STATE HORTICTJ1.TUBAL SOCtLTY. 



205 



Your Committee doubt the advisability of the taking of abstracts of 

 reports made to the Society, as recommended by the address, but, to 

 insure brevity and comprehensiveness in reports, we suggest that the 

 Secretary be instructed to ask each^contributor to make his report as brief 

 as a thorough and careful discussion of his subject will admit. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



(Signed) A.G.HUMPHREY,") 



F. A. BALLER, [ Committee. 



JAS. W. ROBISON, 3 



On motion, the report was accepted. 



The Society then adjourned MXi\\\ two o'clock this afternoon. 



THIRD DAY— AFTERNOON. 



The Society convened at the regular hour, and the Secretary 



opened the 



QUERY BOX. 



As usual the questions were discussed in the order of the reading. 



Query No. i. — What is the best implement for keeping the vineyard 

 free from weeds — plow or hoe? If plow, how deep can we plow without 

 injury to the grape roots? S. N. King. 



Mr. Robison. — I use both plow and hoe; I plant the vines in 

 squares, six or eight feet apart — rowing both ways, the same as corn — 

 and use a single-shovel plow close to the vines, and a double-shovel 

 plow in the center of spaces. Some roots are cut, but I have perceived 

 no damage to the vines from the little breaking done. 



I commence plowing the vineyard before beginning to plow for corn, 

 and keep up the cultivation till July, plowing from four to six inches 

 deep, and using a hoe only to clean out around the vines and kill any 

 weeds the plow may have missed. 



Query No. 2. — At what age is it best to seed an apple orchard to 

 grass ? 



The Secretary. — My experience and observation compel me to say 

 never. If an orchard, by the chances of wind blowing seed, etc., gets 

 seeded to grass, I destroy it- as soon as possible ; hiring men to destroy 

 with spade and hoe what escapes the plow. 



Clover %QQ(S. is the only kind of seed I have ever sowed in an orchard, 

 and not that until the trees have been in bearing several years. What- 



