Horticultural Meeting

The Horticultural Society at its [anuary meeting discussed the apple, raspberry anthracuose, and work for the winter. Mr. Baur remarked that there was no better time than now to liaui nianure and tnulch fruit trees and berries. Trees and grape vines may now be pruned, and 'even transplanting may now be done where the ground is dry. The time should now be taken for a general cleaning up and putting things in shape for next season 's work. The Anthracuose is a disease which aiïects the raspberry, the grape, and occasionally other plants, and is in some localities quite destructive. The secretary described it as appearing in sunken blotches on the stem, at first of a whitish appearance, but later becoming darker than the general surface of the plant. It is caused by a parasitic fungus which feeds upon the tissues and so weakens the plant that the fruit dries up before ripening. His Gregg raspberries had been greatly damaged by the disease, especially on low ground. Bordeaux mixture has been found a partial remedy but is difficult to apply effectually. Cutting and burning the oíd canes immediately after fruiling is of some advantage but must be supplemented by setting a new planta tion or fresh land. The president stated that he had observed the disease at his place this season for the first time. It appeared upon both the g'rape and the red raspberry. He stated that the disease was so severe in some parts of Ohio that Mr. L. B. Pierce, a well known fruit grower of that state, had found it necessary to make a new plantation of black raspberries each year, turning under the bushes each time after having obtained one erop. C. J. Conrath inquired about the "curled leaf" in the red raspberry. Several members stated that they had found it more or less prevalent but no one knew of a remedy. It aifüCts the whole plant, suckers and al!, but does not appear to spread Vï-ry rapidly. Care should be taken to use none but healthy plants in setting a new field. Mr. B. G. Buel next spoke upon the apple. His trees had been barren for two years. In 1892 the failure was attributed to the leaf blight which had been very general through the southern part of the state. One effect of the blight was to prevent a healthy growth and the consequent formation of fruit buds. To this circumstance is due he believed the failure of the erop the present season. Very few trees blossomed well last spring. His Wageners blossomed better and produced more fruit than any other variety. There seems however to be a general failure of the apple orchards of late years through the southern part of the state. The chief cause of this he believed to be the increasing age of the trees. Few new orchards had been planted since the country was first settled and the old orchards are falling into decay, partially no doubt through neglect, but there is no entirely satisfactory remedy short of planting new orchards. An old orchard may be partially renovated by good care and vigorous pruning, but the speaker seemed to regard any improvement by this means only temporary, A new orchard should be set on fresh ground once in about twenty years if one would keep up a supply of this fruit. The varieties chosen would have to be somewhat different frotn those set when the county was new. Whether from a change in the clirnate or a deterioration of varieties some sorts which did well formerly would not succeed now. Among these were the Greening, Rambo and Winesap. He would place the Baldwin among the best for present planting. It was a little tender but by top-grafting it on a hardy vigorous stock lik'e Northern Spy good results were obtained. President Bird believed Mr. Buel's plan a good one, but believed Iack of fertility in the soil to be a main cause of the failure of orchards. He gave several examples of extraordinary and long continued productiveness in apple trees located adjacent to a barnyard or similar source of fertility. He also called attention to the value of spraying in securing perfect fruit at the present time. Toward the close of the meeting Mr. Miller of Dexter entered the room and after adjournment he related to some of the members his complete success in spraying plums with Bordeaux mixture for the rot the present season. His orchard produced probably half the plums sjrown in Washtenaw county the present season.