31 



Third Question : Is it advisable to plant pears or peaches between 

 apjjles in the orchard, lohen fort ij feet or more apart? — Several 

 speakers discussed tliis question, the opinion being that peaches 

 could be planted between the apple, but not pears, as the pear is 

 as long lived as the apple. Mr, Wood suggested currants as a 

 good crop to plant under the shade of fruit trees, giving as an 

 instance tbe Hittinger Brothers of Belmont, who during the past 

 season grew twenty tons of currants under pear and apple trees. 



Fourth Question : Is it desirable to plough orchards late in the 

 season, say in November? — This question was discussed with a 

 very wide range, but it was generally conceded that it is best to 

 cultivate young orchards continually or until they begin to bear, 

 when many advocated seeding down to grass, and ploughing once 

 in three to five years. 



Fifth Question : Causes of and remedy for scald on apples in 

 winter storage. — Professor Clark thought the cause too much 

 moisture and heat, and would prevent it by getting the apples into 

 a cool, even temperature as quickly as possible after they are 

 picked. 



Sixth Question : Pruning orchards, — is it p)ractised as generally 

 and as thoroughly as it shoidd be? — This question was passed 

 over rapidly, but it was generally agreed that trees need some 

 pruning, that many prune too much and some too little, and that 

 the time to prune the trees is while they are young. 



Ajternoon Session. 



Wm. R. Sessions, secretary State Board of Agriculture, in the 

 chair. 



Seventh Question: What is the best winter siveet apple? — 

 Among the winter sweet apples mentioned were the Honey Sweet, 

 Tolman's Sweet, Danvers Sweet, Green Sweet, Ladies' Sweet. 



Eighth Question : Best treatment for old apple orchards that have 

 been in sod many years? If ploughed, how deep? — Mr, Hinds 

 pastures colts in orchards ; he thinks pigs eat off the fibrous feed- 

 ing roots, Mr. Fames could see no injury from swine in an apple 

 orchard pastured with them for forty years. Mr. Cruickshanks 

 explained Dr. Fisher's method, he not having ploughed his 

 orchard for fifteen years. No grass is carried away, and a liberal 

 dressing of fertilizer, about eighteen dollars' worth per acre, is 

 applied every year. Captain Palmer would treat the land as any 

 other meadow, plough when the sod was run out, manure enough 

 to get a crop of grass and put it in the barn. His best apples grow 

 in his pasture. Many others advocated constant cultivation. Prof. 



