THE GENESEE FARMER. 



£1 



1 FBUIT GaOWEES' SOCIETY OF WESTEKlf N. Y. 



The Annual Meeting was held at Rochester, 

 January Stli and 6th, 1859, President Norton in 

 tlie chair, and was more largely attended than any 

 previous meeting, embracing twenty -three counties 

 of "Western New York, or all west of and including 

 Oswego, Onondaga, and Cortland. This Society 

 has efteeted more siace its organization than any 

 similar one in the country. 



R. R. SooTT, Chairman of the Committee on 

 "Causes of Leaf Blight in the Pear," reported. 

 " There is now very little difference of opinion as to 

 the proximate cause of the disease. The important 

 question now is the means of prevention," on which 

 it is hoped the Committee will make a fMl report 

 at the next meeting. They advise against " the 

 use of ferruginous matter applied to the eoE as 

 useless." 



Pending the reports of Nominating and Business 

 Ooraraittees, an interesting impromptu debate oc- 

 jurred on "Pears suitable for Quince Stocks," and 

 ■' Ripening Winter Pears." 



PKASS SUITABLE FOE QUINCE STOCKS. 



Prof. CoPFOCK had found the union perfect^ in 

 in Urbaniste of eight inches circumference. The 

 Belle Lucrative made an equally complete junction, 

 md so did the Vicar of Winh-Jield^ while in the 

 Bartlett, Columbia, and others, it was very im- 

 perfect. 



Dr. Spence, of Yat€s, advised the multiplication 

 )f recordB of cases, that, from the united experience 

 >f many members, we may arrive at perfectly cor- 

 ect conclusions. 



RIPENING WINTEE PEAUS. 



Prof. CoppooK thought that if we understood 

 tow to ripen "Winter Pears, we might have that 

 nost delicious fruit m perfection for the greater 

 )art of the year. For instance, the Vicar of WinJc- 

 ield is pronounced by many to be merely fit for 

 ooking, and hardly worth the raising. This va- 

 iety is a most uniform bearer, with constant crops 

 f well-matured fruit, which should remain on the 

 ree as late as safe from frost. Then keep them in 

 he ordinary manner, in cool, dry boxes, until such 

 ime as it is desirable to perfect them. ' ' Just behind 

 iiy kitchen stove, where the temperature was never 

 auch less than ninety degrees, I put a pine box 



with shelves in it, and any pears I put in this box 

 would ripen, in ten days, most perfectly?' Frmt 

 ripened in this way during December, he had soW 

 at six dollars per bushel, and they were retailed ai 

 from five to ten cents each. 



Dr. Spenos had tried warmth, and all other 

 ways, to ripen Vicar of WijiJrfeld pears ; but being 

 from stxmdard trees, he had never been able to ripen 

 the*n well. Mr. Goppock's Vicars were d warf tre<is. 



P. Bakry, of Monroe, thought there was no groat 

 difficulty in ripening Winter Pears. First, have 

 the fruit well-grown, perfect fruit, and you cati 

 ripen it as you do Baldwin apples. The Vicar is a 

 very full bearer, and the general crop will be im- 

 proved by going over the trees in summer, and 

 picking off all the imperfect fruit. Leave the good 

 fruit on the trees just as long as possible; thea 

 keep them in a cool place till into December. In 

 ripening "Winter Pears, they must not be exposed 

 to the atmosphere. 



Prof. CoppocK wished to know how to ripen the 

 Olout Morceau, so as to get a good flavor. It is 

 juicy and buttery ; but, with every process he could 

 use, it still has a sharp, vinous flavor. 



Mr. H. E. Hooker, of Monroe, says he ripens 

 them exactly like the Baldwin apple. Keep the 

 barrels out of doors until freezing weather; then 

 carry them into the cellar, and about the last of De- 

 cember the fruit will be nice. Young trees of the 

 Glout Morceau do not bear as good fruit as wheu 

 older. 



P. Barry. — The tree needs age to bring out 4h« 

 real excellence of the fruit. The Olo^tt Morcea^i 

 would bear good-flfl,vored fruit by the time it was 

 ten years old, " in any place except Buffalo." 

 (Laughter.) 



Prof. CoppooK. — Some of the pear trees set out 

 in Erie County had not been good nursery trees, 

 but were refuse stuff, whicli, although sold at what 

 was called cheap, were found to be dear, because 

 the things were worth nothing. The Professor 

 bought some of them, and was happy to say they 

 were almost almost aU gone. Purchasers of fair 

 nursery trees were successful ; and he would assert 

 that dwarf pear trees grew in Buffalo about as well 

 as any where else, after all. He knew of a great 

 many fine trees growing in the gardens of Erie 

 County. 



S. H. AiNswoETH, of Ontario, has a quantity of 

 Vicar of Winhfields ; ripens them as late as he can 

 on the trees ; keeps in a cool room until he wishes 

 to perfect them, which he does in a warm room, in 

 drawers covered with eloth. 



Benj. Fish, of Monroe, wrapped his Vicars in 

 paper, and laid them in a dark closet, in an upper 

 room with a cool atmosphere. Ripened in Decem- 

 ber, as nice as any pear. 



H. E. HooKEE. — No process of ripening will 

 make a good pear oirt. of a poor one. Have the 

 fruit well matured upon a well-cultivated tree, and 

 it will not be difficult to ripen it nicely. 



THE OUEOULIO. 



Dr. Spenoe, of Yates, introduced a subject which 

 was quite fully debated at the meeting in Jane 

 last — TTie Curculio. 



Prof. CoppooK had tried the sheet and shaking 

 process, and produced an abundance of plums — foor 

 or five bushds to a single tree. 



