■■ ^u. ■ TRANSACTIONS OP THE WISCOllN SliTE HORIlCULIUEIi Ll UUVjlL nrr I INCLUDING AUDKESSE3 AND PAPERS PRESENTED, AND PRO- CEEDINGS AT THE SUMMER AND WINTER MEETINGS OF THE YEAR 1881-3. F. W. CASE, Secretary. YOL. XII. LIBRARY NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. MADISON, WIS. : DAVID AT WOOD, STATE PUINTEU. 1882. LIBRARY NEW YOPk REPOET TO THE GOYERl^OR. botanical GARDEN To His Excellency, JEREMIAH M. EUSK, Governor of the State of Wisconsin : In compliance with the provisions of the legislative enactment by which the reorganization of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society was effected, I have the honor to present you with the Twelfth volume of the Societyls Reports, covering the proceed- ings and a full statement of the receipts and expenditures for the years 1881 and 1882. Your obedient servant, F. W. CASE, Secretary Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. CD 03 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. Report to Goyernok 3 List of Officers , 6 List of Members 7-8 Fruit List 9-10 List of Trees, Shrubs and Ornamental Plants U Act of Reorganization 12 Constitution and By-Laws ... 13-14 Law Relating to Publication of the Society's Transactions, 15 Law Relating to Tree Belts 16 Proceedings at Summer Meetings 17-123 La Crosse Meeting , *. 17-64 Address of Welcome, Judge J. F. Bryant 18 Discussion of Cause of Injury to Strawberries 19 Address of Senator W. T, Price 24 Mental and Moral Influence of Horticulture 26 Sixteen Years' Experience in Fruit Culture, E. G. Partridge ... 32 Horticulture for the Children, Mrs. Huntley 39- Ornamental Tree Planting 44 Mission of Horticulture, J. C. Plumb 48- Cultivation of Plants and Flowers by Amateurs, J. L. Harris. . . 55 Appleton Meeting *. 65-123 Small Fruits, Discussion 65 Adaptations in Horticulture, J. W. Wood 69' Cultivation of Celery, Discussion 81 Northern Fruits and Fruit Growing, J. C. Plumb 84 Forest Culture, Prof. N. M.Wheeler 90 Health in Horticulture, Mrs. A. Kerr 100 Outdoor Flowers and Plants, G. J. Kellogg 109 Rewards in the Flower Garden, S. Barter Ill The Beautiful and True in American Homes, Mrs. E. V. Rich- mond 117 Fruit and Flower Awards 122 Meeting at State Fair 128-128 Transactions at Annual Meeting 129-174 Summer Meeting 129' Revision of Fruit List 185. List of Timber and Shrubs. ." ' 145- Reports of Local Societies 146. Report of Treasurer 14S Table of Contents. 5 Transactions at Annual Meetino — continued. Page. Report of Secretary 153 Election of Otlicers 159 Report of Committee of Observation — First District 160 Third District 162 Fifth District 163 Sixth District 166 Seventh District 167 Report of Delegation to Washington 168 Report of Premiums Awarded 170 Revision of Premium List 173 PUOCEEDIXGS IN JoiNT CONVENTION 175-229 Discussion of President's Address 175 Strawberry Notes, G. J. Kellogg 181 Apple Tree Blossoms, G. P. PefVdr 191 Present and Future of Horticulture in Wisconsin, J. C. Plumb. 202 Berries for the Farmer, I. N. Stone 209 Esthetics in Horticulture, Mrs. C. A. Willard 214 The Mental Outreach of Women, Mrs. J. Clark 222 Resetting Old Orchards, E. W. Daniels 228 Reports of Local Societies 230-256 Brown County Society 230 Freedom Society 236 Grand Chute Society 236 Janesville Society . 239 Itlarkesan Society 239 Northwestern Society 240 Gardening for Farmers 242 Utility of Flowers 252 Waupaca County Society 255 COM-MUNICATIONS 257-344 Potato Rot , 257 Potato Blight and Rot 271 Potato Fungus, Resting Spores 277 Injurious aud Other Fungi 284 Mineral Constituents in Plant Growth 301 Bactiria 314 Roses, and How to Grow Them 331 Insect Killers 338 Fruit Statistics 345 Weatiiek ^Ikans 346 Meteorological Orservations 347 6 "Wisconsin Statb HoRTicvt^crRAL Society. LIST OF OFFICERS, 188 2. PRESIDENT. J. M. SMITH, Green Bay. VICE PRESIDENT. J. C. PLUMB, Milton. RECORDING SECRETARY. F. W. CASE, Madison. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. B. S. HOXIE, COOKVILLE. TREASURER. M. ANDERSON, Cross Plains. SUPERINTENDENT. B. F. ADAMS, Madison. MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Ex Officio. J. M. Smith, President, G'een Bay. F. W. Case, Secretary, Madison. M. Anderson, Treasurer, Cross Plains. Di&t. 1st. G. J. Kellogg. .Janesville. 2d. B. F. Adams, Madiscn. 3d. A. L. Hatch, Itliaca. 4th. J. S. Stickney, Wauwatosa. DUt 5th. George C. Hill, Rosendale. 6lh. D. Huntley, Appleton. 7tti. A. A. Aunold, Galesville. 8th. W. Reynolds, Green Bay. COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE. J. C. Plumb, Milton. D. T. Pilgrim, West Granville. G. J. Kellogg, Janesvllle. COMMITTEE OF OBSERVATION. Did. 1st. J. S. Stickney, Wauwatosa. 2d. G. J. Kellogg, .Tanesville. 3d. George C. Hill, Rosendale. 4th. A. L. Hatch, Ithaca. 5th. H. Floyd, Berlin. 6ih. C. W. Potter, Mauston. Dint. 7th. D. Huntley, Appleton. 8th. William Springer, Fremont. i)th. A.J. PHTLrps. WestSilem. 10th. G W. Perry, Superior. 11th. A. It. McDonald, Sheboygan. 12th. J. M. Smith, Green Bay. Members, 1S82. ME]\1BERS, 1882. Adams, B. F Alcott, Wm Anderson, Hon. M . . Anderson, A. A Arnold, A. A Barter, S Baumback, William Case, P. W Daniels, E. W Dibble, G. W Dickerson, H. J Floyd, H Freeborn, S. J Gill, Wm Gos3, B. F . Madison Wisconsin. . Brodbead Wisconsin. . Pine Bluff Wisconsin. , . Neenab Wisconsin. . Galesville Wisconsin. . Markesan Wisconsin. . Wauwatosa Wisconsin. Madison Wisconsin. . Auroraville Wisconsin. . Evansville Wisconsin. . . Appleton Wisconsin. . Berlin Wisconsin. . Itbaca Wisconsin. . Dayton Wisconsin. , . Pewaukee Wisconsin. Graves, S. W Brookly n Wisconsin. Greenman, C. 11. . Hacker, T. L Haight, Nicbolas . Hancbett, Mark . . Hatcb, A. L Hill, Geo. C Hirschinger, Chas Wauwatosa Wisconsin. Madison Wisconsin. Syene Wisconsin. FootTille Wisconsin. Ithaca Wisconsin. llosendale Wisconsin. ,. Baraboo Wisconsin. Holt, M. A Madison Wisconsin. Hoxie, B. S Cookville Wisconsin. Howie, Jobn Waunakee Wisconsin. Hunt, Samuel Evansville Wisconsin. Jelirey, Geo Milwaukee, 630 Chestnut St. . . . Wisconsin. Jewelt, Z. Iv Sparta Wisconsin. Kellogg, Geo. J Janesville Wisconsin. Lawrence, F. S. Lowe, Victor . . . McDonald, D... Mills, Simeon . . Morrison, W. H Olds, B. B Palmer, N. N... .Innesville Wisconsin. Palmyra Wisconsin. Verona AVisconsin. Madison Wisconsin. Elkhorn Wisconsin. Clinton Wisconsin. Brodbead Wisconsin. Parlridge, E. G Warren Wisconsin. 8 "Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. Peffer, Geo. P Pewaukee WiscoDsin. Philips, A. J West Salem Wisconsin. Pilgrim, D.T West Granville Wisconsin. Plumb, J. C Milton Wisconsin. Potter, C. W Mauston Wisconsin. Reid, Wm North Prairie Wisconsin. Reynolds, Werdea Gree i B ly Wisconsin. Smith, Alfred ... Madison Wisconsin. €mlth, J. M Green Bay Wisconsin, Spencer, R. C Milwaukee Wisconsin. Stickney, J. S Wauwatosa Wisconsin. tttone. Lis Fort Atkinson Wisconsin. Thompson, H. M.. St. Francis Wisconsin. Tuttle, A. G Baraboo ... Wisconsin. Vaughan, J. C Chicago Illinois. Warren. A. A Green Bay Wisconsin. West,J.R Evansville Wisconsin. Wilcox, E Trempealeau Wisconsin. Williams, Daniel Summit Wisconsin . Wood, J. W Baraboo Wisconsin. HONORARY MEMBERS. LIFE. Dr. Joseph Hobbins, ex-President; F. G. S , Corresponding Member Royal Horticultural Society, England, Madison, Wisconsin. O. S. \Villey, ex- Recording Secretary. Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minnesota. ANNUAL. Mrs. A. A. Arnold , . Galesville Wisconsin. Mr<. D. Huntley Appleton. Wisconsin. Mrs. H. M. Lewis Madison Wisconsin. Mrs. D. C. Ayers Green Bay Wisconsin. Mrs. Prof. A. Kerr ». Madison.... Wisconsin. J.L.Harris La Crescent Minnesota. Oliver Gibbs, Jr Lake City Minnesota. R. D. Spear Cedar Falls Iowa. Mrs. Prof. Sawyer Appleton Wisconsin. Mrs. E. V. Richmond Appleton Wisconsin. Miss Kate Peffer Powaukee Wisconsin. Mrs. C. A. Willard De Pere Wisconsin. Mrs. J. Clark , Galesville Wisconsin. Fruit List. FEUIT LIST. APPLES. Six Varieties best adapted lo Wisconsin, Hardiness, Productiveness and Qual- ity taken into considtration. — Duchess of Oldenburg, Wealthy, Pewaukee, Walbridge, Fanieuse, Plumb's Cider. Additional List for (Jultiration in Favorable Locations. — Tetofskj', Red As- trachaii, St. Lawrence, Fall Orange, Fall Spilzenberg, Price's Sweet, Alex- ander, I'tter, Wesllield Seek-no-Further, VVilK)w Twig, Golden Russ t, Haas. List for Sandy Soils. — Duchess, Fall Spilzenberg, Whitney's No. 20, Tran- scendent, llyslop. Note.— The qiu'stion of adaptiitioii of varieties is one so largely depciulent upon 1 cal conduions of soil, elevation and aspect, that a geii'jral list will not answer fully the wants of every planter, and .it best can only be a general guide in the selection of varieties. « For more eiieclfic directions, the following rules and Lsts are lurnished by the committee chosen for this purpose: 1. Locations comparatively elevated and well drained, with a cool northern aspect a' d line gravelly clay soil, not very rich, may e.\lend the general list named above to an indefinite e.vtent, with fair prospect of success in southern and eastern districts of the state. But fo • warm, sheltered loations and rich soils, which i:;ducc a great growth, no section of our state can safely i)lant other ih in those varieties known to be istreme'y hardy. 2. The bi'stguidc in the selection of varieties is for each to plant largely of .«uch varie ies as arc fouud successful in locations similar to that eich must plant upon. For all unfavor- able locitions, and extreme northern districts, only the most hardy, well tried apples of the Russian or Siberian type sh )U d be chosen for general plantii.g. 3. In the e.\treme northern districts, only the crown of the hills should be chosen fjtr the orchard, with a fi.m soil and jiorous subsoil, and if these materials a e wanting iiatiiraliy, they should be supi)iied artiticially. STRAWBERIUES. For General CuUieation.— WU&on's Albany, Boyden's No. 30, Green Pro- lific, Crescent, Charles Downing, Sharpless, Captain Jack. For 7'//c Elder. Soft Maple. (Valuable in order named ) Horse Chestnut. Wisconsin Weeping Willr>w. New American Weeping Willow. Kilmarnock VVillow. Weeping Golden. Barked Ash. Weeping Mountain Ash. Weeping Poplar. Shrubs for the lairn. (In order named.) Snow Ball. Lilac (three varieties). Syringa. Deulza. Weitr lia. Up iglit Honeysuckle. Flowering Almonds. Spine a. Queen of Prairie. Gem ot Prairie. Persian. Yellow Harrison. Madame Plautier, Ii)ses for the laicn. Roses for the lawn. Euonymus. Strawberry Tree. Sutnacb. Fringe or Smoke Tree. Berberry (vulgaris). Berberry Purple Leaf. Pyrus Japonica. (Climbers.) Baltimore Belle. (Hybrids ) General Jaccjuimenot. La France. General Washinglon. Climbing vines for the luirn. Ampelopsis (American Ivy). Scarlet Honeysuckle. Fragrant Honeysuckle. Clematis \'irgin's Bower. Clematis Jackmanni. 12 Wisconsin State Horticultukal Society. ACT OF REORG AlSriZ ATIOK OF THE STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Chapter 151, Laws op 1879. Section 1. The executive committee of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society shall hereafter consist of the president, secretary and treasurer of said society, and of one member from each congressional district of the state; said members from the congressional districts to be chosen annually by the county and local horticultural societies in the respective districts. Section 2. The present officers and executive committee of said society -shall hold their respective offices until the Tuesday next succeeding the first Mon-ay in February, 1880, and until their successors are appointed. Section 3. It shall be the duly of the said society to aid in the formation and maintenance of county and local horticultural societies, to promote the horticultural interests of the state by the holding of meetings for discussion; by the collection and dissemination of valuable information in regard t^ the cultivation of fruits, flowers and tree^ adapted to our soil and climate, and in every proper wa^^ to advance the fruit and tree growing interests of the state. Section 4. The annual meeting of the society shall be held on the Tues- day next succeeding the first Monday in February of each year, for the elec- tion of its officers, the transaction of general business, and the consideration of questions pertaining to horticulture. Section 5. All vacancies in the offices of said society may be filled by the executive committee; and should there be a failure to elect a member of the executive committee in any district, the vacancy may be filled by a two- thirds vote of the members of the society present at any regularly appointed meeting. Section 6. It shall be the dity of the secretary of said society to make an annual report to the governor of the state of the transactions of the soci- ety, including an itemized account of all moneys expended during the year, in addition to such matters as are now specified in the law relating to the same. Section 7. The number of printed ptges of said report shall not exceed three hundred and fifty, and the number of copies shall be limited to three thousand five hundred. In all other respects, the publication and distribu- tion of said report shall be in accordance with the provisions of the law now in force concerning the same. Section 8. The sjm of ^600 is hereby appropriated out of any money in CONSTITDTION AND By-LaWS. 13 the state treasury not otherwise appropriated, to aid the said society in car- rying out the provisions of this act; said sum to be paid by the Btate treasurer upon the order of the president of said society, in such sums and at such times as shall best contribute to tlie prosperity of the society and the interests it represents. Section 9. This aot shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and publication. Approved ^larch 1, 1879. CO^SISTITUTIOX AND BY-LAWS. As Amended February, 1879. CONSTITUTION. Anr. I. This Society shall be known as the. Wisconsin State Horticultural Sociel3\ Art. II. Its object shall be the advancement of the science of horti- culture. Abt. III. Its members shall consist of annual members, paying an annual fee of one dollar; of life members, paying a fee often dollars at one time; of honorary life members, who shall be diitlnguished for merit in horticultural or kindred sciences, or who shall confer any particular benefit upon the society; ard honorary annual members, who may, by vote, be invited to par- ticipate in the proceedings of the society. Art. IV. Its officers shall cocsist of a President, Vice President, Record- ing Secretarj', Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Superintendent, and an Executive Board consisting of the foregoing ofiicers and additional mem- bers, one from each congressional district of the state, five of whom shall constitute a quorum at any of its meetings. In addition to the foregoing officers, the presidents of all local horticultural societies repotting to this society shall be deemed honorary members and ex officio vice presidents of this society. All oflicers shall be elected by ballot, and shall hold their office for one year thereafter, and until their successors are elected; provided, the additional executive members may be elected by the county or local horti- cultural societies of their respective districts. Art. V. The society shall hold annual meetings, commencing on the Monday ne.xt preceding the first Tuesday in February, for the election of oflicers, for discussions, and for the exhibition of fruit; also one meeting during the fall, for the exhibition of fruits and for discussions, and such other meetings for discussions and exhibition as the executive committee may direct, at such time and place as the executive board shall designate. Art. VI. This constitution, with the accompanying by-laws, may be amended at any regular meeting, by a two-thirds vote of the members present.. 14 Wisconsin Statb Horticultural Societt. BY-LAWS. I. The president shall preside at meetings, and, with the advice of the re- cording secretary, call all meetings of the S' ciety and have a general super- vision of the affairs of the society; and shall deliver an annual address upon some subject connected with horticulture. II. The vice president shall act in the absence or disability of the presi- dent, and perform the duties of the chief officer. III. The secretary shall attend to all the correspondence, shall record the proceedings of the societj^ preserve dl papers belonging to the same, and superintend the publication of its reports. He shall also present a detailed report of the affairs of the society, at its annual meeting. He shall also en- deavor to secure reports from the various committees, and from local socie- ties, of the condition and progress of horticulture in the various districts of the state, and report the same to this society. It shall be the duty of the secretary to make an annual report to the governor of the stale, of the trans- actions of the society, according to the provisions of the statutes for state reports. IV. The treasurer shall keep an account of all moneys belonging to the society, and disburse the same on the written order of the president, counter- signed by the secretary, and shall make an annual report of the receipts and disbursements, and furnish the secretarj' wiih a copy of the same, on or be- fore the first day of the annual meeting. The treasurer elect shall, before entering upon the duties of his < ffice, give good and sufHcient bonds for the faithful performance of his duties, subject to the a,pproval of the executive committee. V. The executive board may, subject to the approval of the society, man- age all its aflairs and fill vacancies in the board of officers; three of their number, as designated by the president, shall constitute a finance committee. VI. It shall be the duty of the finance committee to settle with the treas- urer, and to examine and report upon all the bills or claims against the society, which may have been presented and referred to them. VII. The standing committees of this society shall be asf>llow3: 1st, Committee on Finance, consisting of three members; 2d, Committee on No- menclature, consisting of three members; 3d, Committee of Observation, as now provided. Said committees to be appointed annually by the executive committee of the society. La.ws Relating to Tree Belts. 15 LAWS RELATING TO THE PUBLICATTON AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE WISCONSIN STATE HORTI- CULTURAL SOCIETY. Revised Statutes, 1878. Section 339. There sha'l be printed ana lally by the state printer, on the order of the commissionera of pub'ic printing, * * * three thousand copies of the transactions of the Wisconsin Slate Horticultural Society, together with abstracts of reports of county and other horticultural societies, and such other matter perttiinln^ to fruit growing and other horticultural interests of the state as shall be deemed imp irtant. The volume may include such engravings as shall be necessary to illustrate the printe 1 matter; the cost of said engravings not to exceed the sum of owe hundred and fifty dol- lars in any one year, and to b-? paid out of the state treasury. Section 3G3. The traDsactif>ns of the State Horticultural Society shall be distributed as follows: Five copies to each member of the legislature; fifty copies to each town or county horticultural society that shall report its or- ganization, with officers elect, number of members, aud an abstract of its proceedings, for pnblicatioa in said volume, to the secretary of the State Horticultural Society; fifteen copies to each county agricultural society re- porting to the secretary of state ; fifty copies to the State Agricultural Society ; fifty cojiies to the State Univicrsity; twenty. five copies to the State Historical Society; and all remaining copies to the Stale Horticultural Society. * * * The number of the printed pages of the transactions * * * of said hor- ticultural society shall not exceed two hundred; and all such transactions shall be printed on good book paper and bouod in muslia covers, uniform in style with the previous voluoies p iblished. Chapter 151, Laics of 1879. Skction 6 It shall be the duty of the secretary of said society to make an annual report to the governor of the state of the transactions of the society, including an itemized account of all moneys expended during the year, in addition to such matters as are now specified in the law relating to the same. Section 7. The number of printed piges of said report shall not exceed three hundred and fifty, and the number of copies shall be limited to three thousand and five hundred. In all other respects, the publication and distri- bution of sail report shall be in accord ince with the provisions of the law now in force concerning the same. LAW REL.VriNG TO TREE BELTS, REVISED STATUTES 1878. Section 1409. Every owner or possessor of five acres ef l;;nd, or more, who shall successfully grow by planting with forest trees, consisting of the following kinds, or such species thereof as will grow to the height of fifty 16 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. feet or more, viz.: arbor v\\x, asb, balsam fir, basswood, beech, birch, butter- nut, cedar, black cherry, chestnut, coSee tree, cucumber tree, elm, hackberry, hemlock, hickory, larch, locust, maple, oak, pine, spruce, tulip tree and wal- nut, tree belts in the manner and form prescribed in the next section, shall be entitled to have the land on which such tree belts ^row, exempted from taxation from the time the trees coii.mence to grow until they shall reach the height of twelve feet, and after they she'll have attained that height, to receive an annual bounty of two dollars per acre for each acre so grown. Section 1470. Such tree belts shall be planted on the west or south sides of each tract of land, be of uniform width through their entire length, contain not less than eight trees, at nearly eq .i-distance, on each square rod of land, and be at least thirty feet wide for each five acre tract, sixty feet wide for each ten acre tract, and one hundred feet wide for each square forty acre tract, and upon all square tracts of land, upon two sides thereof. All tree belts owned by the same land owner must be planted not to exceed a fourth of a mile apart, and on the west and south sides of every square forty acres, and shaU not exceed one fifth of the entire tract of land oa which the same are planted; provided, that when the east and north sides, or either, of any tract of land, is bounded by a public highway, a tree belt one rod Aide maybe planted next to said highway, although it, with the others on the west and south sides, sball exceed one-fifih of the whole tr^xct; and tree bells may be planted on any other lines within each forty square acres, by permission of the assessor. Section 1471. The assessor shall, upon tbe application of the owner thereof, in each year, at the time of assessing the personal property in his dis- trict, make ap-rsonal examination of all tree belts for which bounty or ex- emption from taxatiim is claimed, and ascertain whether they have been planted as required in the preceding section, and are thriftily growing, and if he thall be satisfied thereof, he shall not assess the same for taxation unless the trees therein shall have attained the height of twelve feet, and in that case he shall deliver to the owner a ceitificate that he is entitled to an annual bounty of two dollars for each acre of such tree belts, stating therein the whole amount of such bounty and giving a description of the entire laud of which the tree belts form a part, and the amount of such bounty shall be credited by the treasurer in payment of any taxes assessed on such land, as so much cash; but if not so satisfied, the assessor shall assess tbe land tor taxes or refuse to grant any certificate for the bounty, as the case may require ; and if, after any certificate for such bounty shall have been issued, the owner of any such tree belts shall suffer the same to die out by want of cultivation or otherwise, or shall cut the same down, or in any other way allow the same to be so thinned out, that in the opinion of the assessor he ought no longer to receive such bounty, he shall give the treasurer written notice thereof, and thereafter no lurther bounty shall be allowed until such owner shall again receive a certificate therefor. PROCEEDINGS AT THE SUMMER MEETINGS, HELD BY THE WISCOKl STiTE HillCEIlIML SOCIETI, AT La Crosse, June 22-24, 1881, and Appleton, July 13-14, 1881. At the winter meeting for 1881 invitations were presented to tbe State Ilorticultural Society to hold summer conventions for the consideration of horticultural subjects and the exhibition of fruits and flowers in connection with the Northwestern Horti- cultural Society at La Crosse, and with the Grand Chute Horti- cultural Society at Appleton. These invitations were accepted, and the executive committee were, by vote of the State Society, instructed to make the necessary preparations, and to call the respective meetings at such times as the local societies should decide to be the best aJapted for the purpose. The time fixed upon by the Northwestern Society as the most likely to be in the flush of the season for strawberries and roses was June 22-24. After this date was announced, the development of the season in that section was so rapid, that not only was the main crop of berries gone, but even the last pickings were well nigh over. nORT. 18 Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. At Appleton, other considerations made it necessary to defer the convention until July 13-14, when the season for berries had entirel}^ passed. Both of the meetings were well attended, inter- esting, and, we trust, profitable. The main points of the dis- cussions and proceedings will be given briefly. LA CEOSSE MEETING. At 9 A. M. of the 22d, the convention was called to order by President Smith. Judge J. F. Bryant, in behalf of the citizens of La Crosse, extended to the members of the State Society a friendly greeting and cordial welcome, in a few well-chosen and eloquent terms. "The welcome was genuine, coming from the hearts of the citizens, and was shown in turn by nature herself, who seemed to have made special efforts to appear at her best, in honor of the occasion. They anticipated much pleasure from social, friendly greetings, but also hoped to derive much benefit from knowledge gained in regard to the cultivation of fruits and flowers. Many had labored hard to improve the appearance of the city — to beautify its homes and public grounds — but nature, was adverse. There were many difficulties to encounter. The soil was light and sandy, quick to start, and adapted to an early and rapid growth when conditions were favorable, but soon dried up in the heat of summer. Their experience in many respects had been discouraging ; evergreens will not keep green ; shade-trees will die out; lawns, flower-beds and shrubbery will dry up. In the first of the season, vegetation develops rapidly, as in a hot-bed ; but the midsummer sun and dry winds soon parch and wither it. Some of the hardier native trees, like the cotton-wood, will thrive under these conditions, but the city fathers have recently voted them a nuisance, and tell us that we must cut them down. With what shall we replace them ? By what culture can we secure them amid these adverse conditions? The task appears difficult, but we mean to undertake it. We look to you for counsel and aid, so that we may add to the attract- iveness of our city and our homes." President Smith responded in behalf of the society ; thanked La Crosse Meeting. 