the 

 first symptoms of yellows from similar symptoms produced by 

 other causes. But of this subject of yellows I shall speak at 

 length later on. 



So far as the musk melon crop was concerned, while there 

 was some injury by the blight, etc., toward the end of the 

 season, this, on the whole, was the best melon year for some 

 time. 



So much for the diseases of our fruits the past year. I 

 wish now to ask your attention more particularly to two dis- 

 eases that have an important bearing upon the success of the 

 melon and peach industries of this State, viz. : the melon blight 

 and the peach yellows, these terms being used in a broad sense. 



Musk Melon Experiments. 



During the past ten years, at least, the musk melon in- 

 dustry of this State has had a hard time to maintain itself, 

 and, in fact, the acreage has probably decreased. Without 

 question, during certain years the acreage has been consider- 

 ably less than in other years. The reason for this has not 

 been glutted markets or poor prices, but chiefly because of 

 the failure of the crops and the poor quality of the melons. 

 Because of the gradual decline of the Southport White Globe 

 onion industry in the Westport district, and possibly because 

 of failures with onions and tobacco in the Hartford district, 

 and threatened peach yellows in the Wallingford districts, 

 increased attention of late seems to have been directed to mel- 

 on-growing. The very evident success that has attended the 

 efforts of certain growers the past year, due quite largely to 

 an exceptionally favorable season, seems also to have greatly 

 increased the interest, so that I should not be surprised if 

 next year saw a considerable increase in the acreage. This 

 being so, perhaps it may be wise to briefly consider here the 

 factors that determine successful melon growing in this State. 

 I make these out to be five in number and of varying value. 



