342 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



He had sown salt for the last three years on a part of his vines ; the por- 

 tion salted was free from strawberry worms, while other portions were 

 infested with them. Salt will kill red sorrel. He sows it in March; also 

 sows salt in March on ground which is to be planted with strawberries 

 the next month. 



Mr. Wier said he had grown strawberries for market many years. 

 His plan now is to set out and cultivate in rows for one year, then let 

 them run and occupy the ground one year ; then run a bull-tongue plow 

 through one way in such way as to root out strips of the vines ; afterward 

 alternate these strips by plowing up the old vines after the young ones 

 have occupied the previously cultivated strips. He finds it profitable to 

 grow some early variety, as the Iowa. 



PLUlds. 



On motion, it was voted to devote twenty minutes to discussing 

 Plums, and that no member should speak more than three minutes on 

 any one subject. 



Mr. Wier opened the discussion by speaking in praise of the Wild 

 Goose Plum — said it was hardy, of good size, although liable be stung by 

 the curculio, yet the larvae did not develop in it ; the tree was a good 

 bearer. 



Mr. McAfee recommended dwarfing the Hinkley by grafting on 

 roots of the wild plum. The cion will afterward take root, and thus the 

 tree stand on its own roots. 



Mr. Ellsworth has found the Hinkley tender at Naperville. 



Mr. Montague has stiff clay soil, but has had but one crop of plums 

 in ten years. The Hinkley (or Miner) did not bear with him. 



Mr. Scott said his experience in grafting on roots of wild plums 

 was similar to that of Mr. McAfee. 



Mr. Powell said Hinkleys drop when stung by the curculio, but 

 Lombards do not. 



Mr. Wier recommended grafting Wild Goose cions upon the side 

 roots of peach .seedlings. 



PEARS. 



Mr. Woodard recommended Flemish Beauty and Buerre d. Anjou. 



Mr. Montague has had better success with Flemish Beauty than any 

 other; it had never blighted with him, while Bartlett had. 



Mr. Douglas said his Bartlett trees did splendidly last year. The 

 Flemish Beauty used to be his favorite ; he had sold the crop from a 

 single tree for thirteen dollars. The Flemish Beauty had cracked, latterly, 

 and he had no good fruit of it. He thought well of Howell. 



Mr. McAfee said that an insect, said to resemble Walsh's plum 

 gouger, has been found to cause the roughness, or knotty appearance 

 of pears. 



