74 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



course owners of commercial orchards ought to have such conveniences 

 of their own. They could afford it too, for the reason that later in the 

 season the fruit would bring higher prices, and therefore need not be 

 forced upon the market when prices are low and buyers are few. 



PEARS. 



A few varieties do well in St. Louis county, notably the Bartlett, 

 Duchess and Seckel. The crop was very large, especially of the last 

 named sort, and not being thinned out while growing, there were too 

 many small ones. Mr. Geo. Gill, my dear friend and neighbor, sold the 

 finest Bartletts, select and free from blemish, for one dollar a bushel. 

 All he could obtain for the Seckels was thirty- five cents per bushel. 

 They proved their character by hanging on the trees until fit to eat. 

 Buerre Bosc and Swan's Orange did fairly well last season. 



THE ROOT-LOUSE. 



When, years ago, I bought my trees of my old friend and neighbor, 

 J. J. Kelley, the roots of one of the trees were found to be full of root- 

 lice. If I remember correctly the roots were treated to a hot bath and 

 the tree planted in a separate corner by itself. It is yet as vigorous as 

 any of the others of the same variety, and bore perhaps the finest fruit. 



VEGETABLES. 



Horticulture, of course, embraces the cultivation of a vegetable 

 garden, and what adds more to a toothsome and wholesome diet than 

 fine, quickly grown vegetables? As here I am offering my own experi- 

 ence only, I shall confine myself to the varieties found in my own gar- 

 den this last season. To start at the beginning, the soil must be rich 

 and in good tilth. One must be sure of good and reliable seed. 



Of radishes we had the olive-shaped, both white and red, and long 

 scarlet. I made three plantings, all of which were very good. 



Asparagus needs warm weather, and ours was good when we did 

 get it, and then lasted through May and part of June. I am still of 

 opinion that the low cut is the tenderest and sweetest, but it needs 

 paring before it is cooked and placed on the table, then all will be edi- 

 ble and there will be no stumps. Mammoth size depends more on fer- 

 tilizers and good cultivation than on variety. 



Peas. — My experience with this general favorite for the last two or 

 three seasons has been that the so-called wrinkly sorts — and by the 

 way, the most delicious when you can get them — viz.: the Champion of 

 England, Eugenia, Harrison's Glory, Rural New Yorker, etc., have their 

 vitality greatly impaired perhaps by some chemicals used to destroy 

 the pea weevil (bruchus pisaj. Obtained seed froom different sources, 



