take in barreling their second quality of ap¬ 
ples. He urged the destruction of the codling 
moth, and noticed at some length the evapor¬ 
ators for drying fruit, of which there are sev¬ 
eral in his eouuty. Mr. Jono6, of Mouroe 
County, urged the necessity of thorough cul¬ 
ture, and the grading of fruit for shipment to 
a higher and a more uniform grade. Mr. Wing 
had dried the past seasou, 20,000 bushels of 
apples, and was shipping to all parts of the 
world. He sent apples, dried whole, to Ham¬ 
burg for apple dumplings. He utilizes the 
cores and parings by drying them and selling 
to jelly makers, who pay four cents a pound 
for them. Mr. Willard, of Ontario County, 
regarded plum culture as very profitable. Mr. 
Hubbard, of Eric County, reported the largest 
crop of apples they had ever had. 
Mr. Thomas read a paper upon the Outlook 
of Fruit Culture. For success he regarded 
three things as essential1st, locality; 2d, 
selection of varieties of each kind; 3d, care of 
the trees. Mr. Handy had practised winter 
pruning of apple trees and did not approve of 
it. He preferred summer px-uning. Mr. 
Brooks would prune before the growth started, 
if it was growth that was not desired. Mr. 
Thomas thought under certain circumstances 
plowing orchards was very beneficial. Ho 
knew of a young, thrifty orchard ihat was 
plowed deeply, and large roots were cut off by 
it. It bore well the succeeding season and 
continued to do so. If the trees bad been less 
thrifty they would probably have given differ¬ 
ent results. Mr. Barry said that'in winter 
light pruning may be doue; would prefer to do 
the heavy priming in the dormant season, but 
not in frosty weather. Mr. Moody preferred 
keeping orchards under the plow. 
The evening session was opened by the 
discussiou upon the first question: — “Was 
there a large crop of apples the past season 
anywhere outside the area of deep snow last 
winter? Was the heavy crop partly due to 
the snow aetiug as a mulch ?” It was thought 
that the suow had no material effect upon the 
crop. 
Question No. 2 was then taken up :—“ What 
varieties of apples according to the latest ex¬ 
perience, give the most satisfactory results 
both as to bearing aud marketing ?” Mr. 
Spence regarded the Bottle Greening as a val¬ 
uable son. Mr. lieed regarded it as a fail- 
bearer aud a desirable fruit. Mr. W. C. Barry 
thought it was valuable mainly for its solidity. 
He had wondered why it was not moie popu¬ 
lar. Mr. Moody regarded the King of Tomp¬ 
kins Go. as one of the most valuable market 
fruits. Mr. Bronson had kuowu the Kiug to be 
injured by the winter and did not regard it as 
entirely hardy. Mr. Kajhboue regarded the 
Bottle Greening as a better apple than the 
li. I. Grecuing. Mr. Hooker had found the N. 
Spy to be a good bearer but a poor keeper. 
Mr. Woodward recommended it lor Niagara 
Co., especially for the heavy loam soils having 
a strong, diy sub soil. Mr. Reynolds had 
seen the Spy doing excellently well in Wy¬ 
oming Go. 
Mr. Barry ofientd the next question:—“ Have 
there been any recent improvements in the 
methods of packing aud shipping fruit?" by 
asking A What i* the best method of packing 
fruit for foreign shipment?” He used paper 
for wrappiug the lruit In, but knew of others 
using chart in addition. Mr. Vick had tried 
several ways, but preferred using strong manil- 
ia paper in which to wrap the fruit, fu pack¬ 
ing in the barrel he placed a layer of buck¬ 
wheat chuff between each layer of apples, aud 
iu the cuds put a deeper layer of chart. He 
had shipped several kinds with success iu this 
manner. Mr. Hooker objected to the use of 
the chaff, as it would be liable to impart a 
flavor to the fruit. He thought that good 
fruit, packed solidly, would staud shipment to 
a foreign market. He would advise piokiug 
the fruit as soou as matured. Mr. Moody 
thought well of the plan of having fruit- 
houses, where the fruit could pass through 
the sweating process before being barreled. 
Mr. Hoag had a ventilated fruit house iu 
which hu allowed his lruit to cool, and where 
he kept it till November. Mr. Moody thought 
the thorough assorting of apples a necessity ; 
they should be handled quickly aud very care¬ 
fully, aud be leltiu the suu no longer than neces¬ 
sary. Mr. W. C. Barry left nis apples in the 
orchard till they had passed lire sweating pro¬ 
cess. He thought they should not be placed iu 
barrels till after that — nor should they be 
shipped abroau till cool weather commenced. 
