THE PENINSULA. FARMERS' CLUB. 453 



a practical entomologist, said, " Tell your people to quit lumberiug and go to 

 planting fruit trees, and then take care of the insects." 



I found in the library of the American Institute an excellent treatise by 

 him on curculio and codling moth. 



The question of best late keeping red apple for us to plant, I could not find 

 two men to agree upon. The Hubbardston Nonsuch is very popular at the 

 east among growers and dealers. Its season there is November to January: 

 whether it will keep here until May or June can only be determined by trial. 

 The Northern Spy, as a family apple, stands very high everywhere I went. It 

 did not withstand the railroad jarring on my trip any better than the Fall 

 Pippin, and but little better than the Belmont. With our water facilities for 

 transportation that may be no very great objection. The Baldwin, Eoxbury 

 and Golden Knssets, and Spitzenburg, stood carriage best; the Greening stood 

 well except some of the riper specimens. 



I could get no name for the apple called here — for want of a true name 

 : — Flushing Spitzenburg, nor for the apple called here Cogswell, Calvert, 

 Melon, etc. 



Mr. Downing seems to regard the Beurre d'Anjou as the best pear for gen- 

 eral cultivation ; thinks the Beurre Clairgeau too variable, excellent when it 

 does well, but risky; would advise planting Clapp's Favorite for an early pear, 

 both on account of quality and productiveness; says planters there are paying 

 more attention to pears now than to apples. He thought that Tewksbury Win- 

 ter Blush apple might be valuable to us to send long distances in the spring, 

 if it proves to be adapted to our locality. It is cultivated in some parts of 

 Pennsylvania. 



Mr. Ellwanger, of Rochester, thought we would not like it. They have 

 dropped the cultivation of it. 



Trees or scions can be had of Hooper, Brother & Thomas, West Chester, 

 Chester county, Penn. Though quite small it is handsome, and is "said to 

 have more juice and flavor than any other long-keeping variety." 



Every man who owns a copy of " Fruits and Fruit trees of America," will be 

 glad to hear that the author, though seventy-two years old, is full of life men- 

 tally, and is almost as good as new bodily; not living, as he said, on borrowed 

 capital, but on a gi)od constitution, strengthened by use and insured against 

 accident bv temperance in all things. 



CLOVER AND MR. GEORGE GEDDES. 



Old Mission, Feb. 11, 1874. 



Mr. Cartis opened the discussion of the evening with the following addres s 



How can we make our land productive ? 



To answer this question we should well consider the peculiarities of our soil. 

 Ours may, and I think does, need what others do not. The alluvial, or valley 

 soils of most countries, also the western prairie soils, are rich in decayed vege- 

 table matter — " /mmus," 1 believe it is called. In general terms such soils are 

 very productive. If in great excess they only produce such crops as are rank 

 feeders, such as corn and hemp. Other grains run to straw. When the 

 amount is moderate they grow all kinds of crops well. The addition of rege- 



