8l5 State Horticultural Society. 



Garber did well. The Keiffer on our clay timber soil grows to perfection 

 here and is equal to a Bartlett for canning and eating if properly ripened. 

 The Keififer, like the would-be doomed Ben Davis, has been much abused, 

 but those who know them and want money in th.eir pocketbooks will 

 do well to plant both. 



TEARS — DISCUSSION. 



B. C. Auten. — I have nearly all the varieties mentioned and some 

 others. I have more success with the Dwarf than any other. 



Pres. Robnett. — I had some trees that grew for six years and then 

 died. Tliey will do fine for several years. 



Mr. Kemper. — Is new land good for pears? 



L. A. Goodman. — It depends on the sub-soil. It is no use to plant 

 without the proper sub-soil. 



Pres. Robnett. — I believe it is a good plan to let the sprouts grow. 

 I met a man who was a great pear grower and he said that he had a 

 tree planted in a fence corner that did not receive mucli attention, and 

 the sprouts grew. This tree did better than any in the orchard. I am 

 trying a tree that way and it is doing finely. 



THE PLUM. 

 (J. E. Thompson, Windsor, Mo.) 



This grand fruit is being sadly neglected, and we find ourselves up 

 against the proposition of whether we wall raise our own plums or pay 

 the people of California to do this for us, and *Sve pay the freight." 



The plum, to succeed best should be budded on plum roots. \Miile 

 some of our nurserymen for economy's sake will bud on peach roots, 

 yet I regard this as false economy. I greatly prefer ''plum on plum" 

 even at the greater cost. 



Location. — The soil shoukl be reasonably fertile, porous, and well 

 drained. Should be so cultivated that the water will not stand around 

 the roots of the growing tree. Then, too, let me suggest a thing to our 

 farmer friends: A good plum tree makes too expensive a hen roost 

 to be used for that purpose. Better use a goods box. Pardon this di- 

 gression, but I have seen so many fine plum trees ruined by this method 

 that I feel a word of warning is in good place. 



Culture. — Plant the tree not quite as deep as it grew in the nursery, 

 and then mound up well with dirt for six or eight inches around the body 

 of the tree. Hoe or plow Avell for the first three years. By this time 

 it should be well rooted so that you need only to keep the weeds closely 

 mown. Never mulch a tree after the fourth season. 



Varieties. — Among the Americans : Wild Goose still leads. It is 

 sour and the curculio loves it as a dainty morsel, yet its immense prolific 