19 ths citizens for the kind words of greeting and the friendly inter- est manifest, and hoped that the gathering would prove pleasant and profitable to them, and to all. " The society is not made up of orators and eloquent speakers, and if any expected to be enter- tained in this direction they would be disappointed. Yisit our members at home and you will find them toiling in the garden or field to gain the necessaries of life. They are not favored of fortune ; the luxuries they enjoy come in the line of their labor, and are the product of the hand of toil. Nearly thirty years ago a few men, not rich then, but hoping to secure the comforts of life in this their new home, formed a society to find out how to increase the comforts and happiness of their homes, and how to make them more attractive and beautiful. Most of those engaged in the work then are engaged in the same labor now, and those who have left it for other fields are in sympathy with it still. None of them, so far as is known, have made themselves rich, but have added much to the happiness and comfort of their own life and those of others. As we meet from year to year there is much of pleasure in the social enjoyment, and we learn much from each other's experience. At first we thought that the old fruits and trees of our early homes would thrive here, but we soon were convinced that this was a mistake. We made many mistakes, many failures — some of them very disheartening and attended with serious loss. In other things our labors were crowned with success, and we have reason to be encouraged. We are learning how to grow more and better fruit, how to increase the beauty and attractiveness of our home life, and we shall labor on, hoping that some lives may be made more bright and cheerful by our work." In the absence of any definitely arranged programme for the forenoon session, it was proposed to occupy the time in the dis- cussion of practical questions relating to the season's work, and President Smith called on the members for their opinion as to the cause of the injury to the strawberry beds the past winter and spring. He stated that in many places in his own beds all the plants were killed outright, and the whole beds were more or less injured. All varieties suffered about alike. Never had there 30 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. been a better prospect of a good crop than there was the previous fall, but when the beds were uncovered in the spring the vines were all black, Crescents and all, and he thought that all were dead ; but the Crescents soon put out new crowns andformeJ new fruit stems and now promised to yield a good average crop of fruit. Patches in the other beds, scattered here and there, but usually along the edges of the beds and in the lowest places, de- veloped a new growth, and the plants now living promised a very fair crop. Mr. Harris, President of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, said that the strawberry beds were much injured through- out his section and in the western part of Wisconsin. Some of the fruit growers, who usually sold $1,000 worth of strawberries, did not realize one hundred dollars for this season's crop, and some did not get even ten dollars. Various reasons are assigned as the cause. He had no theory in regard to it, but thought that it might be, in part at least, the result of the very early freezing up of the ground and plants in the fall. The plants had not ripened their wood, and the sap freezing up in the cells so enfeebled them that they were not able to stand the winter. In digging plants in the spring, he found that the roots to some were all black and dead; other plants had part of their roots killed, while part were still white and uninjured. Such plants grew rapidly at first and blossomed very full, but they did not have strength to mature the fruit ; the ends of the berry were green and seed}^, and the cap was larger than the fruit. Where covered, the results were about the same as to injury of plants, but not as many were killed outright. In reply to a question of Mr. Plumb, he said the ground was very dry in the fall, when it froze up, and also dry in the spring. Mr. Marscomb, of La Crosse, had suffered in the same manner, perhaps more than the rest. He had one patch, of six acre", that was nearly all killed ; so that he did not get over two hundred quarts from the whole field. The bed stood on high ground ; soil was sandy ; but a black sand. He had never practiced covering in the winter, and never before had lost his plants by freezing out, but this season, nearly all were killed. The few left were on the La. Crossb Meeting. 21 outer edges of the field. He had another patch 'of about two acres on low ground, which was injured but little. Knew of no reason for the difference, except it was that this field was more completely covered with snow. What injury was done was in little patches, here and there, as is often seen in fields of wheat, injured by winter killing, when covered with deep snow. The yield on these two acres was very remarkable. He had to go to market as often, and thought he realized about as much from the two acres as he usually did from the whole eight Mr. Wilcox said the crop with him had been very good ; he had not given the beds much care, not as much as he ought to ; his beds were mulched ; he thought they should be mulched every winter, and that it should be put on early, much earlier tnan it is customarily done. The theory of mulching is said to be to keep the plants from freezing and thawing, but he believed that they were often injured by long exposure to steady cold in the fore part of the winter. Did not think that a heavy covering of snow smothered the plants. The best berries he had this season were where the snow was deepest over them. Mr. Kramer, of Minnesota, was of the opinion that the injury •was mainly done by early frosts in the fall, before the buds and wooJy fiber of the plants were matured. Ilis own beds had not been hurt by the winter. They were on a side hill where grapes had s'ood. The soil was rich at the bottom and well underdrained, but the surface was poor and clayey. The plants had matured early in the fall, before the frosts came, and were unaffected by the winter. Mr. Plumb stated that there had been very little injury to plants by the winter with him, or in the southern part of the state, even where the beds were not covered, but they had suffered severely by the drought and heat of the spring. The condition of the ground during the fall and winter had been unfavorable on account of the extreme dryness of the soil, and the plants were weakened by it, but they survived the winter, and, favored by the gradual melting of the snow and the thawing out of the ground under the snow, would have recovered their vitality had the usual spring rains come. As it was they grew finely and blossomed 22 Wisconsin State Horticultukal Society. full, bat then dry and hot weather came on, checked the growth and seriously injured the plants; all kinds were affected alike. It was his opinion that the causes of the injury were lack of moist- ure in the soil in the fall'and winter, followed by dry weather and excessive heat in the spring. President Smith said that his beds had received the usual care, ard never looked more promising ; the mulch was marsh hay, but it was put on rather late, after the ground was frozen up ; this, however, could not have been the cause of the injury, for his sons covered their beds much earlier, yet their vines were injured much more than his. He noticed the plants in January, before the snow came, and found some of the leaves were dead ; when the snow came he felt that they would be all safe, but on uncov- ering them in the spring and finding every leaf dead — Crescents and all — he was completely discouraged. His beds were in ridges about two rods wide, considerably the highest in the center, and this is where thie plants were killed much the worst, whether because the soil was dryer, or because the plants were more ex- posed, he did not know. The vigor of the Crescent was very clearly shown, lor while the tops were killed the same as the other kinds, not a plant was killed ; each root sent up new leaves and stems, and the bed was now a mass of foliage. Mr. Stickney remarked that there were two facts mentioned by President Smith which went to prove that lack of moisture was the cause of the injury; one was that the plants on the top of the ridges, where the soil was the driest, were injured the most; the other, that the injury was much greater on his son's land, which is still dryer than Mr. Smith's. His own plants had not been killed, but were hurt, and caused the crop to be small in quantity and imperfect in quality. Young beds were injured the most. He had no doubt but that the loss came from the roots freezing dry early in the fall, and that it would have been much worse, if not complete destruction, had it not been for the covering of snow the latter part of the winter, and the gradual manner in which it melted in the spring. These conditions of soil are alike unfav- orable to fruit trees and vines. Mr. Plumb thought if the injury was done early in the fall or La Crosse Meeting. 23 winter, the snow would hardly save them, and he believed the real cause of their death was in the spring. No doubt but the plants were weakened by freezing in dry ground, but they seem to have held their own during the winter, and when the snow melted they gradually recovered and grew finely, until the hot, dry weather came on, when they were in full bloom. Mr. Harris inquired if the chinch bug was injurious to the strawberry, lie had noticed them on the plants. Mr. Marscomb said he had seen beds where the bugs had eaten the leaves full of holes, but did not observe any evil results from it. Mr. Peffer had not seen them working on the strawberry, but no matter what is eating the leaves of the plant, it is an injury, whether it is done before or after fruiting. Mr. Peffer remarked that the first appearance of fire-blight this season was when the apple trees were in full bloom. The first attacks he observed were made in the flowers themselves, some- times commencing in the petals, at others in the stamens and an- thers, and gradually working into the twig or shoot. He did not regard it as infectious or contagion?, but rather dependent upon conditions of the atmosphere. Mr. Harris had come to the conclusion that there were various causes that tended to favor and produce blight Lack of hardi- ness was one; our trees had not power to endure our winters, and being injured or weakened by them, were subject to attacks of blight Another is that our trees are set too near together. Again, the elements in the soil necessary to produce a healthy, vigorous growth, are exhausted, or are not there in the right propor- tion. He did not think that at the first attack in the season, it was contagious, but when it becomes abundant, it seems to be an epidemic and to spread like the Asiatic Cholera. Mr. Partridge, of Warren, inquired if weakness or lack of vigor was the cause of blight, why the Transcendent, one of the most vigorous growers and the hardiest of all our trees, is so subject to it The same is true of the greater part of our Sibe- rians. They are the only trees that are hardy enough to stand 24 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. cur climate, yet they are nearly all more subject to blight than our Stacdards. Mr. Philip?, of "West Salem, had not at first regarded blight as contagious, but more recently had seen it developed under such circumstances as to lead him to change in regard to it. Whit- ney's No. 20 is recommended as not being subject to blight, and Mr. Whitney says it is entirely free from it on his own ground. But at West Salem, when set in adjoining rows to Peck's Pleas- ant, which were affected with blight, No. 20 was struck with it too. Not in one instance alone, but in a number. Other trees are affected in the same manner, as the Wealthy, which only blights when standing near trees that are subject to it. The noon hour had arrived and cut short the discussion, and the society adjourned until 2 o'clock P. M. AFTEENOOX Session. — At 2 o'clock P. M. the convention was called to order by the president. A general desire was expressed to have a speech from Senator W. T. Price, who was present. The senator said he must decline to respond to the request. He came there to leatn of others, not to impart information ; he felt a good deal of interest in the cultivation of fruit and flowers and in other horticultural subjects, but practically he knew very little about them. They were not themes on which he could speak with understanding or profit. He was familiar and might talk on saw logs, but they had no sort of connection with horticulture, and hence anything he might say in regard to them would not be appropriate to the occasion. Mr. Stickney thought that in one phase of the question the subject of saw logs was intimately connected with horticulture, and agriculture also, for, if the general belief is correct, and the history of other countries seem to prove that it is, that the cutting off of our heavy timber will bring about such climatic changes as to seriously diminish the productiveness of our cultivated land, then this is an important question, and one of special interest to us. The question of the timber supply fifty or one hundred years hence is a serious one. At the rate that our heavy timber land was now being cleared, there will soon be a scarcity, not of pine alone, TiA. Crosse Meeting. 25 but of all kinds of timber for economic purposes. The demand for lumber is on the increase and must continue to, but, when what we have is once cut off, it will require years to grow trees to fill even a limited demand. Not only were the largest and most valuable trees rapidly disappearing, but a large amount of young timber, standing in the forests, was being destroyed in cutting the trees most suitable for lumber. These young trees, if preserved, would soon take the place of that which was now being cut off and would become valuable for lumber and timber. If the tim- ber lands that are now being stripped so rapidly of the growth of centuries, and left desolate, to be run over every year or two with fires, were cared for and protected, the young trees on them al- lowed to grow up, and seeds of the Elm, the Maple, Ilackberry and other kinds were planted there, the evil effect which will re- sult from the present course would be averted, the fertility of the land would be preserved, and the?e lands would again be covered with a valuable growth of timber. Taking this view of the subject, he thought that we ought to call on the senator to give an account of the misdeeds and waste caused by him and his fellow craftsn\en. Senator Price said he was very glad to speak in defense of the lumbermen, for he regarded their calling a legitimate and honora- ble one, and one that was adding greatly to the weilth, progress and prosperity of the country. They were contributing largely, perhaps more largely than any other class of laborers, to the pro- duction of value. By their labor a log worth perhaps one dollar in the tree is made worth three dollars when run mto the river, and worth ten when cut up into lumber. This not only adds largely to the wealth of the nation by taking what was of little value in the forest and giving it this greatly increased value, but it furnishes material needed for the comfort of the whole com- munity and for the practical development of all other industrial pursuits. The calling of the lumberman was as important, as beneficial to the general development of the country, as any class you may name, and did not merit the bad name, the abuse they received. It is true that much of the young and growing timber in the forest is destroyed by cutting the larger trees, but this is 26 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. largely a matter of necessity, to be regretted, perhaps, and avoided when possible ; but he would call attention to the fact that where the native timber is cut off and another crop comes in, it is of another kind. Few if any of the old native stock remain. It seems to be one of nature's provisions to give diversity by rotation and diversity of production. He thought there was a good deal of sickly sentimentalism, a good deal of humbug in the hue and cry made about the destruc- tion of our timber. The ideas expressed in the oft quoted lines, "Woodman spare that tree," may be very fine, but they are wanting in good, sound sense, certainly in the application generally given to them; for he regarded it not only as right but as a duty to cut off a crop of timber when it is at its prime, as much so as to harvest a crop of wheat or of fruit. The fact is that a large portion of our native forest growth ought to have been cut years ago. A great deal of our timber is depreciating in value, and has been a long time. He had no fears for the future. Coming gen- erations would take care of themselves. Look at the progress being made in every direction. Materials once regarded as value- less for certain purposes, because in their very nature they wholly lacked the quality desired, and even possessed the exact opposite, have been so changed in their character as to adapt them to com- mon use. As an example, see paper and glass, now used for car wheels and building purposes. He has no fears but that the ingenuity of the future would find a way to supply its wants, and believed it was our duty to do the best we can, to make the most of what we have in the present. MENTAL AND MORAL INFLUENCE OF HORTL CULTURE. J. M. Smith, Green Bay. Ladies and Oenilemen : — If some terrible and bloody crime had been committed in the midst of a quiet community, and some one who was likely to know something of the time, place and cir- cumstances in which it originated, and its details were arranged, should tell us that all the plans were devised, and the arrange- Mental and Moral Influence of Horticulture. 27 ments for carrying them into execution had been made in some low, vile liquor saloon, and that the men filled themselves with a poison that to 3k from them their reason and maddened their brain, before they attempted to carry into execution their wicked scheme, you would, with one accord, say that it was a fitting place for the concoction of such deeds of wickedness and crime ; and further, you would say that all the probabilities were in favor of the truth of the witness. If he was a man of truth and veracity, you would scarcely think of doubting his story. But, suppose that some one tells us that the authors of this crime met in a beautiful garden, filled with the choicest fruits of the season, and everywhere adorned with fragrant flowers; and that while resting under the shade of the trees and shrubbery, and enjoying its finest fruits, and while admiring the wonderful beauty and fragrance of the flowers, they conceived and arranged the entire details of the terrible crime that shocked the whole community, what would you say to such a story. Would you not say at once that it was utterly improbable, and not worthy of belief? The character of the witness for truth and veracity would be lost at once. The more you reflected upon it, the more firmly you would become convinced of its absurdity, until you would finally say that its truth was not only improb- able, but impossible. You would say that men would not go to such a place to devise schemes of cruelty and crime, and if, per- chance, they should happen to be in such a spot, the very beauty, purity and innocence of everything about them, would weaken their resolutions and unnerve their hearts for other than manly and noble deeds. But why is this? If one is disposed to evil deeds why not plan them in a flower garden and among the fruit trees as well as in a liquor saloon ? It is very possible that in the brief time I have allotted to myself I may fail to give the reasons in a manner that will be satisfactory either to you or myself. But that the statement made is, in fact, verified by the history of crime in all civilized countries, will, I think, hardly be denied. Such being the case, the question very naturally returns to us, what is the influence of horticulture, and where a love of it exists, how does 28 Wisconsin Statb Horticultural Society. it infineoce its possessors? lam strongly induced to the belief that a love of the beautiful is implanted in every human breast. Not of course to the same extent in all, but it is there. It is one of the faculties given us by the Great Father of all, for good and beneficent purposes. If this":facalty is cultivated, it becomes a habit with us to study and admire the beauties of both art and nature whenever and wherever we find them. It is often said that we are creatures of habit. This, to a great extent, is doubt- less true. It is a well known fact that both men and women are to a certain extent what their food and their surroundings make thern. For instance; if a young man be placed where he is com- pelled to live on the coarsest of food, although it may be in abundance, with compan'ons who are ignorant, coarse and un- gentlemanly, while the only books or amusement to which he has access are of the same general character, and he continues to live in this way for a long series of years, what would be the natural result ? Would you expect to see a refined and cultivated gen- tleman come from such surroundings ? Most assuredly not. la ninety-nine cases out out of a hundred you would find a man coarse in features, coarse in mind, rude in manners, repulsive and disagreeable in almost every respect to persons of educadon and refinement. Occasionally you might find a strong intellect united with a strong body, under such circumstances, but coarse and un- manageable. He may have the framework, as it were, of an in- tellectual giant, but lacking the refinements necessary to make a truly grand and noble man. This class of men, and women as well, may be found, not only by hundreds, but by thousands, all over our country. Some of you can readily call to mind persons whom you have known who have been from their early childhood placed in such circumstances, and who will always show the effect of their early training, or rather the want of training and cultiva- tion which might have made life worth much more to them than it now is. I do not wish to be understood to claim that horticultural training will do away with all of these evils. The point that I wish to make is this: that the training of children and young persons to understand and practice the arts of fruit and flower Mental and Moral Influence op Hokticulture. 