STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 313 



As to pears, he believed that they can be made to do well here, with 

 the right sort of care and management. He had seen, at the fairs and 

 Society meeting, pears from all sections of the ITnion, and he could say that 

 Illinois pears were equal to any. The California pears were larger and 

 handsomer, but wei'e not nearly equal in quality. He referred to JMr. 

 Mcchan's recommendation to allow pear trees to grow in sod — as V)eing 

 cooler by 20 degrees, and thus preventing a second growth of wood. 

 He believed that anything that will prevent a second growth will prevent 

 blight. 



Mr. Willis — In reply to the opinion of Mr. Chittenden on the failure 

 of the quince root, stated that he had, last fall, root-pruned all his dwarfs, 

 as well as standards, and had invariably found tfie quince roots to be 

 sound. 



The Secretary remarked that he had frequently before called attention 

 of the Society to the fact that nothing seemed to be settled. Pie read 

 some extracts from a report of proceedings of the Adams County Horti- 

 cultural Society, lately held, in which the non-ciilture and grass-sod 

 theory was advocated by certain members, and repudiated the idea in toto. 

 Talk of poor soil, and shallow culture, and sod, for fruit trees! As well 

 recommend them for corn. For his part he believed that good soil, and 

 deep and generous culture, was good for all kinds of fruit trees, as it was 

 for corn or any other crop. He believed it to be utter folly for us to be 

 drifting about in this manner. A year or two ago high culture was the 

 cry. Deep tillage was the theory recommended by these men. Well, 

 they planted pears, and they applied deep culture, and for some cause 

 their pears have not answered their expectations. So they jump to a 

 conclusion — good culture has done it I I don't believe a word of it. 

 One man's trees in the dooryard sod have done well; have liad no blight. 

 Now I have a tree that blighted badly last season. Good culture did not 

 cause it, for it had none for three or four years. Sod did not prevent 

 blight, for it stood in blue-grass sod. I don't pretend to put forth a theo- 

 ry about pear-blight; I have none; but I do adhere still to the doctrine, 

 and maintain that it is a sensible one, that deep culture and tilth are 

 necessaiy among pear trees, or apple trees, or trees of any kind, although 

 I have not practiced it as I have desired. 



Mr. Willis referred to an old pear orchard at Riverside, whose owner 

 has been absent for several years, and consequently the trees have had no 

 culture, and stand in grass sod. Yet these trees are doing badly — are 

 dying, and are badly blighted. He also mentioned another young 

 orchard in deep sandy soil, and on side-hill bluft", with good natural 

 drainage. These had received moderate cultivation. The blight is there 

 also. 



Mr. Brill suggested, that in Germany, the healthiest pear trees were 

 seedlings. 



Mr. Hathaway — Had blight in apple trees. Blighted in poor soil, 

 and near hog-pen and manure heap; moderation is desirable; moderate 

 culture — not too much, nor too little, is doubtless best. What does root- 

 pruning do.^ If it checks growth of wood, and induces fruiting, why 



