1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4i 
NEW YORK STATE FRUIT GROWERS' ASSO¬ 
CIATION. 
The meeting of this society at Buffalo on January 7-8 
was a great success in point of numbers. The faithful 
few who met at Syracuse two years ago and organized 
lliis new society were then hopeful for its future, but 
hardly dreamed that at its second annual meeting it 
would be able to show 1,200 members and command the 
influence that it now does. The Association was not or¬ 
ganized in any spirit of revenge or with any desire to 
‘•get even.” These motives were for a time attributed to 
it, but time has entirely disproved them. It had long 
been felt that the vast fruit interests of New York de¬ 
manded a business organization—one that can collect re¬ 
liable statistics, Influence business Interests and aid in 
the development of new markets. The society has wisely 
endeavored to work along these lines. It has met with 
much success, and has great promise for the future. It 
is to-day the most hopeful organization of the sort in the 
State because it is the largest and has the most enthusi¬ 
astic supporters. Thus far, too, it is the most democratic 
organization because all the members realize that they 
must contribute their share in crop or business reporting 
in order to give any strength to the organization. There 
should be at least 10,000 active members of such a society, 
and we believe that number will be reached in time. 
Naturally the annual meeting of such an organization 
was devoted largely to business reports and informal dis¬ 
cussions. The onicer.s, as we think wisely, avoided long 
essays or elaborate papers of a scientific bent. It was a 
business convention for business men rather than a school 
or “institute.” We shall not pretend to give an elaborate 
“report” of the proceedings. The best feature of the 
^ whole meeting was the frequent intermissions during 
which farmers hunted up old friends or made new ones 
and discussed crops or farm matters. The crop-reporting 
, service of the Association is very expensive, and extra 
funds are needed. The membership fees were changed 
so that annual dues to those who obtain the crop reports 
will be $3, or $1 without the reports. Over 60 per cent of 
i tliose who responded paid the larger amount. 
The veteran president, L. T. Yeomans, well stated the 
purpose and objects of the society in his opening address. 
Mr. Yeomans declined the I’eelection which the Associa¬ 
tion was eager to give him, and was succeeded by T. B. 
I Wilson, of Hall’s Corners. Mr. Yeomans and Mr. Wilson 
! were the originators of llie nioveinenl which made the 
society possible. 
TUB PRESIDKNT’S ADDRESS.—Among important 
mattei'S for con.sideration and action, Mr. Yeomans men¬ 
tioned the following: The perfecting of the excellent and 
reliable system of crop reports, and the adoption of a 
more uniform standard as a basis of comparisons; codper- 
ation in buying chemicals and fertilizers; legislation for 
just and rightful protection of growers; the shipment of 
tender fruits to Europe; the adoption of the Association’s 
standard of quality and size in packing fruits; improved 
facilities for transportation, fair classlflcatlon, and rates 
of freight; the storing and handling of fruit, at home and 
abroad; better methods in handling and reporting on con¬ 
signments; exposure of di.shonest methods and dealers; 
more careful and thorough attention to injurious diseases 
and insects; changes in membership fees to enable the 
Association to be self-supporting; the reorganization of 
(lie College of Agriculture at Cornell upon a basis com¬ 
mensurate with the rapidly increasing importance of the 
fruit growing interests of the State, and under the direc¬ 
tion of America’s most distinguished horticulturist, Prof. 
D. H. Bailey. The business of fruit growing, he said, is 
one of varied details—how to grow, how to gather and 
pack honestly and attractively, how to get the greatest 
amount of cash for it, whether to store, or sell as soon 
as packed, requires education and experience. Business 
methods must be rigorously applied, and the help which 
this organization affords must be employed. In just this 
way the N. Y. S. P. G. Association expects and desires to 
aid every grower who casts in his lot with them. Re¬ 
member it is always the choice fruit, honestly and at- 
I tractively packed that pays best, and not that which is so 
poor that It barely passes the inspection of the buyer. 
Not only must it be attractive to the eye, but of superior 
quality to please the palate. Such fruit is always in de- 
I mand at good prices, and always will be. 