29 growing, of setting out trees and shrubbery, of making and caring for the lawQ about the house, is one of the best help*, and one of the most certain as well as one of the cheapest methods within the reach of the masses of our people, to so educate the rising generation as to make them a great improvement upon the most of their predecessors. I can show jou many a home where, judging from the outward surroundings, I would not blame the boys for leaving, or find fault with the girls if they did say they would never marry farmers. Such homes are not what they should be; not what their owners might make them ; not what we will hope they will be at some time in the not very distant future. It seems to me that there is no spot upon this wide earth better adapted by nature to produce fine specimens of man and woman- hood than a farm where horticulture is made a part of the busi- ness, and is attended to as regularly and as persistently as the good farmer cares for his fields, and his flocks and herds. The family of children thus trained can scarcely fail to have happy homes. The young man upon such a farm, as he invites his young friends to enjoy the evening and a dish of strawberries and cream at his home, feels the more a man that he has helped to grow that fruit. If he wishes to call upon a lady friend, the beautiful bouquet gathered from the plants he has helped to tend is more valuable to him than if purchased from a neighboring florist. The beautiful flowers that help to make brigiit and at- tractive the village church are the more enjoyed thit his care has helped to provide them. lie knows where to find the beauti- ful evergreens to make bright and joyous the Christmas time, and he will enjoy these festive occasions much more for the part he has taken in providing for their adornment. He will enjoy the fruit trees and the shrubbery all the more because he assisted in caring for them. The lawn is to him the more beautiful because he has dressed and cared for it. Perhaps the shade trees were set before he was born, but he has assisted his father to trim them, and thus added to their beauty as well as his own interest in them. He has studied books and journals which have given him a large amount of information not only upon horticultural sub- jects, but upon many oLher branches of knowledge that will be 30 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. of great benefit to him in the fature. In short, under these in- fluences, without ever having seen the inside of a college, or ever having read either Latin or Grreek, he is fast becoming an educated and refined young gentleman. His hands may show signs of hard labor. His face may be bronzed by the hot suns of the sum- mer, and the storms of the winter, but he is kind and obliging to his sisters, and would as soon think of cutting off his right hand, as of being rude or unkind to his mother. When he comes to leave the home which he has helped to make so beautiful, to build a new one for himself, he will carry with him all the pleasant and helpful influences which surrounded him in the home of his child- hood, to be reproduced and improved upon by the wife and chil- dren who will cluster around him. It is to educating, refining influences like these that we must look for the elevation of the masses of our country, more than to colleges and universities. From such homes must mainly come men fitted to fill positions of honor and trust in the nation, and women that will adorn and make cheerful and happy both home and social circles. My friends, the time is fast passing away when raising wheat, corn, pork and beef, will constitute the main purpose of farming. The sooner it is past the better it will be for the farming interest generally. I would by no means discourage the growing of good crops of grain, or meat, but, on the contrary, would say, cultivate better, and make your land produce double its present yield. It is sometimes said that the reason there are no more farmers in places of public trust, is because we have not the men in our ranks competent to fill them. I fear there is some truth in this statement, yet you and I know that it is far from being wholly true. We know that there are farmers in every county in the state, who are well qualified to fill any office, from that of governor down to the pathmaster. But this is not sufficient. They should be so plenty that neither their names nor their influence can be ignored. I do not mention this as the principal reason why our people should be better educated, but as one of the incidental ones. The true, the great reason why we should add horticulture to our present means of education and refinement, is because it will assist in making better, more refined and nobler, men and Mental and Moral Influence of Horticultueb. 31 women. We have a country so rich and wonderful in varied re- sources, that none but the best of the race seem to be worthy to inhabit it. We cannot all of us, nor indeed can many of us, send our children to colleges to be educated, and perhaps it is not best that we should do so. Let us be thankful that educated and re- fined men, that strong and noble men, are by no means confined to the graduates of our institutions of learning. Some, as you all know, of the noblest specimens of men that our world has ever known, were educated entirely outside of colleges and seminaries. I have spoken of horticulture at this time not as a means of money making, or even as a means of securing comfort, but sim- ply as a mental and refining discipline in our education. I have said it was cheap, for I firmly believe that it may be made to pay all its expenses. . I have said it was pleasant, because it will add so much to the beauty of our homes in their outside adorning and will add so much to our pleasure within them. Palaces are not necessary to make happy homes, but cultivation and refinement are a necessity to a truly happy one. A gentleman who was the owner of the largest and most expensive residence in the county where he lived, called upon a lady who was once a school-mate of mine. He was upon friendly terms with her, and one day, soon after entering the bouse, he threw himself upon the lounge and said : " Well, Sarah, there is the most pure home in this house of any I ever entered." Yet it was a plain log building, upon a farm a number of miles from any town. A limbing rose bush covered nearly one whole side of it. A yard of flowers adorned one por- tion of the enclosure ; fruits, shrubbery and lawns the rest. Within was a very small library, and a few papers and maga- zines; the furniture was all plain and inexpensive. The lady herself received her education in a very ordinary district school. She married while young and moved to the then almost boundless wilderness of Michigan. Here she added horticulture to her many other cares, and the result may be seen to-day in its efi'ect upon the children who were born and grew up there. She is now fast growing old, but she is still a noble wife and mother, a true friend and an educated and refined old lady. Why should we not have such homes by the thousand in all portions of the northwest. 32 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. There is no good reason for it except the heedlessness and igno- rance of the great majority of our farmers and citizens. We are here to day to do, among other things, what little we may to cor- rect this evil. Let us work faithfully and well. Perhaps in the years to come some beautifully adorned and happy homes may be found, homes where beauty, refinement and happiness may go hand in hand, both within and without their walls, whose inmates shall say, we were led to appreciate and seek after these things by the teachings of your horticultural convention. Should this be the case we will not regret our labors, and this convention will surely not have been held in vain. SIXTEEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN FRUIT CULTURE IN ST. CROIX COUNTY. E. G. Partridge, Warren. Although this is the first time I have had the pleasure of attend- ing a meeting of the State Horticultural Society, yet I feel almost as if I were personally acquainted with many of you ; for T have been a careful reader of the reports of your society for many years, and have studied the essiys and discussions contaiued in them until the names and characteristics of the members participating therein have become so familiar as to seem almost like personal acquaintances ; and when two weeks ago I was invited to prepare a paper to ba read before this meeting, summarizing my experi- ence as a fruit grower in St. Croix county, I felt both gratified and honored, and gladly accepted the invitation, hoping that, though not able to instruct others, I might receive instructions through the suggestions of others, which would assist in overcom- ing the difiiculties which have hitherto beset me as an orchardist. I have somewhere read that in a work upon the natural history of Ireland, the learned author in describing the various animals that inhabit that island, devoted one chapter to snakes and kindred reptiles, and commenced with the remark, " There are no snakes in Iceland;" and it has occurred to me that I might appropri- ately preface a paper upon apple culture in St. Croix county with Sixteen Years' Expekibnce in Feuit Culture. 33 a similar remark, there are no apples ia St. Croix county, and as far as regards standard apples, it would be almost literally true; and yet we do raise apples in St. Croix, such as they are, and shall harvest a bountiful crop this year, if not prevented by the blight. My experience as a fruit grower in the northwest dates back to 1859, when I procured a few trees of apples, pears and plums of B. B. Olds, of Clinton, and set them out in Washington county, Minnesota. This first experiment settled the question for me, so far as pears and plums were concerned, for though the trees lived several years, some of them, they killed back every winter, so as to render them worthless. But some Duchess apple trees thrived, and, in 1861, I raised the first apples of that variety ever grown in that locality. After the war I removed to St. Croix county and started an orchard and nursery at Iludson ; mostly of Sibe- rians, but with a few standard sort, such as were then thought to be hardy. At that lime Dr. Otis Uoyt had the only bearing orchard in the county, mostly seedlings of his own raising ; some of them very good apples, and supposed by him to be hardy. But they proved otherwise, and have all disappeared. Of the orchard I set there, all the standard sorts died out in a few years except the Duchess, some of which have borne several crops, but have since mostly died. Thinking the soil in that locality — a light sandy loam — unsuitable for apple trees, I removed, in 1872, to my pres- ent location, ten miles east of Iludson, where I started again on a larger scale, setting an orchard oE one thousand two hundred trees, and a few thousand in nursery rows. The season was propitious, and both orchard and nursery were successful so far that nearly every tree grew, and I began to hope that I was on the road to success. But the following winter, 1872-3, was one of the most severe in twenty years, and changed the aspect of things con- siderably. Most of the standard trees in the nursery rows were killed back to the ground, or nearly so, and the orchard received a check from which it has never fully recovered. But though my faith was somewhat shaken, I determined to persevere; so replac- ing in the orchard such trees as had succumbed, and cutting back my nursery stock and adding more to it, I started anew. But, so far as standard varitties are concerned, the enterprise has been a 3 — HORT. 34 Wisconsin Statb Hobticultdbal Society. failure. I have never been able to grow healthy trees to the age of three years, except a small per cent of Duchess, Wealthy and Tetofsky. The soil is a cool, clayey loam ; reasonably well drained, the location high, though nearly level, and there are higher grounds on two sides of it. There are more favorable locations in the county, and some tor a time and on a small scale have been more successful than myself, but in the long run the result has been the same. The trees soon become unhealthy, and usually after bearing once or twice die out. From 1865 to 1872 a great many apple trees were introduced into the county from Beaver Dam, Sparta, and some other nurser- ies, and as there was a succession of favorable winters, a great many orchards were set which came into bearing previous to 1872, but that winter ruined all of them, except a few which were most favorably located upon the limestone ridges. For a year or two after this, tree agents had a hard time persuading people to purchase their stock. But they were equal to the occasion. "Hope springs eternal in the human breast," and as two or three mild winters succeeded each other, and new varieties were introduced with the assurance that these were really ironclads, orchards were gradually reset; more largely of Siberians this time, and less with standard varieties. About this time Beaver Dam began to send out trees grafted upon crab roots, which they asserted imparted their hardiness to the stock and ren- dered them as safe as Siberians. Experiments also were made of grafting standards in the top of the Transcendent with the same expectation. But the result has proved that these are even less reliable than those grafted upon ordinary seedling roots. There seems to be a lack of affinity between the stock and cion in these cases, whether grafted upon the root or top, which, in my opinion, will always render success impossible in this direction. In 1873 or 4 the blight 6rst made its appearance in a few locali- ties, first attacking trees set upon low, rich ground, but spreading rapidly until within three or four years nearly all the Siberians in the county were more or less aSected by it. Observing that it af- fected most disastrously such trees as bad been stimulated by cul- tivation to a rapid growth, I seeded down my orchard, hoping that Sixteen Years' Experience in Fruit Culture. 35 bj retarding the growth the disease would be checked. This re- sult did indeed follow, but it was at the expense of their fruitful- ness. So we have this choice of evils, cultivate the trees and thus subject them to blight, or seed the orchards to timothy, and gather but little fruit. Unfortunately the Transcendent, which is the best and most reliable in other respects of all the Siberians, and the sort most largely planted in St. Croix, is more subject to the attacks of this disease than any other variety. But we persevered in the face of all these discouragements, and with some small measure of success, until, in 1879, there were a good many trees of Duchess, Wealthy, Tetofsky, and some other varieties, in bearing, and many promised success in the future. But the last two winters have effectually dispelled this delusion, and I do not believe there are to-day one hundred healthy trees of any standard variety in all that region. St. Croix county is in some respects more unfavorably located as regards tree culture than any other county in the state. Except a few sections along the northern and eastern borders, it lies just south and west of the timber, and thus loses all the benefits which its protection affords to more favored localities. It has no large bodies of water to ameliorate the atmospheric conditions, and is entirely exposed on the west and southwest to those rigorous blasts which sweep the plains of Minnesota and carry destruction in their breath to every living thing less hardy than an oak. No apple tree yet introduced has been able to withstand the effect of those terrific blizzards, with the mercury at from 80° to 40° below zero. Even the Transcendent, our standard for hardiness, is often severely injured and sometimes killed outright, as the two past winters can bear witness. And now what are we going to do about it? It would seem to be useless to continue the fight any longer with the old varieties, which have been tried again and again, and as often found wanting. For myself, I have discarded all of them except the Duchess and Wealthy, and shall plant but sparingly of these. My only hope of success lies in the direction of the experiments now being made at the Minnesota experimental fruit farm, under the direction of Mr. Gideon. It seems to me probable some time, perhaps in the near future, a seedling may be found 3G Wisconsin State Hoeticultubal Society. that will adapt itself to this climate, even under the unfavorable conditions mentioned as existing in St. Croix county, so that our children, if not ourselves, will be able to plant orchards, with the reasonable expectation of eating the fruit thereof. Mr. E. Wilcox, of La Crosse, took exceptions to the statement of the speaker, that the plan of grafting standards on crab roots had proved a failure. It was far from doing so with him. All his stock, both in orchard and nursery, except some Duchess bought of Mr. Stickney, stood on crab roots, and was doing well. He would like to have the members visit his grounds and judge for themselves. It was true that he had met with set backs and losses, but his trees stood better, were more hardy and thrifty than standards on their own or on seedling roots. The statement that his plan dwarfed the growth was not correct, as he had re- peatedly demonstrated by showing young stock thus propagated side by side with standard stock. Some of those present had a chance to see for themselves at the state fair a number of years since, and expressed surprise at the large and stocky growth of his trees, compared wiih those propagated in the old way. In regard to the claim that there was no affinity of stock betwetn the standard and the crab, he would admit that some kinds would not unite well, and that a beetle would form at the graft ; but there were other kinds that would unite and would make a smooth and continuous growth, and by selecting the kinds that thus unite we can get a smooth and perfect tree. He budded a large por- tion of his stock and thought the union was stronger and more perfect than where grafted. Mr. Stickney said he was very sorry that Mr. Partridge was compelled to give us such a gloomy report of orchards in his section, and that the prospects for the future were so unpromising. He did not believe it was possible to secure the necessary hardi- ness in standard trees by grafting or budding such stock on crab roots. If not sufficiently hardy on its own roots, it is difficult to see how it is going to secure greater hardiness by being grafted on to roots whose habits of feeding and growth are entirely dif- ferent from the stock itself. There can not be affinity where the habits of growth are so dissimilar, and we cannot hope for hardi- Sixteen Yea-es' Experience in Fruit Culture. 37 • Aess where affinity is lacking. Thousands of dollars had been spent in experimenting with crab roots, but the results had, as far as he had learned, been far from satisfactory. Mr. Wilcox's experiment may have been an exception ; he hoped it "was, but, if so, it was not sufficient to warrant our recommending the system to others. He could speak from experience in this matter, for when so much was said in its favor he had been led to hopp there was something in it, and he put out forty thousand grafts on crab roots one season. They grew well at first, but did not prove satisfactory. Out of the forty thousand he did not sell five thousand, and was sorry he sold that many. Most of them went on to the brush pile. He had but one single specimen of the lot left, a Red Astrachan, an awkward, ungainly tree, branching out at the surface of the ground, and doubtless was now standing on its own roots. Mr. Partridge said that there were many trees that appeared to be healthy scattered throughout the county, but they do- not bear, or very scantily. The orchards that do the best, in fact all the healthy trees, are on the tops or the north sides of the ridges, what are called limestone ridges. Mr. Stickney inquired if the Siberians were all affected alike by the blight. There are some varieties that are very much sub- ject to blight, and others that are not. The Orange crab is one of the latter kind. It is equal in quality to the Transcendent, also in productiveness and hardiness, and is free, or nearly so, from attacks of blight. He thought the people in the northern part of the state would find it a treasure on this account. Mr. Partridge replied that the Transcendent blighted the worst, and the Ilyslop the next,- perhaps. Whitney's No. 20 was affected least, but yet it suffered some. Mr. Harris said many had labored hard and long to find some way by which to raise apples successfully. He had for many years spent all he could get for this purpose ; had tried all the varieties recommended by the Pomological Society, and by our state societies ; had tried crab roots and seedling-', and all sys- tems of culture, denying himself and his family of many things they would have liked and ought to have had. The losses and 38 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. disappointments had been many and great, and at times he had felt like giving up the struggle, but those engaged in this good work should not be discouraged. One may discover or originate a variety that is hardy, or by experiment may find out one or two varieties of standards and crabs that will unite readily and will give us a hardier stock ; others will carry on the work and add to the list, and ultimate success will be attained, and then pos- terity will applaud the labors which now seem well nigh fruitless. Mr. Plumb thought that none of us had yet finished our educa- tion, our schooling in fruit raising. We are still learning by our own experience and that of others, and also contributing to the knowledge and benefit of those who are to come after us. We often hear it stated that our trees are not injured by root killing. If this is true, we do not need hardier roots. A hardy root cannot give hardness to a top that is not in itself hardy ; for, while the root col- lects the sap, for the nourishment of the top, the leaves and the cells of the top elaborate the sap and govern the development of the top, giving it the form and structure of the original stock ; but the de- scending sap passes from the top into the root, and gradually gives to the new cellular growth a form and qualities like those of the top in which the sap was elaborated. So that if we start with the crab root, we shall in time have the top standing on its own roots, the old roots gradually dying out ; or on roots from which the original properties and characteristics have been eliminated. What we want is both hardy roots and hardy tops. But it is a fallacy to say that from a crab root we can get a hardy top. To secure the needed hardiness we must select hardy varieties, give them the culture and set them where everything will tend to produce a hardy development by securing a steady, uniform and mature growth. The fact that our best orchards are on high hills and ridges, with northern exposures, corroborates thi?