STATE IIORTICULTUHAr, SOCFETY 1 .'! 



DISCUSSION ON THE REPORT. 



At the close of the reading of this report, Mr. Periam said he wished 

 to call attention to the low ridges of black sandy soil around the head of 

 Lake Michigan, as especially suited to the growing of grapes ; and he 

 thought that if this fact was known, these ridges would be occupied for 

 this purpose. The soil rests upon a substratum of clay, and is safe from 

 excessive moisture. 



Mr. McWhorter — These ridges were thrown up by the winds and 

 waves, and- formed once the old beach of the lake, which has since re- 

 tired. 



Mr. Wier — There has been, in our neighborhood, a failure for three 

 or four years past, in the crops of the Early Richmond cherry, while the 

 English Morello, along side of it and on the same stock, has borne good 

 crops ; which looks as if there was some fault with that variety. 



Mr. McWhorter — I am surprised to hear this statement, for I have 

 never known or heard of any place where the Early Richmond did not 

 do well, and bear full crops. Last year there was little fruit, because of 

 the damage which the trees suffered in the winter. It will take a year for 

 the trees to recuperate. 



The President — Do you find any difference when grafted on differ- 

 ent stocks? 



Mr. McWhorter — I once thought that I knew something upon this 

 subject ; but really, I do not know as much about it as I thought I did 

 some years ago. My observation is that trees grafted on the Morello 

 stock bear earlier than on the Mahaleb, but as they grow older I see but 

 little difference. 



The President — Do you know any thing about the Mazzard stock? 



Mr. McWhorter — It is not hardy enough for our winters. It is 

 true, if you plant the trees very deep they may survive the winters. 



The President — The reason I ask this question is, that a few years 

 ago I planted trees in Freeport, grafted on the Mazzard stock, and they 

 stood the winter as well as, or better than, trees grafted on other stocks. 



Mr. McWhorter — Are you sure that the exposure and conditions 

 were the same with all your trees? 



The President — Those grafted on Mazzard were three years old ; 

 those on other stocks were five or six years old. 



JoNA. HuGGiNS (o( Maconplu county) — There is an orchard a few 

 miles from my jilace, eight or nine years old, wliich, at tlic lime of llic 



