278 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. Andrew S. Fuller. — No rules can be given, without seeing the vine. 

 It will not do to cut away these stems, so as to start anew, because that 

 would kill the roots; but I would. cut back the top as far as it would be 

 safe, and grow new arms, and make a new top, according to the most 

 approved method. I would train the most thrifty shoots of the old vine, as 

 ow as I could horizontally, so as to grow fruit-producing wood upon the 

 renewal system. 



Pears that Keep till June. 



Dr. S. G. Parker, of Ithaca, presented a specimen of pears that keep till 

 May or June, when it is a tolerably good eating pear, not mellow, but 

 sweet and satisfactory at that season. The name is unknown; the tree is 

 an old one and bears full every year. 



Mr. John G. Bergen, of Long Island, said that it resembled in size and 

 appearance the old Pound pear, which is good to cook, but not to eat, and 

 never gets mellow, though that does not generally keep as long as this. 



Dr. Parker said that this is not a good cooking pear, and is not used for 

 that purpose. Its value is in its long keeping. If worth propagating for 

 that, he will send some scions for distribution. 



Mr. Carpenter thinks it must be the old Pound pear, or a seedling from 

 it, but will gladly try some scions to prove whether it is worthy of culti- 

 vation. He hoped the Secretary would take charge of this pear and see 

 how long it would keep. 



Growing English Filberts. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — I hold a paper prepared by the chairman of this 

 meeting upon growing the Kentish filbert in this country. He says: "The 

 following extract from the Encjxlopsedia Americana, contains information 

 which may be acceptable to those who, like myself, have filbert bushes, 

 five or six years old, which have shown no signs of fruit. Now is the time 

 to commence the pruning treated of in this extract, which reads as follows: 



" Varieties are propagated by layers or suckers; varieties can be grafted, 

 etc. They are planted in open ground, ten feet apart. They are suffered 

 to grow almost without restraint for about three years, and are then cut 

 down to within a few inches of the ground. They push out five or six 

 shoots; and these in their second year are shortened one-third. A hoop is 

 placed within the branches, and the shoots are fastened to it at nearly 

 equal distances. 



" In the spring of the fourth year all the laterals are cut off nearly close 

 to the principal stems, and from these cut places short shoots proceed, on 

 which the fruit is expected the following year. Those which have borne 

 fruit are removed by the knife, and an annual supply of young shoots is 

 thus obtained. The leading shoots are always shortened two-thirds, and 

 every bearing twig is deprived of its top in the early spring pruning. 

 Attention should be given that a supply of male blossoms be left, and all 

 the suckers must be carefully eradicated." 



Mr. Fuller said that he thought it right to caution people not to expect 

 any great results from growing filberts. There are bushes in Mr. Prince's 

 garden, at Flushing, which, although growing well for twenty years or 