\ We have an example near at hand, in the orchard of friend Philips, where on the top of a bluff one hundred and fifty feet high he raises apples that we cannot raise in Southern Wisconsin. In regard to affinity, it makes no difference in the result whether we bud or graft, as the two processes are one in theory and effect. If the affinity does not exist, the union will not be perfect in one case more than in the other. HOKTICULTURE FOE THE CuiLDREN OF THE FaRII. 39 Mr. Wilcox said we do lose many if not most of our trees by root killing, and this is why we specially need hardy roots. He had never claimed that it made the top of the tree hardier for standing on a crab root, but that the crab root was hardier than a standard root would be, and hence the tree was hardier. Adjourned until 7^ P. M. At the hour appointed the convention met and was called to order by the president. The evening session was assigned to the reading of papers by the ladies. Mrs. Huntley, of Appleton, read the following on » HORTICULTURE FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE FARM. It was said by the king of ancient Sparta, that children should be taught that which would be most useful to them when they be- come men. One of the eminent writers of our own time says : " There is no inheritance, no blessing, which any one can confer upon children, no money, or name, that can compare with a taste for natural scenery and rural occupations." The love of the beautiful in nature is an element of character which excludes the vicious and the vulgar, and leads its possessor in ways of virtue and refinement, and to all that is excellent and elevating in life. To those parents who have chosen the culture of the soil for their life work, who live among the beauties and secrets of nature, who are daily handling her treasures, it is a duty that they should sur- round their children, from infancy to manhood, in as large a meas- ure as possible, with all the beautiful trees, shrubs, excellent fruits and lovely flowers, that can be grown in the climate where they reside. The love of flowers, and fruits, and trees, and all the growing beauties of nature, comes to us all largely by inheritance. Much may be done by example, to create a love for rural adorn- ings, and if one in a neighborhood or town begins the planting of trees and the culture of fruits, the practice becomes somewhat con- tagious, but there is not the same persistent eHort to overcome all difficulties, to create as it were waj's and means to gratify this taste, that is seen in those who inherit a love for horticultural pur 40 Wisconsin State Hoeticultural Society. suits, an-i whose early life was passed amid rural scenes. It is the- " bended twig" that inclines the oak ; it was the early training of Linnaeus that made him the renowned botanist that he was. Everything that is good and beautiful needs a genial atmosphere and the training hand of love to develop its perfection. We have all observed how plants and flowers expand into perfect bloom beneath the care of those who love them, while others apparently under the same conditions never attain sach excellence. It is love for the flowers, which makes it a continual pleasure to comply with all the conditions necessary for their growth, just as the mother's love malies the care of her child a perpetual delight. Children who have this gift — a love for flowers — will give early evidence of its possession. The babe in the mother's arms will be attracted by the bright colors of the tulip, and will not be content till it grasps the bright blossoms, the child just begin- ning to walk will gather the May weeds that grow along the path, and the same litile boy when a little older grown, would " play horse " for hours with a bunch of potato blossoms in his hand simply because they were flowers, never realizing the differ- ence between them and the more wonderful beauties with which God hes clothed the earth. The parent who finds in his child such a love for the beautiful in nature has great cause for thank- fulness, because in it he also finds the promise of a love of indus- try, of virtue, and of all the finer qualities of true manhood. A love for horticultural pursuits is a better possession than the "philosopher's stone; " it will do something more than turn all things to gold, for it turns all growing things into excellence and beauty, it leads one to seek an employment that makes the useful and the necessary a perpetual delight. While it provides the necessaries of life, it also beautifies and adorns the home and makes its owner generous, genial and thoughtful for the welfare of others. It is a notable fact that wherever we find, among the laboring classes, great success in horticulturCj there we also find great excellence of character. It is said that a belated traveler in a foreign land compelled to ask shelter for the night was many times refused until selecting a humble dwelling with flower pota in the window, he did not ask in vain. Horticulture for the Cuildren of the Farm. 41 " Children who are reared amid rural scenery, if rifjhtly trained, "will become cultured and refined, even in abodes of poverty, which must be ascribed solely to the spiritual atmosphere per- vading their homes." There never was a prettier story than the one so often told, of the gift of a blooming plant to the dwellers in a filthy cabin, the room was small and disorderly, the window so dirty that the sunlight could scarcely enter, but the presence of that one flower suggested so many improvements, that soon the cottage and its inmates were transformed by its influence. The work of the horticulturist is what the late learned Bayard Taylor called *' the beautification of nature;" it is the gathering together the best of all the treasures in nature's store- house, the finest trees, the choicest fruits, the most excellent veg- etables, the loveliest flowers, and then devoting time and labor to their culture, joining hands with nature to give " an added beauty to the earth," We sound the praise of the artist who puts upon the canvas the picture of rural scenes, but he who plants the trees and grow the flowers, and makes a living land- scape, does a greater and a grander work, and to him we think the greater praise is due. For the children of the farm much may be done to increase their interest in horticultural work, but something more than example is necessary, something more than to supply them with the products of the garden and orchard, and tell them of best varieties ; there should be also thorough, practical training in all that pertains to the care and culture of the orchard. What would be the result in our schools if there was no instruction given ex- cept what is known among teachers as "the pouriug-in process? " If in mathematics the solution of problems was not required, or in music if the fingers were not educated, nor the voice trained in song, teaching theories would be utterly useless. Parents should not only teach their children how work should be done, but by practice and by training children should learn to do skillful work in whatever they undertake. Sometimes the children of excellent parents go astray, which cannot be attributed to bad example, or want of teaching, but solely to the fact that they were not trained in any line of useful work. The success of farmers' sons is due 42 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. largely to the fact that they are trained to a life of labor from infancy to manhood. The promise is not to those who teach, but to those who " train up a child in the way he should go." To many children a little garden of their own is a great incentive, wherein can be grown the early melons always so delightful to children. No fruit can be grown so quickly and in such surpris- ing quantities as the melons. They are always enjoyable in the warm days of summer, delicious for the table, excellent with the lunch in the harvest field, and the center of attraction at the pic- nic dinner ; and when company comes to the farm some of Tommy's melons must surely crown the feast. Sometimes he has the pleasure of sending a ripe melon to a city friend, and some- times many to sell in the city market. We have known boys that have purchased many a present for mother with the money made from their melons. Other fruits are more lasting, but these are the quickest incentive for boys of any fruit we have. Then the strawberry bed has always great attractions for children, and may also become a source of profit. Easpberries of many varieties, cherries and grapes should all have a place in every fruit garden. If to each child was given a tree or vine of that variety they pre- ferred, their interest in fruit would be much greater, and in after years, even down to old age, they would cherish happy memories of their first little garden. The flowers are quite likely to be most attractive to the girls of the farm, and their first lessons in horticulture should be the flower bed in lawn or garden. Of all the beauties of the floral world, we know of nothing so delightful to the children as the dear old Morning Grlories, fresh every day, always ready to greet the little ones when they wake in the morning ; they became the won- der of one dear little girl, who would often ask, " Mamma, when do the Morning Glories open ? They are always here when I get up." To older eyes they are always charming, and bloom in such profusion, they can be made to cover every unsightly place with beauty. ISText to the Morning Glories, the Pansies please the chil- dren most. Their bright faces always remind us of the eager listening ones that gather daily in the school room ; as we study their almost human expression, we think of the dear child who HOETICULTUKK FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE FaRM. 43 would handle them so lovingly, turning their bright heads with her delicate fingers, exclaiming, "See, mamma, they look as though they knew something." After these, a hedge of sweet peas will delight all the household; Give them a place somewhere in the garden or door yard ; plant them early, and grow them ia profusion ; there cannot be too many. Let the little ones gather them daily, give them to their little friends, send them to the sick and the aged, and to the flower mission, take them to the school room and to the church, and every day let there be a bouquet of Fanny's sweet peas upon the tea table. The use of floral decorations always increases the love for flowers. A bright pansy laid upon a napkin, or a wreath of morning glories for the breakfast table, is a charming thing. Children take great delight in making bouquets, and these old-time flowers will give them so much pleasure that many other varieties will be added to the little garden, and its influence will be felt wherever its flowers are seen. But the most lasting of all the pleasures of horticulture is the planting of trees; they grov7 under our care till they tower above our heads, and give shelter and shade, and beauty, and high above all living things they stand in majestic splendor. Plant them everywhere, in city and country, in towri and village, on the broad prairies, in orchard and garden, in school yards and the road side, let the children plant them in spring time, plant them in autumn. Let them mark the anniversary day or the departure of some loved one, and in after years they will become living monuments of good deeds done. We can never forget the trees we loved in childhood. As we recount the pleasures of by-gone years, we see again the old " acorn tree " by the school house, the beach trees on the hill, the butternuts and the graceful elms that dipped their branches in the passing stream. What precious memories they bring of the teaching and training of early years and of the dear ones who loved and cared for us then. It is these early attach- ments, and their potent influence, which strengthens in character a love for the good and the beautiful. To-day we come from north and south and east, to the western limit of our own Wis- consin, to this beautiful city, clothed with the verdure of summer, 44 Wisconsin State Hobticultukal Society. adorned with its treasures, and guarded bj the Father of Waters. Here you have gathered your offerings, not of "Pearls from the ocean or gems from the mine," not of costly fabrics or skillful mechanism, but the growth, the beauty, the excellence of the fruits and flowers of earth. We have met to talk of the lessons of the past, of pleasures to come, of plans for future work ; our motto shall ever be " Forward ;" with us you will still work on, and this grand old river as it flows onward to the sea, will bear on its bosom the story of your success, the promise of future efforts; and when your life work is over, the homes you have made, the flow- ers you have grown, and the trees you have planted in this lovely city, will make yon "remembered by what you have done." A very interesting paper was read by Mrs, A, A. Arnold, of Trempealeau, on " Influence and Mission of Flowers," but as it is given elsewhere, it is here omitted. Ornamental Teee Planting. — Mr. Stickney said he under- stood that a good deal of attention had been given for a year or two past to setting out shade trees in the cemetery of La Cros'^e,. and in the streets leading to it ; also that the grounds had been made very beautiful and attractive by means of fountains, flower and foliage beds, pleasant walks and carriage ways, and well kept lawns. He saw that Mr. Losey, to whose efforts these improve- ments were largely due, was present, and desired that he would give us some account of this work. Mr. Losey, in response to the call, gave a brief account of the manner the work was undertaken, and the change that had been made in the cemetery and its approaches, so that, instead of being a neglected, desolate place, unfrequented except by those who were drawn there by affection for the resting place of departed friends, it had become a pleasant and popular resort, one which they took pleasure in visiting and in showing to friends. They had many unfavorable circumstances to encounter at first. Their soil was light, with plenty of moisture generally in the early part of the season, but hot and dry during August and September, and trees would start out well after setting and grow for a time, but would die out when the hot, dry weather came. There were Ornamental Trek Planting. 45 very few hardy trees of any value for ornamental purposes that grew naturally in the valley, and it was so difficult to make orna- mental shade trees live that many thought it would ba no use to set them out. In commencing the work of tree planting, he felt that it was necessary to take extra care in setting and tending the trees in order to make it successful, and hence in preparing the ground, he had the holes dug four feet square and six feet deep, filling them in with the best soil to be obtained. The trees were set out carefully, setting them deep, pressing the soil closely around the roots. The surface about the tree was left dishing, fo as to hold a large amount of water, and when the season required they were watered once or twice a week, putting on a barrel or two at a time. The result had been very satisfactory ; seven hundred and fifty evergreens had been set out in this way, of which all but three are living and doing well. Out of one hun- dred elms and seventy-five ash trees not one has died. He wanted to call attention to one tree which was not usually found so far north, but which grew naturally about La Crosse and did well ; that was the Coffee tree, called the Kentucky CofJee Tree, be- cause it was abundant in that state. The seeds are supposed to have been carried up the Mississippi valley by the bird?, and starting from these seeds, favored by the quick, warm soil and the semi-tropical climate, resulting from the protection of the bluffs, the trees became acclimated and seemei to be as hardy as though they were native to the soil. They make fine ornamental trees, beautiful in foliage and flower, and in the buds which hang on in winter. In handling the evergreens, special care was taken not to expose the roots. They were well packed in straw when moved, and uncovered only in the shade. The sun was not al- lowed to strike them, and water was applied freely until they were set out. Mr. Ilarris said that the Kentucky Coffee tree was quite com- mon in the Mississippi valley both above and below La Crosse. They were to be found from si.K inches in diameter up to a decent sized saw log. Mr. Plumb did not regard such large holes as essential to suc- cess, and did not believe the success so much due to them as to 46 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. the fact that the man who would dig such holes would attend to everything properly and see that everything that could be done, was attended to properly and at the right time. Extra care was given to all the other things that were done. If these were attended to, the roots of the trees would soon strike down to where they could get needed food and moisture. Their fruit trees appeared to be very thrifty, and free from blight and disease. Young trees in a sandy soil are more easily affected by heat and drought, for their roots are near the surface, but with age they are more exempt from injury by these causes. He had noticed in looking about the city that while trees, shrubbery, vines and other plants made a luxuriant growth their lawns were very defective, having a very light and uneven sward. This was caused by the sandy soil. The grass seed would not catch, or if it did start, the hot sun and dry weather of mid-sum- mer burned it up. The remedy was to cover the surface with a thin coating of clay, then the seed would catch readily. Clay was much better than manure for this purpose as it impacted the soil. Frequent cutting of the grass increasCvi the number of roots, but it made them shorter. It is this repeated clipping that thick- ens up the grass and gives the lawn the carpet-like appearance so often seen. Mr, Losey inquired if his success was not due to those large holes, why his trees lived, and those set the other way all died. Mr. Plumb replied that many things were essential to success, as good trees, proper treatment of the trees, when dug up, protec- tion of the roots, proper setting, etc., etc. If part or even one of these points is not carefully attended to, the trees suffer, perhaps die. He cited the case of a lady who set out fifty hard maples. They were good trees when set, but were all dying out. On ex- amination to learn the cause, he found that they had been set sixteen inches deep, in a heavy soil, Mr. Losey said that he had set elm trees two feet deep, and then in grading the ground, instead of taking up the trees he had filled up around them until their roots were six feet below the surface, yet they did well. If trees are well mulched and watered twice a week, they will live and grow well the first year even if the Fruits and Plants on Exhibition. 47 holes were small, but the trying time for such trees comes ths second year, and they will need watering two or three years before they are well established and out of danger. No one will be will- ing to give such care, and it is cheaper and easier to make these large holes. It was perhaps not necessary, but he still watered the large trees, and he thought they would do better for it. Mr. Harris was of the opinion they were both right, that the whole field should be so thoroughly prepared as to make it one continuous hole. If the soil is properly prepared it is not difficult to make trees and plants, transplanted even in dry weather, live. The past season he had been compelled to set out 2,000 tomato plants in dry and hot weather, but did not lose one. It is neces- sary to water freely soon after setting, and if very dry to repeat it again, but if done at the right time and in sufficient quantity, trees and plants can be carried through very hot and dry weather, even when newly set Senator Arnold had learned from experience that it was better not to water at all than not to do it well. He had transplanted many shade trees and had found no difficulty in making them live. The thing most essential to success, he believed, was the exercise of good common sense in the setting and in subsequent care. Mr. Stickney regarded Mr. Losey's wonderful success as due not only to the thorough preparation of the soil, the large holes, but also to the care taken to do everything thoroughly. The work was all well done, as it should be not only in tree planting, but in everything we undertake, if we would make it a success. He had no doubt but that the large holes were a great benefit to the trees, for a loose and porous soil retains a greater amount of moisture from which the trees can draw at all times. Adjourned to 9 A. M., June 24. 9 o'clock A. M. The early morning hour was improved by members, and the judges, in examining and deciding upon the merits of the fruit and plants on exhibition. The season for strawberries had nearly passed, but still there was a good display of fine fruit. There was also a good show of early vegetables, one much in advance of the 48 "Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. season throughout the state. The display of house and green- house plants was very fine. Among them were many rare plants from private collections, and a large collection of rare and valuable plants from the greenhouse of Mr. J. Salzer. As the reports of the judges were made to the secretary of the local society and were not forwarded for publication, no official announcement of the premi- ums awarded can be made. "When the society was called to order, the following paper was read by Mr. J. C. Plumb : TEE MISSION OF HOUTICULTUEE. Some may doubt the propriety of using this theologic, esthetic word concerning the growing of trees and tomatoes, posies and pickles, but I use the term mission, not to show the details of method, but to discuss horticulture as a reformatory element in society. Hackneyed, but applicable, is the old story of Adam and ^ve in the garden, to tend which was their chief occupation, show- ing that tiais industry was consonant with their primitive purity ; which lost, they were driven from the "garden," to the more bar- ren fields, with their toil and sweat. I will not affirm that all horticulturists are persons of high moral standing, or even of cultivated tastes, for alas, in this our loved profession, we find some who are only mercenary and who remind us that it is true to-day as when our first parents rebelled against the " thou shalt not" of the Eternal Father, that mere oc- cupation and surroundings cannot save the race from the degreda- tion of willful transgression of law. " By their fruits ye shall know them," is as applicable here as in other pursuits. To show that horticulture has in it an element of reform, a saving power, we have only to contrast the character and person of our ardent flower-loving friends with those who, in similar walks of life, have no love for flowers, and give no time or thought to horticultural pursuits. The horticulturist, by his close contact with the beautiful in nature, should have his thoughts elevated and refined, and by his The Mission of HoitTicuLxuRE. 