168 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTUEE. 



to tell you about the prairies, for I liave not seen one for a number of years ; 

 But I know that in the timbered land we get finer fruit and more of it than 

 they do upon the ligliter soils. 



After you set your peach-trees plant it to corn the first year ; plant it to corn 

 the second year, and plant it to corn the third year, — in fact, plant it to corn- 

 until the trees starve out everything else. Corn will take the strength of 

 ground less than any other cereal. If you leave the stalks ujwn the ground 

 they will keep the snow from blowing off. As regards apples, there are other 

 varieties which are far better than the Baldwin, but this variety beats every- 

 tliing as far as yield is concerned, and they sell readily in the market. 



DISCUSSION.. 



Mr. Beckwith. — How about the Canada Eed? 



Dr. Bartholomew. — I am of the ojiinion that unless you have just the right 

 locality the Canada Eed don't pay. As a general thing, when they bear thickly 

 they have little, scabby, black spots upon them ; ' nd when you come to sell 

 them you can get only from 25 to 40 cents per barrel more than you can for 

 Baldwins. 



A voice. — What about the Northern Spy? 



Mr. Bartholomew. — They are a good apple, but not prolific bearers ; and I 

 have seen Northern Spy trees 24 years old that had their first croj). I have two 

 acres of Northern Spies, and of course I don't want any more. I have seen 

 Northern Sj^y grafts put into a large tree, and it was 13 years before it bore, 

 and then it had two apples. 



The Spitzenberg does jii'etty well on high clay ground, grafted into other 

 stocks. The Rambo is a very good apple, and will bear anywhere. 



Prof. Cook. — Have you tried the Rubicon? 



Dr. Bartholomew. — I have not tried it myself, but there are a few in the 

 neighborhood. It is a beautiful apple. 



J. R. Hendryx. — How about setting fruit trees in wheat stubble? 



Dr. Bartholomew. — I don't believe in setting trees in wheat stubble or any 

 other stubble save corn. I have noticed trees in corn grow twice as fast as iu 

 any other crop. 



Mr. Beckwith. — Do you ever mulch? 



Dr. Bartholomew. — Sometimes I have. It depends upon the power of the 

 soil to hold moisture. Trees need as much cultivation as a crop of corn. The 

 peaches I would recommend are the Foster, Hale's Early, Mountain Rose, and 

 the Crawford's Early and Late. I think a great deal of the latter variety, both 

 the early and late. I am not, myself, going to set any other varieties but the 

 four I have mentioned. 



Prof. Fairchild. — Is protection from western winds desirable in peach culture 

 on high places? 



Dr. Bartholomew. — I don't believe it is. If you have a boy, the more you 

 expose him to the weather and winds the stronger lie will be. I am not a very 

 feeble man, and I never wore an overcoat until last winter. I generally wear 

 ladies' cloth for garments, and I never carry a lantern nor an umbrella. I have 

 practiced medicine a great many years, as you all know. If a tree is shaken by 

 the wind it takes deeper root and grows stronger and healthier. 



Dr. N. D. Thomas then read the following essay on 



