s 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



1811 



wonder that tlie public are unwilliug to try it after 

 receiving the condemnation of such an intelligent 

 body of hnrticnltnrists, altliougli so easily demon- 

 strated by a trial. 



Of all the reasons given tor pruning, there are 

 none so unphilosophical, as those given at trans- 

 planting ; that is to " balance the frfp to the roots," 

 which in plain language means you have cut off the 

 roots, lino cut off' the tops iu like proportion. Now 

 what sliould you think of such advice given in law, 

 physic, or morals, to say we have made a case, now 

 produce an other to cure it. But admitting for ar- 

 gument sake the truth of your position, suppose you 

 did not cut off the roots, then according to your own 

 argument you have no tops to l)alauce, — pray then 

 why do you cut them off? The ready answer is, 

 " you know we have another vital and important 

 rule we must not forget, that is, when we transplant 

 a tree the roots cannot support as much top in its 

 new position as it could before being removed, 

 therefore we must cut off and thin out the top so 

 there will be a less number of buds to support, then 

 those left will make a more vigorous growth, and 

 the tree will not become exhausted, and dry up by 

 excessive evaporation as it would otherwise do." 

 All this theory appears on paper well enough but who 

 has demonstrated one particle of it true in practice? 

 It may however be a fact that each bud left will make 

 more growth thau each bud would Lave done if 

 none had been removed, but what does that prove 

 in sustaining your theory? No mori^ thau fift\' buds 

 making eight inches growth are only equal to two- 

 hundred buds making two inches growth. Then 

 what have you gained by giving the growth to a 

 few buds instead of the whole number. If the 

 aggregate growth is no less, then why should it 

 become exhausted and dry up by evaporation any 

 sooner. Why do not evergreens, which evaporate 

 more, require the same kind of treatment if your 

 premises are correct ? The fact is, your [iremises are 

 false, aud although j-ou may reason upon them 

 correctly and logically, yet your deductions will be 

 incorrect. That is the reason why one part will 

 not agree with the other, andvou must liave diflVrent 

 rules and exceptions to them. 



KANSAS STATE HORTICUI.TirRAl, SOCIETY 



Fonrtli Aunaal meetlnji; at IVIaiiltattan, Dec. 

 6tlii, 7tb and Stii, 1870. 



Bt the Associate Epitoh. 



The Society met at 9 o'clock a. v., at the Baptist 

 Church. Dr. W. H. Ilowsley in lln chair, he being 

 elected by the Board and on acciint of the resig- 

 nation of President W. Tanner on account of ill 

 health. Prayer by Kev. Storrs, ot (Juindora. 



The Vice President, C. B. Lines, then read his 

 opening address, which was listened to by a large 



and intelligent audience which was an able produc- 

 tion aud was well received, wliich we have not room 

 to give at present. 



The Constitutiini was so amended as to have a 

 semi-annual meeting iu June, at such iilace as the 

 Board may think best. 



.4.FTEUN00N SESSION. 



The afternoon session met at 3 p. m.. Dr. J. Stay- 

 man in the chair. Dr. W. H. Howsley then read an 

 essay on the Pear and its culture, which we are 

 sorry we cannot give in full. He said it was perhaps 

 the most popular of all the fruits now in cultivation. 

 Everybody loves it. In flavor it is unsurpassed. 

 The tree is tall, long lived and hardy. From the 

 indication of its roots, it is best adapted to a deep 

 shaley, gravelly, dry clay soil. Rich bottom soil is 

 unfavorable to it, they grow too rapidly, and do not 

 mature the wood. Sudden changes in the Fall then 

 injure the wood, causing the blight; which is 

 proved by California having no sudden changes 

 in the tall and no blight. Downing, and all 

 able authors agree with him that it is 

 caused by froz8n sap rupturing the vessels.— 

 It was not produced by insects or fungus, 

 although they may be sometimes present as scaven- 

 gers feeding on decay. One of the most remote caus- 

 es of blight is e.ccesmc pruninfj and an unuMud rain 

 fw'l, but the immediate cause is always traceable 

 to the previous sea.son's growth of immature wood, 

 and sudden cluinfies in thef<dl, freezing and rupturing 

 tlie sap~ vessels. He also said there was another 

 blight cau.sed bythe heat of summer heating the sap, 

 and is sun-scald blight, that takes place in July and 

 August, on the south side of the trunks of tall 

 pruned trees. The prevention of the disease is in 

 planting slow-growing kinds, or on poor soil, and 

 avoiding everything which makes excessive late 

 wood-growth, and then look to "Him who tempers 

 the wind." The amount of fruit a tree should bear 

 should be no more than the tree can perfect and ma- 

 ture well. Gather the fruit a few days before ripe, 

 and place it in a fruit room to ripen. Never shake 

 off the fruit, hand pick it. Assortit always well for 

 market— if mixed, it will not bring half price. 



None of the Ad Interim Committee reported ex- 

 cept Dr. J. Stayman, of Leavenworth, which report 

 was listened to with great interest, and called loudly 

 for at its conglusicm for publication. It was handed 

 over, and published in the Manhattan Standard. 

 This report conflicted with the theory of Dr. Hows- 

 ley, on blight, and a very animated discussion en- 

 sued, which continued the entire afternoon. Dr. 

 Stayman advocating that excessive rain always pre- 

 ceded blight, which gorged the sap vessels and pro- 

 duced reyitable apojilej'y; that in a country with but 

 little rain, (as California) blight is unknown, and 

 previous to 1860, unknown in Kansas. But in the 

 last five years we have had an annual increase of 



