SUMMER MEETING. 101 



Currants fail with me on a sandy soil and in a southern exposure, 

 but succeed on a moist, clay soil. Do not set strawberries on ridges, 

 nor hill them up. Give them level culture. Much is gained by pro- 

 per fertilizing. 



The sprouts that appear on the trunk and branches of fruit trees 

 should be cut off as soon as seen, unless they are desired to take the 

 place of older limbs that are to be cut out ; they only serve to weaken 

 the tree. Do not trim the cherry tree unless it is absolutely necessary. 

 If too thick some of the branches will die out and thus thin themselves. 

 Cherries are injured more by pruning than any other tree. Plum and 

 pear trees also need but little trimming, whilst peach trees need more 

 than any tree that I know of. 



It is a great mistake nowadays not to study fruit-culture and to 

 gather up all the experience of fruit-growers to enable us to avoid 

 mistakes by taking advantage thereof. The consumption of fruit is 

 annually on the increase, and it is only by studying his work the pro- 

 ducer can keep pace with the demand, but in doing so he can make his 

 farm and home the dearest spot on earth both to himself and to every 

 member of his family. Jacob Faith. 



Geology in Horticulture. 



Geology and horticulture come together not merely upon scientific 

 grounds, not merely as a theory "found in the books," but the relation- 

 ship is of a thorough practical nature — so practical that every tiller of 

 the ground must answsr such questions as these: What is soil"? What 

 are the constituent elements of plants and trees'? What nourishment 

 do these require? Do all demand the same nourishment ! 



Nor does it require a scientific training in the books to answer 

 these questions, but close attention, patient experiment and careful 

 transcript of results. 



Prof. LeComte, the great American geologist, says: "All soils 

 (with the exception of the thin stratum of vegetable mould, which 

 covers the ground in certain localities) are formed from the disinteg- 

 ration of rocks; often it is difficult to trace every stage of gradation 

 between perfect rock and perfect soih The general effect of atmos- 

 pheric agencies is the disintegration of rocks and the formation of soil. 

 The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen with a small 

 quanity of watery vapor and carbonic acid. There are but few rocks 

 which are not gradually disintegrated under the constant chemical 

 action of the atmosphere. Chemical analysis always shows an evident 

 relation between the soil and the subjacent or country rock, except in 



