Peoceedings of the Farmebs' Club. 769 



closed the trick by means of which he gaiiied the award. He said : 

 "They tilled a bushel basket with ears, just husked, by laying them 

 as closely as thej' could lie ; and all the interstices were filled with 

 pieces of ears ; that one bushel of ears was then shelled, and the 

 grain weiglied. He was then directed to husk the corn, and measure 

 the ears in that basket, as they were thrown in promiscuously as fast 

 as they were liusked, and every basket of ears \vas estimated to yield 

 many pounds of grain as the first bushel, which was measured in the 

 trickisli manner alluded to. By this trick one acre was reported to 

 have yielded 122 bushels of shelled corn." Another successful com- 

 petitor was known to have carried stalks bearing large ears from 

 another part of the field, the butt ends of which were stuck in the 

 ground, in the rows of premium corn. I have met with so much 

 trickery in measuring the ground, or the grain, or both, that, like our 

 friend Fuller, I never believe the reports of great yields of grain, 

 even when an afiidavit accompanies the statement. 



Tree and Fruit Culture. 



Mr. J. K. Lansing, Greenbush, N. Y. — How shall I proceed to 

 get a field which has some quack grass into best condition in shortest 

 time for fruit trees and small fruits ? 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — Plant with some hoed crop, such as corn or 

 potatoes, and cultivate thoroughly this summer and the land will 

 be all right in the fall. There is no cheaper or better way to destro}^ 

 quack grass than by using the hoe or cultivator. 



Mr. J. W. Hillman, Greenwich, Washington county,]^. Y. — I am 

 going to plant a pear orchard of 100 trees. What varieties shall I 

 select? 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — Twenty each of Bartlett, Beurre de Anjou, 

 Lawrence, Seckel, Duchesse de Angouleme. 



Mr. S. Henry, West Lebanon, Penn. — What is the best time to 

 bud peach trees, and how ; also, best time to cut grafts and set them ? 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — Peaches are usually budded in July and 

 August, but this depends on locality. Grafting is done in. spring, 

 but the details of both operations cannot be clearly shown in print 

 without aid of illustrations. 



Mr. I. Basye, Hockport, Iowa. — How can I grow black locust from 

 the seed. 



Soak the seed in warm water two or three days before sowing, and, 

 sow in drills as you would peas in the garden. 



[Inst.] 49 



