PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 177 



cord. The pear tree needs age to produce perfect fruit. I have an Easter 

 Beurre tree on quince, seven years from the nursery, which never has pro- 

 duced g-ood fruit until the present year, and but very few in number, but 

 for the present crop about sixty full-sized pears. As to thinning out fruit, 

 as a general rule that is correct; yet in a row of Duchesse, where all the 

 trees have equal opportunity, some that have the least number have the 

 poorest pears. On some trees that bore very full, he had many single 

 pears of eighteen ounces weight. 



The Chairman, the Rev. Mr. Weaver, of Fordham, said he had a Bartlett 

 pear tree, eight years old, that produced for the first time this year. Those 

 who have set trees need not be discouraged about final success, if the 

 growth is good, if they do not produce immediately. 



Dr. Trimble thinks in such a year as this that the tendency of all pear 

 trees, and particularly the Bartlett, is to overbear, and should have the 

 fruit thinned, and his practice is to make it doubly serviceable by select- 

 ing those that contain worms, which produce the codling moth; and not 

 having any pigs, he fed these pears to his horse, which ate them with a 

 good relish. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — I had some Glout Morceau pear trees, eight 

 years old, which I had given up as barren, but have found that all they 

 wanted was age, for this year they produced a full crop. The Vicar of 

 Winkfield never produces good fruit upon young trees. I still adhere to 

 the principle of thinning the crop. You will get better fruit than you will 

 by letting the crop remain. 



Grafting Grape Vines. 



Dr. S. J, Parker, of Ithaca, N. Y., asks for information in relation to 

 grafting grape vines, lie says: 



" I believe the ' book ' recommended plan of waiting till the leaves begin 

 to start, and then cutting the vine off two or three inches below the 

 ground, and grafting it as if it were an apple or pear root, will disappoint 

 every one, except in occasional instances; because the flood of sap pre- 

 vents any union with the stock. The grafting as early as the frost is out 

 of the ground, so as to allow one to dig this depth, and sheltering the graft 

 from the late frosts — so that the thin scale of ice between the stock and 

 scion shall not kill the cells of union, I believe to be more successful. But 

 can any one tell a sure way, as sure as with apples, to graft grape vines ?" 



Grape Vine Insects. 



Dr. Parker gives the following account of insect injuries to vines in his 

 vicinity: 



"There are at "'this place: 1. A green triangular bug about a quarter of 

 an inch long, light wings, very thin, blunt, square forehead, triangular and 

 slim body, behind the larger head. The little rascal loves to ' stop ' just 

 when you don't want it stopped on the vine, by eating out the tender 

 growing end of the vines; he also girdles the young vines by a row of 

 holes that swell up and partially stop the growth of the vine. It is similar 

 to, but I believe not identical with, the Ceresa Bubalus. 



TAm. Inst.1 12 



