Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-11

gent discussions upon SO wide range
of the subjects as was covered, is the
unanimous opinion of the members who
have attended. One gentleman, who
went out of the hall Thursday afternoon
with a friend just ahead Of a Spy man,
remarked: Il consider 1 have learned
more valuable points regarding fruit
growing than l could possibly get from
two years personal experience This
sentiment was re-echoed by every other
member.
There has been but one regret con-
nected with the associations annual
meeting this year. The attendance at
the various sessions has been large and
the gatherings have been representa-
tive. Nevertheless, the younger mem
bers of the fTuit-growing fraternity
have been conspicuous by their alb
sence. 1t has been pre-eminently a
convention of those who have passed the
prime Of life, but who continue to grow
fruit both as pastime and as a source
Of profit The younger generation, who
will take these gentlemen's places, were
not present TO profit by the experience
of those of more mature years. There
were, of course, q few young men pres
ent, but they were the exception rather
than the rule.
At the morning session Thursday.
called to order at 10 o'clock, by Presi-
dent Cruickshanks, the paper upon
'Plums, it's cultivation and marketing"
was presented by s. D. Willard of
Geneva, N. Y, one of the foremost plum
growers of the country. 1t was tine in
tention of the association that the paper
should be read upon the opening day,
but Mr.. Willard was unavoidably de-
tanned at home and did not arrive in
Worcester until late Wednesday eve
ming
He advocated the use of London pur-
pie for spraying purposes, but cautioned
his hearers to be careful in its mixture.
The foliage should be preserved and the
plant food used should be wood ashes.
He had seen in one town of New York
state enough dead trees to infest the
whole state Muscle could be hired, but
brains could not. AS to the varieties, the
SOIL plant food and the environments
must be considered, but after testing rs
out Of so varieties he was pleased with
the DamSon plum. The Japan plums
were not very well received in this
country, as they varied in ripening. In
1896 a certain variety ripened on July
II, and last year it was two months
later. The Burbank was highly recon-
mended, and for late fruit the October
purple was said to be good As to the
harvesting, his method was to have the
plums picked by the job, except the
1ancy ones, at eight cents a bushel A
discussion followed
After Mr.. Willard's paper and the dis
cusion that followed had ended. the
question list was taken up again, and
Two or three of the subjects upon the
printed program were considered before
an adjournment was taken for dinner.
The session in the afternoon began
promptly at 1.S0 o'clock, and after the
transaction of a small amount of rou-
tine business, the now famous list Of 80
questions were again brought into requi-
sition. The first one taken up was
Shall we market our apple crop in the
local market or ship it to Europe?"
President o. B. Hadwen of the Worces-
ter County Horticultural Society had
been assigned this theme, and, in the
course of a three-minute address upon
it, he said:
THE answer depends largely upon the
situation of the grower. If he is close
to the home market he should sell his
apples there; but if in more remote
section he may find it to his advantage
to send his crop abroad. My impress
sion is that if a grower has a home mar
ket he will do better by retaining it than
to venture out into the foreign field"
In his remarks Mr.. Hadwen said some
thing about an apple known as the Pal
y
best varieties with which he was ac-
quainted Several of those present i'm
mediately wanted to know all about the
apple. but, as 1t is almost entirely an
apple that is confined to Worcester coun-
ty, the information could be given by
only a few, Mr.. Hadwen, of course, in
cluded.
Peach yellows" was another of the
subjects brought up. Wherever body
of fruit growers get together to discuss
matters of mutual interest peach yell
lows" is sure to be one of the themes,
and it always involves discussion. SO
1t did Thursday afternoon, although
nearly all that was said was not new to
those who have followed the disease
closely. Mr.. Hadwen was one of those
who spoke on the subject, and he ad-
vocated growing the peach trees from
stones that came from sections where
peach yellows were unknown. He said
that the disease first appeared in this
country in 1919. and made its first APP
pearance in this state in 1S40
A discussion of some other questions
followed, and at 2.3O o'clock President
Cruickshanks called upon Prof. John w.