Summer Mcctiiis'. 145 



'^ 



assertions. With this I was much impressed at Carthage in Decem- 

 ber, 1895, the first meeting of this association I ever attended. The 

 best informed men and women spoke cautiously when answering ques- 

 tions, or presenting papers for discussion. The whole meeting was 

 remarkable for the absence of an}^ thing like dogmatism ; and such is 

 the case very langely toda3\ ]\Iany things are' to be considered before 

 we can venture a dogmatic statement. 



To illustrate this necessity, I quote from our reports of 1899 and 

 1900. Our Secretary takes great pains to give us full reports of all that 

 is said here likely to be helpful to our absent members or others inter- 

 ested in this great work. But suppose some one should read our re- 

 ports as carelessly as some of us read other books, that is, make "texts" 

 of single sentences, and often of parts of a sentence, and thus fail to 

 consider the loj:ation of the writer or speaker, the kind of soil, the 

 character of the cultivation given and required, the effects of frost, and 

 many other things of equal importance, would he learn anything? 

 Let the illustration answer. 



In speaking of the York Imperial apple one man said, "Xo other 

 apple seems so tender." Others said, "I do not think you will find the 

 York more tender than anything else." 



'T do not thing the York is a tender tree." 



"York Imperial stands ordinary winters as well as any." 



One said, "In one orchard 91 per cent, was entirely killed." An- 

 other, "After a winter of 30 degrees below zero, we had a fine crop of 

 York Imperials." 



One nurser3nTian said, "Our customers complain of blight on York 

 Imperial." x\n orchardist replied, "I have no blight." And another 

 said, "I have 500 York Imperials, and am not losing an}- — they don't 

 blight." 



In speaking of the ?*Iissouri Pippin, one man said, "It is subject to 

 leaf curl, and some growers have discarded it for this reason." An- 

 other replied, "I have seen no fungus which causes leaf curl." 



One said, "The Missouri Pippin is more subject to aphis than 

 other varieties." While others said, "I would use Missouri Pippin for 

 temporary trees." "In the near future I am going to plant 10 acres 

 of Missouri Pippin." 



In the further discussion of varieties we find the following inter- 

 esting contrasts : 



1. "I would not give the Ben Davis too much prominence." "The 

 Ben Davis is the all-purpose apple." 



2. "The orchard of the future will have but few Ben Davis trees." 

 "The Ben Davis has been and is today a money maker." 



H— 10 



