Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-20
The Farmers Convention.

Opening of the Annual Meeting of the
 Connecticut Board of Agriculture.
 The annual meeting of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture was opened yesterday at the City Hall, Waterbury. Among the familiar faces, besides members of the board, present, were Messrs Terril of Middlefeld. Hale of Glastonbury, Gridley of Bristol, Saw age of Berlin, Keith of Grafton, Mass, Webb of Hamden, French of Watertown, Fenn of Milford and Aver of Pennington.
 Previous to the call to order the farmers busied themselves by examining the fruit, a patent cattle stanehion exhibited by O. H. Robertson of Forestville, Cooley ereamer and swinging churn, and new plow clovis invented by D. K. Crofut of Derby. MT Orofut claims no patent, but has most ex- cellent attachment for blow.
 The Rev. Dr. Anderson, of Waterbury, made an opening prayer. In his introductory ad- dress the vice president of the board, J. P.
 Barstow of Norwich, after expressing his re- gret that the president, Governor Waller, could not be present, said that it was appro-
 priate that the meeting was convened in
 thriving manufacturing city. The connection
 between the farmer and manufacturers was
 such that they should often be found in com
 munion. The great need of the present age
 is some means of utilizing the wastes of our towns and making them contribute to the fer tility of our hillsides instead of poilutlng our streams In closing he introduced F. M.
 Augur, the pomoIogist of the board, who gave lecture upon Peach Experience" Thu peach, like other fruits, has been greatly improved by cultivation. With the improvements have come diseases that must
 be carefully guarded against We often
 hear people speak of the peaches of their boyhood, but there has never been time
 when, with proper care, better peaches could be grown than now. A success fol
 lowed treating 8 small orchard, mulched suf-
 ficiently to keep down weeds and grass.
 Seeding trees have met with variable suc-
 cess, but are now considered more exempt
 from disease than grafted or budded trees.
 Success depends upon the starting with good stock, careful cultivation till midsummer, in-
 telligent pruning and fertilizing in increasing quantities as the trees increase in age. The New York peach growers think well of Pro- lessor Penhallow's formula. manure com posed largely of nitrogen and potash. The early varieties are less profitable market peaches. The Noun tain Rose and Nixon and Crawford's Early are good early sorts; Crawford's Late may be called the king of peaches. The Smock, Salway and some others ripen rather late, but may be kept in close boxes till mellow and bear mar
 keting better than the earlier sorts, and are less liable to injury by insects and birds. MT.
 Augur said one of his most successful or chards was on the highest land in this section of the State. He thought he there secured an even temperature.
 Mr. Crofut, of Derby, hadfused lime, red lead and potash to keep out the borer. Mir.
 Augur examined the tree twice year to see
 that no borers were at work. The moth that
 lays the egg can be kept away by the applica-
 As -E- |. ,l, AE- TTala llo7
 earbolic acid to the lime and soap.
 Mir. Van Dusen of the Enfield Shakers gave
 their experience In peach growing. From
 one and quarter acre they had sold in seven
 years $2, GOO worth of peaches. He would
 not set peach trees on too rich soil, but would fertilize to get 15 inches of growth per year while young Fruit should be thinned un- sparingly. Harry Sedgwiek, of Cornwall, said one of his Hudson river valley friends sold ten baskets of peaches for $100. Jesse P. Rodgers, of New Jersey, said great successes
 had followed the use of Prof. Penhallow's fertilizer in his State. Mir. Noble said Hoyt Brothers of New Canaan cut back in October. MT. Augur thought every leaf was needed at that time and would not do so. Mir. Hoyt said they followed the lead of Massachu- ssetts grower of large experience. Mir.
 Hale's experience favored late pruning after
 leaves had fallen. MT. Van Dusen would prune in March, after the goth. Mir. Augur exhibited an ingenious fruit thief alarm, 8 dou uble- -barreled canon on swivel that was sprung with thread which pulled the mug gle to ward the intruder. AFTERNOON SESSION.
 J. H. Hale spoke on teThe Farmers Small Fruit Garden" Small fruits have been raised fer the past century, but it is recently that grapes and ether small fruit has been raised easily, and there is now no reason why every family should not have fruit on their tables instead of cake and pastry. Now every dol lar spent for fruit saves the two spent for doctors pills. Since canned fruit came into the market there is no reason why people should not have fruit on their tables the year round. These small fruits can be raised in almost any ground if 8 sufficient supply of fertilizer is used upon them. One-fourth of acre is enough to devote to small fruit garden.
 Strawberries can be planted at any time in the year, but should be planted in spring; they should be planted in TOYS. By proper selection of varieties and soils the strawberry season may be prolonged to six or eight weeks. The flavor and general characteris- tics of berry from a pestillate plant may be changed by the staminate plant that fertilizss it. In the fall mulch to the depth of an inch or inch and a half, which should not be re- moved, but burned off in the spring, very carefully. A little shallow cultivation is ad- missible early in the season. Deep blowing increases suckers and young shoots. Black
 berries are grown very much like strawber-
 ries, but may be put on light ground. Cur
 rants, like raspberries and blackberries, 1 should be set in the fall. large variety of
 valuable fruit wss then mentioned.
 Mir. Williams, president of the Herticul- tural society of New Jersey, said in answer l to g query: Grapes may be pressed at any time after the wood is ripe. Mir. Van Dusen
 thought grape vines should be allowed to
 run. Mir. Gold said in California the foreign varieties were cut close but the natives were