67 



Specimens of any vjiriety, in such collections, are not to 

 compete with specimens of same variety placed elsewhere. 



N'o collection can he awarded more than one premium. 



Exhibitors of collections are not prevented from exliihiting 

 additional specimens of any variety loith, and for competition 

 with others of that variety. 



Plates of 24 specimens of Fruit, M'hen premiums are of- 

 fered therefor, must be entered and placed by the Exhibitor 

 on the table assigned for that class of fruit exhibit. 



To entitle Exhibitors to receive the premiums and gratui- 

 ties awarded, they are required to give information to the 

 Committees (when requested) in regard to the culture of 

 their fruit. 



REPLY OF BALDWIN COOLIDGE, OF LAWRENCE, MASS. 



I only exhibited Seckel this year, raised on a Standard 

 tree. I should have shown Duchesse d'Angouleme, from a 

 Dwarf tree, as I found on gathering them that I might have 

 taken first premium over any shown. My place is quite 

 small, a half acre only. The Seckel is ordinary nursery 

 stock, the Duchesse is imported. My soil is a clayey loam,, 

 with a hard clay gravel-packed subsoil. The soil is en- 

 riched once in two or three years Avith night-soil, deposited 

 in a series of holes diii? around the trees, three or four holes 

 to each tree, and from four to six feet from tree to nearest 

 edge of hole. 



I prune my trees a good deal, almost mutilate them, keep- 

 ing them stocky and short, except when growing them for 

 wood, and not fruiting. I prune usually in the spring, but 

 sometimes in the fall ; think fall the best on account of snows 

 and storms having less of the tree to act on, the tree then 

 knows just what to work on in the spring. 



I have lost two trees by blight I su[)poie, the trees dry up 

 and they die. I keep insects (red spiders) off with soap or 

 potash, put bar soap in the crotches of the trees and let it 



