J2I4 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



are getting fruit at the expense or sacrifice of the vitaUty of the 

 tree, you are eating your cake too soon. 



The President : It seems to me Prof. Hansen has given us the 

 scientific aspect of the subject in good shape, and I am at a loss 

 to know how to get at this matter more definitely without taking 

 a vote. 



Mr. O. F. Brand : There is a ripening process going on in the 

 trees the latter part of August, September and even October. 

 These thoughts that I have expressed here were drawn out by 

 Mr. Andrews' paper which dealt largely with the bearing orchard, 

 the older orchard, that is what I had reference to, cutting out large 

 limbs. Now, these men are begging the question who are going 

 to prune when their knives are sharp. 



Mr. Elliot : I move you, Mr. President, that we take a vote 

 on this subject, and I suggest that we make four divisions as to 

 months. 



The Secretary : The whole discussion will go into the Horti- 

 culturist, and there is as much divergence of opinion as there are 

 people in this audience, and it would be almost impossible to get 

 a vote that would be a guide to the people who read our publica- 

 tions. If they read this discussion and then read the vote after- 

 ward I think they would be still more confused. 



Mr. Yahnke : I think this is a very important matter and 

 we must not say anything that would tend to mislead the people. 

 Our magazine is looked upon as an authority. We do not want 

 •one man's idea tO' go out as the sentiment of this society, and I 

 think it would be better if we did not vote at all. We have about 

 all given our ideas on this subject of pruning, and these ideas will 

 go out to the people through our magazine, and now let the people 

 test this thing for themselves. 



A'Ir. Probstfield : I do not believe in committing this organiza- 

 tion to any particular method or manner of doing a thing, whether 

 it be in the orchard, farm or garden. I was just telling Mr. 

 Philips that I trim my trees at all times of the year except in the 

 spring and winter. I do not recommend that to professional 

 orchardists or even tO' farmers, but there have been a number of 

 ideas and theories advanced here, and this discussion will all go 

 in the record so that everybody may read it, and then let every- 

 body pick out what suits his condition or fancy best. They will 

 not follow it, anyway. (Laughter.) 



"One of my neighbors found it very profitable to tie small paper sacks 

 about the bunches of grapes when they began to form. This kept the insects 

 from stinging the grapes and seemed to prevent them from rotting. It was 

 almost marvelous to see what perfect bunches of grapes had grown inside the 

 sacks and how long they clung to the vines in a perfect state. He gathered 

 grapes after mine, of the same variety, were all gone. A little car along thesee 

 lines will make a small vineyard vvery profitable.''' 



