1878.] TRANSACTIONS. 17 



Mr. J. E. Phelps said fruit trees should be headed in and the roots 

 carefully pruned in transplanting. To reset trees with the roots jammed 

 oft" with a spade is folly. He would set no trees over two or three years 

 old ; larger trees will be the smallest in ten years. Peaches should be 

 set one year from the bud and pruned so that only a "stub" is left. He 

 would prune the roots, even if the tree is taken up without injuring the 

 tree ; the cut portion will throw out many new and vigorous roots. 



Mr. Sylvanus Sears gave his experience ; in moving young trees he 

 would cut off the roots not over two and a half feet from the tree ; 

 he had observed if rough wounds on roots are left there is a decay 

 and injury ; a smooth cut root will heal quickly and throw out fresh 

 rootlets. He had transplanted ten year old trees and grafted them im- 

 mediately, with good results. He favored the growing of both pears and 

 apples ; by judicious grafting the barrenness of "the odd year" can be 

 overcome ; early apples, if properly cultivated will bear every year ; one 

 of his Early Williams trees has borne twenty-one years in succession. 

 He believed in apples as a crop, even with the "odd year" and the trouble 

 from insects. It costs less in proportion to harvest a large crop than a 

 small one. 



Mr. Phelps thought it would be better, in transplanting large trees for 

 grafting, to let them grow a year before grafting. In storing apples he 

 had the best success in picking them in a warm day in September, and 

 putting them into tbe cellar while they are warmer than the cellar ; there 

 is no need of waiting for the fruit to "sweat" before putting in the 

 cellai". 



Mr. J.ovell said his view is that "odd year" fruit is an accident ; there 

 is no rule by which the habit of trees can be changed. In regard to 

 putting apples in the cellar as soon as picked, he thought it would only 

 be safe in a dry cellar. 



Mr. Phelps said he would do it with a cellar either damp or dry ; he 

 had tried both. He also defended the "odd year" idea, that it can be 

 changed by grafting ; he stored his apples in barrels without heading up, 

 and left them open for a few weeks. 



Mr. Joseph Lovell gave his experience with "odd year" Baldwins ; 

 he bought six trees in 1845 for "odd year" trees, and only one proved 

 true to the name. 



Mr. Sears said a tree, a part of which was grafted an odd year and part 

 an even year, has for lifteen years borne in the same manner ; the grafts 

 set in the odd year fruit in the odd year, and vice versa. His practice is 

 to pick his apples and put them into barrels and leave them in a store- 

 house, above ground ; he was sure all apples sweat after picking ; he 

 had tried to keep apples in large bins, but the result was unsatisfactory. 



