48 Farmers' Institute. 



Merrick G. Hall of Great Barrington raises this pear also, but the pears crack 

 ami he means to graft in some other pear. He has been a very successful pear 

 raiser ami always feeds the trees well with the best fertilizers. 



Rev. Robert Bennett was called upon to impart some information regarding 

 horticulture. Mr. Bennett has much practical knowledge and as he always talks 

 to the point bis remarks were very much enjoyed. He said that it was impos- 

 sible for a perambulating preacher to do much at raising fruit. He wanted to 

 introduce a new subject and that was gooseberry culture. Instead of puny 

 bushes with binall berries seen here, we might have trees bearing berries as 

 large as bantam's eggs. His father had raised a bushel and a half on one goose- 

 berry tree on his farm in England, and his brother, by fertilizing with bullock's 

 blood and by picking all but three berries on one tree, had raised a gooseberry as 

 large around his wrist. If the bushes are troubled with a mildew, a mulch will 

 kill it. Celery was another plant to which he had given much attention. The 

 standard kind is best, instead of the hollow kind, and the best of the standard 

 is Carter's Incomparable Dwarf. He had seen a celery plant in England weighing 

 7f pounds, all clean and white and delicious to eat. 



Ralph Little said that he had tried the raising of gooseberries and found them 

 superior to cranberries as a rich tart. His berries were as large as hickory nuts, 

 and devoid of prickers. 



Sheldon W. Wright of New Marlboro said that he was something of a fruit 

 raiser, but he could say that in the trimming of apple trees the limbs should be 

 taken out of the center. The tree should not be allowed to grow up like a pole. 

 George W. Parrish of West Stockbridge, one of the most thoroughly informed 

 fruit raisers in the county, talked upon the soils needed for each kind of apple 

 and for several other fruits, upon grafting, upon feeding the trees, etc. Boiling 

 water, he said, is good to kill the eggs of the borer, when found around the 

 tree. Lime will keep borers away but will not kill them. W. H. Day of Great 

 Barrington questioned if pear trees should be trimmed. Mr. Parrish replied 

 that they might be trimmed sparingly and then from the center. 



A generous collation was then served, after which, Arthur A. Smith of Cole- 

 raine, a member of the Board of Agriculture, read an essay on "Sheep Hus- 

 bandry," which awakened much interest. Mr. Smith raises early lambs for the 

 Boston market and with this subject his essay was mainly concerned. Most of 

 the early lambs in that market come from Franklin county, but the market is not 

 half supplied. The best lambs for this purpose are bred by a pure Southdown 

 ram and an American Merino ewe. Let each ewe raise only one lamb. The 

 ram is turned among the ewes about August 1st, and the early lambs are con- 

 sidered those that are dropped in December, January, and before the middle of 

 February. By the middle of April to the middle of May a lamb should weigh 

 from 50 to 90 pounds. He had one 60 days old last year that weighed 72 pounds. 

 The profits of this business, Mr. Smith figures as follows : Fifty ewes, at $5 

 each, are worth $250 ; the extra feed for early lambing is $1 per head, $50 ; 

 the feed for 50 lambs cost $2.50 each, $125; Total costs $425. The ewes are 

 worth at the end of the season $5 each, $250 ; 50 lambs of 60 pounds each are 

 worth by the middle of April to the middle of May $10 each on the average, 

 $500; deduct for commission, transportation, etc.. 75 cents for each lamb, 

 $37.50. Total returns, $712,50, Total profits for the fifty lambs, $287.50 

 or $5.75 each. 