49 study of natural laws should be led to revere their author. The "worship of trees" was once the higher type of pagan religion. Better so than no worshipful spirit. The wandering Arab finds cooling shelter and nourishing food in the pahn groves of the desert. What wonder, then, that with his feeble spiritual vision he should see more of Deity in the tree than in revelation. The culture of plants and trees is a source of mental and moral culture too much overlooked and neglected. Plant life is full of attraction and impressive lessons, of mathematical exactness, and perfect harmony, as well as of faith and patience. The natural faculties of form and color find their most impressive school in the symmetry and variety of plants. The perfect adaptation of the parts of a plant, and its persevering develop- ment to ultimate flower and fruitage, are valuable lessons point- ing most surely to the true idea of human life, that "It is not all of life to live,"' and that we should live to bless others. I have, in a previous paper, spoken of a most impressive lesson witnessed at Philadelphia in the Centennial year, but will repeat. On the spot where, a few years ago, were to be seen the abodes of crime and poverty, and where rags and wretchedness kept close company, are now fine rows of brick tenements, each with its little frontage of six by ten feet beside the walk filled with plants and shrubs, mostly in pots and boxes ; also many of the window sills, to the fourth story, brilliant with flowers. This was formerly the " five points " of the city, but the John Wauna- maker Mission School was started there, and from its benign influence a great change was wrought in that moral desert, and now a beautiful chapel and a large Gothic church are there, the center of an industrious and worshipful community. It is said that, from the first, flowers hml a prominent place in this mission work. In any event, thousands saw and went away impressed with the coincidence of the two sights — the blessed school and the beautiful jlowers. I have recently learned of another incident which occurred in the same city. The front of one of these mission churches had a dreary aspsct, which the school desired to beautify. For this purpose they held a concert, the price of admission being one nice plant in pot. The result was a speedy 4 — HORT. 50 "Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. decoration of the barren ground, which received the plants the next day. This is worthy of imitation in every city. Geology reveals the interesting fact that flowers, as things of beauty, did not have a place in the vegetable world prior to man's existence, but that they appeared to be contemporary with man. Why this unless they were to have some part in delighting and blessing humanity? Home is the place where horticulture finds its true field and mission. It comes as a " ministering angel " to make the home attractive ; and to while away many an hour which might otherwise be spent in moodiness, or in dissipation. I would commend home adornment by the art of horticulture, not simply for the pleasures of sense or the enhanced value of real estate, but as the means of making home the paradise of the fam- ily. That the children may grow up with higher and more refined ideas of life. That the homestead may be so much a home, that only the calls of duty or the inevitable changes of social life shall draw them from its endearing associations, and then that they may ever carry with them such pleasant remembrances of early life, that they may be constrained to make their own homes- thus attractive. Bayard Taylor says " Our life line i8 the love of home, Oh make it fast where ere you roam, Amid the rough world's rolling strife, It is the anchorage of life." It is said of some flowers that " they grow everywhere ;" do not then neglect these common flowers, as their very omnipresence may remind some straying spn or wayward daughter of the care and love so willingly divided between the children and the flowers in the old home, by kind friends whose cares are forever at rest. Our churches should be made cheerful with flowers and foliage. Flowers on the bier of the departed are emblems of the glorious morn beyond. Fresh flowers strewn upon the graves of our friends show that we have them yet fresh in memory, their very withering reminding us that our mortal remains will soon beside them lie. Decoration day, with its revival of memories and flower gifts, has become a national holiday, and the only one where flowers have an important part in the day's programme. As lovers of horti- The Mission of Horticultuee. 51 culture, let us gladly bear our part in this tribute to patriotism. "Well do I remember the long night's work of my dear companion in arraying bouquets for the sick and wounded in Camp Randall, that with the early morning the children might distribute the wagon load of flowers at the hospital camp, and there both rebel and Union shared alike in the distribution. Let flowers comfort the sick and refresh the homeward bound invalid. They will go where we cannot, a mission of love ; type of the spirit which prompts the offering. Plants and flowers are a never-failing source of enjoyment to children, and in very early life they show their delight at the opening of some gay flower. Even before one year of age, the child will learn to have and express a lively appreciation of flow- ers, as well as of birds and pictures. Direct the attention of the child to these, and awaken early a love of the beautiful, which ■will be a star of promise of the great future of the onward life. Some may admit the beauty but deny the utility of flowers. Our poet again says : " Beaut}' and use were married when This world was finished ofl for men. And lie who wr.uld divorce the twain Is out of heart, and poor in brain ; Would have the fruit without the flower, "Would have the bow without the shower, "Would have the noon without the morn." Indeed, we cannot disassociate the useful from the beautiful, for the beautiful may not always be useful ; this latter quality is the higher attribute, and ministers more to spiritual culture than the former. " 'Tis first the true, tlien the beautiful; Not first the beautiful, and then the true; li'irst the wild moor, with rock, and seed, and pool, Then the gay gardens, rich in scent and hue." Horticulture produces and develops a taste for the beautiful. The garden and orchard are used in the literature of all nations, in prose and in poetry, to express beauty and plenty, joy and solace. Genesis tells us that God walked in the garden in the cool of the evening. The gardens of Babylon are as renowned 53 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. as the power of that mighty empire. Solomon sang of his most divine communings through the type of the garden, showing it to be the one place sacred to mingled meditation and comfort. It is said that the profound writings of Socrates, Plato and Aris- totle were composed among the trees and flowers of the Academia. Our Savior was wont to retire to the mountains for meditation and prayer, and it was in the " garden " that he spent the last quiet hours of his life in the flesh, in that mighty struggle for victory, and there he uttered that memorable request that his followers " might all be one." This intimate association of great mental and spiritual activity, with the garden, is no pic- ture of fancy. There is something of inspiration in the quiet yet unceasing activity of the vegetable world which inspires in us the best thoughts and purest motives of life. Horticulture is the fine art of agriculture, and a necessary ad- junct of its onward progress. Civilization demands a different dress from barbarism. The farmer of primitive ages could clothe himself with the undressed skins of the flock, and feed upon their half-cooked flesh. But the farmer of today must have fabrics of many skillful hands and busy spindles to clothe himself and family, and be fed with the varied products of his own and other climes. In this expansion of idea and scope of life, horticulture comes in to do its part, supplying the fruits of the orchard and garden, which otherwise would be imported from other climes. It furnishes the home with rare and beautiful plant life, making that home attractive, both for its inmates and visitors. My own love of flowers and knowledge of plant life has often furnished a ready passport to the best society and homes of strangers, a key to unlock the bars of social life. Horticulture, as an art, has received the fostering care of all civilized nations, and dates back (says our Mrs. Lewis) to the garden of Eden, where " the first horticultural society was formed," according to the instincts and aspirations of mankind ; " and the same writer says further, " here the love for a garden germinated, and this love has been by nature kept burning ever since ; and we alone are responsible if it does not continue until our whole lives are gladdened and beautified by its presence." The Mission op Horticultuee. 53 In practical horticulture females have recreation from the ordi- nary cares of life, and healthful industry in outdoor air. Contact with mother earth and strong sunlight, would give bronze and health to many a woman now repining in an atmosphere which would give consumption to a rose bush. Very much can and should be said for horticulture from a sanitary standpoint, in the dietetic necessity of fruit, as well as the open air exercise in its culture, but space will not allow of enlarging in this direction, on that which is so universally accepted. The first known society of modern time for the promotion of this art was the London Horticultural Society of England, which was organized by Thomas Knight and others in 1808. This parent society has been a mighty power in that and other lands. Organized efforts in this country made little progress until within the last thirty years; Massachusetts and Pennsylvania leading in the east, and that grand national association, the American Pomological Society, was organized in IS-iS. The Northwestern Fruit Growers' Association in 1S53 embracing all of northern and southern Wisconsin, Of the western state societies : Illinois organized in 1857 ; Wisconsin organized in 1862 ; Iowa organized in 1865 ; Minnesota organized in 1866; Kansas organized in 1866; Michigan organized in 1870. Prior to the organization of these state societies, those more local or sectional existed in the several states, which were the "John the Baptists" of pomology, and, though clad in rough garments, and having less of the dainties of horticulture than we now enjoy, they were prophetic of our advanced light and progress. Our own state organized the Wisconsin Fruit Growers' Associ- ation in 1855. Of the members of that old association, lew re- main to tell the story of our earl^ hope of Peach and Greening growing, and of the first bitter experience of losses in 1855-56. In 1862, the old society was merged into the present State Society, which, with the help of its numerous offspring in our wide state, in its literature and practical teaching, is second to none in the Union. The work of these societies is to enlist all classes in the prac- 54 Wisconsin State Hokticultural Society. tice of horticulture; to encourage the halting and educate the ignorant; to collate the experience of all, that all may have the experience of each ; to secure larger returns from a given outlay ; to avoid mistakes and consequent failures ; to secure a healthy competition, and recogniz • success by judicious premiums. And here we come to th'^ machinery of organization. We need little of the statutory in our organization, but good sense and common courtesy will help us on our mission most of all. A few life recruits and fast friends can, in any community or state, organize and keep in vigorous life a working society, but personal feuds or prejudices should find no place in its ranks. The work of our State Society has passed from the first stage of annual gatherings for mutual help and instruction to the wide field of dispensing our funds and wisdom among the local socie- ties of the state. We have little enough of both of these requi- sites, but I trust the oldest of us have not come to dotage or got above the learner's seat. It is a matter of gratulation and a guarantee of success that our state and local societies have so much help from the ladies. Woman's part in horticulture, as in all the walks of life, is to elevate and refine. By her presence and counsel, her winning ways and almost universal love of the beautiful, she will make our meetings and exhibitions both pop- ular and successful. Our work demands and is worthy of the liberal patronage oi the state. We now receive the paltry sum of five or six hundred dollars per annum, while the Iowa society receives $1,000 per year; Minnesota receives the same, and has a permanent endow- ment of one hundred and sixteen acres of valuable land for exper- imental purposes; Michigan receives $2,500, Illinois $i,000. By a judicious and careful use of the small fund at the disposal of our society, and the gratuitous printing of the annual report by the state, we are enabled to hold our regular and semi-annual meet- ings and exhibitions, and assist one or more local societies in their local work. Our field of labor is large and varied. From the great lake on the east to the great river on the west, on whose banks we now stand ; from the prairies of Illinois to the Supe- rior of the north, with six degrees of longitude, and four of Flowers and Plants. 55 latitude, with every class of soil known to the continent, and pe- culiarities of climate never known in the eastern states ; with rialive resources unlimited, and a varied population demanding the products of our art far beyond our capacity to supply, we have a lield before us yet scarcely explored, in its best estate, and re- quiring all our energies and resources to occupy and make fruitful in the near future. As our field is enlarged, and our work correspondingly in- creased, we will need and shall ask for two things : First, larger appropriations from the state ; and second, more general co- operation of the local societies and those personally interested in the work of our society. Shall we have your hearty co operation in both of these requirements? With interests in common, may we have that unity of action which will ensure our efficiency and permanency. A paper was read by President Harris, in relation to the CULTIYATIOX OF FLOWERS AI^D PLANTS BY AMATEURS. J. L. Harris, La Crescent, Minn. Although I am, and have been from childhood, an enthusiastic lover of flowers, and have devoted considerable time to their culture, and fully realize the charms of a well-kept flower garden, I have never so forcibly felt my inability to do justice to a subject as on this occasion. Poets have sung of the beautiful flowers, the ablest writers have written essays upon their culture; the one photographing a perfect picture of their sweets and colors, the oth- ers making their management so plain that no one need err in their cultivation, and T cannot be expected to do more. One writer has said that it is a subject that points us back to a para- dise lost, and invites us forward to a paradise to regain. Another has said that floriculture shuts out the darkness of sin, and lifts the veil to refreshing bowers, luxurious verdure, pure crystal streams, and breezes that waft out upon a fallen world the sweet- est of fragrance, the spices of life. 66 Wisconsin State Horticultural Socibtt. The cultivation of flowers, whether it be the tiny and cheap plants, growing in cracked cups and leaky pans in the poor labor- ing man's cottage window, or the blgh priced and richest hued exotics growing in costly vases, in conservatories of finest archi- tecture, or in elaborately laid out beds, intermingling with stately palms and other tropical glories, in the palatial gardens and pal- aces of the great and wealthy of our land, is wielding a mighty influence to draw man away from dissipation and crime, and to elevate the moral condition of the human race, which no one, today, can tell, no pen describe. It is calculated to engage the intellect, and open fields of inexhaustible treasures which the longest life is far too short to explore, and it will forever be re- plete with animating discoveries of new beauties. To stand upon the dome of your court house, or the state capitol, or upon an eminence in the midst of a beautiful landscape, and to behold the *' king of day," after having cheered the world with light, life and warmth, as he sinks beneath the horizon, touching up the tree tops, rocks, hills and threatening clouds with lights and shad- ows, is glorious; it gives us a glimpse into paradise — into heaven. The first is like the passing away of the life of a good man ; the brightness that follows is like the begin- ning of the life of glad childhood. I have beheld many such scenes, and some of them will live forever in the memory, and doubtless have influenced my whole life. Perhaps the- grand- est of all was upon a battle field in Mexico, where the splendor that streamed forth upon a threatening sky, and the reflections upon the surrounding mountains was an inspiration to a little band of hungry and weary soldiers that enabled them upon the following day to win a brilliant victory against great odds. But that victory is insignificant compared with the one that is being gained in this city by the inspiration of the beautiful and well- grown flowers that shed forth their brightness and fragrance from the bay windows, piazzas and lawns of your beautiful residences and from the skillfully arranged drives and walks of your ceme- tery, where the richest gems of Flora everywhere abound. I doubt if anywhere in the great west, where cities spring up as if by magic, and improvements come as a flash of light, any place Flowers and Plants. 57 can be found where so wonderful a change has been wrought in so short a time a? in Li Crosse. Thirty years since, the eite of La Crosse was but little better than a desert, covered with patches of stunted grass, interspersed with sand burrs ; there was not to exceed thirty buildings all told, and several of these rude shanties ; I believe that I am safe in saying that there was not at that time to exceed one dozen house plants in the place, and they were the property of Mrs. J. M. Levey and Mrs. Simeon Kellogg, and did not exceed a half dozen species. Today the house plants will count up into the thousands, and the bedding plants by hundreds of thousands, and in the wide world there is sciircely a floral gem that has not a representative here. Flowers add very much to the attractions of a home ; they hide deformities and cover imperfections ; they fill up the depressions and round the sharp angles that would otherwise be offensive to the cultivated taste. It is not the grandest architecture of our American cities that attracts the notice of travelers, so much as the sweet fragrance of brilliant flowers and the rich hues of trailing vines that adorn, drape and embower them. Eich and gaudy clothing may divert the attention from the plain face, and the humble flowers will be seen and admired before the most magnificent works of man. The house without a tree or a flower about it may well be called the *' bleak house," for the greatest of all attractions are lacking, and the children reared there will have no inspiration to patriotism or love for home. I believe that much crime and misery may be traced directly to such dreary homes ; for the most wonderful influence of floriculture is not felt without, but it penetrates within. To use the language of Leigh Hunt, " It sweetens the air, rejoices the eye, and links the inmates with nature and innocence, and gives them something to love." Rand, in his Flower and Parlor Garden, says "the love of flowers is univer- sal. It is an old melody which first attuned in earliest time, in the golden age of legendary lore, has come down to us, growing more mellow and sweeter as it chimed through the centuries, and now as then echoes in the human heart with a music akin to heaven." I firmly believe that the cultivation of flowers tends to sweeten the disposition, lighten the burden of toil, and soothe 58 Wisconsin State Horticultueal Society. sorrow. If there is any truth in what I have thus far written, the cultivation of flowers ought to be encouraged, and in and about every home, however rude and humble, they should find a place. Would time permit, I should like to spread before you a list of the most desirable varieties, and a detailed account of the methods of propagating, cultivating and keeping them. There are scores of species and thousands of varieties to select from, and most won- derful improvements are being made every day, so that the most fastidious taste may be gratified. The last ten years has added a host of new and improved varieties to our collections, while their cultivation as bedding and house plants has been greatly simpli- fied. There are four methods of propagating plants, viz., seeds, cuttings, layers and divisions of the roots. As by cuttings is the most practical and expeditious, I will confine myself mostly to that method. True, there are some that will not strike root very readily, but there are enough that will for present purposes. For cuttings professional florists use sections of the immature growth, composed of one or more joints, and sometimes, where a variety is scarce, split the joints, using only single eyes. With the facili- ties afforded by the propagating house, professional cultivators prefer very soft and immature wood, but as I am not writing to instruct them, I will pass on for the benefit of amateurs, for such as the professionals will succeed with, would only be a disap- pointment to the latter. Cuttings should be taken from young and thrifty newly formed wood of the plant, but the lower part of them should not be too young and soft, else they are liable to decay before a callous is formed. Nor is old, hard wood desira- ble, as it will not absorb moisture enough to enable it to throw out roots. A good rule for the amateur is to take the cutting off at the junction of the old and new wood. In any case, it is bet- ter to take the cutting off just below a good bud. Every element of the perfect plant is found in the bud at the base, and the roots of most plants will start directly from it, and if compelled to find their way to the soil through an inch or more of useless wood, they will frequently decay or become greatly enfeebled. The cut should be made smooth, across the stem, with a sharp knife, that the bark may not be bruised or the cells crushed. The lower Flowers and Plants. 