144 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Connecticut. We pruned our trees away up, so that when I was 

 a small boy I could ride under the limbs. I have six orchards a^- 

 gregating about 2,500 trees, and I let the limbs come out close to 

 the ground, and then never cut off a limb until it is dead. Every 

 single limb in a favorable season will have cherries on. The first 

 sign of decay will be that sunscald. The first indication of decay 

 or of sunscald is a pure white gum that will exude where the limbs 

 come out, and you will see no signs of sunscald except at that place. 

 It means that it has begun to decay, but the tree will mature fruit 

 right along. It will bear when the trunk is almost gone and rotted 

 out in the heart, when it resembles a nail keg with the staves out, 

 yet it will stand there and produce cherries until the last stave Ts 

 gone. It will bear Cherries as long as the body lives. II will grow 

 cherries just as long as there is a green twig on the tree. 



If there are any indications of water sprouts cut them off in 

 the roots. I want to make a statement to the people who are putting 

 out cherries. When you see any signs of decay a little above or a 

 little below, select one or two of the best sprouts and let them grow, 

 and when the tree is gone you will have them well started. If you 

 could come with me and go into my yard and let me show you of 

 what I am speaking here, you would have some knowledge of the 

 reason why cherries do well. Cherries will do well, but they must 

 have their limbs close to the ground. I had an orchard of 219 

 trees from which I picked 200 bushels of cherries. And as to 

 what I said about the limbs, I want to state that 100 bushels were 

 picked by my pickers while standing on the ground. Let the limbs 

 come out low, never higher than three feet. I raise other stuff 

 among my cherry trees. I usually get a crop of grass, but just as 

 sure as I put in a plow and break up the roots I have a world of 

 sprouts coming up, and I want to tell Mr. Wedge that if he culti- 

 vates his cherries he will soon not need to buy stock from nursery- 

 men. I think Mr. Brand will tell you that ; he has had some ex- 

 perience. I do not get as large orders from nurserymen as I used 

 to. It is not the fault of the fruit or the tree, but because they 

 have learned to propagate it themselves. (Applause.) 



The President : I think Mr. Ailing has given us a very inter- 

 esting address on cherries in place of Mr. Widmoyer. 



Onion Sets are grown from seed sown so thickly that the bulbs do not 

 have sufficient room, moisture or plant food to attain much size. They ripen 

 prematurely, and if carefully stored in winter and planted out the next spring 

 they will complete their development into large bulbs. Their chief use, how- 

 ever, is for the production of bunching onions early in the spring. 



Sub-Irrigation in Garden Plots. — Water poured on the surface hardens 

 the soil, washes gulleys and blisters the plant leaves, but applied gradually 

 to the roots it all goes where it will do most good. Set a 5-inch unglazed 

 flower pot between the alternate plants, and fill with water to which is added 

 a little nitrate of soda. August-set strawberry plants thus treated will bear 

 well the next season. Celery and lettuce will pay also satisfactorily for the 

 trouble when a dry spell occurs. 



