ILLINOIS IIORTICULTUIIAL SOCIETY. 315 



Dr. AVai-cler — Would nearly answer as a substitute for Osage in making hedges. 



Grimes Golden. — Dr. Warder— Quality tirst rate; is not a market apple, too tender; 

 does well in S. E. Kansas. 



Much complaint was made that those having trees to sell, had asked an exorbitant 

 price lor them, and had trimmed ofi all the growth; many trees had died from sun scald. 



Large Striped Pearmain.— Francis — Scabbed badly last year; tree hardy and 

 bears well. 



Warder — It is a great favorite in Missoui'i and Kansas. 



Laavver was inquired for. Earle has seen the apple; thinks none yet in bearing in 

 Illinois; is large, fine, showy, red. 



Dr. Hull has tasted the apple two seasons; considers it medium only in quality; can 

 perhaps afford to grow it for market. 



Tompkins Co. King.— No remarks. 



Stark. — Pope — Has fruited it for two years; kept till strawberry time; thinks it is 

 all the originator claims. 



Dr. Warder — The apple is not of sufficient good quality to excite any attention; 

 found it in Kansas under the name of Kansas Keeper. 



Sweet Janet.— Dr. Warder— Thinks it preferable to Ladies' Sweeting. 



Hoops . — A good bearer and keeps well. Adjourned. 



EVENING SESSION. 



Dr. Warder entertained the audience for over an hour with a lecture on • 'Variation 

 of plants, and orchards." 



Dr. Hull — ^We would like to hear from you with regard to how high to head trees. 



Dr. Warder— If you want nice symmetrical trees train them boot leg high; not half 

 boot leg high as some one has represented me to have said. I have never advocated 

 the branching of trees at the ground. If you keep your trees properly subornated 

 they WTlll need very little pruning. Low branched trees are liable to another difficulty, 

 if hogs are turned in to eat the fallen fruit, they soon leai'n to help themselves. To be 

 sure where the curculio catcher has to be used, you can not have very low heads to 

 your trees. 



Dr. Hull then explained his system of pruning. His trees are headed four feet 

 from the groimd and the limbs extend horizontally, making really a low headed tree, 

 equally balanced, and so spread out as to protect the trunk on all sides. The air under 

 such a tree helps to sustain the fruit; but if you had your tree down to the ground, 

 you exclude the air, thus taking away the resistance, so that your tree does not sup- 

 port itself so well. 



Dr. Warder— I can not say how it may be with a high headed tree from experience, 

 but 1 don't believe such a tree will support itself better than a low headed one. 



Dr. Hull gave an account by diagrams of how a ti-ee should be trained, and 

 described the difficulties that low headed trees would have to meet. 



Mr. Dunlap took direct issue with the doctor on high heads for the prairies, saying 

 that he that planted a high headed orchard would wait long and often in vain for his 

 fruit. 



Adjourned. 



