Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-11-21
Fruit Growers to Meet.

The program for the fifth annual meeting
of the Maryland State Horticultural Society
is now being distributed by the secretary,
Prof. A. L. Quaintance, of College Park. Phe
sessions will be held in Dushane Post Hall,
Baltimore, Thursday and Friday, December
18th and 10Th. The society, although quite
young, has already been of much value in
developing and improving the horticultural
during the past year has increased to nearly
$500, and includes the principal fruit and
vegetable growers Of Maryland, as well as
many in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia
and West Virginia. Special efforts are be.
ing put forth to make the forthcoming SEES
sion the most successful in the history of
the society For the last two months own
ers of orchards in various parts of the State
have been sending fruit to be put in cold
storage there until it is placed on exhibition
during the gatherings of the society.
An interesting collection OF beneficial and
injurious insects and of the principal plant
diseases of the State is being prepared by
the officers of the State Horticultural De-
partment and will be displayed so that fruit
growers may see at close range their most
important friends and Toes. Exhibits of
.ungicides, insecticides and spraying appa-
ratus will also be made, thus bringing to-
gether the pests themselves and the most
approved means and methods OF their sup
preston. This feature will no doubt prove
of great value in view of the increasing ne
cessity for the control of insects and fun
gous growths in successful fruit culture.
Owing to the great possibilities for sue
cessiul apple cultivation in Maryland con-
siderable part OF one session will be devoted
to discussion of the various problems con-
nected with the growing and handling of
this crop. The officers of the society have
prevailed upon Mr.. l.. Goodman, of Kansas
City, Mo, to attend and discuss "Pro6tabe
Apple Orcharding." Mr. Goodman is sec
rotary of the Missouri State Horticultural
Society and is fully conyersant with his sub
ject, being owner and manager OF 1000
acre apple orchard in the famous Ozark
region.
The growing and handling of cantaloupes
will be discussed by Mr.. W. F. Allen and
E. A. Pry, from the Eastern Shore and Blue
Ridge sections of the State, res pectively.
Both of these gentlemen have found canta-
loupe growing quite profitable and will be
oh tn nj a al.a Ia inf
Prof G Herald Powell, of the Division
OF Pomology, United States Department of
Agriculture, will tell of the Governments
experiments in the cold storage of Kieffer
pears and means of enlarging the Kieffer
pear market. The expansion acreage de.
voted to this fruit, parti cularly on the East
ern Shore, has brought prices in the home
market so low that this discussion will be
of great interest as promising means of Sc.
curing greater revenue from the crop.
A most important feature of the meeting
will be the discussion relative TO peach
growing in Western Maryland and on the
Eastern Shore. The culture of the peach,
as shown by the last census is on the de
cline, there being decrease of 4.3 per cent
In the number of trees in 1900 as compared
with 1890. Many progressive growers are
of the opinion that this fruit must be grown
on more intensive system than the So
called natural method" largely fol lowed in
the past. This subject will be fully dis
cussed by the leading producers Of the State.
The reports Of the State Entomologist and
State Pathologist containing the results of
their inspections and experiments will offer
suggestions as to the most approved methods
OF preventing the usually heavy losses from
insect pests and iungous diseases.