PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 61 



(( 



With the raspberry, I do not think it will pay to continue the plat 

 longer than for three fvill crops, and the blackberry for five, and what I 

 have said above, regarding insects and disease, will apply with still 

 greater force with these. One of the most important points to make these 

 frnits profitable, is thorongh culture in the early part of the season. I have 

 in mind a good illustration of this fact, !n two places joining mine. For 

 the last three years I have observed these plats. One has been given 

 thorough cultivation all through the early part of the season, and none after 

 the fruit was harvested, while the other was neglected until the ground 

 was very dry and then cultivation was continued until late in the season. 

 The result is, the latter has never produced a remunerative crop of fruit, 

 while the former has never failed to do so. 



" There has been so much written about pinching back of these fruits, I 

 will not take up much time on this point, but simply give my mode. I 

 pinch or cut off the young growth when about two and one-half feet high, 

 and do no side pinching or pruning until the following spring, at which 

 time the black varieties are headed in, leaving branches about a foot long. 



" The Snyder blackberry should be headed in much closer than Lawton, 

 Kittatinny, or Taylor." 



OTHER EXPEEIENCE. 



Mr. Scott: As Mr. Stearns grows small fruits just as I do, I am left 

 with but little to say. The Taylor is one of the two blackberries I would 

 plant, and it is best of all in quality — the other one is the Snyder. I did 

 not get Nemaha true to name. I bought several thousand but it was the 

 biggest "sell" I ever suffered. So I have got out of the plant buying busi- 

 ness, because I can not depend upon what I purchase. Of red raspberries 

 I would set Hansell or Marlboro for early, Cuthbert for late; of blackcaps, 

 Souhegan or Tyler for early, Gregg for late. I would run a raspberry plan- 

 tation six to eight years, according to soil and culture. 



Mr. Steeee: AVe voted Souhegan down and went back to Doolittle. 



Prest. Lyon : You lost nothing by so doing. 



Mr. Steere: But Doolittle will run oat. You must propagate from the 

 thorniest plants. 



the nursery business. 



Mr. Steere: We who are nurserymen should be ashamed if there were 

 no progress in our business. Being unaware of it, I have sold much nur- 

 sery stock which proved to be of worthless varieties ; and so has every other 

 nurseryman, through desire either to i)rovide the new things or meet the 

 popular demand. It is rare that one can find the best varieties of apple at 

 the nurseries, the "market" sorts having supplanted them in the popular 

 demand. The same is true of other fruits, except grapes, wherein there is 

 less distinction between the market kinds and those of best quality. I 

 regret this state of things, but otherwise there is great advancement in the 

 business. Apple trees are now grown closely instead of far apart with 

 spreading branches; and as good trees will be furnished at 815 as at any 

 higher price, as a rule, but it costs twice as much to grow a Bed Canada 

 tree as a Baldwin. 



Many growers expressed themselves against the tendency to furnish a 

 low grade of trees through competition and low prices. Better trees at bet- 

 ter prices seem to be generally desired. 



