34 



bill ; Suffolk County, "Wm. Tl. Sessions of Boston ; Plymouth 

 County, Augustus Pratt of North Middleborough ; Norfolk County, 

 A. F. Stevens of Wellesley ; Middlesex County, M. P. Palmer 

 of Groton, Jonathan Eames of Sherborn ; Worcester County, 

 Geo. Cruickshanks of Fitchburg, Benj. A. Nourse of West- 

 borough ; Hampden County, Ethan Brooks of Springfield ; Hamp- 

 shire County, F. C. Richards of Williamsburg, J. W. Clark of 

 North Hadley ; Berkshire County, A. G. Sharp of Richmond. 



It was voted that the secretary cast one vote for the entire list 

 of officers, as presented, which was done, and all were declared 

 elected. 



Fourteenth Question : Which are the best^ barn-yard or chemical 

 manures for bearing fruit trees, or a combination of both? — Mr. 

 Hinds uses chemicals, largely bone and potash, for orchards, and 

 pastures colts in them, with good results. Other members dis- 

 cussed the subject, bringing out the points that the kind of land 

 makes much difference as to what and how much fertilizing mate- 

 rial should be used ; potash tends to make fine and well-colored 

 fruit ; nitrogen large size, but not so good quality. 



Fifteenth Question: Should new varieties of fruits be tested at 

 the experiment stations before they are offered to the public? — It 

 was generally agreed that they should, but it was suggested that 

 duplicate tests be made in different parts of the State, all agreeing 

 that some protection is needed to save the fruit grower the great 

 expense of buying at high prices every new thing that is offered, 

 when in nine cases in ten they are inferior to the old standard 

 sorts. The results obtained in tests at Amherst proved generally 

 correct for other sections of the State, but duplicate tests are 

 needed, to hasten the work and make it more exact. 



As to varieties of fruits, the winter pears best suited to New 

 England conditions mentioned were Anjou and Dana's Hovey ; of 

 raspberries, the Cuthbert ; of blackberries, the Snyder, Agawam 

 and Taylor's Prolific ; of strawberries, the Haviland, Bubach, 

 Greenville, Marshall and Brandywine. 



Of the Japanese plums, it was reported that the fruit buds were 

 all killed and the ends of some of the canes on young trees. 



Training the grape by the one or two arm renewal system was 

 illustrated by a wire fastened to the side of the hall. The princi- 

 pal advantages of the one-arm renewal system (Fig. 1) are: first, 

 simplicity and saving of labor in training and tying up, every part 

 of the vine being easily seen by the operator; second, the fruit 

 and leaves are carried up into the sunlight and air, where they are 

 less subject to the attack of mildew and rot, are out of the reach 

 of poultry, and safe from the spatter of the soil during heavy 



