SUMMER MEETING. 97 



The Mahaleb, or European Bird cherry, is largely employed as a stock ou 

 which all classes are worked for the purpose of dwarfing; although we have 

 failed to discover any very marked effect of this character from its use; unless, 

 at the same time, shortening the annual growths, and perhaps root pruning, 

 are resorted to in aid of this object. 



The Duke varieties, and even the Mazzards, are, occasionally, also worked 

 upon Morello stocks for this purpose, with the effect to perhaps slightly im- 

 prove their hardiness, and at the same time to increase their productiveness. 



If we except the plum, the cherry is perhaps more difficult of propagation 

 than any other of our more common fruits; hence, more or less experience is 

 well nigh indispensable to even a moderate degree of success. 



A note was read from Mr. J. J. Harrison, of Painesville, Ohio, in which he 

 remarked : 



" Should my advice be asked by a planter for home use, I should recommend 

 four or five sour to one sweet ; even where the sweet sorts thrive. Mrs. Harri- 

 son would put up a dozen cans of the acid sorts to one of the Hearts or Bigar- 

 reaus." 



President Lyon spoke of the excellence of the sweet cherry for culinary pur- 

 poses. 



Prof. Cook endorsed what the President had said, and added that they were 

 excellent for canning. 



Secretary Garfield reported his experience with low branch trees, and recom- 

 mended them because the fruit could be picked so much more readily. 



President Lyon said the cherry could not succeed on cultivated ground, used 

 for other crops. He always found that a lot of suckers came up when the 

 ground was cultivated, and the roots broken by the plow, while in grass they 

 were always healthy and free from suckers. 



Upon the topic 



BIRDS AND CHERRIES. 



Prof. James Satterlee took up for the birds, advocating that in most cases the 

 birds fairly earned all the cherries they took. The only exception he would 

 make to this statement was that of the Cherry bird, or Waxwing. 



The birds are with us through the season, and to one who studies their 

 habits closely there can only be admiration for the work they do for the farmer 

 and horticulturist. We are too apt to judge them by the toll they gather. 



He had no sympathy with the shotgun policy, the result of which was the 

 breaking of the balance which should be preserved between insect and bird 

 life. 



He spoke eloquently of the hardening influence upon children of the policy 

 of destroying these tiny creatures which add so much to the pleasure of living 

 in this world, and thought we could not afford to cast our influence on the 

 side of life destruction, where the compensation was at least problematical. 



Messrs. Cook and Lyon followed in warm support of Prof. Satterlee, while 

 some others argued that it was impossible, in case the birds are saved, to plant 

 enough for them and us. Senator Hewett, of Hillsdale, followed with a plea for 

 the roadside planting of cherries for the children and the birds. He was satis- 

 fied that by proper school instruction this could be made a success. He had 

 practically demonstrated it in the case of his own farm. 



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