The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-12-30
Horticultural Society.
Gus

tendance and the good cheer and
equally noticeable appetites gave
proof of very amicable relations and
inclinations. Visitors from remote
parts of the county were present as
repi esentatives of both societies.
Mrs. President Mason called the
house to the business session of the
day after the pleasant incoming, and
the annual written reports of the
standing committees were called for
but failed to materialize, and the read
or will be left to the meager notes the
reporter was able TO catch as they
were delivered by those who favored
us with experiences and observations
DR.. Wakefield for the committee on
vineyards reported the condition of
vines good, with the exception of
late growth that was seemingly feeble
and had already died. Mr.. Hoagland
explained that this was due to a check
in the growth at some part of the sea-
son and a subsequent attempt to put
forth that was not matured and was
therefore FROST bitten. His remedy
would be a faithful cultivation of the
vine in order that its continuous
growth, which is the normal condition
OF the vine, would produce matured
canes that would be able to resist the
frost and the rigors of cold and win
try blasts, and next spring he ready
to put forth early with good life and
promise of abundant yield. And II
view of his vines will convince one
that "Joe" practices just what he
breaches and profits largely from the
surplus thus obtained.
In connection with this discussion
the mooted question of mulchinIg vines
was sprung, when one present advo-
Gated that although many advocates
favored this easy way of protection,
its opponents claimed with good rea-
son that it was injurious and encOur-
aged the roots to come to the surface,
and that when by the decay or re-
moyal of the material used, the roots
were left exposed and were less able
to cope with hot, dry or cold weather
than those not mulched but trained
downward and encouraged by pre-
veus deep tillage to seek moisture in
the subsoil beneath Mr.. Huagland
says, Don't mulch, for mulching viii
kill anything if persisted inn Mrs.
NJ. l.. Decker gave an instance. Their
young orchard at Elsmore was
mulched when they left Elsmore for
lola, in hopes that il would fare bet
ter when left in renters care, bu /
now they didn't have To- see to il any
more for the whole orchard died. l..
b. Pearson mulches his trees the first
season to help them get start, but
takes IL away or cultivates it into the
soil later, which. practice lie said by
many to prove beneficial. w. H.
Clark defends mulching and.says that
pears and other fruits do well on his
land. and when the soil is open below
for drainage (his being bottom land
on Elm creek). ID. Il. ID. Smeltzer alls
attention to the fact that the grape
and the pear require very different
culture, and says the grape cannot be
injured by careful culture, but your
painstaking and fertilization will kill
the pear tree, and gave instances
where apparently abandoned trees
had survived and borne many years
ME-. Richardson claimed that soil not
too rich was preiera BILE for the pear
for good drainage and slow growth"
seemed to bring the best results. Mr..
Brown cited trees on the Hayes place
three miles west of lola on the prairie,
and Jas. brakes farm on bottom land
thirty years old, that bear we'll, and
two "Keifers" of his own thirty feet
high, that bear large crops, and had
never been pruned
b. f. Pancoast, on behalf of COM
mittee on entomology, reported that
the millers are night flying winged
insects ana that the large brood Of ell
emies OF fruit was Matched from their
eggs, and any device that destroyed
these was one that was to be valued
as safeguard in advance of the com
ing enemy, the caterpillar, ETC., and
referred to the apparatus that Mr..
Brown had on exhibition, the Light
ming Bug Catcher" as being built on
the right plan, (Mr. e. j. Norton
wanted to know If If it would catch
any other kind than lightning bugs
"But," continued Mr.. Pancoast, II
many years ago had used tie same
idea and captured quarts OF these fly
ing marauders by a simple and mex.
pensive device by hanging II lantern