24 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



late growth, which is liable to so stimulate the plant as to unfit it for winter. 

 Want of culture leads to paucity of moisture, the leaf falls and the wood goes 

 into winter immature. 



Mr. Lannin : A serious difficulty, indeed ; I would rather err toward the 

 side of culture. 



Several gentlemen here testified that sand stood the drouth best, and that 

 the premature leaf falling had been most largely on the clay. 



Mr. Satterlee : Is it good policy when a tree is weak in vitality to encourage 

 a sprout from near the root that shall eventually take the place of the tree? 



Mr. Thresher, Benton Harbor : The great difficulty with people in trying 

 to do anything of this sort is that they do not pay enough attention to the bal- 

 ance between root and branch. Often I have noted the fact when sprouts have 

 been trained up and the old shoot removed, that the growth was spongy and 

 unhealthy, and soon became a prey to insects. 



Mr. Lannin : Generally speaking it will not pay to cultivate a sprout. A 

 new tree had better receive the care and attention. 



Mr. Keynolds : After the severe winters early in the past decade I found it 



'necessary to train sprouts into trees in a great many cases. Numbers of my 



pear trees were killed to snow line and I utilized a sprout in building up a new 



tree. Some of my trees were even killed back the second time, and by this 



method I have succeeded in making very nice trees of them. 



Several gentlemen agreed with Mr. Keynolds that this could be done with 

 young trees, but doubted if it could be done profitably with large ones. 



Mr. Thresher: The most disastrous experience I ever had in fruit culture 

 was the result of planting new trees in places were old ones were killed out ; 

 but I have succeeded in growing very creditable trees from sprouts, even 

 although the old tree was a pretty large one. It needs good judgment and the 

 exercise of some skill, I admit, but I should be slow to plant a new tree when 

 I had a good, vigorous sprout to start with. 



Mr. Edgell : Above twenty years' experience has brought me to a different 

 conclusion. I have better luck in planting out new trees in place of old ones 

 than in training sprouts, but it requires judgment and the exercise of skill to 

 do this also. 



Mr. Lord : Before this discourse closes I wish to say that as an investigator 

 of trees that are low in vitality there is nothing I have found equal to salt as a 

 renovater. I can from my experience recommend it for this purpose. 



Dr. Winans: It is about noon, and a little salt would do us all good. I 

 suggest that we all repair to Grange hall and partake of salt and other things 

 there prepared for us. 



The society took a recess until two o'clock. 



Afternoon Sessio)i. 

 The first paper of the afternoon was given by Mr. H. J. Edgell on 



CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF GRAPES. 



In simple justice to myself, permit me at the outset to explain that what I 

 shall have to offer upon this tojnc is intended only for those unfortunate ones 

 who are just entering upon the business of grape growing and have everything 

 in relation to this interesting vocation to learn. I disclaim any intention what- 

 ever of offering advice to your veteran vine-growers of this section, many of 



