53 STATE nORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



prevented the ripeuing of the fruit and consequently resulted in grecat loss to 

 the grower ; and not only this for the year, but the trees, as a result, seemed 

 greatly impaired in vital force. 



D. L. Garver, Hart: "When we started in fruit culture in this county we 

 had no curculio, but we knew nothing of varieties adapted to this climate. 

 This knowledge had to come from experience here. As a consequence a great 

 many trees have ]n"oved worthless and a great deal of regrafting has been 

 made necessary. Those who engage now in fruit growing have the benefit of 

 this experience and can be more certain of their results. 



Mr. Sammons : Tiie question of best methods of ])rocedure in a new coun- 

 try depends almost entirely upon a man's capital. Most of our people have 

 started witli little beyond their hands, and hence in a majority of cases fruit 

 trees are planted out before the ground is fitted for them ; still I argue that 

 it is better to set tlie trees quickly, even if every stump is not out. A man 

 who has capital and can go right on and clear a place thoroughly for orchard 

 planting had best do it. But my advice to every man is in a new country have 

 fruit growing on your place as soon as ever you can. 



S. A. Browne: We are laboring under the difilculties which attend a scar- 

 city of means in this country. There are to-day 2,500 acres of waste land tliat 

 if improved Avould make the best fruit sites in this county. Tiio land can be 

 bought for from three to five dollars per acre; but the difficulties have only 

 just begun when the land is once purchased. It will cost from ten to twelve 

 dollars more to clear each acre, and from ten to eighteen more to stump it. 

 This, put at the maximum, however, does not bring our best land very high. 

 Thirty-five dollars per acre for nicely cleared farming laud is not very extrava- 

 gant. We have an excellent locality for most kinds of fruit. As yet the 

 ravages of insects are not so great as in the older parts of the State, and fruit 

 brings remunerative prices. Tliere have been more orchards planted this 

 season than ever before in the same length of time. 



Wm. A. Brown : In our ride to Hart, which the citizens so kindly gave us, 

 we certainly found as fine farming land and as nicely cleared farms with 

 orchards as one could ask for. Tlie soil seemed good and the farmers tlirifty. 



W. W. Tracy : Prof. Sheldon says that the prevailing agricultural practice 

 of any country is generally the best on the whole for that country. I am not 

 certain but tiiat this is true of horticulture. We are apt to criticise the 

 methods of other places than our own ; but progress in a new country must 

 be very slow. The fact is the methods for that country must be based upon 

 its own experience. A man going from Western New York into Northern 

 Michigan, and relying entirely upon his past experience to guide in his prac- 

 tice, will fail as sure as the world. In the selection of varieties this is 

 peculiarly true. It is an easy thing for any one going into a new place to take 

 specimen trees of a number of varieties and watch their suitableness, but too 

 few do it. They generally take nothing, and when the tree agent comes 

 around take his judgment, which is utterly worthless; even lose tlie labels of 

 the trees, if they are true to name, and years that might bring a profitable 

 experience are entirely wasted. 



President Lyon: I would like to draw out the experiences of this locality 

 as to a few leading varieties that do well here, and are good for family use. 



Mr. McClatchie: In strawberries I would name the Wilson; in currants, 

 Eed Dutch; red raspberries, the Philadelphia; in plums, the Green Gage, on 

 peach stocks. I have raised a bushel on a tree the fourth year from the first 

 by pursuing this method. In grapes, Concord and Delaware. 



