STATE POMOT.OGICAL SOCIETY. 37 



the cultivation of the small fruits is on the increase in INIaiiie, and if 

 by calling attention to the sul)jects I have introduced shall induce 

 even a few to give these matters their careful consideration, my ob- 

 ject in presenting them will so far be accomplished. 



Following the paper bj' INIr. Pike, the paper contributed b}- Mr. 

 Bennoch, was, in his absence, then read by the Secretar}-. 



now AXD WHERE SHALL WE PROCURE OUR NURSERY 



STOCK? 



By John E. Bexxocit. 



Asa member of the Maine State Pomological Society, I wish to 

 discass some points covered by my experience of more than thirty 

 jeurs among both apple and pear trees. I notice one of the most 

 important subjects on your programme for the winter meeting is on 

 procuring nurserv stock. Tliis is to be treated b3' N. R. Pike, who, 

 I have no doubt, will handle it with ability and present points that 

 will be of general interest and importance to all fruit growers. 



My theory- is that we should grow our trees at home ; raise them 

 as near as possible to where they are to be transplanted for orchard 

 purposes. In doing this trees can be removed from the soil with 

 less mutilation of the roots, can be set sooner and with less expos- 

 ure of roots, than can possibly be done with trees taken from 

 commercial nurseries a long distance awa}' from ns, which are 

 quickly and unnaturall}'' grown, causing in nearly all cases a tender 

 growth. The growth of an apple or pear tree does not want to be 

 driven beyond its natural process for the first two or three years of 

 its life from seed. Neither does it from a graft. Any growth stim- 

 ulated by strong dressing beyond its natural growth in a good soil, 

 is unhealth}', is injurious to the trees, and produces disease, such 

 as black heart, dropping of sap, tender growth, easily winter killed 

 and unabled to ripen up its wood for its own winter's sleep. All 

 these diseases can be traced back to the forcing processes of growth 

 of trees in the nursery. 



In m}' visit to Sherman, Aroostook Countv. last fall, I was more 

 fully convinced than ever that if the laws of nature are closi'ly 

 observed in the growing of products of the vegetable kingdom, the 

 better would be the results. In many cases let the seeds take iheir 

 own course and many lessons can be learned, by watching and 

 studying the growth, and results, and products of the plant creation. 