It was resolved that the New York Fruit Growers’ As 
sociation most heartily endorses the plan to provide our 
agricultural college at Cornell University adequate build¬ 
ings and equipment, and the Association requests the 
Legislature to make the necessary appropriation for this 
purpose, as has been done in other States. It was also 
resolved most heartily to endorse the request of the Board 
of Trustees of the New York State Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station at Geneva to the Legislature for additional 
funds for equipment and investigation. The president and 
legislative committee of the Association were delegated 
to represent its members in cooperation with the State 
Dairymen’s Association and the State Breeders’ Associa¬ 
tion, both of which have appointed committees for this 
purpose, and other committees are to be named by other 
organizations later in behalf of these resolutions. 
It was also resolved that the New York State Fruit 
Growers’ Association wish to record their appreciation of 
the effective service rendered to agriculture and horti¬ 
culture during the past quarter of a century by Prof. I. 
P. Roberts, dean of the College of Agriculture at Cornell 
University, now on the eve of his retirement from this 
responsible position, and further that the Association 
heartily endorses the suggestion contained in President 
Yeoman’s address that Prof. L. H. Bailey be elevated to 
the deanship now laid down by their friend and co-worker. 
F. E. Dawley offered an amendment to this resolution to 
the effect that the new building for agriculture at Cornell 
should be known as Roberts Hall. 
ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
The forty-seventh annual convention of the Illinois 
State Horticultural Society at Champaign, December 17-19, 
formed one of the most interesting gatherings ever held 
by that Society. For the ensuing year the Society elect¬ 
ed H. A. Aldrich, Neoga, president; H. L. Doan, Jackson¬ 
ville, vice-president; L. R. Bryant, Princeton, secretary, 
and J. W. Stanton, Rlchview, treasurer. Among the 
many Interesting papers read at the meeting were “E’x- 
periments in Spraying for Bitter Rot,” by Dr. T. J. 
Burrill, of Urbana, and “The Peach, Cultivation and 
Pruning,” by H. L. Doan, of Jacksonville, In speaking 
on this subject, Mr. Doan said: “Never seed down a 
peach orchard or sow it to grain. It is easy to produce an 
overgrowth on strong lands. These trees bear tardily 
and in some cases are not productive. They run to wood. 
The peach responds most kindly to good culture and 
makes a rapid growth. We have not used any fertilizer 
on our trees, as the growth has been very satisfactory. 
We plant one-year-old trees, topping back from 18 inches 
to two feet, getting our trees headed low. The best grow¬ 
ers give attention to cutting out unprolitable wood from 
the center of the tree. The pruning may be made a thin¬ 
ning process. There is a very general neglect in thipning 
fruit. The fruit from well-thinned trees usually sells for 
twice as much as that from those overloaded, and the 
vigor of the tree is conserved at the same time. 
Prof. John W. Lloyd, of the State University, gave a 
very interesting talk on “Controlling the Second Brood of 
Codling Moths.” llis address abounded with facts and 
figures, and the results of carefully kept records on differ¬ 
ent varieties of fruit trees which had been systematically 
sprayed during the past year. His record showed that 
where Paris-green had been the controlling element there 
was an excessive dropping of the fruit, and that the 
.stronger mixture in this respect was much worse than 
the weaker. The excessive dropping from trees sprayed 
with Paris-green was especially noticeable after heavy 
rains. The injuries caused by caustic action of spraying 
material collected in the cavity at the stem. As long as 
no rain occurred no injury was apparent, but the rain 
seemed to act upon the spraying material in such a way 
as to render it caustic. Prof. Lloyd concluded that ar¬ 
senate of lead was a far better mixture for spraying 
when compared with Paris-green. Where the arsenate of 
lead was used a smaller per cent of the hand-picked 
fruit was visibly attacked by the Codling-moth larva and 
a smaller per cent of fruit dropped. 
Prof. Craig, of Cornell University, was one of the promi¬ 
nent speakers of the occasion, and his addresses on “Prun¬ 
ing” and “Winter Cover Crops” were exceptionally in¬ 
structive and interesting. Both of his talks were illus- 
irated, and it would require the pictures to show clearly 
the points presented, lie laid great stress on the neces 
sity of having good cover crops for orchards. He in¬ 
sisted the ground should be tilled and that the idea of 
fallow ground was a fallacy. The plant life in orchards 
is imperatively necessary to draw the mineral properties 
so valuable to the growing crops and also the nitrogen 
and other ingredients of the soil which can make It 
profitable for use. Mr. Craig had no objection to clover, 
especially the Crimson clover when it was left on the 
ground for mulch. But he especially recommended the 
growing of vetch, rape, Canadian peas, cow peas, and 
pointed to instances where buckwheat had been used with 
good results. In the last instance the buckwheat was 
used as a covering on the ground to receive the apples 
to keep them from bruising when taken from the trees, 
and was finally plowed under. Alfalfa was also recom¬ 
mended. Some pictures of this plant were shown having 
roots four feet in length, showing its great capacity for 
drawing the mineral substances from the ground. 
