DISCUSSIONS AT SOUTH HAVEN. 353 



here twenty years and raised seventeen successive crops of peaches. They 

 needed thinning, and some of his trees each year broke down for want of it. 



Mr. J. Lannin said he planted sixty pear trees five years ago; was inexperi- 

 enced, and did not cultivate them much, and they did poorly the first two years ; 

 but the last three years he had learned to cultivate them properly, and they had 

 done finely. A year ago last spring he planted two hundred and sixty pear 

 trees on a piece of ground from which he had grown the previous year thirty- 

 two bushels of Soule's wheat per acre. 



Mr. A. S. Dyckman gave his method of cultivating a peach orchard to be 

 early deep plowing, about five inches deep, bearing out the plow on approach- 

 ing the trees; afterwards constant light cultivation, with a double cultivator, 

 until the peaches began to ripen. He hoed about the trees where the cultivator 

 did not reach. The dryer the weather, the more need of frequent cultivation. 

 In plowing, he noticed whether the ground had been left deepest near the trees, 

 or in the center, by previous working, and regulated the depth accordingly. 



Mr. S. M. Howell, of Pier Cove, favored early thorough cultivation. He 

 plowed very late in the fall, or very early in the spring, and then light cultiva- 

 tion through the early part of the season. 



Mr. D. C. Loveday had made examination of his peach trees. On young 

 trees set three years he found fully two-thirds of the buds alive ; of Hale's 

 Early, Early Barnards, and Keyport Whi+^^e, he found nineteen buds good to 

 three bad; most of the dead ones were near the ends of the twigs, while the 

 terminal buds were all right. He cultivated his apple orchard so as to pasture 

 hogs in it to eat up wormy fruit; cultivated as far as the branches extended, 

 and seeded strips between the rows to clover. 



Mr. Histed said that in his soil, a clay loam, increased cultivation blighted 

 his pears and quinces. 



Mr. D. C. Loveday believed in thorough cultivation ; has not cultivated suffi- 

 ciently to see any effects of blight; soil, clay loam; prunes apples and pears in 

 June, does not use wax on thrifty trees; prunes peaches in the spring, and late 

 in the fall ; plows after the leaves fall, and thinks fall plowing a great benefit 

 to the soil — it also destroyed the cut-worm ; others questioned it, and the 

 matter was referred to our able Entomologist. 



President N. Phillips called upon the Secretary to read Prof. Cook's letter of 

 acceptance. After thanking us for the honor conferred upon him in the ap- 

 pointment of Entomologist, he says: "I shall be most happy to do what I 

 can for you in the Entomological line, and will, if able, name and give habits 

 ©f any insects sent to me, and will advise with you as to the best remedies, if 

 noxious. I hope the members of your Society will be very free to send me insects 

 in whose natural history they feel any interest. Insects may be sent by mail 

 in a close tin box ; no provision for air need be made, nor for food if the insect 

 is in its last stage ; if in the larvae or worm condition, put in the box some of 

 the fresh foliage which serves as its food. Care is requisite to furnish the 

 leaves on which it has been observed to feed. Full accounts should also be 

 sent of all the observations made, kind of food, general habits, etc." 



On the resumption of the discussion Mr. A. S. Dyckman said he understood 

 that early pruning was for wood and late pruning for fruit; would not fall 

 plow peaches on account of the liability of starting the sap in a warm spell; 

 increases the cultivation in summer, as the dry weather increased; would stop 

 cultivation as the different varieties of peaches ripen. 



Mr. C. H. Wigglesworth would plow peaches early in spring, and cultivate 



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