INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 187 



Mr. Clore: I am not a member of the association, but it strikes me 

 tliere is something lacking in this meeting. I don't like to hear these old 

 fellows talking about Illinois beating us, or Ohio, or other States. That 

 hits me hard. There is no reason ^yhy we can not compete with any 

 State. It has always been the opinion that Illinois can beat us on corn, 

 but it has been demonstrated that it can not. It strikes me your asso- 

 ciation needs more Yankees. Go after these fellows and quit talking. 



Prof. Troop: Last week I was down through Jefferson County.. As 

 I went down the road, corn on one side was twenty-five bushels to the 

 acre, right across the road the corn was good seventy-five bushels to the 

 acre, on the same kind of soil exactly. What ninde the difference? In 

 another place I saw an orchard that was loaded down with apples; trees 

 had more than they ought to carry. An orchard right across the road 

 on the same kind of soil exactly had none on it. Was that the fault of 

 the conditions or the man? 



President Stevens: This is a most interesting and vital subject to 

 fruit growers, but we have an extensive program and we must hasten to 

 oiu" next topic which is, "Possibilities of Pear Growing on a Commercial 

 Scale in Indiana." As I am the first on this sub.1ect I'll request Vice- 

 President E. P. Davis to take the chair. 



POSSIBILITIES OF PEAR CULTURE IN INDIANA. 



BY W. W. STEVENS, SALEM. 



I would be conservative on the possibility of pear growing in Indiana. 

 We know it is possibilities that lead us on. It is the possibility of win- 

 ning .$10,000, the capital lottery prize, that causes men to spend $100 

 in order to get it. 



If we can impress upon the people the possibilities of apple culture 

 and show them what can l)e done, it will cause them to investigate the 

 matter and try their hand along these lines. If we hold up to view the 

 possibilities, we may lie sure that enough will imitate our example or 

 follow our steps. Now, in the line of pear growing, my experience has 

 not been such that I can give any very striking results, but knowing a 

 few individuals in my vicinity that have had long experience, I asked 

 them something of the possibilities of pear culture in southern Indiana. 

 One old German, who is one of our Ijest pear growers, was consulted, 

 and while he had but a few- trees I learned from him that he had accom- 

 plished the following results: His trees were eighteen j^ears old; they 

 began bearing when they were four years old, and with one exception, 

 had borne continuous crops. The largest crop he had received from one 