59 leaves should also be removed. Most of the hard woo'led plants may be rooted in the open air during the spring and autumn months, but tender and watery plants are better covered with a bell glass, or shaded for a few days until they become wonted to their new location. Shade is needed, because exposure to the sun evaporates the little moisture contained in them, and they will wither away. A good method for raising the cuttings in a email way is take flower pots and fill them two-thirds full of good loamy soil, and over this place an inch to an inch and a half of gand to receive the cuttings. Moisten the sand well. Set the cuttings about an inch deep and near the edge of the pot, as a near contact with the pottery has a tendency to encourage the formation of roots, A good method for striking cuttings, which I have frequently used, is to take pots of six to eight inches diameter, fill them with soil to within two inches of the top, then close the drainage hole in a three or four inch pot and set in the center, place the sand around it, water well, insert the cuttings and keep the smaller pots filled with water, and shade for three or four days. Nearly enough moisture will oozt; through the pores to supply the wants of the cuttings. Mr. Henderson, a noted florist of New York, recommends what he styles the saucer system, that is, to take a saucer or rather shallow plate, fill with sand, wet to the consistency of mortar, inserting the cuttings and pressing the sand closely about them. It must be kept sopping wet, for if allowed to dry the cuttings will die. If the cuttings do well the roots will form as soon as a new growth of leaves start They should be potted ofT without delay, as soon as the roots are about a half inch long, or they will be- come feeble for the want of sufficient nourishment. Where many plants are grown, it is well to keep at hand a compost for potting purposes. This is usually prepared by taking two parts of loamy sods from an old pasture or the road side and one of leaf mold from the woods. Where leaf mold is not convenient, well de- composed horse or cattle manure or refuse brewer's hops may be substituted. The sods are placed grassy sides down to facilitate rotting, a layer of sods and a layer of mold until the heap is com- pleted. The pile should be shoveled over occasionally, to mix GO Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. well together, and an occasional application of the suds on wash day, will be beneficial. Such a compost heap, made in the spring, will answer for use in the fall, but grows better with age. Where the sods are too clayey, a little sand may be added. If no compost heap has been provided, any good garden soil will answer and is much better than leaf mold that has not been com- posted, as the new soil will not affiliate with the roots until it has gone through with a sweetening process. For the first potting two and one-half or three inch unglazed pots are the best. In larger pots and those glazed the great mass of plants, when in the condition of rooted cuttings, will not do as well, for the reason that the smaller mass of soil in two and one-half or three inch pots allows the excessive moisture to pa^s off quickly, while in the larger and glazed ones it becomes sour and sodden. In pot- ting off cuttings, place a small piece of pot shred or oyster shell over the hole in the bottom to prevent the escape of soil ; then fill the pot level full of fine soil. With the finger make a hole in the center large enough to receive the roots, and after they are in place, with the thumb and forefinger draw the soil close to the neck of the cutting and press somewhat firmly about the roots ; a smart rap is given to the side of the pot which levels the sur- face of the soil, and the operation is completed. Water and set in the shade for a day or two, after which give plenty of sun and light. Plants designed for bedding out will usually do well enough in this sized pots until time to remove them to the open ground. If any of the plants are designed for house plants, they will require to be changed into larger pots, which is termed "shifting," or "repotting." The operation is simple, and yet many people seem to make awkward work of it. Many times I have seen them performing the operation ; take a knife and cut around the ball of earth to get it out of the pot, or with a ham- mer break the pot in pieces. All that is required to remove a healthy plant is to place one hand over the pot, with the plant be- tween the fingers, invert it, and give the edge of the pot a light rap on a bench or table, when the pot may be removed, leaving the ball of earth adhering to the plant; take the pot designed for use, which should be only one or two sizes larger than the one Flowers and Plants. G1 discarded, place in the bottom as mucli soil as may be necessary to brino; the top of the ball about a half inch below the top of the pot, then fill around with fine soil, pressing it firmly with a small blunt stick provided for the purpose. The pottiog should never be done when the soil in the pot is dried dry, nor when too wet. If too wet, the life of the soil will be destroyed, and will become about like an unburned brick. Specimen Plants. — To young amateurs I would say, grow your own plants, or, if possible, go direct to the florist and pur- chase them. Almost every paper or magazine you take up has its advertisements of cheap plants. These growers can afford to sell cheap, because they raise them in a hot-house temperature, giving them a vigorous appearance by the use of stimulants, and can work off two or three crops from the same space in a season, but you cannot afford to purchase them. They are at their best, and if they do not quickly perish on your hands, it will take weeks of careful attention and nursing, before they will give you any return in flowers. Any novice who will simply pot his plants in good soil and give them supplies of water and air to keep them vigorous, repotting as required, can grow plants, but to grow them well is one of the highest arts of horticulture, and but few of our professional gardeners seem to know anything about it. To the true lover of nature, it is painful to see the deformed and strug- gling specimens that are often exhibited at our fairs. If they are only crowned with a bunch of bloom and belong to some rare specie, the committee is sure to attach the blue ribbon and hand in a glowing report, while the one lonep'antof some poor woman, no matter if grown after nature's perfect model, is passed by. This is doing violence to floriculture. It would be better to dis- card three-fourths of the number and raise a few that will be a joy to the eye. Specimen plants should be grown slowly. Start them in small pots, and shift often enough to prevent becoming pot bound. Study the habits of the plants, and by it regulate your treatment. Give plenty of light and free circulation of air. Keep the plant from sudden changes of temperature, never let it get drowned in water or suffer from the want of it. Do not be afraid to use the knife freely to keep it in the proper form, and 62 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. prevent its being drawn to one side by turning it around every day unless it gets light equally from every side. Finally grow your plants well, first, last and all the time, and you will enjoy them and they will give you an abundance of bloom. Time will not permit me to give you a list to grow, so I will close by saying to the new beginner, do not try too many varieties at first, and start in with common ones, such us geraniums, pelargoniums, helio- trope?, lantanas, fuchsias, tea and bourbon roses, and as you get experienced you may add to your collection the rarer gems. In reply to an inquiry, Mr. Harris said the water should be in the inner pot, and that if kept full, or nearly so, the moisture would ooze through the poies of the pot in sufficient quantities for the cutting. He thought it was much better to make the cut square across the slip, as there was less danger of bruising the bark, which would induce decay. No callous can be formed where the bark or tender wood is injured, and no roots will start out unless this callous or ridge is first formed. Some thought it made no difference where the slip was cut off between the buds, but he had the best result when the bud was near the end of the cutting; the callous developed quicker and ro:>ted more readily. He thought it better, in raising specimen or perfect plants, to repot often, increasing the size of the pot but a little each time. If too much earth was added at a time it would be apt to sour, and the plant could not make a healthy growth. One well grown plant is worth a dozen poor ones. We should try to develop the form so as to make each plant symmetrical in shape and stocky. This is to be done by pinching back, checking any distorted or excessive growth. Many who raise plants dislike to do this. Tdey like to see their plants grow rapidly, thinking that if they run up they will come to maturity or blossom earlier. They miy throw out one or two blossoms a little earlier, if left to grow as they please, but by pinching off the ends of the shoots it causes three, four or half a dozen more to form, giving a s';ronger ani a stocky growth, a better form, and much larger and stronger fl jwer buds. Where such plants are bought of professional growers, we have to pay Closing Remabks. 63 them a high price for doing this work. It is better and cheaper to do it ourselves. Where plants for winter blooming are wanted, slips should be started in May or June ; pinch them ba-^k at first, as stated before, and repot in September. The rich, black soil of low ground is not usuaUy good for potted plants. If it has been well cultivated, tamed, as it were, and has a large mixture of black saml, it will do much better ; but leaf mold from high lands, mixed with black sand, is much better. This, too, should be cultivated soil, not raw earth from the woods. Two papers of much general interest, written by Dr. J. R Renzzly, of La Crosse, were read, which we would have been glad to print in full, but the limited space allowed us and the amount of matter more pertinent to the regular work of the society and better calculated to advance the interests of horti- culture, forbid. Mr. Harris said, as the noon hour is near at hand, and the afternoon had been assigned for a visit to the water works, the cemetery and the leading places of interest in the city, he wished to improve this opportunity to present the thanks of the North- W( stern Horticultural Society, and of the citizens of ]^a Crosse, to the members of the State Society, and especially to the ladies •who had taken part in the convention, for the entertainment, social and intellectual, of this occasion. They had read with great interest the papers presented by the ladies at former meet- ings of the State Society as they had been published from year to year in the reports, and were very glad to be able to meet with and to thank them for the pleasure and benefit thus derived. This meeting had been a very pleasant and profitable one to the citizens, and the local society, and its good influence would long be felt. Mr. Stickney, in response, said the thanks should come from the other side. It had been a pleasant and profitable time to himself and to the members of the State Society, one which they would long remember with pleasure, on account of the kindness and hospitality with which they had been received. It also added 64 Wisconsin State Hoeticultukal Society. to the interest and enjoyment of the occasion that we had here met with fellow laborers from a sister state, who were engaged heart and hand in the same good work, and from whose labors we had derived much profit in the past, and will continue to re- ceive for years to come. In the Wealthy we reap the benefit of their toil, and the thanks of this society and of the whole country are due to their organization for the benefit thus received. A vote of thanks to the railroad companies for their courtesy in granting reduced fair to those in attendance on the convention was passed. In the afternoon carriages were in readiness, and the convention visited the water works and leading manufactories of the city, rambled through the large and well-stocked greenhouses and fine grounds of Mr. John Salzer, and from thence, by a circuitous drive through the pleasant, shady streets of the city, came to the cemetery. Here an hour was pleasantly passed, though in the resting place of the dead. Shady, wmding paths and pleasant drives, beds of beautiful flowers and brilliantly colored foliage plants, set in well clipped lawns, gave a bright and even cheerful appearance to a place generally associated only with sadness and gloom. The citizens of La Crosse have good reason to take pride in their beautiful cemetery grounds, and of the liberality and good taste there displayed. The thought suggested itself to very many who were present, what a contrast between this and the usually desolate, neglected condition of our cemeteries, and what more appropriate or more beneficial work can our local horticult- ural societies engage in than in thus beautifying the place where sorrow buries its treasures and affection mourns for the loved and the lost. The near approach of the parting hour necessitated a hasty return to the city, where the pleasant hours of the session, and the kindness and hospitality of the members of the local society, and of the citizens, to their guests, came to a fitting close, in a special session for the practical consideration of the merits of cake, strawberries and ice cream. Appleton Meeting. G5 APPLETON MEETING. At 2 P. M. of July 13 the conventioQ assembled in Bertschy's Hall, and was called to order by President Smith. The president in opening the session stated in explanation of the late date at which the meeting was fixed, that the time for a number of weeks had been so occupied with public meetings in Appleton, that it was not possible to call the meeting at an earlier date, with any prospect of inducing people to attend, and even now he greatly feared that the surfeit of literary entertainments they had enjoyed, would keep many from coming to the present meeting. lie hoped that those who had come would do what they could to make it interesting and profitable, and that all might derive much benefit, though few in numbers. S^iALL Fruits. — As some of the members who were to read papers had not arrived, it was proposed as a very appropriate subject for consideration at this time, to talk over the season's experience in small fruits while fresh in mind. The president said that raspberries with him promised a fine crop. A few years ago he obtained some plants that were highly recommended from Ohio. They had not borne until the present season, but now promise a fine crop of large fruit. Would like to learn the name and the experience of the members if they had tried it. He thought it a good time to consider the strawberry question, and would call for experience with the Crescent. Mr. Wood had set a few rows of the Crescent a year ago. The vines grew well ; after the ground was frozen up in early winter he covered these rows with green maple and basswood chips. He did not put them on very thick, but the vines were all covered. He covered some rows of other kinds in the same way, but all kinds thus covered were killed. There were some runners of the Crescent outside of the covering. Tneseall lived and bore nearly all the fruit he had had this season. The Crescent bore best with him, the Green Prolific was next. Mr. Peiler's experieoce had been nearly the same with that of Mr. Wood. All the vines covered were killed, others lived. The -covering, marsh hay, was put on about the 20th of December. 5 — HORT. 66 "Wisconsin Statb Horticultura.l Society. He thought the cause was in the fact that the ground was very- dry when it froze up and when severe freezing weather came on the roots froze dry. The snow came late, and when it melted the beds that were mulched were still frozen and the water ran off, leaving the plants that were not entirely killed to die for want of moisture. Mr. Reynolds, of Green Bay, bad a very good crop of Crescents. The bed was set a year ago ; the vines grew vigorously and took full possession of the ground ; the beds were covered lightly in the winter, and came out in good condition and bore well. The flavor of the berry was very good. Mr. Plumb said that nine-tenths of the crop in Rock county came from the Crescent. The Wilson made but little growth, the berries were small and poor. Professor Whitford, a neighbor of his, cultivated some Crescent in hills, and they seemed like one mass of fruit; he never saw such a sight. Professor Whitford cultivated rows both ways, but did not get as much fruit as he would have otherwise done. It does not do to stir the soil near the plants when the fruit is forming. All the cultivation should be done early in the season. The same with raspberries. He thought the best way to cultivate raspberries was to set them in rows, eight feet apart for black caps, six feet for red, and as thick as they can well stand in the row. Would not take out the old wood in the fall but the first thing in the spring, and also cut up all stragglers. You cannot well raise fruit and suckers too. Early in the spring run the plow along near the rows, throwing the dirt away from the plants, pull out between the hills with a hook. In about two weeks plow again, throwing the earth toward the rows ; then level off and drag. Would not thin them out at this time, but would cut back so as to force out the laterals, giving a greater bearing surface and a stockier growth. Would not manure highly. A neighbor set out to raise twice as large a crop as he did, and manured very heavily, but the rust set in and badly injured his crop. Mr. Stone has the best success of anyone, and he is on light soil, manures but little, does not cultivate much, but mulches. President Smith gave it as his opinion that a mulch of any- ArPLETON Meeting. 67 thing that was green would kill the vines. lie set the first bed of Crescents three years ago; a year ago he set about half an acre. They grew well, but injured in the winter about the same as the "Wilson. Last year's crop was a very fair one ; thought it beat the Wilson in yield ; the berry was rather soft, but stood shipping about thirty miles very well. Last season the vines made a wonderful growth. They were injured by the winter a good deal, but not as much as other varieties, and seemed to fully recover from the injury, and bore a large amount of fruit. The first picking was a fair one, and moderately hard ; the second was much softer, and the third, fourth, etc., were so soft they could do nothing with them, and he plowed the vines, fruit and all, under. They were so soft that he could not use them in the home market even. lie could not recommend it for cultivation. As near as he could judge, the best eighth of an acre yielded at the rate of nine thousand quarts to the acre. He set a few Sharpless a year ago. They did not grow as well as the Wilson, and were more injured by the winter than any other kind he had ; nearly every plant was killed. Mr. Huntley, of Appleton, did not know what caused the winter killing of the vines generally. Part of his beds he covered with bergasse, and on digging through the covering in the winter he found the plants standing in an inch or so of ice. The old shoots were killed much more easily than the young runners. The Crescent did very well with him, but it was not as much of a lazy man's berry as it had been recommended to be, for it would not keep out all the weeds, clover and grass. His Ancient Briton blackberries were loaded with fruit, but were troubled with rust He threw bergasse on them for a winter covering, bending the tops over some. Mr, Plumb thought that nature indicated the best way to propagate raspberries — by the tips; for where we find the tips rooted, it is at the extreme point. They do not root as readily where the cane is bent down and the end covered, leaving a part of the tip out, exposed to the air. Blight. — Mr. Pefler said he had noticed a difference in the first attack of blight the present season. It commenced in the spring when the trees were in bloom, and was seen first in the 68 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. blossoms themselves, going from them to the leaves and twigs. It affected pears and apples alike, both in cultivated ground and in sod. He thought it was caused bj the hot dry air withering the tender petals of the flowers. He believed that the cause was atmospheric. It was most seen in hot, moist weather, and in the trees that are growing most rapidly, and in the tenderest, newest growth. He knew of no remedy but to cut back and prevent rapid growth, or to set the trees where they will make but a slow growth. President Smith had noticed trees standing in the sod, which had made but a moderate growth, that had been affected with blight the present season, so that this did not seem to be a sure remedy. Mr. Plumb remarked that he had carefully studied this subject for a long time. Ten years ago he expressed the opinion that the direct, the active cause of fire blight lay in atmospheric condi- tions, and his subsequent observations had tended to strengthen rather than to change the opinion then expressed. Occasionally he found those who agreed with him, but the great majority, nine out of ten, at that time claimed that the injury was done by in- sects, but when examination was made they could not discover the insects or find any signs of their having been there. Others claimed that it was the result of fungoid disease. There is no question but that fungus growth is present and is rapidly devel- oped in cases of blight, but that does not prove it to be the cause of the injury. It is far more likely that fungi come in as the re- sult of the disease than that they can attack healthy wood and destroy it. The spores are floating everywhere in the atmosphere, and if they were able to produce the conditions favorable for their development, they would lodge on all vegetation, germinate and soon develop other spores and carry disease and death every- where. The present season, the first half of June was very hot and wet, and blight developed rapidly, then came a warm but dry spell and blight was checked. The last part of June was hot and wet again, and the blight spread as rapidly as before. This connection between atmospheric conditions was seen every year, and gees to prove that the development of blight is governed by Adaptations in Hokticultuee. C9 them. Another thing he had observed the present season was that the blight, or what closely resembles it, can be produced by mechan- ical means. lie girdled a section of the top in a healthy tree, one where there was no sign of blight, and in ten days that sec- tion was dead, with all the appearance of blight, even the same sour scent, and the black, acrid exudation. He had never seen any real benefit resulting from cutting off the limbs struck with blight; if the weather was favorable for blight, it would develop again ; if not favorable, it would then stop spreading without the cutting back. The only real remedy seemed to be the preventive one of checking the rapid growth of our trees. Trees standing in grass land or in poor soil are much less subject to blight. Excessive fruitage also lessens the liability to it ; anything which starves the tree or prevents an excessive wood growth acts as a preventive. For this reason he thought it was better to have bearing trees stand in grass land. Mr. Huntley thought that trees should be cultivated the first few years. That was the period when they were the most liable to injury by blight, but if set in the sod they would never be healthy, vigorous trees. His trees had not suffered from blight for a year or two. The tent caterpillar had stripped them of their leaves, so that they had made but a feeble growth, and this he supposed was the reason why they had not blighted. Stand- ing in sod was not a sure cure, for he had seen Transcendents standing in turf struck with blight as bad as those in cultivated ground. ADAPTATIONS IN HORTICULTURE. J. W. Wood, Baraboo. There is one thing well established in our horticultural experi- ence, and that is that indiscriminate planting of choice vari- eties of fruits, vegetables and flowers is not all that is necessary to insure satisfactory harvests. The fact is that we live on a kind of border land between successful fruit growing and failure, which makes it necessary for us to exercise great care in attend- ing to all the details of the business. We must study carefully !«. 0 Wisconsin Statb Horticultural Society. the characteristics of the different varieties of fruits. Each one may be the best under some peculiar circumstances, but all are not equally good under our own circumstances. No general directions can be given which will be a safe guide for all to fol- low, but each one of us bns much to learn, which we can only find out for ourselves. I shall have accomplished my purpose, if I bat quicken ob- servation on these points, for I have been deeply impressed, for a few years past, with the importance of studying carefully the adaptations of fruits and varieties to localities, even to the varying localities which may be found on any farm of forty acres, or even within the area of a common vegetable garden. There is no doubt a best place in every garden for each variety of seed, as there is a best place on the farm for every crop which it is at all difficult to raise. In planting so small a patch as a garden, he is but a dull gardener who does not feel that there is a fitness of place for each particular thing, and who does not study to dis- cover such place, and so avail himself of all possible advantages. Plants whose perfection lies in their succulence, like lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., must have the richest spot assigned to them ; poorer ground, if it cannot be made rich, will do for peas, beans, corn and such products as may possess their intrinsic qual- ities, though of but moderate growth. A rich spot, free from the seeds of weeds, must be selected for onions, beets and such things as are cultivated in close rows. It will be found, even then, that the conflict with weeds will be a formidable one. I do not won- der that people believe in the spontaneous generation of weeds ; such a theory seems necessary sometimes to account for their ex- cessive numbers on ground which we supposed to be clean. One place will be favorable for the early things, another for the same things planted later for a succession. If we look through the re- mains of almost any ruined orchard, we will find that some of the trees have survived and have borne profitable crops of fruit. We cannot always tell fully what makes the difference. Sometimes we can see that it was owing to better drainage, better protection or no protection, better soil, or a better variety, but sometimes the reason is not apparent. We may be sure, however, that the tree Adaptations in Horticulture. 