388 TEANSACTIONS OF THE KANKAKEE 



The president said that a Mr. Tuttle, of Wisconsin, was propa- 

 gating and sending out quite a variety of Russian apples. Undoubt- 

 edly some of them will prove valuable. 



Mr. Cunningham — We not only want hardy apples, but hardy 

 pears and cherries. My cherry trees are mostly dead and dying. 



Mr. Mortimer — My cherries seem to be all right; the trees are 

 young. 



The president made some inquries about small fruit. 



Mr. Mortimer — The Gregg raspberry is not altogether hard}'^ 

 with me. The ends of the canes are killed. It is thought by some 

 that the Wild Goose plum is not self-fertilizing. 



Mr. Cunningham — I have a few plums. Wild Goose and Miner. 

 They blossom and set fruit, but the curculio is there at the proper 

 time, and I have no plums. But there may be something in this 

 matter of fertilization. 



President Barnard — Our object is to give and obtain inform.a- 

 tion. He gave his experience with grafting plums, but no material 

 result was obtained. The Bassett was the only plum that bore fruit 

 with him, and that was small and of poor quality. 



Mr. Mortimer — 1 think there is something about this cross-fer- 

 tilization or hybridization of fruit trees not fully understood, but by 

 careful observation and experiments we may arrive at some satisfac- 

 tory result. 



The President — While on this plum question, I would ask if 

 any one present has ever grown the Blue Damson plum in this 

 country. 



The Secretary replied that he had grown the trees some forty 

 years ago, but to the best of his recollection they never bore any 

 fruit. 



Mr. Dickinson — My experience is not altogether favorable to 

 hot-bed plants. I have several times got tomato plants started in 

 hot-beds and set out, and sowed seeds at the same time, and could see 

 no perceptible difference in the time of their fruiting. 



Mr. Mortimer related the experience of a Mr. Goff at Cham- 

 paign, which was very similar to Mr. Dickinson's, not more than two 

 or three days' difference. 



