HORTICl'LTUKAL VENTURES, WISE AND OTHERWISE. I4I 



for the Weaver for fruiting purposes had abated considerably. My 

 friend. Jo. Wood, had been growing the Weaver some twelve years 

 with the advantages of having it surrounded by other varieties of 

 plums, and he also had several swarms of bees. During all of this 

 time he only got one crop of Weavers, which was undersized and 

 did not sell well in competition with other varieties. 



The Weaver is healthy, thrifty and unproductive, just what I 

 wanted for stock to top-work and increase the size of my many 

 choice varieties of plums for exhibition purposes. Six years ago 

 we bought and set out twenty of these Weaver trees, not expecting 

 much fruit, and we have not been disappointed in that respect. 

 Three 3'ears ago we began to top- work them. The spring of 1903, 

 blossom and twig blight struck every one of those Weaver plum 

 trees and nearly killed them, and I have doubts if they will ever re- 

 cover enough to be valuable even for top-working. 



The President : I would like to ask Mr. Cook whether he has 

 the genuine Weaver plum? 



Mr. Cook : Yes, I am very positive. 



The President : For a long time it has seemed to me that the 

 Weaver has not come up to the mark, and I do not know of any 

 place where it has gained a strong foothold. 



Prof. Green : Did you say the Ocheeda ? 



Mr. Cook : Yes, I said the Ocheeda especially and the Cheney 

 generally. 



Mr. N. C. Radebaugh : I can say that the Weaver out at Rich- 

 field, in the sandy country, has proved to be the greatest plum they 

 have there. That is the way it goes ; at some places it is of no 

 value, and at others it does well. That is out here at Richfield, a 

 little way beyond Minneapolis. 



Prof. Green : I understood Mr. Cook to mention the Compass 

 cherry. 



Mr. Cook : It acted a good deal like the Weaver. The blossoms 

 blighted right on the tree. 



Mr. A. D. Barnes (Wis.) : What is the Compass cherry good 

 for anyway? 



Mr. Cook: It makes nice jelly and sauce; it is better than any 

 plum I know of. 



Prof. Green : Does it rot a good deal ? 



Mr. Cook : Yes, fully as much as the plum. 



Mr. P. J. Bentz (Wis.) : I would like to ask what success 

 he has had with the Early Richmond cherry? 



Mr. Cook: I never grew the Early Richmond cherry. My 

 neighbor has grown them, and they have done very well. 



Mr. Bentz: How long has he grown them? 



Mr. Cook : For the last six or eight years. 



Mr. W. L. Taylor: Have you ever grown the Wragg cherry* 



Mr. Cook : I have some growing, but they have not yet borne 

 anv fruit. 