71 has found sometliing adapted to its wants, which we will do well to inquire after. We plant a strawberry bed ; a cold winter passes, a part of the bed is killed, a part survives and is fruitful. It is very common for one part of a bed to be far more productive than another; so with fields of grain, portions of our winter wheat will survive our severest winters. The slight inequalities caused by ridge and dead furrows in plowing level ground, will often result in nice strips of wheat, running clear across the field. A slight variation in the slope — some accidental protection, will make all the differ- ence between success and failure. I conceive that the adaptations of varieties and localities, is one of the profoundest studies which the horticulturist has before him, and it is equally important to the farmer. Each one will have to modify general rules to fit their own peculiar circumstances. Nature observes certain laws of adaptation on all occasions, and nearly all of our native productions are found under peculiar cir- cumstances of soil and exposure. This may be illustrated by the spontaneous arrangements of the trees and shrubbery in the forest. There are places to look for each variety of tree, grass, or flower, and while some are found under a great variety of circumstances, yet the arrangement is generally settled by some definite law of adaptation. A person understanding these things, and wanting to find any particular plant, will start at once for such a locality as is likely to harbor it. In leaving the side of a little brook, on my farm, crossing its valley, and ascending to the crest of its di- viding ridge, this law will be abundantly illustrated. We pass first through the willows and alders which skirt its margin, through the sedges and cattails of the marsh ; across the meadow with its peeuliar flora, to the bank covered withhajsel, crab apples, and wild plums. The elm, butternut, and basswood will grow upon the flat, while the ridge will be crowned with oak, hickory, and maple. Some varieties will be more widely spread than others, but with many things the lines are strongly drawn. The smaller growths will be more definitely divided than the timber. It will not need a very observing eye to notice, that nature has very definite ideas of adaptation in planting. 72 Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. The Baraboo river separates between two very distinct floras. The timber on the north side is but scattering, and consists largely of jack oak with its usual accompaniments of poplar and hazel, while on the south side it is a heavy forest of all the varieties common to this latitude. The underbrush, grasses and wild flow- ers of the two regions are quite as distinct as the timber growths. Had human agency, in the first place, reversed this order of plant- ing, there is no doubt but that in time, it would have righted itself and established the present order, so subtle and yet so mighty are the influences which determine nature's operations. There is a little plant found in Labrador, the Epilobium Alpinumy which is described in our botanies as being found in the White and Adirondack mountains. It is also found at the dells of the Wisconsin on the ledges of cliff which face to the north where the sun never shines enough to drive it away. How came it there, in perhaps the only spot in Wisconsin where it finds congenial circumstances? Cultivated products are more cosmopolitan in their habits than others, but yet we see enough to satisfy us that the same unseen influences are at work, modifying their growth, and affecting our success in their culture. That the difficulties which lie in our way are great, is confessed by the efforts which we make to succeed ; and our success is not, as yet, very satisfactory. Tbese difficulties lie to a great extent, I think, in our extremes of temperature, and in the occasional ex- cessive dryness of our temperature. We cannot overcome these extremes, but must fortify ourselves against them. In the matter of temperature, we sometimes have the thermometer at 90° in the shade, which may mean 120° on the sunny side of an apple tree ; and twice in Sauk county I have carved my name on solid mercury. In view of these facts we would naturally cry out for shelter for an orchard, but in a sheltered place the excess of heat is greater than in an exposed one. At sunrise in a winter's morn- ing the cold is as intense in a sheltered place as it is on a hill top. It is doubtless more intense, as a casual frost will strike in a valley more severely than on high ground. This would drive us away from shelter, if we would avoid extremes. Oar soil is good enough. We have no difficulty in securing Adappations in Horticultuke. 73 generous and even rampant growths in trees, shrubs and vines. The one thing which we lack, is a cell structure in them, which can endure vicissitudes. Tbis is abundantly confessed by the in- terest with which we are looking to Russia for help. The varieties which we have received from that country so far, are either the crabs on the one hand, or apples of second rate quality on the other. We have become to some extent indifferent to quality, if we can only raise the bulk of our needed fruit, but a people like ours, who can buy the old rich apples of our boyhood at moderate prices, bananas, oranges and other tropical fruits at all seasons of the year, will not settle down contentedly with inferior fruit. When our country was first settled, we gathered all of the wild crabs we could find, and made use of them experimenting, in the interest of finding what varieties and what methods are the best adapted to our own circumstances. A portion we would bury in the ground till spring, when a good resolute boy would eat them with many grimaces and call them good. In the presence of the Siberian crabs they are no longer wanted, nor are the Siberians wanted when we can get the Russian apples, nor are these wanted when we can get the Baldwins or Greenings. It is a law in nature that we go north for s Durness and crabbedness in fruit, and south for luciousness and abundance. It seems to be leading a forlorn hope to go to that northern land of soow and Nihilism, where the teeth of the people are always on edge, and when a deep seated desire to push their borders southward to a land of generous fruits and beautiful flowers is the standing menace of Europe, for anything to ameliorate and improve our list of fruits. I do not believe that those northern hordes eat good apples. Still we cannot but watch with kindly interest the efforts which are now being so vigorously made in this direction. We will do well to remember at the same time that our exceed- ingly strong desire to secure the fruits we need exposes us in a weak place to the designs of swindlers. We may now look for the tree peddler with his hardy Russian fruits of delightful quality and unpronounceable names, and we will be made of more than ordinary stuff if we do not purchase a bill. I am anxious to speak a word of warning here, for we can already see premoni- 74 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. tions of the coming swindle. A man who has paid a dollar each for Tetofskys, and waited eight years to harvest a peck of apples, will not be likely to bite again at words which he cannot pro- nounce. I might be willing to try some of the newer sorts, at a fair price, but I would carefully avoid all trees at unusual rates. ISTursery stock can be propagated so rapidly that no tree, however valuable, can long be held at unusual rates. No matter how hardy any variety of tree may be, it is still necessary to plant our fruit where it will be likely to escape the late spring frosts, and this will still lead us onto the high ground. We lose more fruit by late frosts in the spring than we do by severe winters, and the crabs are in no wise hardy in this respect. My experience is that all vegetation winters the best in places where the snow lies the longest in the spring, and this is where protection is furnished from the south. Such places would be the ones in which to plant fruits, were this the only point to be considered. Some fruits, in order to perfect themselves, need the strongest heat of our summers, and some things we want to force to early maturity in order to advance the season for their use. This will lead us to plant on southern exposures, but we must attend to the matter of protecting our plants in the winter and early spring. A garden spot may be exposed to heat for the sake of early vegetables, but such a spot will not generally bring fruits or vegetables to their greatest perfection. Lettuce and radishes will show a prompt tendency to run to seed in such places. Strawberries will ripen early, but we will get finer fruit when grown in a cooler spot. On my own farm I find a great variety of soil, with as great a variety of slopes — north, south, east and west; some are very hot and others are cool. I believe that every spot is good for something, and I am endeavoring to discover its fitness. The study of all these variations with their especial adaptations, is with me a very interesting study which helps to give a charm to all my labors. I am inclined to prefer the cooler slopes, believ- ing them to be less subject to winter killing, only, that I want the hottest place possible in which to grow an early garden. I wish that I might have come before you with more of the ripened Adaptations in Horticulture. 75 fruit of observation, but I chose this subject because it is one which interests me deeply, and in prosecuting which I expect to reach more satisfactory results than I have obtained at present. I believe that there is something especially adapted to every spot, and which may be more profitably cultivated there, than else- where, and my aim is to discover what it is. There is another class of adaptations bearing upon all the pur- suits of life, of full greater importance than those which we have been considering ; it is the adaptation of the person to the pursuit in which he is engaged. This is a matter of pre eminent im- portance in horticulture. Success can only be achieved by the most persistent labor. If this labor is likely to become irksome or be neglected by any individual, he is not adapted to this busi- ness and he will not succeed. The day of success with neglect is past, if it ever existed. If a man does not feel the utmost resolution to succeed, in the face of a good understanding of the difficulties to be encountered, he had better not engage in the contemplated business. The day of luck is passed away. It is unfortunate that there is anything, even in gold hunting, which can be described as a bonanza. It leads men to neglect the studious and diligent care which is the only true ground work for success in anything. My motto is, " That the man who works, is the man who wins." It will be found true in horticulture if not in gold seeking. I have no faith in anything else. This idea had become a proverb before the Christian era. It was embodied in the old fable of the race between the hare and the tortoise. A man is not likely to prosper in any business which he does not enjoy. If he does, it is because he holds himself to it by moral force and runs it on strictly business principles. There is another point in which this subject of adaptation.smust be considered, and that is in reference to the demands of the market. To raise a quantity of vegetables or fruits at a point where they could not be sold would be very impolitic, but it is also very poor policy to fail to raise all the stuff which can find a profitable market. There are but few of our country villages which are abundantly supplied with fruits and vegetables in their season, and there are many families in such places which 76 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. prefer to buy what tbej need, if they can do so, rather than to- run the expense of a garden. The tendency of the times is toward specialties in everything. The old style of village family gardens is fast disappearing. The grounds primarily set with shrubbery and trees are too much overgrown for vegetables. Cur- rant bushes have disappeared since the advent of the worms, so that currants are only raised by those who make a specialty of them. It is of but little use to plant isolated patches of peas, because of the birds which prey upon them. Cabbages can only be raised successfully in large patches ; many families have given them up entirely, even on farms, and depend on purchasing them ; and so on through the whole list of fruits and vegetables. Many people would be glad to purchase their supplies if they could only do so. It is important for farmers to watch these tendencies and step in, and fill all such opportunities It is easy to complain about an insufficient market, but there is no one so far from market as the person who has nothing to sell, I am deeply impressed with the idea that the general and in- creasing difficulties attending fruit and vegetable growing are so great that nothing but intelligent and watchful care will succeed in any branch of these pursuits. I believe that such care will win, and that there is a boundless field of profit and enjoyment open to the man who avails himself of what is already known in selecting sites, choosing varieties, fighting enemies, and caring for orchards and fruit beds generally. The market to the west of us is unlimited for fruit, and however plenty and cheap early fruit and windfalls may be, that which is well preserved and properly marketed will still sell for prices which will make the land and labor devoted to iheir culture and preservation more profitable than that devoted to any of the more common pursuits of agriculture. There are laws governing the very developments of civilization which it will be well for us to heed. New England was once a wheat exporting country. Its people do not now attempt to raise their own bread. They can use their land to better purpose. The old farms in Walworth county, in this state, among which I spent my boyhood, are not now cultivated in wheat at all ; but Adaptations in Hokticulturh. 77 are run to dairy products, beef and porlc. The farmers buy bet- ter flour than they can raise, and at cheaper rates than they can raise it. We cannot compete with the new western lands in wheat. We can raise some wheat, and must continue to do so, but we want to catch at a glance the possibilities and adaptations of our own circumstances, and leap at once to our true position. We must not wait to be driven to it by a long agony of mis- fortune and failure. To pass from low culture and coarse prod- ucts to higher culture and finer products, is the destiny of all agricultural communities which continue prosperous. The very farm of John Johnson of Geneva, N. Y., so celebrated in the annals of successful farming on which its owner grew rich by intelligent labor almost beyond precedent, has passed out from under the old rich crops of wheat and corn entirely, and is now put to higher uses. So with the system of farming among us. Our best men are getting away from grain, driven to it, perhaps, by a rugged road, but we want to spring into our higher position as if we were born to it. Let the intelligent men of our state look to these things. I do not advise a sudden change to any one, but I advise an intelligent looking forward to a state of things which will surely come. A newly planted orchard will require a few years of care to bring it into bearing, and must receive it. Let no man plant one, who will not give it this intelligent care. JIow nice it would be, as we get old, and less able to perform our annual routine of labor, in planting and harvesting, to have an orchard, planted once for all, and which can be harvested leisurely in the cool of autumn and marketed just as leisurely, and in the shade of which, we can hide from the hot August suns, and the fruits of which, will beguile our declining appetites and feed our families with the best of good and healthful food. It is time for us to begin this good work now. I believe that the horticultural interests of our state are committed to a worthy class of nurserymen, that they are watchful and vigilant, and that we have good reason to be proud of these to whom we more especially look as advisers in these matter.-^, in the great march of our own improvement. I pay this tribute to them from the position of an outsider, and yet a 78 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. close observer of their work for the last ten years. There is a tremendous push in these last days, in the direction of new varie- ties; in everything which is grown. They are always offered at speculative prices, and millions of dollars are annually expended by our people for which no adequate returns are received. A true minded nurseryman will stand as a protector of his custom- ers rather than a plunderer. It is possible for them to let slip from time to time things of doubtful value. If we get sold a little occasionally, we must look upon it as a contribution to the general expense attending the production of new varieties. I be- lieve that the interests of Wisconsin horticulture rest in worthy hands — that all that is good among the new varieties will be sifted out from among the worthless, and placed within the reach of all. Mr. Plumb thought the law of adaptation, as presented in this paper, was a very important subject. It was a most interesting study to follow out the manifestations of it, seen in the natural world ; as in the adaptation of vegetable growth to soil and cli- mate, the kind, character and form of growth, all adapting them- selves to the conditions in which they are placed, and the same conditions favoring the same development wherever they are found. There is evidence on every side that the Creator of all was strictly guided by and has observed it in all His works. Man was the first to disregard this law, and to follow his own idea of fit- ness, his own will, and hence came discord and ruin ; and to-day it is to the disregard of this law that much of the difficulty we encounter, many of our failures, are to be attributed. We try to raise varieties of grain and fruit ; we set out trees and plants, where the soil, the climate, and other conditions are opposed or at least unfavorable to perfection of their growth. We should study the law of adaptation in all we do, and thus be in harmony with nature and with nature's God. President Smith said this law of adaptation was a very practi- cal subject, and had a direct bearing on success or failure in our work. All will do well to consider it carefully. There must be an adaptation in the crop raised to the market, to the climate, soil and place, to the time of planting and method of culture, etc. Adaptations in ITohticulture. 79 The lack of some one point, which may not seem important at the time, may seriously affect the result. There are places in his own garden where he would not think of setting a strawberry bed ; others where he would not plant potatoes, and so in regard to most every crop, there are conditions, even in narrow limits, which we must consider if we would raise them with the best success. No definite law or statement can be laid down in books in regard to these conditions, except in a general way. It must be left, in a great measure, to the experience, the judgment, of the cultivator himself. Mr. Randall remarked that there seemed to be a sort of magnet- ism, a charm about some persons that made everything they set out live and do well, no matter how hurriedly and carelessly it was donC; while others might take all the pains in the world, tend to them faithfully, and yet the plants would not thrive. The remark was frequently heard that whatever such a one touches lives, no matter how he or she handles it, but whatever this or that one has anything to do with, will surely die. As an instance to the point, he stated that in his own garden they had ripe tomatoes the first of July, while his neighbor, who had given more care and where all the conditions seemed equally favorable, had not a plant in bloom even. Mr. ^Yood said there seemed to be some truth in this, if we judge by what we see. Some say it can be explained by a love for plants and flowers which gives those who possess it a special fitness for the work, a sort of instinct that guides them in their care, but this cannot be all, for we see some who have such a love for plants and flowers as to lead them to persist in their efforts to raise them after repeated failures; they seem to labor as earnestly and as intelligently, yet they do not succeed. lie is inclined to believe that the difference in the results is to be attributed largely, if not wholly, to a better understanding of what the plants really need, and better judgment in the care, in the one than in the other, as in parents' love for their children, in some cases it leads them to do what is for the best good of the child, in others not. It is not in the amount of love, but in the manner of expressing it. 80 Wisconsin State Hoeticultukal Society. Mr. Huntley thought that while they seemed to take as good ■care of their plants, those who did not succeed failed in doing just what was needed or doing it in the best way. There was a knack of doing things just right; in this, as well as in the care of the sick. Some who were willing and anxious to help, who were full of sympathy, were not good nurses and could not be. He did not know as there was any natural peculiarity in one person more than another which made them more successful in the cultivation of plants and flowers, but it was surely developed more readily by education, experience in culture in some than in others. This question of adaptation is one which has long engrossed the attention of our nurserymen, and they have labored faithfully to find out what varieties of trees and plants, what methods of culture are best adapted to our soil and climate. They are justly entitled to the confidence and encouragement of the public for their long continued and earnest efi"orts in this direction, yet it is surprising to see how easily the irresponsible and unknown tree peddler will gull us with his smooth, but wonderful stories of the remarkable qualities of the stuff he has to sell, when the least thought should convince us that, if these stories were true, our nurserymen would have found it out long ago. Why can we not buy of those we know, and whom we have every reason to put confidence in, rather than of these strangers whom we never saw before and never will see again. Mr. Reynolds said that he had sometimes thought there was a sort of affinity between some persons and plant life, which gave them an appreciation of the fitness of things, and a knowledge of just what was best adapted to the wants of the plants they culti- vated, and that this was the secret of their success. It was not certainly due to the amount of care and labor expended upon the plants, but must be in the kind. Mrs. Reynolds was remarkably successful in the cultivation of plants and flowers, but when asked for the reason of it, she could not tell. She certainly did not take any more pains with them than many others. This spring she set out tomato plants in their garden in what seemed to him rather an indifferent manner as regards care, but they grew right along q,nd to-day were three times as large and promising in fruilfulness Cultivation of Celery. 