Mr. Woodward said apples should be picked 
early aud handled but little. Wheu they 
snapped easily from the stem, it was time to 
pick them. They should not be barreled till 
ready for sale. Mr. Glark picked some apples 
the last week in October, aud had but just 
opened them. He found them to be iu good 
condition. 
The Moknxnu Session, next day, was 
opened by u paper from Prof. Caldwell, of 
Cornell University, which was followed by a 
short discussion upon the question:—“ What 
is the most profitable strawberry for a near¬ 
by market ?" Mr. Green recommended the 
Col. Cheney, which was too soft for distant 
shipment, also the Monarch of the West and 
the Sharpless. Mr. Jones had found the 
Champion to be of good size and reasonably 
productive. Mr, Ellwanger would name the 
Sharpiess and Cumberland Triumph. Mr. 
Vick recommended for home use, which he 
thought to be a near-by," the Triomphe de 
Gand. Mr. Munson had found nothing equal 
to the Wileon. Mr. Brooks proposed to send 
in vigor of constitution. Mr. Hooker did not 
feel disposed to recommend any of the class of 
early peaches. They are punctured badly by 
insects, and can not be grown with profit. 
Mr. Barry said the Amsden Jane, the past sea¬ 
son, was smooth and fine in appearance,and not 
at all infested by insects. Mr. Youuglove re¬ 
garded the Early Rivers as the only early one 
really profitable. Mr. Boyne called the atten¬ 
tion of the members to the Lula, which fruited 
this year for the first time, at Batavia, where 
it ripened Ang. 1st, being two weeks ahead of 
the Amsden. 
The new Grapes were then taken up. Mr. 
Craine regarded the Niagara and Prentiss as 
being desirable acquisitions. Mr. Farley spoke 
of the Duchess. It had fruited for ten years 
in various localities, and, so far as he knew, 
there had never been a report to its prejudice 
from those who had tested it. He had never 
heard of mildew, leaf-blight, or any other 
disease affecting it which he had not seen on 
the Concord. Mr. Hubbard did not regard the 
Moore’s Early as of very good quality. Mr. 
Farley thought the Worden had been overlook¬ 
ed. It was earlier and better than the Concord, 
larger and finer in growth. The skin is a little 
thin and it is not adapted for market. Mr. 
Hubbard had not found it to ho much earlier 
than the Concord. 
New Strawberries were then enumerated. 
Mr. Green found the Brilliant, sent out by 
Storer of Ohio, to be handsome in appearance. 
The Marvin is showy and productive. The 
Pres’t. Lincoln is one of the finest large berries 
we have. The Glendale is valuable as a late 
bearer. Mr. Hubbard did not regard the New 
Dominion as of any value upon gravelly loam. 
Mr. Green also spoke favorably of the Reli¬ 
ance and Gregg Raspberries. 
Currants were discussed next. Mr. Hooker 
asked for information about the Black Cur¬ 
rants. He found the Black English to be an up¬ 
right grower and a small cropper. The Black 
Naples was not so rapid a grower, but a better 
cropper. Mr. Barry said the Lee’s Prolific 
had a longer bunch than either of the others. 
Mr. Hooker had found the Lee’s Prolific an 
abundant cropper. Mr. Fish said that the 
Naples leafs out earlier than the English. Mr, 
Jones had found the Lee’s Prolific to be of up¬ 
right growth, the fruit to be of large size, and 
the plant a very abundant yielder. 
The Society then adjourned sing die. 
H. T. J. 
form bearers, good growers and first-class 
vineyard Grapes. Mr. Clark had an acre and 
a half of Rogers's No. 4, which for five years 
had yielded an average of $200 per acre. Mr. 
Farley had fruited the Rogers's Grapes ten 
years. He found Nos. 4, 33, 15 and 19 to be 
profitable. Had had but little experience with 
other hybrids. 
Evening Session. —The first question was: 
THE BETHEL APPLE. 
missionaries to those localities where they 
grow and eat the Wilson. 
Mr. Vick then read a very interesting paper 
upon flowers and plants—showing the progress 
made iu the history of the Society, which was 
followed by Mr. Ruhlman’s report upon garden 
vegetables. He regarded the endive as worthy 
a prominent place iu the garden. 
Mr. Woodward followed with a paper upon 
fruit—its influence upon the family and its 
value as a commercial product. If like pro¬ 
duced like, he thought the less pork and the 
more fruit eaten the better. 
The Society then adjourned till afternoon. 
Tuk Afternoon Session opened with the 
question Does it pay the orehardist to grade 
his fruit according to quality.” Mr. Mitchell 
thought it depended upon the market. Mr. 
