24 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of four feet and it looks now as though the union is good and will be al- 

 most perfect. 



Mr. Farrand — Although I never had any experience in budding or 

 grafting pears, I don't see why it would make any difference, whether 

 the new growth came from a bud or from a scion. 



Mr. Eustace — I was very much interested in these trees that Mr. Bas- 

 sett tested. They did not look promising at all. The union was a gi*eat 

 coarse affair and when they get a good load of fruit I know the tension 

 will be very great and tliere will be trouble. It is the opinion of many 

 that Kieffer stock is a poor one on which to graft. I know, however, that 

 there are a great many Kieffer trees that have been planted in Michigan 

 Avith the intention of working them over to Bartletts and the result will 

 be watched with interest. 



Mr. Smythe — I have a neighbor who tried budding, but I believe he 

 turned it down. 



A Member — I grafted some Lawrence and some Kieffer, the Kieffers are 

 the best, better than what I put on the Lawrence. 



Q. WJiat did you graft on the Kieffer? 



A. Lawrence. 



Q. How did they come out? 



A. The Kieffer did the better of the two. 



Q. What about the union ? 



Ans. — It is strong, though bungling. 



Mr. Farrand — While everything looks as though it would be all right 

 now, have any of the ti'ees broken down with crop? 



Member's answer — I did have some that broke down but they broke 

 above the union and not at the union. 



A Member — I have had a little experience in grafting different varie- 

 ties on Kieffers, I was abroad three years ago and brought back some 

 stock with me. This I grafted on the Kieffer but the graft did all right, 

 although as yet, they have not borne fruit. 



Mr. Smythe — My experience with foreign fruit is that it is so very 

 poor that it would grow good on any pear. (Laughter.) 



A Member — I would like to ask Mr. Bassett what age his Kieffer was 

 when grafted. 



Mr. Bassett — About four years. 



Q. I would like to ask why it is that we haven't had as much blight 

 during the last three or four years as previously. 



A Member — I think that we have had more, at least in our section. 



Mr. Smythe — I would like to hear from Mr. Fritz on this question of 

 blight. 



Mr. Fritz — I do not know of any other way to keep the blight out 

 than to cut it out, and I go through my orchards and look very carefully 

 for every evidence of blight, and where I see it, or even suspect it, I cut 

 the affected part out and am careful to cut it far enough below the ap- 

 pearance of the blight to insure absolutely that it is all cut out. 



Mr. Smythe — I wish flint fruit growers did tilings as thoroughly as 

 you do. 



Mr. Farrand — I would like to ask Mr. Sherwood what varieties he 

 would plant, if he should plant another orchard. 



Mr. Sherwood — I lost eighty per cent of my Bartletts, attributed to 

 excessive trimming and over fertilization, but I go below St. Joe on the 



