North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

Steve,  While I was checking for cicada damage on a young pear tree I saw 
the scars from a hailstorm several years ago.  You'll probably have to watch 
for fireblight next.  I was looking at cicada damage the other day and 
suddenly realized that it was Japanese beetle time and wondered why I ever 
thought it was a good idea to plant fruit trees.
   When I was a kid I was always wondering how they did things in "the old 
days".   My curiosity on this subject has gotten me into all kinds of weird 
situations.  One thing I do often think though, is how hard life must have 
been.  On the other hand... if everybody was hungry enough to kill all the 
squirrels for food, people in town would be able to harvest their own 
gardens again.  And here in Tenn, people had totally wiped out the deer, and 
coons and possums were hunted and trapped for fur.  So maybe in ways humans 
had LESS competition.  And I also think there were more birds to eat all the 
bugs.  Hail and 17 year cicadas were still givens though.     Donna