^ STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 17 



Mr. McWhorter — When was that ? 



Mr. Galusha — In July last. It is no doubt correct and right to say 

 that a large portion of the older trees in many nurseries are damaged, and 

 that people should be on their guard in purchasing ; but to say more than 

 this would, as Mr. Wier has said, do injustice, both to those who have 

 trees to sell, and those who want to buy. 



Mr. McWhorter — Any tree that has made a good and vigorous 

 growth this last summer is not seriously injured; and indeed I have not 

 seen, for many years, better wood-growth in our orchards than has been 

 made this last year. Trees that have been damaged in their roots do not 

 grow, and no man can be found foolish enough to buy such trees, and no 

 nursery-man to offer such trees for sale ; it is foolish to warn the people 

 not to buy dead trees, for they will not do it, and no nursery-man of any 

 reputation will send out such trees. 



Mr. Periam — If any man knows that he has trees in his nursery that 

 are unsound, he is certainly competent to come into this meeting and say 

 so, but he should not come here and say there are no sound trees in other 

 nurseries, with which he is not acquainted. 



J. S. Johnson (of Hancock county) — We are well aware that there 

 is a great deal of bad stock on hand, and I am perfectly willing to leave 

 this matter in the hands of planters and the nursery-men. I believe our 

 nursery-men are as honest as any other class of men ; this has been my 

 experience with them ; they have never imposed upon me. 



Dr. Humphrev ( of Knox county) — A tree may be all dead inside, 

 but if it has a healthy bark and good top it will live, and bear, perhaps, 

 many crops if left to stand. 



Mr. Wier — The heart wood of a tree is nothing to tiie life of the 

 tree ; it performs none of the vital functions of the tree ; it gives strength 

 and support, and that is all that it does do. If trees are injured in the 

 nursery, let them stand another year and form new and healthy wood, 

 and then they may be removed to the orchard. Oftentimes strong, 

 healthy cions will spring up from the bottom of a damaged tree, and if 

 the tree is young, one of these may be left to grow and form the trunk 

 of the tree, and the damaged trunk be cut away. 



Dr. Long (of Alton j — I claim to know something about orcharding, 

 having been in the business forty-five years. I was the first, perhaps, who 

 bought trees and set out an orchard at Alton. Now, the assertion that 

 damage to the heart of the tree does not hurt it, is all bosh; it is not 

 half a tree without a sound heart. If your tree is blackened and dead 



