FRUIT CULTURE. 35 



Mr. Augur. I came here rather to hear and learn than to 

 communicate, and before I say anything I have a question 

 which I would like to ask Prof. Maynard, which interests 

 us very much, and it is this: "Will the Professor please 

 state whether he has found any way of preventing the black 

 knot on the plum, aside from cutting off and burning?" 



Prof. Maynard. I do not know of any other remedy. 



Mr. Augur. The black knot has been a very serious 

 trouble with us. We have cut otT the infected part and 

 burned it, but the disease has still insisted upon staying with 

 us. 



Mr. Chairman, — I have been greatly interested in Prof. 

 Maynard's remarks. I think there have been many excel- 

 lent points brought out. He has gone over a great deal of 

 ground, and it is hardly necessary that I should touch on 

 anything where we agree. I will allude' more, perhaps, to 

 the results of my own observation and experience than aught 

 else, — letting theories go. In regard to the apple, I will 

 say that I have had very serious doubts whether it is best to 

 plant it on hillsides, or in rocky, inaccessible places. We 

 have not tried it, so I cannot say it is not, from my own 

 experience ; but I have an idea that in planting an apple 

 orchard we should, in the first place, get the best trees we 

 can obtain. I would avoid root grafts, unless they are crown 

 grafts, where a single stalk is allowed to make the tree. A 

 nurseryman at the West, who has had long experience, 

 assured me that it was bad policy for nurserymen to grow 

 anything else, because they had so many culls in the nursery. 

 I feel very sure that it is a bad thing for the planter to take 

 anything else, because the young trees are likely to be im- 

 perfect, and to lean as they grow up. Having got the^ best 

 trees which we can obtain, large enough to have good heads, 

 we plant the orchard on land which we can cultivate for 

 three or four years, at least. ^That has seemed to me the 

 best policy. I think we ought to avoid anything which 

 seems like neglect in our orchards, and it is very satisfac- 

 tory to me to see, three, four or five years after planting, an 

 orchard which is beautiful and promising. I have seen 

 orchards that have been planted in neglected places, where 

 they have not been cultivated, and I know they sometimes 



