SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. 187 



as we had last year. I tliiiik it a good suggestion to plant peach trees, 

 for you -will get fruit occasiouiilly that will Ite very good, much liet- 

 ter than you usually l)uy in the market. 



Mr. Minkler — It is iu)t the severe cold that kills peaches; it is 

 the condition trees are in when the frost comes. They will stand 

 lots of frost if in the proper condition. 



Question — What condition nmst they be in? 



Answer The wood should be moist and not dry, and well ma- 

 tured. 



Mr. Cotta — On the a[)j)le question I think we have at least 

 three varieties that we can plant with some surety, and we should 

 keep on experimenting with new varieties. I think that top-graft- 

 ing is a good thing. Something can be obtained by grafting tender 

 sorts on to hardy stocks. Last winter my Ben Davis, Willow Twig, and 

 others on common stocks, were killed, and I had to throw them on 

 the brush ]til('. while tlir same varieties I had grafted on crab stocks 

 were not hurt a particle, and I am consideral)ly encourage<l with top- 

 grafting. T appeal to all of my brother horticulturalists and every 

 one to keep on experimenting with new varieties. 



Mr. Kellogg — I think it would be better to top-graft on Duchess 

 in place of crab stocks. 



President Slade - I put out an orchard of one thousand trees 

 some years ago, and we top-grafted some of them. l)ut did not see as 

 it made much difference. I took great pains in setting the orchard 

 and it was a tine one, but is of no use now. There were not apples 

 enough on the one thousand trees this year to make one pie. We 

 want more than three varieties, and ought to keep on ex])erinuMiting 

 and try to increase the number. 



Mr. Bryant — I do not think that twenty-live varieties to plant 

 in an orchard was very far out of the way. I should not wiuit to 

 plant less tliau that many kinds for myself. Would cfi-taiuly want 

 more than five or ten kinds. 



Mr. Cotta— The nursery is the place to do top-grafting, and it 

 is practical. Any nurseryman can graft several thousand every year 

 and it will jiay them to do it. I have no troul)lH in getting tifty 



