Vol. LVIII. No. 2562. 
NEW YORK, MARCH 4, 1899. 
$1 PER YEAR. 
Eastern N. Y. Horticultural Society. 
THIRD ANNUAL MEETING A T ALBANY. 
A GOOD PROGRAMME WELL CARRIED OUT. 
% 
The Eastern New York Horticultural Society held 
its third annual meeting at Albany, February 21-22. 
It wa3 feared by some members that the Society had 
made a mistake in bolding the meeting at Albany, as 
HON. JAMES WOOD. Fig. 50. 
■ President Eastern New York Horticultural Society. 
the great majority of its members live south of that 
point. The attendance proved larger than was ex¬ 
pected, and a very intelligent body of men listened 
attentively to some valuable papers. 
A brief history of the Society may not be out of 
place at this time. Mr. B. D. Van Buren, of Columbia 
County, may be called its father. In December, 1896, 
he wrote a letter, which was printed in The R. N.-Y. 
of December 26, suggestinga meeting of fruit growers 
to consider plans for forming such an organization. 
The first man to respond was Mr. T. J. Dwyer, of 
Cornwall, who offered a hall free of rent if the pre¬ 
liminary meeting could be held there. Prominent 
fruit growers along the Hudson all seemed to favor 
the scheme, and finally, on a bitterly cold day in Feb¬ 
ruary, a few of the faithful met at Cornwall, and 
formed a temporary organization. At a later meeting, 
at Poughkeepsie, permanent officers were elected, and 
the Society became a fixed institution. 
Three annual meetings have now been held—this 
year's gathering being considered best of all. Secre¬ 
tary E. Van Alstyne reported 176 members last year. 
When first started the Society was named “Hudson 
River Valley ”, as the great majority of the members 
live in that section. Later it was thought best to 
change the name so as to give it a somewhat wider 
scope. The valley of the Hudson is greatly in need of 
a live horticultural society. Its steep hills are pecu¬ 
liarly adapted to the growth of fruit and of little else. 
It is close to the great markets and, with the River 
and railroads, affords a fine chance for competitive 
transportation. As Prof. Felt pointed out, the Hudson 
Valley differs in its climate and insect life from many 
other localities in a similar latitude. Some of the 
fruit sent from this valley does not have the best 
reputation in the New York market. There are too 
many “pony” barrels and short crates. These and 
other reasons make it peculiarly necessary for grow¬ 
ers to get together and act together. The Society has 
now secured a good organization. It should branch 
out and hold meetings, and organize branches at all 
the important towns along the River. This seems the 
best way to increase its membership, and enlarge its 
work. 
In one way, Albany is a good place for the annual 
meeting. The Governor is, evidently, glad to receive 
fair suggestions from farmers. He came before the 
meeting, and made quite a long speech, and left the 
general impression that he is sincere in his desire to 
treat all citizens fairly. His nearest approach to 
“ taffy ” was the statement that farmers, as a class, 
want only a fair chance, and then want to be left 
alone. He said that he would slice off the head of any 
lazy or dishonest official who could be shown him. 
Mr. Flanders, of the Agricultural Department, ex¬ 
plained the San Jos6 scale law, and Assemblyman 
Litchard spoke in favor of his bill compelling com¬ 
mission men to give details about sales of produce. 
After much discussion, the Society finally voted to 
approve this bill, though there was a division of senti¬ 
ment concerning it. The Society, undoubtedly, made 
a deeper impression upon the Governor and the legis¬ 
lature by going where they were, than could have 
been done by sending a committee or a printed report. 
To one who has seen the great crowd that attends 
the Western New York meeting, or observed the 
sparkle and snap at Connecticut, this meeting may 
have seemed dignified and slow. There was less use 
made of the question box, and there was less of the 
keen qut stioning and debate that is a feature of some 
gatherings. In this meeting, a few men did most of 
the discussing, and it must be said that they did it well. 
The programme was well planned. Mr. W. D. Barns 
fairly stated the sentiments of fruit growers on game 
laws and fruit packages. Fruit growers have lost 
much property through hares and rabbits and the 
men who hunt them They want the privilege of 
keeping off the hunters and killing off the hunted. 
