448 Wisconsin - State Agricultural Society. 
down, the same as the nabobs of our country sometimes keep others 
down. 
Mr. Peffer: On the subject of resetting an old orchard, Mr. 
Daubner remarked about the loss of his trees after the second or 
third year. I think the trouble with his orchard is that the old 
roots were not all taken out; there w r ere some of the old roots and 
bark from the old roots left, and there is a fungoid that has started 
on them, and probably produced their death. 
Mr. Daubner: I generally aim to get that out. 
Mr. Johnson: As regards this bark-bursting of apple-trees in the 
spring of the year, I think a great deal of that is caused by the 
over-growth of your apple-tree. Take, for instance, your prairie 
land, it will grow apple-trees very vigorously so that they will fail 
to mature sufficiently to stand our winters, and I think there is so 
much sap in the tree, that after freezing and thawing many times, 
it bursts. I never had any trouble with that except once in a while 
with a vigorous grower. Our land is white-oak openings, clay-land, 
consequently they don’t grow so fast. On some other land, burr- 
oak openings for instance, my trees grow very fast. It is very dif¬ 
ficult for me to keep the tops small enough; I cut the top off. I 
want more root to a tree than head. 
There has been, among other questions for discussion, the 
one of “how shall we keep our boys at home on the farm?” 
I have raised four boys. My oldest boy, when he was six 
teen, took French leave. He thought I would go after him, and 
bring him back. I told him no. I have got more growing up, and 
when they get big enough, they will keep me running if I go after 
him. I made up my mind I wasn’t going to run after any one. I 
got my boys to take an interest in the farm, some in hogs, some in 
chickens, some in geese, and some in ferrets; anything they want I 
always buy it for them, even if I pay out more than it is worth. 
I sent to England, and got a pair of ferrets; they cost me fourteen 
to sixteen dollars to get them here. The first year we raised some 
from them. We raised others and sold them, until I got my four¬ 
teen or fifteen dollars back. I says to the boys, here are the fer¬ 
rets; I want you to take them. If any one of j'ou leaves home, I 
want you to leave me just as many ferrets as you have now. The 
result was they made one hundred and fifty dollars out of those 
ferrits. I put them up a cider-mill which cost one hundred and 
