382 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Mr. Willard — Mr. Morrill took the ground 

 that he could do the spraying- all at the time 

 suggested by Mr. Mann, but he has been 

 doing it all winter. The result was magni- 

 ficient, for he had a most wonderful crop 

 last season. He cultivates thoroughly. 



In a drouth can we work the soil too much ? 



Prof. Van Deman — I know of a gentle- 

 man in Illinois who undertook to determine 

 the point. He had a piece of corn between 

 the barn and the adjoining fields, and he 

 had the boys, every time they drove out in 

 the morning and at dinner time, run right 

 through these rows, so that they made four 

 trips and covered that piece with the culti- 

 vator almost every day, and he said he never 

 raised such a crop of corn. 



Hrof. Van Deman — We know the peach 

 crop was a failure last year, especially about 

 Mr. Morrell's neighborhood in Michigan, 

 with the exception of his orchard ; he had 

 cultivated and thinned and pruned so 

 thoroughly that his trees were in such condi- 

 tion they went through the terrible February 

 blizzard all right. He took in nearly $35,000 

 off from fifty acres. He sold some peaches 

 as high as $7 a basket ; any three of them 

 would weigh two pounds. 



Has anyone had euperience in top-working 

 Keiffer pear on the Bartlett or any other 

 variety ; if so, with what results 1 



Mr. Hooker — It grows readily on the 

 Bartlett, but the Bartlett does not grow on 

 the Keiffer. I don't know what pear will 

 do well on the Keiffer. 



Mr. Geo. T. Powell — Bosc will do all 

 right on Keiffer. 



Mr. Willard — There seems to be a lack of 

 affinity between the KeifTer and certain other 

 varieties. I have tried Winter Nelis, and it 

 looks all right so far. 



Is there any reasonable chance for profitable 

 returns from the planting of nut trees, or for 

 timber grotvth ? 



Mr. Woodward — We have a Paragon 

 chestnut growing very nicely. If you get a 

 dozen to grow out of a hundred you will be 

 happy. It is about three times as large as 

 the common sweet chestnut. After remov- 

 ing the film my taste is not good enough to 

 tell one from the other. I believe there is a 

 great future in growing black walnuts. I 

 know of one tree that when I was a boy I 

 dug up and took home, and now it is 

 thirty-two inches in diameter. I believe 

 there is profit not only in growing nuts but 

 also nut trees. 



Mr. Barns — We are making some experi- 

 ments with chestnuts, but it is too early to 

 show definite results. 



Is the Champion quince of any value in this 

 latitude ? 



Mr. W. H. Pillow — The Champion is all 

 right, but it is too late here. 



Winter Pears — What do members knoiv about 

 the Directeur Alphande and the Dorset ; are 

 they desirable to grotv for market ? Name their 

 weak points, and are there any better varieties ? 



Mr. Barry — We have been growing 

 Directeur Alphande for some years. It is 

 a very handsome fruit. The tree is vigorous 

 and a great bearer ; but of course it is of 

 too recent origin to state definitely its value. 

 Dorset is large size, handsome, and good 

 quality, valuable as a late pear and a good 

 shipper. It is a question in regard to the 

 introduction of new pears ; you have so 

 many already ; but both of these are addi- 

 tions of considerable consequence. 



What is the latest report regarding the Japan 

 plum October Purple ? 



Mr. Willard — I have been disappointed in 

 it. It bloomed well, but failed to set well. 

 I do not regard it as a great acquisition and 

 would not advocate planting it. 



—Report W. N. V. Hart. Soc. 



