258 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



weather in mid-summer. Prices ranged from three to five cents per pound. The 

 The small Iruit interest is becominp^ an important one, and its cultivation is 

 rapidly increasing. The Cuthbert is the favorite red raspberry. The Gregg is 

 largely planted for a black raspberry. The Snyder leads the blackberry family 

 and the Wilson still *• holds the fort'' in the strawberry line. Prices ranged from 

 ten cents to twenty cents per quart. Quinces are grown in moderate quantity, 

 but are always salable at from $L50 to $3 per bushel. 



A valuable paper was read before the society by Dr. A. B. Prescott, of the 

 State University, on The Artificial Preservation of Fruits, in respect to their 

 food value, an abstract of which is appended. 



The society devoted considerable time in an effort to create or establish a 

 stock company for the preservation of fruits; but after much labor expended in 

 canvassing the matter by committees, it was found that no organization could 

 at present be effected. Nevertheless, the work in this direction was not 

 altogether in vain. Individual members have gone into the business, and thus 

 far their labor is in the way of experimenting, though much good to the com- 

 munity is expected to result from their enterprise. J. D. Baldwin is leading in 

 this line, and he spent about one thousand dollars in canning jams, jellies, mar- 

 malades, etc., etc. S. TV. Dorr, a former president of this society, has in success- 

 ful operation a house for keeping apples. Discussion on peach packages has 

 taken up considerable of the society's time. Crates are favored by many. Ship- 

 ments in these packages will likely increase. Bushel baskets are now exten- 

 sively used. The small baskets run all the way from full pecks down to three 

 quarts; the latter size are much liked by a number of large peach growers. 



Transportation formed a large part of the discussions. A standing commit- 

 tee composed of the most energetic peach men, and who were largely interested 

 in shipping, was kept canvassing the matter and negotiating with forwarding 

 companies. The effort resulted in securing daily peach cars attached to the 

 fast express trains during the peach season. 



Prof. V. M. Spalding, of the University, gave the society an interesting lec- 

 ture on Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, which is appended to the report. 



SUMMER PEUKING. 



At the July meeting there was a beautiful display of strawberries, and the 

 above topic was discussed. 



Jacob Ganzhorn said that by summer pruning it was aimed to increase the 

 size of the fruit; to mature the new wood for the winter. The productive- 

 ness of the strawberry plant is increased by keeping its runners cut from time 

 to time; by this process crown upon crown is added. In the raspberry and black- 

 berry the new growth is pinched in to concentrate the bearing wood, and to admit 

 a free or open passage between the rows for cultivation and ease in gathering 

 the fruit. The black-caps require more pinching than the red raspberries, and 

 the latter according to the vigor of the variety. He also recommends the 

 thinning of the canes in the latter class in order to secure well ripened wood. 

 The weak growing varieties require no further pruning than thinning out the 

 now canes. 



In grapes, the young vines should have the new growth concentrated to 

 from one to three canes, according to the vigor of the vine. The bearing vine 

 should have all new wuod taken out that is not bearing fruit, or is warned for 

 the next year's crop. The bearing canes are cut back to within one to three 

 leaves of the last bunch. Over-bearing should be prevented by thinning out 

 the small bunches. I<o fi-uit is more permanently injured by over-crop])ing 



