78 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



DISCUSSION. 



The effort to get up a discussion on the subject of the vegetable gar- 

 den failed. 



Mr. Elw anger (of New York) said that the apples called the Wythe 

 and the Stark were new to him, and he would be glad to hear something 

 about them. 



Mr. Hammond (of Warsaw), who has the apple called the Wythe, 

 gave its history, as he had often done in our meetings before. He re- 

 garded the apple as one of great promise. The tree is very productive 

 and hardy. The apple keeps well — say about with the Ben Davis ; good 

 quality. It is worthy of general dissemination. 



Mr. Edwards (of Mendota) said that he had fruited the Stark. It 

 is a better apple than the Ben Davis or Willow Twig. I planted 150 

 trees upon the recommendation of Aldrige, and have thus far no occasion 

 to regret my action. 



Mr. Bryant, Sr. — I have fruited the Stark this year for the first 

 time. It is a better apple than the Ben Davis. It has been said that it 

 is very productive, but such is not the case here ; it is not productive in 

 this part of the country. I have trees that were top-grafted eight and 

 nine years ago, that have not yet fruited. The trees that fruited this year 

 are small trees in the orchard. 



Prof. Standish said he would give his experience with this Stark 

 apple. Some four years ago, a gentleman came this way who praised 

 this apple. He said it was good early in the fall, and it was good 

 through the winter, and it was a late keeper. I fruited it this year for 

 the first time, and I must tell you how well I succeeded, and I must tell 

 you about my crop. I raised just one apple. The other day we tried it, 

 and we found it a fair eating apple. This tree bore three years from the 

 graft. This same gentleman who grafted my tree grafted many others in 

 this neighborhood, and my graft is the only graft of all that he put in 

 that grew. I do not know much about the apple, but it seems to me 

 that there is nothing in the flavor of the apple that I should particularly 

 recommend it above many other varieties that we have, 



Mr. Cochrane said the tree was tender with him. He had had it 

 in bearing for two or three years. 



Mr. Robison said that Dr. Warder speaks of it as hardy. 



Mr. Wier — I have seen the Stark in bearing from four to six years 

 old. We call the Ben Davis productive ; but the Ben Davis is not 

 .as productive as the Stark. The only trouble is that it drops its fruit. 