Dr. S. A. Forbes, State Entomologist, read a paper on 
the “San Jos6 and Other Scale Insects.” This paper 
drew eager attention as there have been localities in 
Illinois where the San Jos6 scale has done great damage. 
Many orchards have been destroyed on account of the 
ravages of this pest. In his address. Dr. Forbes gave the 
following instructions for preparing and applying the 
California wash which he says has been successfully 
used in exterminating the San Jos6 scale in the Middle 
West during the past year: Rrovlde 3U pounds of best 
unslaked lime, 30 pounds of commercial powdered sul¬ 
phur and 30 pounds of salt, and water sufficient to make 
100 gallons. Heat about live gallons of water in an iron 
kettle, and while this is heating weigh out the lime and 
sift the sulphur, keeping the two separate. When the 
water is ready to boil put in the lime and soon as this 
begins to slake pour in the sulphur, one man stirring the 
mass during this operation. A violent boiling immedi¬ 
ately takes place, and water, preferably hot, should be 
kept at hand to pour on the boiling mass to prevent its 
running over the kettle. Use as little water as possible, 
stir continuously, and do not allow the mixture to boil 
over. When the lime has finished slaking the violent 
boiling ceases, and then the mass should be thick and 
stiff. Keep it steadily boiling for an hour, or until the 
lime and sulphur have thoroughly entered into combina¬ 
tion. The mixture will get thinner as it boils down, and 
change from a deep orange Lhrougli several shades of 
yellow, ending with a deep amber color. Now add the 
30 pounds of salt and boil 15 or 20 minutes longer, steadily 
stirring. Then fill the kettle with hot water, stir thor¬ 
oughly, strain half the contents into a barrel, and fill 
this up with hot water and spray upon the trees Immedi¬ 
ately. The i-emainder of the mixture in the kettle should 
be kept warm, not necessarily at the boiling point, until 
you are ready for the next barrel of spray. The points 
of main importance in this process are the following: The 
water must be kept hot when the lime is put into the 
kettle; the lime must be slaking when the sulphur is 
added; the mixture must be constantly stirred; a mini¬ 
mum amount of water must be used; and the mixture 
must be kept actually boiling and not merely simmering. 
Do not spray this mixture against paint, which may be 
blackened by the sulphur. It Is a good plan to blanket 
horses used in spraying operations, as the dried mixture 
is hard to remove from the hair. The undiluted mixture 
should not be left in the kettle over night, as it is likely 
to harden and cake, and is then worthless. See that bar¬ 
rels and all apparatus are thoroughly cleaned before 
using the mixture in them, otherwise the nozzles are 
likely to clog. 
For spraying the California wash a good tank or barrel 
pump is necessary, one with no copper and as few brass 
parts as practicable. With the barrel pump use at least 
35 feet of the best black hose, and bamboo spraying rods 
eight or 12 feet long according to the height of the trees 
and the judgment of the operator. Vermorel nozzles, 
either single or double, have been found by us to give 
good satisfaction. Use the best agitator obtainable with 
your pump. For a 50-gallon barrel, two iron kettles hold¬ 
ing at least 30 gallons each, are needed in which to cook 
the mixture and heat the water for dilution; but if steam 
is easily obtained the mixture may be cooked in the bar¬ 
rel or tank In which it is to be used. .V convenient stir¬ 
ring paddle is made by nailing to the end of an ordinary 
flat paddle a block of wood as wide as the paddle and 
four to six inches deep, with the corners and bottom 
rounded to fit the bottom of the kettle. With this it will 
be found easy to crush any lumps formed in the process 
of cooking. Pass the mixture through a good strainer 
before spraying, but do not use copper, as the chemicals 
will soon eat it up. J. h. 
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HUBBARD’S 
1 % FER TILIZ ERS 1903 
Our new I’amphlet is ready for distribution. Sent Free to any 
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IVIIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
Clark’s 
Cider 
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One to eight Barrels. 
Clark’s Double-Action 
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