STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 79 



to devote the time necessary to success iu their favorite pursuit, and 

 to confront the changed condition of things. Some years ago the 

 scourge of "black knot" almost blotted out of existence the plum 

 tree. It seemed to commence in the western part of the State, 

 and in a majority of cases so covered the trees that they were aban- 

 doned as hopeless, and cut down. When it arrived here the ques- 

 tion presented was, shall we fight or surrender ! A few of us 

 accepted the challenge and are still fighting. My rule is a sharp 

 knife, and courage to use it ; and never go under an infested tree a 

 second time, but cut it out and burn it at once. 



Professor Maynard, last week in a lecture before the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Societ}^, adopted the "fungus" theory, and says, 

 "kerosene will kill it ;" and recommends that it be mixed with some 

 dry substance in form of paste, to protect the healthy wood. 



For the curculio, 1 gather up the bitten fruit as soon as it falls, 

 and consign it to the cook stove 1 have not yet found any variety 

 not affected by these twin enemies. 



If Professor Maynard has really solved this mystery of the cause 

 and cure of the black knot, he has rendered a valuable service to 

 horticulture 



Among the causes that have tended to depress plum culture in 

 this State, but of which I would not complain, is the time fixed 

 upv)n for holding our fairs or fruit exhibits. At the time fixed our 

 plums are green, and no pomologist wants to exhibit green fruit. 



The facilities offered by railroad communication supply our local 

 fruit dealers with beautiful, tempting, California fruit, which is as 

 tasteless and insipid as it is beautiful. Immense quantities of all 

 kinds of fiuit are shipped from more southern climates, but it is 

 brought to us in an unripe condition, consequently it has not the 

 fine flavor of gardens here ; neither is our cold climate adapted to 

 their cultivation. Even pears cannot so successfully be raised 

 here as in Massachusetts, yet my little plum garden has taken the 

 first premium at their State Pomological Exhibition, for plums. 



The few practical suggestions I would make as the result of my 

 experience are these : first, soil. The natural soil of the plum is 

 clay. 1 have never known success to follow on a sand or gravel 

 soil. My own garden was once an old brick yard. 



Varieties — S. lect varieties that have succeeded best in your own 

 vicinity. The traveling agents, with their beautifully painted and 

 glowing description of their fruit, are very apt to mislead the inex- 



