FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 89 



inch of soil over all the plants. Break up the ground two or three inches 

 deep between the rows and go over it all crosswise with the weeding 

 machine till all is reduced to a fine dust. Moisture will again quickly 

 collect under the loose earth and dust even in the dryest time, and 

 subsequent cultivation between the rows will maintain a vigorous 

 growth until freezing ends it. 



I am aware that many people regard this as too much fussing, but if 

 they will take a careful inventory of the work performed, they will find 

 these methods put the expense account far below the old way of doing 

 things, while the cash results will be found much more than doubled. 

 There is no use of producing fancy fruit unless you let people know you 

 have it and make your offerings to those who can appreciate a good 

 thing. Always put your label on fancy fruit in such a way that it will 

 be a guarantee of quality and quantity. Arrange to sell direct to 

 families or to some one dealer, and always label fruit so people will look 

 for your brand. 



If you have a really meritorious article and present it to people in 

 proper shape, you will always be short of supplies. The present and 

 pressing demand is for fruit of the highest grade and the people are 

 anxious and willing to richly reward the person who can furnish it, and 

 will anxiously wait for your coming. 



DISCUSSION. 

 LED BY THOMAS WILDE, HERRINGTCN. 



Mr. Kellogg said that their apple trees, two years ago, bloomed so they 

 couldn't bear. I have found the diflSculty to be pollen weakness, and 

 that seems to be his great trouble. I have seen the time when the bees 

 swarmed among the apple blossoms, and there wasn't any pollen weak- 

 ness then and the trees were set too full ; they had to be picked off. As 

 far as some of his methods are concerned, I have nothing to say against 

 them, he is all right. 



I thank the College for the bulletins, for they contain a vast amount of 

 information, and the progressive man who tries to get all the improve- 

 ments will find plenty of frauds. One of my neighbors sent for "pedi- 

 gree" Wilson strawberries, supposed to be a sport of the old Wilson 

 and a great improvement. But be received in return the same old 

 played-out Wilson. Was there any sport about that? He said he had 

 no doubt of it. 



We have heard some most ridiculous statements about pollen weak- 

 ness compared to seminal weakness in animals. Such comparisons are 

 an outrage upon nature. The future would be dismal indeed if the male 

 sex of plants, which is the sole custodian of the embryo that is to be 

 transmitted to the future race, should have such a weakness. We never 

 find male weakness in plants; the finite law is so strongly guarded to 

 perpetuate its kind that it is lavishly provided from one hundred to ten 

 thousand times more strong and potent pollen than is needed to impreg- 

 nate the ovules of its kind. All the bi-sexual plants are rich in pollen. 

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