304 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



My experience with pears has been limited and not particularly^ 

 successful. Our trees suffered from blight two years ago, and have 

 never become thrifty. Although not in prime condition, we had some 

 very fine pears this fall. Our favorites are Seckel, Sheldon and Bart- 

 lett. We have Duchess and Keiffer, but they have never fruited. 



The free-stone Damson gives best satisfaction and is most sala- 

 ble. One Siberian crab and one quince are desirable for jellies and 

 pickles. Apricots with us have proved a " delusion and a snare." 

 They are thrifty, symmetrical, beautiful trees, but leave nothing but 

 leaves. 



The next luxury that has become a necessity, the grape, is so uni- 

 versally grown and enjoyed that " little may I grace its cause in speak- 

 ing for it." For me nothing can rival the matchless old Concord* 

 Moore's Early and Worden are good, and as a white, Niagara suits me. 

 There are several very desirable varieties where one has room for a 

 number of vines, but for a small place I prefer to stick to the old true 

 and tried Concord as a main dependence. 



Apples ? I, for one, would profit by the experience of our ma- 

 ternal ancestress of ages ago. 



Let the " head-of-the-house" provide his own apples. Buy them 

 of Brother Boucher or some other brother. Then, if he gets a core in 

 his throat, he can't point his thumb over his shoulder at me and say r 

 "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave of the tree» 

 and I did eat." 



I would leave apples to orchardists (unless it would be one Early 

 Harvest, or red June for the little people). 



Mrs. H. V. Estill, Moberly. 



SAP MOVEMENT IN PLANTS. 



It is remarkable how many vague notions prevail regarding the 

 "rise" and "fall" and "flow" of sap in trees as the expression goes. It 

 is still more remarkable how nearly correct some of these notions are 

 and how correctly experience has taught the cultivator to apply methods 

 of treatment that bear a direct relation to this so-called "mysterious 

 movement of sap in plants." Comparatively few cultivators of fruit- 

 trees have ever gained a thorough understanding of the relation of 

 root, stem and leaves in drinking in and digesting the crude or raw sap 

 and in distributing it to the growing parts of the tree. Nevertheless, 

 the skillful orchardist is able to successfully graft, bud, prune, to in- 

 crease the size of his grapes, peaches and other fruits by girdling the 



