WINTER MEETING. 263 



Lot No. 49— R. J. J'.agby. New Haven $1 25 



50— x\rk. State Society :•< 00 



" 51— R. P. Ralson, Cairo .' '-iS 



" 52— D. G. Day, (Jalro 50 



53— J. 0. Kvans, Cairo 50 



We And an exhibit of potatoes from Wisconsin consisting of 98 plates— 30 seedlings of 

 this season, 14 seedlings of last season. Among the most promising varieties we find the 

 following, which seem to be worthy of trial In Missouri : 



Mills Prize, Great Dlnld, Enormous, Rural New Yorker Xo. 2, Wilson, first choice; for 

 early, Early Michigan; Read's Karly Pinkeye, Maule's Early Thoroughbred. 



We would recommend the payment of $10 as a premium on this potato exhibit, paya- 

 ble to L. H. Read, Grand Rapids, Wis. 



J. \V . Stantox, Illinois, Chairman. 



Report adopted. 



THE KEIFPER AND OTHER VARIETIES OF PEARS. 



The popularity of the KeiflFer is owing mainly to its ease of trans- 

 plantiDg, quickness of growth, prolific and early bearing, but it is not 

 altogether free from blight, as was claimed for it. Being of the rankest 

 growth, the more care should be exercised to plant the trees in situa- 

 tions where this can be prevented. 



The place to plant the Garber, and in fact, all other varieties of 

 pair trees, would be on well-drained sites. Small crops can be grown 

 among the trees, especially such as will mature in the fore part of the 

 season; when not planted to any crop a shallow plowing should be 

 given in May. A week or ten days after the ground may be harrowed, 

 and later the weeds and grass may be cut with the mower, which will 

 answer for mulch. 



It has been our practice always to. head the pear very low ; the 

 Garber and Keiffer require this more than others ; the rampant growth 

 and extreme brittleness of wood will not sustain the weight of fruit. 



The Duchess needs much pruning, as also the Clairgeau, which 

 needs the sun to perfect and color its fruit. 



Thinning is of the greatest importance ; the imperfect fruit should 

 be removed from the tree. 



The varieties we should plant are Clapp's Favorite, Bartlett, 

 Duchess, D'Anjou, Flemish Beauty, Howell, Winter Nelis, Clairgeau, 

 KeifiFer, Bonne Louise de Jersey, for commercial use; for home use, 

 would add Doyenne d' Ete, Rosteejer, Tyson and Seckel. 



J. A. DusKES, Weston, Mo. 



PEAR CULTURE. 



There is an opening for the intelligent pear cnlturist in many parts 

 of the United States. There is not a one hundredth part as many pear 

 trees growing in this country as there are apples. Little attention has 