Three years out of five, the crops along the River 
suffer from drought. The question of irrigation is, 
therefore, an important one. Mr. Taber related his 
last year’s experience, which was not conclusive ex¬ 
cept with the bush fruits. Privately, he said that the 
gain in a single dry year will pay the cost of the en¬ 
tire outfit. He says that we must have power enough 
to force more water than we actually need in ordinary 
seasons. A weak pump or a tank will not handle an 
emergency. President James Wood also spoke on irri¬ 
gation, showing the wonderful results obtained in the 
West, and the g r eat need of abundant water. 
Prof. W. G. Johnson, of Maryland, created a sensa¬ 
tion with his lecture on the San Jos6 scale. He gave 
a series of excellent stereopticon pictures showing 
how, in that State, a desperate fight has been going 
on. Our New York State entomologists do not fear 
that we shall ever be forced to fight the scale as Prof. 
Johnson described. The climatic conditions with us 
are different, yet the scale has reached New York, 
and we must prevent its spread. Largely as a result 
of Prof. Johnson’s lecture, the Society put itself on 
record in favor of a law compelling the fumigation of 
all nursery stock before it is sent out, and of all buds 
brought into the State. This, it was felt, is a surer 
and quicker way than to attempt wholesale fighting 
in the orchards. 
As is usual at such meetings, there was a lively dis¬ 
cussion over the best varieties of apples for local cul' 
ture. Ben Davis does not find much favor in the Hud¬ 
son River Valley, though one commission man, who 
ought to know what will sell, spoke of planting this 
variety. The Society favored a resolution calling for 
the planting of fruit of the best quality. There is 
missionary work in this line right at home. At the 
Albany hotels, guests were served with “ fruit” which 
consisted of inferior oranges, and very inferior and 
small Baldwin apples. Many of us would rather have 
an apple than an orange under any circumstances. 
Hotels will give their guests what they call for. 
Farmers and fruit growers may well carry on a cam¬ 
paign of education by declining oranges and calling 
for apples! Mr. W. C. Hart, of Poughkeepsie, raises 
a grade of Northern Spy that is noted as a dessert 
apple. The crop was poor this year, but he says people 
are already asking about it for next year. 
Mr. Hart prefers Baldwin, Greening, Northern Spy 
and Ben Davis, but he says he will not set any more 
of the last. He will fruit Sutton Beauty this year. 
On good soil and on Northern Spy stock, the Sutton 
promises to prove a valuable variety. All the New 
Yoidc growers seem to prefer Spy stock. Mr. Hart 
uses Crimson clover in his orchards, and fertilizes 
with dissolved rock and muriate of potash. He for¬ 
merly used stable manure and bone freely, but the 
Crimson clover has saved the cost of the nitrogen. 
Mr. Chas. Forster, of New York, who has had long 
experience in shipping apples to Europe, said that 
the Greening does not carry well to Europe. It is a 
fact that Ben Davis sells well on the other side. Sut¬ 
ton Beauty has not been exported. Baldwin is still 
wanted, and Spy is considered superior. Tender Fall 
apples are now sent on ice in cold storage ; this costs 
12 cents a barrel. Oldenburg picked a little green 
will go well in storage. Later Winter apples do not 
need the icing until Spring, when Baldwin naturally 
begins to fa : l. Jonathan, when perfect, sells well, 
WALTER F. TABER. Fig. 51. 
Vice-President Eastern New York Horticultural Society. 
but is not trusted because so liable to be marked by 
rot and scab. Mr. Forster told how the short or 
“pony” barrel injures the sale of fruit. When these 
little barrels go into competition with the full-sized 
barrels from other sections, we are always at a disad¬ 
vantage. No matter how fine the apples, the “ short” 
barrel will be docked. 
Dr. W. H. Jordan, of Geneva, was not on the regu¬ 
lar programme, but he happened to be in Albany, 
and was, of course, called into action. He said that 
we are growing—getting to know ourselves and our 
possibilities better. We have spent too much time on 
the production side of soil culture. We must pay 
more attention to the commercial end. Right in this 
line, too, comes the ethical or moral side of commer¬ 
cial life As business men, we must be absolutely 
