The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-08

As we want and must have hardy races
of horses, cattle, sheep and swine, 80
we feel the need of races of fruits that
can successfully combat the unfriendly
influences which tend to impair vitality
and reduce or obliterate the chances of
paying returns from thir cultivation.
A palliative treatment by fungicide
spraying has lately appeared; and its
rapid spread shows how great is the
need felt for some effective remedy.
SO good an authority as Professor l..
II. Bailey, of the agricultural depart
ment of Cornell University, has put
himself on record as declaring that
without the use of fungicides the great
apple industry of central and western
New York must cease to be remunera-
tive. Even now, the business of man.
ufacturing fungicides and spraying in
struments has assumed mammoth pro.
portions; and the already none too
prosperous American farmer is bur-
dened with their cost, and the labor and
expense of their operations.
Does it not behoove us all, then, TO
carefully examine our situation as fruit
growers, and to look around US well or
carefully, to learn just what our siua-
the search for effective aid, in the con-
ditions which surround us? The warm
climate of our Atlantic states and the
tempered a mo 'phere of our lake re-
gions have to some extent obscured the
risk and dangers from some forms of
these fungoid diseases; but with the
passage of time, the changes of innate
and soil consequent on the removal of
great forests, and other Influences, we
find that our tree fruits brought over
from western Europe are showing no
very great adaptation to the conditions
of eastern America. Fifty years of
study and observation in this field, and
careful reelection, aided by peculiar
conditions during the past twenty-five
years in q section where all the stand
ard tree fruits have proved entire fail
ures, even under exceptional care, have
taught me, as well as many others,
some hard-learned truths which may
constitute a basis for more intelligent
and successful work hereafter in this
field of study and effort. The search
for hardy apples" suited TO the cold
North, began with the settlement of
norh ern New England and the great
Northwest. Apparently prosperous be-
einnings, in series Of mild winters,
gave good deal of encouragement to
early tests, only to be followed by
disastrous experience in all these Sec
tons and in Canada. The only star for
hope left, after these grave misfortunes,
trees, standing unscathed where all
others had succumbed. The immediate
result was loud cry for the importa-
ton of more trees of this class; and
this cry was responded to vi h lit e de-
lay by the National Bureau of Agricul-
ture. A very large and miscellaneous
importation Of young trees and cions of
Russian apples was made. These were
distributed in the usual way broadcast
over the country in sections where
they were not called for, and to people
incompetent to use them, or OF under
standing their importance. The result
was that out of large list OF varieties
much the larger part was lost; but
among those which were saved many
proved TO be useful sorts, though very
few were found that could be kept long
into the winter. Almost all of them
showed a remarkable resistance fgainst
winters cod, and as time passed ON an
equal freedom from fungoid diseases.
The only other hardy apples, the Sibe-
rian crabs, RESTED the cold, but readily
fell prey to fungi.
A about the time of this importation
our agricu tural colleges began to be
organic d; and as il fortunately hap
pened, one horticultural professorship
fell to practical man, already deeply
interested in the subject ] am discuss
ing, as well as ca able of STU living 1t
from the scientific side. While the
young trees were growing in his nur-
sery, he was learning micro copically
the structure of both foliage and wood,
and was able to recognize a distinct
difference in boh from the older kinds,
on the side of resistant power agalnst
both cold and fungous attacks. ! refer
to Professor Joseph l.. Buid, then and
still, and l hope for many years to
come, the horticultural professor of the
Iowa Agricultural College. Another
man, Mr.. Charles Glib, of Montreal,
Can, fortunately possessed of album
dant wealth, became interested in this
subject; and when it was found how
imperfect had been the work of the de-
partment of agriculture. these men I'M