PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 123^ 



two pounds per vine, we shall have 9,680 pounds upon an acre, and that at 

 only 10 cents per pound, Avould give a bett,er result than can be obtained 

 from a crop of any kind of grain, deducting the expenses of each. Is the 

 gentleman satisfied that Mr. Carpenter did not over estimate the quantity 

 of grapes possible to be produced upon an acre ? 



Dr. Trimble. — I think, Mr. Chairman, that these large statements are cal- 

 culated to mislead. It must be remembered that for one perfect crop that 

 we get there are several imperfect. 



The way to Raise Pears. 



Dr. I. M. Ward. — If Dr. Trimble means this remark to apply to the pear 

 tree, I shall dispute its correctness. My pear trees have borne for fifteen 

 years a good crop every year. 



Dr. Trimble. — Dr. Ward has had a great deal of experience, and with the 

 thorough care that he takes of his trees he may always have a good crop. 

 But it is verydiiferent with the culture that farmers ordinarily give to their 

 treee. I would ask Dr. Ward how often he has changed his trees. 



Dr. Ward. — I have some fancy varieties that have been replaced, but the 

 Duchesse d'Angouleme, the Bartlett, and others that I rely on for my crop, 

 are the same trees that I set out fifteen years nince. '^ 



Dr. Trimble. — How often do you plow the ground ? 



Dr. Ward. — Every spring I go through with a light shear plow that stira 

 the ground about two inches deep, and then 1 put on the mulch. 



Mr. R. H. Williams. — What do you use as a mulch ? 



Dr. AVard. — Salt hay or straw. I spread it on two inches deep, so that 

 a man can lie down anywhere in the orchard without soiling his clothes. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — How often do you manure the ground ? 



Dr. Ward. — Every year; and I think it very important to spread the 

 manure on the surface. I find that if I omit the manuring one year, though 

 the crop is about the same, the fruit is smaller in size. 



Mr. George Bartlett. — I believe the same care practiced upon a vineyard 

 which Dr. Ward gives to his pear orchard, would insure a certain crop 

 every year, and almost as certain as a crop of hay or corn. One farmer 

 made a valuable crop of ha}' this year simply by manuring, while his neigh- 

 bors, who did not manure, failed. It is well understood by most farmers 

 that highly manured land withstands the drouth much better than land 

 which is not so treated. 



Planting Vines — Is Trenching Necessary ? 



The above writer says: " Dr. Grant and most others who claim to speak 

 with authority on the propagatitMi of the vine, advise us to delve down into 

 the bowels of the earth two or three feet or more in preparing to plant 

 vines; and the Doctor tells us shallow planting and surface manuring will 

 do for a few years, but the vine will soon fail thus treated. I am not an 

 advocate of shallow planting, but could point the advocates of deep trench- 

 ing to hundreds of large and thrifty vines, from 60 to 100 years old, which 

 were originally planted very shallow, and have been surface manured ever 

 since with the decayed leaves of the surrounding forests. Is it not about 



