TRANSACTIONS OF ALTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 295 



knew wliether he was going to have any peaches until the fruit has 

 advanced to the time of the stoning process. That is the critical condition 

 of the peach. 



The Hon. J. M. Pearson reported on ornamental planting, encour- 

 aging the practice of ornamenting our premises with evergreens, shrubs 

 and flowers. • 



Dr. Long's remarks following were only provoking him and us all to 

 the same good work. 



James Starr — You are aware that I use no method of protecting my 

 vines in winter. I leave them on the trellis to take care of themselves. 

 A part of my vineyard has received injury from the last winter; other 

 portions are uninjured, and the vines promise a fair crop. On the portion 

 injured the buds started and then stopped their growth, and there will be 

 no fruit, showing that injury has been done. I shall cut these canes away 

 and let the roots make new ones. 



Mr. McPike made a half-hour's talk upon the subject of "Summer 

 Treatment of the Vine." He had the green shoots at hand to show the 

 result of early pinching, and demonstrated, to the satisfaction of many, 

 the advantage of his practice. 



Dr. Hull, Messrs. Pearson, Havden, and others, engaged in the 

 discussion, which became quite animated. 



James Starr said the time was past when it would pay to plant and 

 tend a vineyard for the purposes of wine and fruit. He would take care 

 of vineyards already planted, but would not plant new — better grow 

 corn, etc. 



Mr. Havden said he had found profit in grapes, and he thought if 

 they were put up and marketed in good shape, that it was much more 

 profitable than growing corn, or ordinary farm crops. 



Captain Stewart said he had but little to say at this time upon the 

 subject of "Small Fruits." There is nothing now that can be done but 

 to pick and market the fruit, and pull out the weeds that come up in the 

 beds. Young plantations can be kept clean with the hoe. A bogus berry 

 plant, said to be the Wilson, and coming from Willis Long, was shown. 

 The Captain said it was not the Wilson ; it was worthless, and did not 

 perfect its berries. When this plant gets into your beds to any extent, 

 the only way to get rid of it is to plow up the plantation. 



The discussion developed the fact that the Kittatinny blackberry was 

 much more subject to blight than the Lawton, showing that we must not 

 be in too much haste to discard the Lawton. 



