THE PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB-DISCUSSIONS. 85 



Mr. Brinkman — I believe seedlings budded will be as large in one year as 

 in three years root-grafted. 



Mr. Curtis — I am thoroughly satisfied that there are some varieties, like 

 Steel's Red, that are advisable to raise that we cannot get in nurseries, that are 

 large enough to set. Now, what is to be done? You grow the Ben Davis in 

 three years large enough to set in the orchard; and then you have got some- 

 thing to graft on, and I have good reason to believe that the roots will help us 

 a great deal. Now, which is the best way to graft, in the limbs, or body? 



Mr. Avery — In 1862 I had some grafted four feet from the ground, and 

 they made such a growth that I lost the most of them the following year by 

 breaking off. 



Mr. Parmelee — I think that to be the way to raise Steel's Red. Suppose 

 you have Ben Davis, or some other good-growing variety; the roots will be 

 large, and if we graft a slow-growing variety on it, it will liave the influence of 

 those roots to make it grow. I have seen Steel's Eed growing and bearing, 

 and doing as well as other varieties. I would prefer to graft in the limbs as 

 soon as they are as large as the thumb. 



Mr. Brixkman — I do not think there is any danger of Steel's Red winter- 

 killing. 



Mr. W. Parmelee — I do not think there is any danger of any tree winter- 

 killing here if the wood is well ripened in the fall. 



Mr. E. Wait — I had rather put two scions in a stock; then if one should 

 die the other might live; if both should live, cut one of them off. 



Mr. Gray — Docs the stock of the seedling have any influence on the fruit? 



Mr. Curtis m.entioned the circumstance of the Spitzenberg changing into a 

 sweet apple mentioned at the last meeting of the Club. 



Mr. Savage — I have heard many stories in regard to changing fruits that 

 facts will not warrant, among Avhich is one of splitting the buds of a sweet 

 and sour variety and inserting them in such a manner that they will unite. It 

 is said that each apple grown on that tree will be half sweet and half sour. 

 Another one is to split a cherry tree from the terminal bud to the root, scrape 

 out the pith of the tree and put it together again, and the cherries grown on 

 that tree will have no pits, — and many other stories equally absurd. Such 

 €tories have been told until some people believe them to be true. 



Mr. Parmelee — The Tulpahocken — or Fallawater it is sometimes called — is 

 ■a very thrifty-growing tree. I have seen it in St. Joe in many orchards, and 

 they are invariably the largest tree in the orchard. Mr. Stone has one of 

 them in his orchard. 



Mr. Brinkman — The best growing tree in nurseries that I have seen is the 

 Sweet Pear. I think Greening grafted on that would make a straight tree. 



Mr. Parmelee enquired of Mr. Porter if his Wagener trees bore much this 

 year. 



Mr. Porter — They did not bear more than specimens. They have borne 

 with me only every other year. They bore a good crop last year and I think 

 kept some better than Baldwin. Jonathan and Baldwin kept about alike. 

 Golden Russ^et and Rose Russet kept about equally. The Limber Twig will 

 keep all summer, but are shy bearers ; they bear on the ends of the limbs. 



Mr. Avery — They are like the boy's horse: hard to catch and good for 

 nothing after he is caught. 



Mr. Parmelee — The Vandevere Pippin is a very valuable variety. The 

 apple is as smooth as the Maiden's Blush, not subject to the moth, and is very 