Willard said, it is a question admitting of no 
argument—you can’t afford not to do it. Mr. 
Younglove said: Keep it up and it will pay. 
A tasty package is also necessary. Mr. 
Thomas cited John Morse who had sold one 
crop of his Bartletts for $9,000. He graded 
his fruit. Mr, Lazenby had experimented in a 
small way and found it profitable. Mr. Rum- 
scy wished information in reference to pruning 
standard pear trees. Mr. Barry recommended 
but little trimming—the less the better. Mr. 
Lay would not cut off a limb unless it were 
necessary. In dwarfs he would ehorleu in the 
limbs till they commenced bearing. 
Question No. 10 was then called for: “ Cul¬ 
tivation of Dwarf Pears.—Cau their cultiva¬ 
tion be recommeuded for profit, and if so, wbat 
varieties?” Mr. Woodward was not prepared 
Lo speak of the profits. His trees were young 
aud growing finely. He fertilized with bone 
dust, ashes and Balt. Would not recommend 
planting closer thuu nine by twelve feet. Mr. 
Willard would say dwarf Fears are profitable 
if properly handled. Their roots lie near the 
surface aud they need more feed than stan¬ 
dards. Mr. Bogue said that on light, sandy 
soil they would fail, but on good laud would 
prove profitable- Ho regarded the Ducliesse, 
Beurre Clairgeau and Bcurie d’AnJou as the 
best. Mr. Bogue remarked that the Buckesse 
did well universally. It wants good rieh soil, 
ripens at the right time for profit and will be 
planted more than any other. It is remaik- 
ably free from blight and is the pear for the 
million. Mr. Barry regarded the Beurre d’An¬ 
jou as a profitable dwarf variety. 
“ Why will not the standard trees of Duchesse 
d’Augwuleme give as good results as the dwarf?” 
To this question Mr. Barry replied that he 
thought the Duchesse as a standard needs age 
and will do as well as the dwarf when it 
reaches age. 
To the question: 1 Has any one had experience 
in thinning the blossoms of fruit trees; if so, 
how is it best performed, aud what has beeu 
the result?" Mr. Thomas said that removing 
the blossoms from old trees was expensive, 
aud did but little good; but if practiced on 
young trees the bearing year could be perma¬ 
nently changed. 
“Are any of the so-called hybrd Grapes 
worthy of being recommended for cultivation 
for vineyard purposes?” In answer to this 
question, Mr. Greeu thought that no hybrid 
could be recommeuded for ordinary planting. 
Mr. Stace said his experience was that the 
hybrids did well a few years, then became dis¬ 
eased and were good for nothing. Mr. Mor¬ 
rell had vines of Rogers’s Nos. 4, 15, 19 and 
Salem planted fifteen years and still healthy 
and doing well. Mr. Hubbard said that gen¬ 
erally the Rogers’s did not seem to deteriorate. 
Mr. Youuglove had found Rogers's Nos. 15, 4, 
43, 14 and Salem for fifteen years to be uni- 
“ What can we do to prevent the premature- 
dropping of the quince leaf?” Mr. Green 
thought it was occasioned by the slug. Mr. 
Woodward thought it to be caused by plowing 
away from the tree. Soil seemed to make no 
difference. It was to be avoided by cultivat¬ 
ing up to the tree. Mr. Hoag thought cultiva¬ 
tion had nothing to do with it. On low ground 
the disease was prevalent; but uot on high 
ground. Mr. Bogue stated that last year 
leaves dropped in June. Mr. Jones had no¬ 
ticed it in nursery rows. The Rea’sMaramoth 
was especially liable to it. The Augers next 
and the Orauge free from its attacks. Mr. 
Bronson had found that trees in low places 
held their foliage while those on high ground 
did not. Mr. Dorman had 1,500 trees mostly 
on low laud. They dropped their leaves but 
slightly; whereas those on upland dropped 
their leaves badly. 
The next question was : “ What are the six 
best plums for market?” Mr. Hooker named the 
W '' Egg, a light-colored plum of moderate 
size. Mr. Woodward said the Lombard was 
badly infected with the black-knot in Niagara 
Co. Mr. Hoag liked the Washington and Yel¬ 
low Egg. Mr. Barry named the McLoughlin 
as being of the very best quality. Mr. Jones 
mentioned the Reine Claude dc Bavay as 
being very popular upou the Hudson River. 
Mr. Root regarded the Lombard as the most 
profitable. Mr. Beadle, of Ontario, said the 
Lombard was the freest from black-knot with 
him. Mr. Barry named the Coe’s Golden 
Drop as a valuable sort. Mr. Barry said the 
Prunes all do well uud are profitable. Mr. 
