STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 53 



As to the development this year: The drouth started in 

 April. There was no rainfall to wet the roots of those plants 

 until the whole crop was harvested, so you can see the severe 

 test the work went through for the want of water. Yet, from 

 three-fourths of an acre we shipped 200 bushels of fruit ; while 

 about me the berries usually failed. Some picked once or twice, 

 but we picked four continuous weeks on Parker Earle Improved. 

 The other varieties failed right along. Glen Mary, Clyde, Bis- 

 marck, and Brandywine, went down after one picking. That is 

 a very rapid outline 'of w-hat came of this system of high tillage 

 and feeding of plants, during a season the most disastrous of any 

 I ever experienced in strawberry culture. 



Question : In top-working trees on Mr. Powell's system can 

 we use scions, and graft in the spring, instead of budding in 

 August ? 



Mr. Powell : Yes ; and I recommend budding in August, 

 and then, if the buds fail, put the scions on in the spring. 

 Always graft if your buds fail. 



Question : How about the use of the Ben Davis tree for 

 stock ? 



Mr. Powell : The Ben Davis is recommended by some peo- 

 ple, but I do not believe in it. Any tree so prolific as the Ben 

 Davis is naturally a short lived tree. For that reason I do not 

 want it. 



Question : Would prunes be hardy here in our climate ? 

 Mr. Powell : That would be a matter for you to test. For 

 the past year I have raised the fanciest crop I ever produced, and 

 the temperature reached 22 below zero last wanter. They can 

 be top-worked on a Japanese plum, but I should use some other 

 variety, such as Lombard, as they are very susceptible to the early 

 spring weather. 



Question : Is not the great trouble with plums the black 

 knot? 



Mr. Powell: You would have less trouble with black knot 

 if it were constantly cut out. 



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