Meeting for Discussion at the Fair. 71 



but not a large growth, and came early to bearing, and, as others 

 have said, have been remarkable for their regular and abundant 

 yield. He thought this lay in the proper care given to the young 

 trees; in the adaptation of the soil and location to the production of 

 a slow but healthy growth. The pear needs a stiff, heavy, but not 

 a rich soil, aud it is very essential that it should be well under- 

 drained. 



Mr. J. C. Plumb, of Milton, remarked that such wonderful 

 accounts had been given of that pear orchard as to create a great 

 desire on his part to visit it. He had seen it a number of times, 

 and could say that the reports given of its fruitfulness and thrift 

 have not been exaggerated. The land was quite broken in its char- 

 acter; the soil was very poor; was not of sufficient strength to raise 

 cabbages. The surface soil was quite sandy but contained consid- 

 erable limestone in its formation; this rested on a subsoil of shale, 

 or what is usually called a clay subsoil. The location was high and 

 exposed, the highest of any point in that section, and there was no 

 shelter in any direction; but here the trees stood, in a blue grass 

 sod, yet hardy, thrifty and loaded with fruit. He was satisfied that 

 what had been done there could be dons in 10,000 places in "Wis- 

 consin. By the proper choice of soil and location, and the right 

 care, we can raise pears. He had no doubt but that much of the 

 broken land in Brown and Door counties, now regarded of but 

 little value, were well adapted to the growth of fruit. The fruit 

 ■on exhibition at the fair, from the northern part of the state, was 

 superior in fairness, in color and in quality to that from the south- 

 ern and middle portions. The difference seems to be greater this 

 season than usual, but this fact can be observed nearly every sea- 

 son, and seems to indicate that the further north fruit can be 

 grown the better the quality. He believed that in the northern 

 portions of the state, fruit will yet be successfully raised in many 

 locations which are now regarded as beyond the fruit bearing belt. 



Mr. Bennett said that many of the attempts in that section to 

 establish apple orchards had not been successful; many of the 

 trees had-been killed or seriously injured. Some varieties seem to 

 endure better than others. The apples brought from that section 

 for exhibition were mostly from an orchard owned by Mr. Cotton, 

 who had been as successful as anyone. His orchard stands in a 

 hard, white clay soil, commonly known as a white oak soil. Nearly 



