14 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



size" stock. One year I paid $5 for five peach trees and $1.50 each for 

 apple trees, but no such stock ever grew. Somehow ordinary-price trees 

 always grow. 



VALUE OF HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



Mr. Morrill urged the importance to fruitgrowers of organization into 

 societies for discussion and investigation. Send delegates to state and 

 district meetings. Don't try to " go it alone " and be subject to the wiles 

 of every swindler. He spoke of the great value of the rej)orts of this 

 society for i)ractical information, saying they have become famous as 

 equal or superior to any similar works in the United States. No fruit- 

 grower can afford to stay out of the societies, and they should be liberally 

 encouraged by business men. 



PEAR CULTURE. 



Mr. EvART H. Scott of Ann Arbor led in discussion of this subject, 

 saying he would first consider the orchard. High ground is preferable, 

 with a north or west slope, and with heavy soil, or at least heavy subsoil. 

 The trees should never be over two years of age when set, and one-year 

 trees, or two-year roots and one-year stems, are better. Plow the tract as 

 deeply as may be done; dig holes two feet in diameter and 18 inches 

 deep, placing some of the upper soil in the bottom, but have no manure 

 close to the roots. Crop with corn or potatoes for seven or eight years, 

 and then leave the land to the trees, but plow and cultivate occasionally. 



Plant a dozen sorts for home use — Madeline, Doyenne d'Ete, Sterling, 

 Clapp, Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Bosc, Seckel, Sheldon, Belle Lucrative, 

 Rostiezer, and Lawrence. The early varieties are the more profitable. For 

 market set Clapp, Bartlett, Howell, Onondaga, Bosc, Anjou, Lawrence, 

 Kieffer. The latter may be grown for profit. I have never gotten it ripe, 

 but it colored up and — and — sold! 



Pick pears before they are fully ripe, as soon as the stem separates 

 readily from the branch. Place them in a dark room to ripen, for home 

 use, but pack and ship at once for market. I would not recommend 

 Flemish Beauty for market, because it ripens about with Bartlett and sells 

 for only half so much, although it is of better quality. Give ventilation 

 to the barrels by cutting slits lengthwise in the sides. Pack, as other 

 fruit, of uniform quality throughout the barrel. 



I would not set dwarfs, except Angouleme and Louise. Sheldon is one 

 of the best of pears, but until lately it has not been properly known in the 

 market. Clairgeau is a beautiful ijear, and sells well in market, but unless 

 thinned the fruit is small and poor. 



Mr. Lyon: The Kieffer can be recommended only because it is toler- 

 able when cooked with plenty of sugar. If Ann Arbor is too far north for 

 the Kieffer's ripening, certainly Mason county is. Sterling is good as a 

 grower and bearer, and in quality; is very sweet, like Flemish Beauty in 

 flavor, but a good keeper; is likely to prove to be good for market; have 

 never known it to blight; nurserymen dislike to grow the trees because 

 they are crooked. 



Mr. GuLLEY: I have had difficulty in getting Bosc trees. The best 

 way to obtain them is to set other varieties and top-graft them, as 



