272 TKA^'SACTIOKS OF THE NORTHERN 



member and to any other Avho may 1)ecome a member. Also scions of the true 

 Duchess of Oldenbui'g to any person applying, enclosing an envelope with stamp. 

 The liberal ofler of Mr. Skinner was received with a vote of thanks. 



Moved by Jlr. Schofield that the Transactions of this Society be published in a 

 separate form, and not attached to the transactions of any other. Lost. 



Essay by Suel Foster, the veteran Iowa Pomologist. 



He recollected when grafting ^vas performed by inserting large branches, forty 

 years ago. It is to our shame that even now we know so little after all the improve- 

 ment we have made. Why are our young men not studying horticulture? How 

 many of our schools are teaching this science? We know of no one who is a really 

 and thoroughly practical professor of the science to teacli our young people. He 

 related an incident of an Iowa member of Congress who had deeded a deed of trustee 

 to each of his daughters, for 160 acres, who would learn to graft an apple tree. Mr. 

 S. urged upon ladies the propriety of practicing Horticulture, as l)eing of immense 

 benefit and interest to the sex. 



The speaker then took up the production of new varieties of fruit, and in closing, 

 lamented that Professors of Horticulture were so few. Indeed he did not know of one. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Mr . I. S. Piatt , a gentleman who has had considerable experience in handling and 

 selling California fruit, entertained the Society for a short time. The Bartlett pear 

 grown in California could not compare with those grown in Southern Illinois ; in fact, 

 most pears raised there are not equal to those raised in Illinois. There are some 

 exceptions, the Winter Nellis and Gray Doyenne were excellent. The quality of 

 most of them is about equal to a good turnip. He doubted that pears could be sent to 

 Chicago from California at a profit. So far it has not paid. The grapes from Califor- 

 nia, however, are better than ours; and it is possible that grapes may hereafter be 

 supplied to us in sufficient quantities to injure the raising of grapes for market in 

 Illinois. TLie size of the California fruit has been much exaggerated. 



The list of ornamental trees was passed without revision. 



Mr. Budd, of Shellsburg, Iowa, read an essay on "Grafting Pears on White Thorn." 

 He had not found anything so effectual to prevent blight as grafting them upon thrifty 

 young White Thorn one foot from the ground. Some varieties forma good union with 

 this stock. Some varieties outgrow the stock. The White Doyenne is one of the 

 number that forms a good union. The reason of failure heretofore has been that 

 pears had been grafted on our common bushy thorn. The stocks must be grown from 

 seed, and it is necessary to get genuine White Thorn {Crategus coccinea). The seed is 

 mixed with cornmeal and fed to cattle; the droppings are gathered and planted. The 

 expex'iment is worthy of trial, and if successful wall be valuable. 



GROWING THE PEAn UPON" WHITE THOIJS'. 



AVliatuvcr disagreenienl there may be among those who have experimented, thought and written 

 upon prairie pear growing, upon two points tliere seems to be a general unity of opinion : First, that 

 fire bliglit is the giant obstacle in tlic way of profit;ible pear growing; secondly, that root-pruuing, 

 or neglected cuUure by way of shortening up the supply of sap from the roots, has proved the most 

 available preventive to blight. For the purposes of this brief paper it is not necessary to philoso- 



