Washtewaw Pomology

At the monthly meeting of the society J. Baldwin presided, J. Ganzhorn being absent. The corresponding secretary took bis place and read the minutes of the March meeting and gtated that he had published Prof. V. M. Spalding's paper before the Mareh society meeting on 'Recent progress in the study and treatment of Diseasea of Plants" in the Michigan Farmer, where it reached the greatest number of those benefittad by this very interesting and useful treatise. He also sent Prof. Mark W. Harrington's paper on "Climatal effects of foresti" to Senator Palmer( chairman of the committee which has to report on the Forestry congres?. The Secator in a letter March 31, returned the papers stating that he had read them with interest and approval and thanks for the eourtesy extended. Prof. B. E. Nichols, chairman of the committee on fruit exchange, whose absence from the meeting was excused by the chair, is still at work maturing plan8 :or a Buccesaful distribution of fruit and will report at the June meeting. FRUIT PROSPECTS. J. J. Parshall : I never had euch flattering prospects of a peach erop. If nothing rappens I expect 3,000 bushels of peaches. The public should be informed that Lord Palmerston and the VVager peaches are great humbugs. 8. Mil : Forty-two years ago spring frosts killed peach buis, but since that ;ime such a calamity has not happened. J. D. Baldwin : Even the tender and shy bearers of the peach family are full of 'ruit buds. My 1G varieties of pluais look very promising. E. A. Nordman, oí Lima: Apples in our vicinity look very promising, if we only can check the noxious insects. H. Se6sions: My plums never looked better. The pro? pects of a peach erop are very good. J. T. Ellis, of Manchester: It is astonishing to see the thrift and fruit buds of all classes of fruit trees. D. Strickler: We have the garden of Eden in this vicinity. E. Baur : My pears are not as proi'sing as other trees. The sparrows fed on pear buds laat winter and did much damage. Whoever introducèd the English sparrow into this country should never be prayed out of purgatory. Grapes are way behind, but I have never seen grapes fail in my experience of 20 years. Mr. Palmer of Dexter: The "basket" erop will be equal to the fruit erop, which is very promising about Dexter. The culture of strawberries abcut Ann Arbor was considered unprofltable and altogether overdone. They can not be shipped to Detroit as the market there is glutted by Parker Earl, from Illinois, who ships a car load daily. Besides Detroit market gardeners and farmers raise more than enough to supply the demand. IKJÜR1OUS INBEOTS. This important topic was discussed at the request of Mr. Nordman. The writer last wiuter addressed his Excellency, the Governor, to have a short, popular pamphlet pubtished on this subject to be placed into the hands of every farmer and fruit grower. The governor promised tolay the matter before the state board of agriculture. Prof. A. J. Cook's "Iojurious Insects of Michigan" is a very important document. J. D. Baldwin thought that inasmuoh as paris green and London purple are otten adulterated and consequently ineffective in spraying trees, pure arsenic should be used which costs 10 cents per pound wholesnle. While one of London purple was used for 100 gallons of rainwater, 5 or Q ounces of pure arsemc would be suflBcient. Great care has to be taken in the use of these arsenites. The first spraying should be done when the blossoms fall, and the second two weeks later. S. Mills: Chop all the thornbushes down ; they are the propagators of the curculio. E. Baur : We could dispense with the arsenitep, if we would use the band system for the codling moth systematically and the Ransom process for the plum curculio flrst week in May and later on the jarring process after blossom fall. It is impossible to do any justice to this topic in this report. It is certainly a humiüating fact that these small pests canoot be controlled by the lords of creation. A cardinal remedy is found in Malechi, 3, 10. 11.