STATE HORTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. g 



(i) If the nurseryman, when digging his trees, would save the 

 smoothest and most promising seedlings that appear and plant them in 

 an experimental orchard, or, if not situated to do that, give them out to 

 customers (of course after first selling them all the grafted trees he can), 

 something good might result from it. 



(2) Then some of us might save seeds from the best long-keeping 

 varieties of home origin and add a few seeds from old standard long 

 keepers, and after growing them two years or more select the most 

 promising in appearance and plant in orchard. Such an orchard would 

 he, to some extent, of value, and stand a chance to give the kind wanted. 

 The experiment would be interesting and cost almost nothing but a little 

 time and attention, and any of us that will can do it. Other and more 

 scientific methods might be adopted, and I trust will be. We suggest 

 these because they come within the reach of all.* 



Pears. — The few trees we have bore moderately. From our obser- 

 vations of the failures of others we would recommend keeping the pear 

 orchard, after well established, in blue-grass sod. 



Plums gave a fair setting, but no harvest. 



Cherries. — Early Richmond, the only variety grown to any extent, 

 was nearly a full crop here. 



More attention is being paid to small-fruits in this district than in 

 former years. With the new and improved varieties they can be grown 

 with much certainty, and the people are beginning to find it out. 



Currants and Gooseberries were a medium crop. These fruits, 

 although indispensable, command less attention since the introduction of 

 the finer varieties of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. 



Grapes. — Concord, the only variety grown much, was injured by 

 frost when in bloom, and from one-half a crop to less was the result. 



Blackberries. — The Snyder is being planted quite generally and 

 promises well, although the canes were injured by the winter and gave, 

 on our grounds, but half a crop. 



Raspberries. — Black-caps were injured by the winter; not much 

 fruit. Turner was a little hurt, but made a fair crop of excellent fruit. 



Strawberries, in this vicinity, were injured some by drouth, pro- 

 ducing one-half to two-thirds of a full crop. 



Having written much more than I intended at commencement, I 

 will now present the reports received; all of which is respectfully sub- 

 mitted. 



H. C. GRAVES. 



* While, as Mr. Graves remarks, the effort to introduce better long-keeping apples 

 is not "commensurate" with the good to be attained, yet there is very much doing in 

 different parts of the State in the way of planting seeds of our best apples and fruiting 

 those which seem promising. The display of seedlings and the award of a ten-dollar 

 premium for them at this meeting is evidence that the Society apprehends the impor- 

 tance of the work and is desirous of encouraging effort in this direction. — Editor. 



