The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-03-17
HORTICULTURE
Society Held Pleasant
Meeting at Al
lance
INTERESTING QUERIES

cett on Ely street IN tnlS CITY on wed
nesday. The meeting was 2 very in
teresting one and the attendance was
very large.
The forenoon was spent entirely in
social session and the regular business
program was opened at l o'clock. Af-
ter the reading of the minutes and
preliminary business the secretary
read a communication from the Ohio
State Horticultural society recogniz-
ing the membership of the Stark
County society in the state organiZa-
tion. In the absence or the essayist,
Mrs. Long, of Canton, Mr.. Fawcett
reopened the discussion which was en-
gagged in at the last meeting on the
subject of similarity of plant and an
imal life. Mr.. Fawcett had made
some Investigations on the subject and
he was authorized to prepare a paper
on the subject to present at the next
meeting.
The query drawer contained two
very interesting questions which
brought out lengthy discussion. The
first question was will potatoes that
have vitality enough to sprout in the
cellar after being frosted have enough
vitality to produce a crop when plant
ed in the ground?" Clement Rockhill
answered the question by stating as
his experience that if the potatoes
had not been frozen hard enough to
prevent sprouting in the cellar they
would produce crop when planted.
He said that if there was enough life
in the potato to start sprout there
would be enough life to produce.
The second question was rs there
anything in the old saying that apples
to keep should be picked in the dark
of the moon?" A warm discussion fol-
lowed and numerous experiences were
sighted on both sides. Jacob Knoll
told of an instance when number of
apples from his trees were blown
down in the dark of the moon and
though slightly bruised were packed in
the cellar for future use. Later the
remainder of the crop was harvested
from the same trees and while the Sec
ond lot was cared for even better than
the first the fallen apples kept the
longer. Mrs. S. o. Eggert suggested
that perhaps the ripeness of the apples
had something to do with the phe-
nomenon and Eli Grant advised that
a. oh aI w ha nip ha-
fore fully ripe. 1t was the concen-
sus of opinion that the moon had
nothing to do with the matter and
that in all cases where the moon SEEM
ed to have exercised some control
there must have been other conditions
which governed the outcome of the
crop. 1t was suggested that trees
should be gone over several times and
the apples picked as they ripened. BY
this means the apples would all be Sc
cured before over ripe and the crop
would be greatly benefited from the
fact that the apples which were left
on the trees after the first picking
would have much better chance to
grow.
The committee on orchards made
very interesting report and one that
was very acceptable to all the fruit
growers present. The committee
stated that the cold winter had harm
ed none Of the fruit except the peach
es and that these were not as badly
damaged as was expected. II was
shown that from the fact that the
winter had been steadily cold instead
of variable and from the fact that the
peach trees had borne steadily for
the last three years the buds had been
sequently not been frosted as badly
as would have been the case had the
buds been more fully developed in the
fall and had they developed any dur
ing the winter. 1t was stated that
there would be in most cases as
many live buds as the trees would be
able to develop.
A literary program Of several num-
bers was rendered during the meet
ing Mrs. Sarah Stone Rockhill read
an original poem which was very well
received. Mrs. Mary Logue recited
THE Oak and the Vine" in dialect.
Mrs. Sarah Pennock of Marlboro and
Mrs. Barnes of Canton also gave reci-
tations.
A fine display of apples was on
hand at the meeting but the flower
display was wanting. At the close of
the session vote of thanks was ten
dered the host and hostess for the fine
entertainment and for the elegant din
ner which was served. The next
meeting will be held at sponseller hall
in New Berlin under the supervision
of Michael Bitter at whose home the
dinner will be served.
The inventors are a very wonderful