Ziminermanu found that the Italian held its 
leaves better than the German Prune. 
In answer to the question, •• Wka! are the 
best four varieties of grapes for the family 
use ?’’ the Society uatues.the Delaware, Bright¬ 
on, Concord and Martha. 
The question:—*• What sized apples pay 
best to ship to Europe?’ was then discussed. 
Mr. Ellwanger found the Kiug of Tompkins 
Co., to be afavoriLe. Mr. Vick said, the larger 
the better ; the brighter the better. Large 
Baldwins go well—Northern Spy is best. Mr. 
Salter asked if the King of Tompkins Co. was 
generally considered hardy. He had not found 
it to be. Mr. Allis, of Orleaus Co., had found 
it to be perfectly hardy. It bears yearly with 
him. Mr. Woodward said that on some soils 
it twig-blights badly. Mr. Zimmerman had 
found it to be a shy bearer and sickly in Erie 
Co. Mr. Root thought it liked high altitude 
the best. It sells well and does well iu Onon¬ 
daga C'o. Mr. Lazeuby said it did well in 
Tompkins Co. The Fa raters' Club there, two 
years ago, by a unanimous vote placed it at the 
head of the six most profitable apples, and it 
was the only one of the six which received a 
unanimous vote. Mr. Hooker had found it 
apt to blow off; but the good applies sell 
well. 
The society then discussed “ New Fruits.— 
What tfhs beeu the experience of the past year 
with new varieties of fruits?’’ Peaches were 
first taken up. Mr. Woodward said the Ama¬ 
dou June was worth uothing as an orchard 
fruit. It rots as badly as the Hale’s Early. 
Mr. Younglove wanted a better market peach 
chan the Early Crawl’ord. He had heard of 
the Wkeatlaudaud wanted to know something 
about it. Mr. Rogers, the originator of the 
Wheatland, said that it ripened directly after 
the Early Crawford. It is handsome in ap¬ 
pearance and sells well. He liked (he Foster— 
it pleases every one. Mr. Green liked the 
Foster better than the Early Crawford, ft is 
more even in 6ize. Mr. Youuglove had found 
both Foster and Early Crawford to be lacking 
THE BETHEL APPLE OF VERMONT, 
This variety is a favorite one in the orchards 
of the White River Valley of Vermont, com¬ 
prising a part of Orange, Windsor atul Wash¬ 
ington counties. The original tree in the town 
of Bethel is still living, and is reported to me 
as having produced "two barrels of splendid 
apples in 1876.” The Bethel has caused some 
confusion by its similarity to other apples, 
and was a few years ago pronounced by C. M. 
Hovey and other Massachusetts experts, as 
being ‘‘undoubtedly’’ the Murphy. On the 
other hand, Mr. Downing thought it might be 
identical with an apple of St. Lawrence Co., 
N. Y., known as the 8tone Apple, but he now 
writes me that be is satisfied that it is uot the 
same; though, singularly, the Stone, has us a 
synonym, the name of Bethel given to it. 
But this may have been done by some Ver¬ 
monter, who noticed their similarity. I have 
been favored with a specimen of the fruit of ihe 
Stone, and also with the wood, and recognize 
distinct differences between that variety and 
the Bethel of Vermont. 
In rich lands the Bethel is regarded as the 
best substitute for the Baldwin north of tne line 
where that variety is found unable to endure 
the severity of our wiuters. The Bethel is 
hardy, even to the Canada line ; of good size, 
fine color and excellent quality. It keeps well 
through the winter, but uot long into the 
spring. However, there is a “but” iu every¬ 
thing, aud the “but” iu the Bethel is ihat it 
requires a good soil, preferably a river valley 
soil, to bring it up to profitable productiveness. 
On the hills, unless well cared for and ma¬ 
nured, it is complained of for lack of produc¬ 
tiveness. 
The Bethel of Vermont is in size large; in 
form roundish-conical: basin shallow,slightly 
corrugated; calyx closed; cavity deep and 
narrow; stem short and slim; color a rich 
yellow, with bright crimson stripes over nearly 
all the surface, much exposed specimens being 
sometimes almost solid in color and dark red; 
flesh, yellow; core medium; seeds very long 
and pointed ; flavor rich mild subacid; qual¬ 
ity very good. Season Jauuary to March. A 
very constant characteristic of the fruit is that 
it appears laterally compressed, and a trans¬ 
verse section is therefore oval or ovate, gen¬ 
erally the latter. [The above engraving is 
from an apple sent in by Dr. Hoskins,—E ds.] 
Orleans Co., YU 
