Winter Meeting. 159 



the ground. Especially is this true of the clay soil. In the loess soil 

 there was more gall on the short grafts. In the aggregate there was 

 far more gall in the clay soil than in the loess. 



HOW TO GROW BIG FRUIT FOR THE WORLD'S FAIR. 

 (Jacob Faith, Montevallo, Mo.) 



I have succeeded in growing very large fruit, nearly double its 

 natural size. 



Strawberries. — Select from the large varieties the largest and 

 best plants, cut off the fruit stems, leaving the largest one, pinch out 

 the blossoms and smallest berries, leaving two to four of the largest 

 ones, and cut off all runners ; cut out all plants within about i6 inches ; 

 mulch 3 to 5 inches with straw or hay half rotted ; set on each side 

 a tin can with small holes punched in the bottom ; fill the cans about 

 half full of well rotted manure ; cleanings from the hen-house are 

 best; then fill the cans full of water every day or two; thus the water 

 leaks through the manure to the roots. All plants, vines and trees 

 can be watered with manure liquid, water that has run through the 

 manure. 



Raspberries and Blackberries. — Select largest canes; cut off all 

 canes within 3 to 4 feet and have the ground mellow; mulch 3 to 5 

 inches thick; I use half-rotten manure. Water every three to four 

 days; manure liquid best; cut off all new canes or shoots as soon as 

 they come up. When in bloom or the berries are quite small, pinch 

 off about three-fourths. 



Tree Fruits — Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Cherries and Oth- 

 ers. — Select trees of healthy growth, cultivate well, have ground mel- 

 low as far as the limbs extend ; mulch and water as described for 

 raspberries and blackberries. When the fruit is about one-third 

 grown, select the limbs that have the best fruit, pick off all the fruit 

 except two or three. Furthermore, the size can be increased by 

 twisting a wire around the limbs just below the fruit. This checks 

 the downward flow of sap, thus preserves the sap and throws the food 

 back and the fruit appropriates it, causing an abnormal growth and 

 <i quicker growth and ripening. 



Committees were appointed as follows : 



Finance. — T. H. Todd, New Franklin; H. Schnell, Glasgow: W. T. 

 Flournoy, Marionville. 



