STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 93 



Aus. I have. I was talkiug with Mr. Dudley this fall and he was 

 speaking of a fi'ieud of his who had quite a large number of plum trees 

 set out, and one fall he did not lay them down and thej' all died. In fact, 

 a gentleman here spoke to me about setting some trees and not laying 

 them down and the next year thej' were all dead. It seems a little 

 singular to me that they will not thrive here standing. 



The first Ogon that I ever saw of any size was down in Houltou in Mr. 

 Merritt"s nursery. It was in a very exposed location, and he had not 

 protected it a particle. The leaf buds had never killed back at all, but 

 the fruit buds had, because he told me this fall it was a very shy bearer 

 and that is not a characteristic of the plum. It was sent him for experi- 

 mental purposes, and this is his experience with it. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRDS. 

 By Le'sv. M. Felch, Ricker Classical Institute. 



Birds are of more importance than people are inclined to think. In 

 our s'ruggle to live, we are apt to treat lightly anything which we do not 

 find producing wealth. But there are some things that cannot be meas- 

 ured by dollars and cents. Among these things, the birds that contribute 

 so much to the beautj- of field and wood and make sweet music, are among 

 our most valued treasures. What is more beautiful than a living bird? 

 We Americans need to have our appi-eciation of the beautiful quickened 

 and trained, for where we enjoy a little we maj' by culture enjoj^ much. 

 But the birds are useful as well as beautiful, and it is of this I purpose to 

 speak. 



It is said b}- a good authority that more than four-fifths of the animal 

 kingdom are insects. Over four hundred thousand species have been 

 studied to some extent and there are at least one hundred thousand more 

 to be catalogued. It would take a large volume to contain the full titles 

 of the books that have been written on entomology. 



The beetles and grasshoppers alone cost the United States $100,000,000 

 yearly. Every tree has its insect enemies. Seventy-five species attack 

 the apple tree. Twenty-five infest the elm. One hundred prey upon the 

 pine. Over fifty species live upon the grains and grasses. Thirtj' attack 

 the vegetable garden. More than five hundred species cut down the 

 profits of the farmers and lumbermen everj'^ year. And there are new 

 species constantly coming into notice. As our forests are cleared away, 

 the natural food of some insects is taken away, and it is forced to adapt 

 itself to new conditions. Often it thrives under the new conditions better 

 than under the old. 



While we are thus attacked by such an army we are also ignorant of 

 the means of successfully repelling the invader. A few years ago the 

 canker worm attacked the elms around our school, and sti'ipped them of 



