Siiiiiir.cr Meetino. 23 



'C5 



Mr. Tippin. — I think we need a soil that retains moisture, but not a 

 soil that retains water like a basin. It is what we have to have in our 

 State. 



Secy. Goodman. — I think the best subsoil is soil mixed with gravel, 

 and when we have these extensive rains, the rain sinks through the gravel 

 and in the dry weather the water comes up. The trees in this soil do 

 not suffer in dry weather, while the trees in the upland and in the river 

 bottoms suffer and have to be cut over and over to be saved. A joint 

 clay which will allow the water to sink through and in the dry weather 

 to come up is the best. The low places that hold water are not fit to 

 plant orchards in. 



Mr. Nelson. — During the drought I set out four thousand trees. 

 We hauled dirt to plant these trees in. I planted in May and they had 

 no water until October, and out of the four thousand I did not lose two 

 hundred trees. I planted in the red clay subsoil. 



C. H. Dutcher. — From what county did Mr. Nelson ship his dirt? 



Mr. Nelson. — From Laclede county, the banner county of the State. 



Mrs. Dugan. — Do you consider rolling land superior to prairie land 

 as a rule? 



Secy. Goodman. — Yes, much better. 



N. Engle. — I have trouble with blight. I do not know what it 

 is. Sometimes it starts on the body; sometimes on the limb and event- 

 ually the tree dies. Will this preparation that the gentleman spoke of 

 have any effect on the disease, or is the disease known? Will it do to 

 plant trees where these trees have died ? 



W. H. Benedict. — I do not whitewash that way. I use a spray pump. 

 I do not think that such diseases would be cured by this. It comes from 

 the soil. 



Mr. Engle. — I have it in good soil ; has good under drainage, gravel 

 underneath. Still, my trees died. The bark turned black. Sometimes 

 it begins on the side of the tree and get larger and larger until it kills 

 the tree. 



Mr. Todd. — In regard to this blight, we have concluded that it is 

 nothing more than what is called sun scald. A hard winter will cause 

 the bark to crack and the blight comes around the crack when the sun 

 shines on it. It hardly ever occurs high up in the branches. I do not 

 think the tree is susceptible to this when this preparation is used. 



Pres. Robnett. — The whitewash will no doubt help the tree resist 

 the sun. Are your trees headed high? 



Mr. Engle. — My trees are headed about the height of a man. 

 Secy. Goodman. — I think he has two troubles. One the body blight, 

 the same as the pear blight. It is the result of injury, perhaps, or the 



