256 * ANNUAL REPORT 



sub-soil, or if it hasn't feed it, then if yon don't raise good apples just 

 call me a fool. 



A gentleman over theie is looking this way; I will ask the question 

 and answer it also. Feed it with salt and wood ashes. If you can't 

 get that get salaratus, using a pound to a hundred pounds of ashes, 

 and scatter them around and amor)g the trees. It will have a marked 

 eflFect on the health and vigor of the orchard. I have tried it on the 

 Duchess and have seen the effects at a distance of thirty feet from the 

 trees. I can increase the size of the fruit one-third by feeding. An- 

 other thing; every second or fourth year give your orchard a good 

 mulching with manure that has plenty of ammonia in it. 



I would advise my friend Dartt to send to his congressman and get 

 a copy of the report on the geological survey of the Northwestern 

 territory and to read that; to pull off his coat and see what he will 

 find with his book; if he'don't find bitumenous clay, or soil mixed 

 with magnesia and carbonate of lime, then you have a wonderful soil. 

 Any farmer with the assistance of that report ought to be able to 

 pick out favorable localities for planting an orchard on his own farm. 

 The best orchard I know of in Iowa is located on land that has a sub- 

 soil of bitumenous clay; it is near Emmettsburg, and is situated on a 

 gravelly knoll. My own orchard is in a similar location 



Mr. Harris. I insist on commencing with Duchess, as I am afraid 

 we shall never get through. 



The motion to recommend for favorable localities vvas lost. The 

 motion of Mr. Harris to recommend for general cultivation was then 

 adopted. ' 



Mr. Harris moved to recommend Tetofsky for favorable localities. 



Col. Stevens said he was opposed to the motion. 



Mr. Underwood said they might as well recommend farmers to sell 

 their wheat in favorable localities. They know very well now what 

 to do, and if they don't, a good, sharp tree agent can tell them. 

 This Society spends a good deal of unnecessary time over these mat- 

 ters of recommending varieties. Farmers don't know whether they 

 want a particular variety, and never will know. It is waste of 

 time to quibble about favorable localities; of course they won't plant 

 trees except in their most favorable localities anyway. 



Tetofsky was then recommended for general cultivation. 



Mr. Harris. I move to recommend Hibernal for general trial. 



Mr. Gibbs. I have understood it has been the practice of the 

 Society not to recommend anything for general trial until a suffi- 

 cient number had been propagated by nurserymen to supply the de- 



