THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



31 



him to deliver his products, from day 

 to day, fresh to consumei'S. 



Now it seems to me that too many 

 small fruit-growers have, within a few 

 years, come to adopting the methods of 

 the agriculturist rather than those of 

 the horticulturist. They have planted 

 their fruits in fields instead of gardens ; 

 they have manured as if for farm rather 

 than gai'den crops, and they have cul- 

 tivated after the manner of farmers 

 rather than as gardeners cultivate. 

 Moreover, many have located remote 

 from town, subjecting themselves to 

 i[uite a tax in transporting their fruits 

 to market and in transporting their 

 laborers to and from their labor. Let 

 the farmer stick to farm crops, and 

 they who are fitted by nature, tastes 

 and training for horticulturists grow 

 small fruits. This, I think, is the 

 natural order of things, and to this, I 

 believe, we shall be obliged to come. 



ARE MICHIGAN APPLES DETERIORATING? 



President Lyon — They are detei'ior- 

 ating. Probably there is not more 

 than one in 20 growers but are im- 

 poverishing their land. 



Prof. B.ailey — The increasing age of 

 the orchards may account for it. 



E. H. Scotc — The apples certainly 

 are deteriorating. We can no longer 

 grow Esopus, Spitzenberg, Fall Pippin, 

 Newton Pippin or Bellflower. 



President Lyon said many reasons 

 conduced to this. Growth from year 

 to year in untoward conditions, the 

 increasing age of trees, tend to deterior- 

 ation. Yet in some particulars there 

 is improvement, as increase of age of 

 trees gives better flavour and keeping 

 qualities, and it is a question where 

 the balance of gain or loss would fall. 



A note from H. W. Steere, of Ad- 

 rian, stated that he did not agree with 

 those who attributed the deterioration 

 mainly to insects, but thinks exhaus- 

 tion of the soil the exciting cause. 



Deep, black, strong clays are rare in 

 Michigan, and our light sands and 

 gravels cannot stand the exhaustion for 

 forty or fifty years from grain, grass 

 and root crops and fruits all on the 

 same ground. He theorized that the 

 soil has been i*elieved of the lime and 

 ashes existant in it originally, and in- 

 timated that restoration of these would 

 cure the existant evils. Use of stone- 

 lime, a bushel to a tree, has been known 

 to restore Newton pi{)pins that had be- 

 come small and scabby. Instead of 

 letting go such valuable kinds as this 

 and the Spitzenberg we should take 

 steps to restore them. 



W. K. Gibson— If the first apples 

 were good, and the climate is not dif- 

 ferent, we should seek the adverse 

 influences in the soils, and there we 

 may find why apples deteriorate, if 

 they do. 



S. M. Pearsall would set Spitzen- 

 bergs wex'e he to plant an orchard to- 

 day. Insects are more numerous, and 

 we cannot expect as good results from 

 old trees, but when proper care is given 

 we can do as well as ever. 



S. D. Willaid — It is well known that 

 quick-lime is in no sense a manure, but, 

 like salt, it sets free and makes avail- 

 able certain elements. With destruc- 

 tion of the forests, and other causes, 

 fungoid diseases have wonderfully in- 

 creased. The thin-skinned sorts were 

 the first to suffer. The wheat, sheep and 

 cattle that Michigan has sent to mar- 

 ket have carried off' the phosphoric acid 

 which the fruit so much needs. The 

 needed elements have been taken from 

 the soil. Restore these and you will 

 again be able to grow tine apples, even 

 of the thin-skiianed kinds. 



STOCK AND SCION. 



Replying to a (juestion, Mr. Bailey 

 said it was undecided as to the efl'eet of 

 stock upon the fruit of scions. There 

 is often a mechanical influence, dwarfing 



