82 ANNUAL EEPORT 



Mr. Abemethy asked about the Harrison plum. Said his were not 

 bearing. Mr. Fuller replied that he had a tree seven years old, that 

 had fruited the past season for the first time. Mr. Jordan had the 

 same plum, but found that it was inferior to the Miner. Col. Stevens 

 said it was first introduced here by Wm. Harrison, of Minneapolis., 

 When first introduced, they were prolific bearers. The Miner is too 

 late for our climate. Think the DeSoto the best. They do not sprout 

 sufficiently to indicate that they are on their own roots, 



Mr, Underwood root grafts plum same as apple trees. Mr. Dart 

 propagates from pieces of root cut in two-inch lengths. Mr. Jordan 

 says he both root and top grafts plums, but the grafting must be done 

 early and very carefully. He does all grafting of plums before sap starts, 



Mr, Harris explained propagation by roots. He digs roots in the 

 fall and preserves them in dry sand in the cellar. In the spring he 

 cuts the roots into pieces two inches long, and plants them out under 

 glass, using saw-dust as mulch. 



Under discussion of seedling apples, Mr. Gibbs showed leaves and 

 wood of three varieties from Mr. Peffer, accompanied by the wood 

 from parent tree, to prove that by the leaf and wood the parentage of 

 a seedling can be traced, Mr, Jordan said he saw Mr. Forster's seed- 

 ling at Chatfield, and pronounced it about the same hardiness as 

 the Fameuse, He had grafted first cions from Pickett's seeding. Mr. 

 Pickett said this tree grew from seed of the Haas ; don't think it per- 

 fectly hardy. Said he did not think much of the Clawson seedling- 

 Said he had a fine hardy seedling, but the fruit is inferior, which proves 

 that we must try a great many before we get a good one, 



Mr. Gibbs said there were specimens of the wood of Mr. Forster'? 

 seedling, of three years' growth, on our tables. It showed Avell, better 

 than any Fameuse he had seen, and he thought it a variety Avorthy- of 

 trial. The quality was good, size and color not bad, and it was a keeper. 



Mr, Jordan said that he had most of Mr, Gideon's fruit. In answer 

 to a question regarding Mr, Gideon's new, wonderful seedling, he 

 thought it the Wealthy, but the tree was reported dead. 



Mr, Harris said the old original Wealthy was dead, but that a young 

 tree had sprung up from the roots and was rapidly making a ncAV tree. 



Discussion of the question " Where shall we draAV the line between 

 agriculture and horticulture," Mr. Grimes defined horticulture as refer- 

 ring to the culture of garden crops. His line would include all apples 

 and small fruits and garden vegetables. 



Mr. Harris thought that in our meetings for exhibition, we should 

 admit all garden vegetables and root crops. 



