TRANSACTIONS OF Al-TON IIORTICULTL KAL SOCIETY. 313 



Mr. Murtfeldt — The remedies are at hand for heading off, for 

 example, the codling-motli; but what is the use of prescribing remedies if 

 they are not applied ? Eternal vigilance is the price of good fruit. 



DECEMBER MEETING. 



The meeting of this Society for December was held at the residence 

 of E. HoLLiSTER, Esq., in Alton. There was a good attendance. The 

 Vice-President, Isaac Snedeker, of Jerseyville, called the meeting to 

 order at eleven o'clock. 



The first discussion — and, in fact, the chief discussion of the day — 

 was upon the "Apple and the Apple Orchard." 



We missed the worthy chairman of the Apple Orchard Committee, 

 Dr. E. S. Hull, whose recent and sudden death, and that of his wife, 

 has made a great break in our circle. Messrs. James E. Starr and John 

 M. Pearson were appointed to prepare a paper in memory of our departed 

 friends and co-workers. 



Mr. Pearson — The subject of pruning orchards has been discussed 

 among us a hundred times ; but the subject comes home to me now as it 

 has not before, because I have got some of this work to do now. Before 

 this I have had little to do in pruning. I wish to know when is the best 

 time to cut large limbs — now, or wait till summer? My notion is, not to 

 j>rune at all, except with "the thumb and finger," if you can help it. 

 But we can't help it. And now I have got to saw out some large limbs. 

 When shall I do it ? 



Mr. Huggins — Do it now. If I could jjrune all my orchard, I 

 would do it in June, especially if I could do it in time — when it was 

 needed. But I can't do it all in June, and hence I prune at all times, 

 doing the work by degrees as I can. The "thumi) and finger" pruning 

 is all right in theory, but it will not work in practice. And now, while 

 I am up, I want to say some things upon the subject of the profits of the 

 aj)ple orchard. I must say I have been astonished and tried, to hear the 

 members of this Alton Horticultural Society talk, from time to time, 

 about there being no profit in the apple orchard 1 No longer ago than at 

 your last meeting, this subject was discussed, and it was said there was no 

 profit in growing apples. And now, lest you may think that I am full of 

 profits, and have made a fortune from my orchard, I will say I have not 



