382 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Mr. Willard — Mr. Morrill took the ground 

 that he could do the spraying" all at the time 

 sug^gested by Mr. Mann, but he has been 

 doing- it all winter. The result was magfni- 

 ficient, for he had a most wonderful crop 

 last season. He cultivates thoroug-hly. 



In a drouth can 7ve work the soil too much ? 



Prof. Van Deman — I know of a ijentle- 

 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 rig-ht 

 throug-h 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 neig-hborhood 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 o?i 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 Keiffer 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 gro7vth ? 



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 grow 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 ot 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 JV. N. V. Hort. Sac. 



