Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-03-05
THAT Is A GOOD LAW
Which Forbids Spraying Fruit
Trees While in Bloom.

Col u"SHhs I"Aes Exceptions TO a
statement i'm John Il. Gales Pnp.r.
and Gives the Reasons why.
Mr. EduOr:-In reading the printed
proceedings of the Farmers Institute. held
in connection with the meeting of the
board of agriculture at this place last week
| noticed that my friend, John E. Gale of
Guilford, read paper entitled Farmers
organizations" In extemporaneous speak
ing ldpSuS lingud is often unintentional.
and, therefore, eXcusable. But when one
sits down and deliberately prepares paper
to be read to an assembly of intelligent
ladies and gentlemen it should contain the
best reliable information. l clip the fol-
lowing extract from his address as pub
ished in the newspapers:
Another farmers organization which concerns
us all is the Vermont state legislature for this
being composed of farmers, or the representa-
tives of farmers is, or ought to be, farmers or
ganization The attention of all who are inter
ested in fruit growing is called to No. 100 Of the
Acts of 1896 imposing a penalty of from $40 TO
$40 for spraying fruit trees while in blossom
with any poisonous substance. Fifteen thousand
dollars year are expended by the state expert.
ment station, which is especially charged by
the statutes with investigation relating to the
ravages of insects, and disseminating information
advisable for their abatement. The station has
som, and the practice has saved thousands of
barrels of fruit to the farmers of Vermont, but
now the fruit grower must turn over his orchards
to the canker worm, the rust, pear blight and the
tent caterpillar, while the curculio flaps his vii gs
in dabolical exultation as he contempates the in
crease in the number of Vermonts abandoned
farms"
The italics are my own. cannot agree
that the Vermont legislature ought to be
farmers organization" 1t should be
composed of men of good common sense
without regard to occupation in lfe-rep-
resentatives of the people-who, remem-
bering their oath of Office, will conduct
themselves, in all things, as faithful,
honest representatives and guardians of
the people, according to the best of their
judgment and ability. In other words,
the legislature ought to be peoples Or
ganization," nothing more nor less than
that. A majority of the last house of repre-
sentatives were farmers, and the commit
tee on agriculture was made up of fifteen
farmers, with Mr.. Walker of Woodstock as
its chairman, and upon which committee
was Mr.. Follett of Townshend, in our own
county. The law enacted in reference to
the spraying of fruit trees, to which Mr..
Gale refers as Act No. 100, was House Bill
No. 112, and reads as follows, viz:
eff a person sprays or causes to be
sprayed, or puts or causes to be put, any
Paris green, London purple or other poi
blossom, he shall be fined not more than
$40, and not less than SO"
The bill was introduced by Mr.. Bromley
retired merchant of Pawlet, Oct. %
was referred to the committee on agricul
ture which committee on the sixth day OF
November reported the same back to the
house with the recommendation that "tht
bill ought to pass" The question "Shal
the bill be read the third time?' was put
and was decided in the negative, there hav
ing been no discussion whatever. No ont
having attempted to explain the measure
and the necessity for its enactment into
law, and having no understanding of i
myself, l adopted the safe course in sucl
cases and voted against it, with the major
ity the vote being taken rird rOce. wa
at once besieged by the friends of thu
measure, who made it plain to me that
was meritorious one, and in the interes
of both fruit and bee culture in this state
moved its reconsideration, and after dis
cussion and explanation by those interested
in fruit raising and bee culture, the vot
was reconsidered, the bill passed to it
third reading with hardly a dissenting vote
and was finally enacted into law. 1t wa
claimed by its friends that it had beef
fully demonstrated that spraying should b
done before and after the trees were IL
blossom in order to secure the best results
and that such was the advice of those il
charge of our state experiment station a
the present time; that the honey bee eX
tracted from the apple blossom valuabl
sweets which went into the manufacture G
honey, and while the poisonous substance
used in spraying trees while IN Dlosso
might not affect the quality OF the money
vet it was certain death to the honey BET
These, and other considerations carried III
bill through, as they ought.
The production of apples for market Ia
received more attention in the county
Grand Isle than in any other portion
our state. For that reason, says the bull,
tin issved in December, 1896, by the OH
GERS of the agricultural experiment station
s'that county was therefore chosen as III
nishing the best opportunity for study
facts and methods which should be app
cable in some degree to all sections OF u
state where commercial apple growing
practicable" A..
In the same bulletin under the tit
ssSpraying," is the following: "Sprayll
is settled practice in Grand Isle orcha
economy. Not all apple growers spra
but the most successful ones spray WI
conscientious thoroughness." The progra
adopted is about as follows
First spraying-Early spring before
buds start-Bordeaux mixture.
Second spraying-Just before blossof
open-Bordeaux mixture and Paris green
"Third spraying-Just after blossor
fall-Bordeaux mixture and Paris green.
"Fourth spraying-Before the you
apples turn down-Bordeaux mixture a.
Paris green"
Certainly here is no authority for spra
ing while the trees are in blossom, but G
actly the contrary. A little thought "
suggest many reasons why spraying shou
be done in the manner above indicated
order to secure the best and highest
suits. The law enacted by the last leg
lature is right and in the best interests
the industries it was designed to promote
KITTREDGE HAsKINs.