848 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



per bushel. lie sets out the plants three feet apart 

 each way. TJiey soon occupy the grouiul ami form 

 a perfect net-work and crowd out and smother all 

 kinds of grass. On low land the grass kills out 

 the cranberries. lie sets the plants in the spring — 

 about tlie 1st of May. The plants bear a few the 

 first year, more the second, and a full crop tlie 

 third year. 



7. h the strawherry infested with any insects or enemy 

 that threatens the deMruction of that pnnce of berries? If 

 so, what are they — U'}iat are their habits f 



H. N. IjANGWORTnY had seen an insect within 

 the last year that eats holeis through the leaves and 

 stems. (Mr. L. exhibited a strawberry pLuit, the 

 leaves of which were riddled by the insect.) It 

 also attacks the raspberry. He feared it would 

 prove a very destructive enemy to the strawberry. 



Jas. Viok said he had sent this insect to an ento- 

 mologist, and it belonged to the curcnlio family. It 

 does not attack the strawberry till the fruit is 

 formed, but alter that it eats up the vines and 

 destroys them. If the strawberry beds are renewed 

 every year, this insect does very little damage. 



By a vote of the Society, the Secretary was re- 

 quested to send specimens of the insect to Dr. 

 Fitch, the State Entomologist. 



8. Best varieties of pears for market, where 200 trees are 

 needed. 



F. W. LAY--The Bartlett is the most profitable 

 kind at present, and if he were going to set out 

 only 200 trees, they should all be the Bartlett. lie 

 thought much of the Belle Lucrative. 



S. N. LANGwoRxnT named the Bartlett, the 

 iDuchess d'Angouleme and Osband's Summer; but 

 the latter does not do well on sandy soil. 



JosKpn FiiosT named the Louise Bonne de Jersey 

 and Duchess d'Angonleme for dwarf trees. 



t. "W. Lat said the Louise Bonne de Jersey did 

 ranch better on dwarf than on standard trees. 



Mr. Zimmerman, of Buffalo, said Louise Bonne 

 de Jersey was extensively cultivated near that city 

 for Miarket, on dwarf trees. 



Mr. Fisn said Tyson was a good summer pear ; 

 60 was OsbaniVs Summer; but neither of t^iem was 

 so profitable for market as the fall and winter-va- 

 rieties. Louise Bonne was good, but Duchess 

 d'Anjionleme is equally good in every respect, and 

 the fruit is largt?r. Would name Duchess, Loaise 

 Bonne and Seckel. 



9. What i* the best mdTiAd of pruning the pear T 



Mr. Fish— Whf-n the trees are a year old, cut 

 them back to eighteen inches, in the nurserj. They 

 then branch out. Afterwards prune them in a 

 pyramidal shape. 



H. N. LANowoBTnY— Start the tree as low as 



yon can; cut out the center of the tree — and keep 

 cuttin.ij; out. Tiiis gives the side branches a chance 

 to grow. JThis is about all the pruning that is 

 needed. 



Mr. Fisn, if he cut back the center, would also 

 cut back the side branches. There should always 

 be a leader in the tree, but it should be kept within 

 proper bounds. 



■ Mr. Olmsted would prefer an upright pyra- 

 midal growth, rather than the plan recommended 

 by Mr. Laxgworthy. , 



n. E. Hooker thought pear growers had been 

 indneed to prune too much. 



' H. N. LANGw'oRTnY agreed. This excessive 

 prnning had a tendency to dwarf the tree, and it 

 is not profitable. "We had pruned too much. 



Mr. IIerendee:^ would thin out the center and 

 let in the air and sunshine. We sometimes see 

 pear trees sheared like a hedge! The result is 

 that they only bear on the outside branches. 



Dr. Beadle — Form the hea^ low anc open. The 

 tendency of most varieties of the pear is to grow 

 upright. Would take out the center, and aim to 

 throw out the side branches. Has a Duchess 

 d'Angouleme tree that he has let alone. It <frew 

 about twelve feet high ; and now it makes very lit- 

 tle growth, but bears profusely, and the fruit has 

 to be thinned out. Even then the pears are very 

 small. He thought that, to obtain good large 

 fruit, you must have a vigorous-growing tree. 



n. E. Hooker thought in pruning the dwarf 

 pear, we should avoid extremes. It is desirable to 

 prune enoua;h to prevent the tree from taxing the 

 quince roots too much, but not enough to stunt 

 the tree. Tlie general practice has been to prune 

 in the pyramidal form. The objection to this form 

 is that the tree is apt to be too thick in the center, 

 and small and imperfect fruit is the consequence. 

 Liij^ht and air are essential, and whatever form is 

 adopted, the renter should be kept well 0|ien. The 

 best orchard of dwarf pears he had seen, was that 

 of Mr. Austin, of Roxbury, Mass. The trees 

 were trained in the form of a wine-glass — cutting 

 out the center, and pruning the side branches till 

 they were quite stiff. lie had some remarkable 

 specimens. 



Mr. TIrrkxdekx remarked that Mr. Ykomans 

 pruned somevVhat in the same way. The trees are 

 wider in circumference aj|;si.K feet from the ground 

 than they are at three feet. They resemble some- 

 what an umbrella in form. He sonsidered a strong 

 growth essential to 8nores.s. 



The Society meets here again in January. 



