STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 7 I 



A Voice. — Is it a Birkitt pear ? 



Answer. — Yes, it is a Birkitt. (Laughter). The pear cion has taken 

 root and it is now a double-rooted tree, better than if it was entirely on 

 its own roots. 



Mr. Murtfeldt. — Does the gentleman's experience extend beyond 

 the little tree which he holds in his hand? (Laughter.) 



A. H. Gaston. — I have seen trees that had been grafted forty years 

 which had borne full crops a great many years. I have seen pears not 

 only grafted on the roots but in the tops of apple-trees, which are now 

 many years old, and which always bear well. 



Mr. Burnham. — Mr. President, I saw apple-trees grafted to pears 

 twenty-five years ago, and now are living and bear full ; I also know a 

 man in our section of the State who has the pear grafted on the apple 

 and the trees bear well. 



The President. — The time is now up for the discussion of this 



opic. 



A Voice. — I move that three minutes more be allowed for discussion 



on this subject. — Carried. 



The Secretary. — Mr. President, I cannot be content to allow this 

 discussion to end quite here, for fear some may be led astray. Had the 

 gentleman exhibited the tree which he held in his hand to show an 

 exception to a rule rather than as a sample of the union common between 

 the pear and apple it would have been well enough. 



I tried this thing pretty well twenty-five years ago and succeeded in 

 getting some nice-looking two-year-old trees, but not two in a hundred 

 perhaps ever made valuable trees ; the union is not perfect and the pear 

 will almost always break off at the point of the union. 



These gentlemen are no doubt sincere, but I am sure they have only 

 noticed the exceptional trees and cannot have had experience and 

 extended observation in this direction. Some varieties form better 

 union with the apple than others. I remember that I succeeded better 

 with Henry-the-fourth than any other, but these exceptions are so rare 

 that it is folly to attempt growing pear-trees in this way. 



Mr. Minkler, — I had that fever once — bad. (Laughter.) 



Mr. Nelson. — So had L Come up, brethren, and relate your expe- 

 riences. (Laughter.) 



Mr. Edwards. — I succeeded in grafting the Bloodgood on an apple 

 stock, the tree doing well. 



Mr. Webster. — I have tried this thing with a little success, but 

 would not recommend it. 