81 as those of a neighbor who had taken great care of his plfnts. This subject of fitness of things is one of the greatest, most im- portant and interestino; that we have to consider. On it depends success in every undertaking in life. Mr. Randall did not think the success of some persons in raising plants and flowers was at all due to luck or chance, but was the result of their doing just the right thing in the right way and at the proper time. Their love for flowers led them to study their wants and made them quick to perceive what they needed and the effect of the care bestowed. Cultivation of Celery. — Mr. Finney enquired as to the best way to grow celery. President Smith said the old method of cultivating it in trenches was very laborious and prevented many from raising it. This cultivation in trenches is generally dis- carded now and it can be raised with nearly the same ease as any garden vegetable. It might perhaps be better for the farmer who tries to raise it to buy his plants at first, in order to be sure and have vigorous plants. They need a rich and deep soil, but the manure used should be fine and well rotted. He sets the rows three feet and a half apart and the plants thick in the row, from six to eight inches if the variety is large, but nearer if a dwarf. The setting may be done the last of June and through the month of July. When the plants are eight or twelve, inches high (twelve if the variety is large), gather the leaves together and draw the earth up around the stalks, and bank them up so as to hold the stalks clogely together. This will make the stalk white and crispy. The banking up should be done when the plant and earth are dry, and care should be taken to hold the leaves together so as to prevent the dirt fr m getting into the heart of the plant, as this would cause it to become discolored. Let them grow in this way until the latter part of September or up to the middle of October, then bank up nearly to the top, but be careful to keep the dirt from getting between the stalks. If needed for early ' use this banking up may be done earlier. A moderate freezing will not injure it. The greater part of the stalks will not be suf- ficiently bleached in this way to make it of the best quality. His 6 — HORT. B% Wisconsin State Horticultural Socibty. wa3i.of handling for winter use was to put an inch or so of soil in a dry goods box, and then set the plants packed closely together in this, leaving a moderate amount of earth on the roots. Put the box in the cellar where it is moderately cool, but the plants must not be allowed to freeze. When treated in this way the center stalks will keep on growing all winter. Bleaching can be done in this way when not done by banking up, but the celery is not of as good color or as crisp. Can be kept over winter out of doors if kept from freezing. If frozen in the winter it is worthless. Mr. Finney had used sawdust instead of dirt in banking up with good success, better than when he used dirt. In this way the plants could be set much nearer together. He sets out the plants as early as the middle of May. The best method he had tried to keep celery for winter use was to dig a hole in the cellar bottom and fill it with rich soil, set the box over this, removing the bottom, then fill with the plants, setting them in the rich soil. They kept on growing all winter and were very crisp and tender. The last winter, he put a tube down through the plants, so as to water the soil occasionally, and found that they did better still, and also kept better. He had set the plants only six inches apart and got just as good celery as when set two feet apart. He had even set out two plants together and secured two good bunches. It is some more work to set so thick, but you get just as good celery, and much more of it from the same ground. Mr. Wood said the seed for the main crop could be sown in the open ground and good plants be obtained. Sow as early as the weather will admit. If the plants are likely to get too large be- fore it is time to set in the garden or field, prick them out and they will be much more vigorous when the time comes to trans- plant. He inquired if anything was to be gained by using the early varieties for the late crop, sowing and planting late. Mr. Smith thought as a rule the later the crop was grown for winter and spring use, the better, and that where the growth was very rapid, as that of the early varieties set out late in the season would be likely to be, the stalks would be very apt to be hollow, wbich would injure their value. Cultivating the Dahlia, 83 Mr. Plumb said the proper time to sow seeds and set out plants varied a good deal with the localiiy. At the time of the late meeting at La Crosse, on the 24th of June, they had found vegetation at least three weeks in advance of what it was in Rock county. All through the Lemonweir valley, barley was heading out, and the season was much in advance of that in the southern part of the state. The same was true of much of Minnesota. The season opened earlier there, though much f".rthei north, than with us, not only in sheltered places, with a warm and sandy soil, but even the winter wheat on the tops of the bluffs was in advance of UB. President Smith had some fears, before the June meeting at La Crosse, that the date fixed upon would be too early for ths straw- berry crop, but found when the time came that the season for them was virtually gone, while at Green Bay it was but just com- mencing. There was at least two weeks' difference in the season in the two places. July 14, 2 P. M. At the opening of the afternoon session, Mrs. Huntley, of Ap- pleton, was called upon to give her method of cultivating the dahlia. In response, she said that of late years she had kept the tubers through the winter in a dry, dark room, where they would be secure from the frost. All the dirt was removed from the bulb, letting them dry a number of days; then she placed them in a barrel or box, without sand or any covering whatever. They had always kept safely in this way, and would sprout a number of weeks earlier than those kept in the cellar. When the sprouts had started out well, she set the tubers out in boxes filled with earth, or, if the weather permitted, in the open ground. She had the best success in very rich soil, and where there was con- siderable moisture. The best place she had found for them was near the house, just outside the drip of the eaves. Here they would grow from six to nine feet high. She did not practice pruning much, but took off a few of the lower leaves and stalks when the growth was excessive or unshapely. There should be but one stalk to a tuber. Sometimes more buds would start out early in the season than the plant could grow to perfection, 84 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. and only one or two would become perfect flowers, if all were left to grow. By removing part, those left would be more perfect, and the plant would bl)om more freely in the fall. Some varieties will not give perfect flowers, and others only a few perfect ones. These should all be discarded, and none but the best be raised. Frequently plants that give imperfect flowers the first of the season will have all perfect ones later, when the weather is cooler. The dahlia is a large, coarse flower, but gives great satisfaction from the length of the season and the profusion of its bloom. It was the last flower to be seen in the fall, and, by a little protection, would often be an ornament in the garden or lawn after the frost had killed all the rest. Mr. Plumb said that in his experience, and in that of others, as far as he had seen, the richest soil was not the best for dahlias. It gave a rank growth, but also formed imperfect flowers. The best success he had ever had was in very hard soil, where there had been an old road-way. This was broken up and a space as large as a half bushel dug out of the hard earth and gravel and filled in with good earth and compost. The plants here grew to a moderate size, blossomed early and gave perfect flowers all the season. From his experience, he should choose the poorest and hardest soil and serve in this way. The same was true also with sweet potatoes. They would, in this kind of soil and treatment, start early, make a moderate growth of top, but early in the sea- son, and would ripen the tubers early. A paper was read by Mr. PJumb on NORTHERN FRUITS AND FRUIT GROWINO. My title is suggestive of varieties and treatment distinctively peculiar to northern territory. We find it a necessity of this region to know the climatic changes to which we are subject, and the character of the soils we have to use; and also the inherent character of the tree or plant we seek to grow and the treatment best suited to its nature. These underlie all successful horticult- ure, and all these must be in a measure understood before we can claim success, from a correct theory or law, rather than from acci- Northern Fruits and Fruit Growing. 85 dent. Tme, accidental success in horticulture is better than none, but very unsati-^factory is the pursuit of any calliug without a knowledge of the fundamental principles which govern that department of industry, narliculture is no exception to this fact, and our western fruit growing has been largely of this kind of work, experiment after experiment, trial aft^r trial. Success, ignisfatuus like, ever receding, never found, in short a "going it blind," and all fur the want of a true knowledge and faithful ob- servauce of the laws of vegetable growth. Purposing to make this paper intensely practical, I will not stop to inquire the why and the wherefore of these natural conditions, but taking these facts as they appear, wuU endeavor to show the practical side of successful fruit growing in central and northern Wisconsin. Premising with my oft repeated proposition : First, that fruit is a necessary adjunct of our diet ; and, pec;)nd, thit as a rule the masses must grow it, or have it grown within easy reach, or go without it. Northern fruits have some strong points of disiiuction from tho-e grown south. Thf y are more meaty and less pulpy than southern fruits, and it is this which gives northern fruits their superior keeping quality. Oar northern climate develops starch, the southern develops sugar. The most intensely acid fruit, as well as the very sweet juices, are the products of the south, as the lemon and the banana. But our northern fruits are milder and more suitable as food than any we can import from the south. We find also a differeuce in the quality of the same varieties. The further north an apple or pear can be grown, the more firm and finegrained its texture, and if well matured, its juices are also richer and its coloring more perfect. Losing in size, but gaining in specific gravity and concentration of juices by northern growing. Still more apparent is the difference of habit and constitution which adapts one species and variety to a northern climate, while others of same species are totally unfit for the north. This shows us that we must have natural hardiness or endurance to be suc- cessful in a given climate and soil. Example native fruits : Siberians, Russians, the cranberry, blueberry, currant and apple, 86 Wisconsin State Horticulturax Societt. in distinction from peach and quince. Again we have a wide difference of local conditions of soil, aspect and elevation, and a corresponding difference in the success of varieties. So that lat- itude is only general in its relation to adaptation. Thus the peach belt, starting on the Atlantic coast in New Jersey, follows nearly northwest, to the shore of Lake Ontario, thence south and west below Lake Erie, then meandering nearly the whole of the state of Michigan, east of the lake up to latitude 46°, thence nearly south, and across the state of Illinois on latitude 39°, and south of the Missouri river to Kansas City. Here is a wide varia- tion, covering six degrees of latitude or four hundred miles, as the northern peach belt, in a range of one thousand miles east and west. If we were to study up the causes of this wide varia- tion in the adaptation of the peach, we would find that purely local conditions, temperature mainly and soil formation, as an adjunct, are the causes of this wide variation. To be sure the peach is very sensitive to these conditions, and so we find our apple and all the small fruits when we crowd them to the verge of successful culture, or as we now do, a little beyond, and pay little regard to the law of adaptation. The history of apple growmg in our state shows a variation in success fully as remarkable as peach growing referred to. Take the parallel of forty-four and one-fourth degrees, about that of this city of Appleton, across the state from east to west ; we com- mence with Manitowoc county, which is undulating, well drained limestone soil, and as fine an apple region as we have in the state. Then comes Calumet county, which is the same in general charac- ter until we strike the valley of the lower Fox, where the general level ana tenacious soil is not favorable to natural drainage, and fruit trees have not done well except where special preparation and artificial drainage have been resorted to. Eastern Outagamie is of this last character, while the western portion rises into those broken hills of Trenton and magnesium limestones, where fruit trees of the hardy varieties are a fair success. Passing into Wau- paca and Waushara counties, and across Adams, Juneau and Jackson, we have good natural drainage, but generally too much sand for a well developed and long-lived fruit tree, except upon Northern Fruits and Fruit Growing. 87 the occasional bluffs, which are capped with the boulder drift. Passing to the west line ol the state through Trempealeau and Buffalo counties, we find the same formations with those grand limestone capped bluff's, where fruit trees are abundantly successful. In the valleys of all central and western Wisconsin the average life of the apple tree cannot be more than seven years. While on the other hand, on the top of these drift hills and limestone bluffs up to the latitude of 45^, a little above Menomonie, Wau- sau, Chippewa Falls and Hudson, even ordinary varieties are doing about as well as in our southern tier of counties. These examples are plain to all observers, and show that local conditions have more to do with the success of varieties than latitude alone, and in this direction are we to look first of all for conditions of success. I have before given the following condensed rules for successful fruit growing in this region : 1. Plant on high, dry, firm soil, or make it so by ridging, draining, or dressing with clay. 2. Plant varieties you know to be successful in locations similar to your own. 3. Top low and grow slow ; secure early growth and early maturity of wood, and keep a perpetual mulch by a grass sod mowed oiien and spread around the tree outside of its top. I recommend and urge heading the fruit tree low, even to the ground. All the best conditions for culture, pruning, bearing, picking, and health of tree are best secured by low heads. Cultivate no nearer the trunk than the outside of the tops. My idea of perfection of culture for the fruit tree in this climate is, to seed down with clover (or weeds) as soon as the tree is well established, and mow weekly through the summer, letting the product remain where cut. Under this plan little pruning will be necessary, and that should be done little by little during the growing season. The soil of central and northern Wisconsin is much of it strongly impregnated with iron and potash, which gives peculiar luster to the fruit, and a bearing tendency which is not common further south. The limestone series are especially fitted to the most per- fect development of trees. The sandy regions can be made to grow permanent orchards by the application of clay and muok 88 Wisconsin State Hokticultueal Society. from the claj beds which are f'reqaently found adjacent, with aa annual top dressing of ashes, whole or leached, at the outer drip of tiie trees. Ridging and underdraining should be practiced where the soil is retentive of water. Very many otherwise good locations for an orchard are " springy," and should be under- drained, or a deep head drain should cut ofi the source of this superabundant water in the subsoil. Surface evaporation may render them dry enough for ordinary farm crops, but the subsoil may be saturated six months of the year, to the certain injury of the fruit tree growing in it. The subsoil of the orchard in the north must not be reteotive of water. Varieties — As the apple is the king of fruits for the north, I will commend any variety that, with fair eating and cooking quality and fruitfulness, has proved generally adapted to a given locality. But long experience is nee led for such test, and only such exceptionally severe winters as the past can give us that absolute test which is conclusive. Where now are Ben Davis and Pewaukee in all this region? Gone to the shade? with most of the old eastern varietie?, and even Fameose has suffered badly. Indeed we have seen beating trees of Duchess and Hyslop killed to the ground in many unfavorable lo3alions. We had hoped much from the new Waupaca seedlings, which for remarkable size and beauty were some of them competitors for honors and a place in our ornamental list, but now our own experience leaves us nothing but the W^olf River of the real worthy sort'«. In some sections, the new Russians were injured to quite an extent, none showing so many good qualities as our old Duchess. Yet we have hopes of getting some really valuable northern fruits from the many now on trial. To Minnesota and Mr. Gideon belong the honor of originating, in the Wealthy, the one variety above all others, which will help the north to an abundance of really good fall and early winter apples. Sauk county gives us the McMahon, a large white apple of Russian type, very tender flesh, pleasant acid, productive, and exceedingly hardy ; fall and early winter. We might enumerate other apples of fine quality and productiveness, which show themselves very hardy. But in the improved Siberians we have KoETHERN Fruits and Fruit Growing. 89 the "best thing out" for the extreme north and all locations and seasons, and best quality for eatiog and cocking. Judging from the past, I have more hope for a really complete li=t of apples for the north in our many seedlings than in any importations from abroad; and whoever has a real worthy fruit, that has stood the test of 1880-81, should make it known to our state or local societies, who should investig^ite and report upon the same in due time. Little can be said for the pear for this region, but that the most rigidly abstemious diet alone can save it from that climatic summer complaint, blight ; and this will also insure successful wintering on your dry hill tops. Your best cherry for the inte- rior is probably the Late Richmond or K-ntish, while the lake shore region will grow all the Morrillos to perfection. The same may be said of the plum, choosing our best native varieties for the interior. Of the small fruits, the strawberry, raspberry, grape and currant should be cho.-:eQ in the order named, adding the Suyder and Stone's Ilardy Blackberry, with more or less winter shade to the plant. All these are especially at home in all this region. The grape only to be given a warm location, to secure maturity of some varieties. With full faith that a thorough knowledge of the natural conditions, which are and must continue to exist in this northern region, will enable the fruit grower to adapt his practice thereto, I commend these brief words of advice. Interesting papers were also presented bv Mrs. 11. M. Lewis of Madison, on the " Birds of our Gardens ; " Mrs. A. A. Arnold of Galesville, on "Our Children ; " Miss Kate Pefifer of Pewaukee, on "Trials of Exhibitors at Fairs." Mr. Wood spoke highly in commendation of the papers read and the ideas presented in them. They were on subjects inti- mately connected with the comfort, happiness and well being of the home life, and were worthy of the careful consideration of all. He said women of late years had ap]iired to stations not usually regarded as in their sphere, had sought honor and fame in more athletic and daring callings than what her nature seemed to be adapted to, and by many such efforts were looked upon with favor. He gave a brief history of the life of Mr.=. Maxwell, formerly Miss Dart, a student at Appleton. She married in 185-i, 90 Wisconsin State Hobticultueal Society. and afterward moved to the wilds of the west, and became noted as a bold huntress, and for her collection of wild animals exhibited at the Centennial, all killed and stuffed by her own hands. Notices had been given in the papers of her recent death, with an account f of her remarkable career. She had obtained notoriety, but did it pay for what it cost? Was it of any real use to her or the world ? Her home was but a mvth. Would she not have been much happier, would it not have been worth more to her to have labored to make a true home ? Rev. Mr. Huntley, President of Lawrence University, remarked that he had heard of her connection with the university, and of her remarkable life, but he thought one of the kind was enough. Home life was the truest and noblest sphere. He was^rejoiced to see that the papers presented dwelt so much on the home and on those things calculated to make our homes more beautiful and happy. He could heartily indorse the sentiments expressed, they were a credit to their authors and creditable to any society that was seeking to benefit mankind. 8 P. M. — Professor N. M. Wheeler, of Lawrence University, read the following paper on FOEEST CULTURE. It is a generally accepted conclusion, founded on long and careful observation, that every country needs, in order to be best fitted for human habitation, that at least one-quarter of its whole surface be covered with forest, and that this forest should be in masses. The proportion of forest to the whole area of the United State was in 1870 twenty-five per cent. From 1870 to 1880 there were over thirty thousand saw mills in operation in the United States, and the rate of forest destruction by these and other agen- cies was greater than ever before. There can be no doubt, there- fore, that the proportion of woodland is now considerably below the proper limit in the country at large. This i=. the result already reached in a land, which at the be- ginning of the last century was the most magnificently wooded country on the face of the earth, and whose wealth of forest is FoBBBT Culture. 91 still supposed by the thoughtless majorit}'^ to be inexhaustible. How far from inexhaustible a few facts and estinoates will indi- cate. In 1878 a detailed statement was read before the Chicago Board of Trade, to the effect that at the present rate the timber supply of Canada would not last more than ten or twelve years, for the more important kinds. This estimate attracted consider- able notice and some criticism. The Lumbermen's Gazette, of Bay City, Michigan, published estimates that same year, showing that the pineries of the United States and Canada would stand the drain then existing for twenty years. In 1875, Hon. George B. Emerson, one of the highest authorities on forestry in the United States, estimated " that in fifteen years all the forests in America will be cut down." These prophecies are startling, but they are made independently, by practical lumbermen, by men of great scientific attainment, and by government officials. Moreover, consider some of the factors of the problem. The census of 1870 showed that the annual products drawn by the people of the United States from their forests then amounted in value to $1,000,000,000 ; eight times the interest on the national debt, twelve times the annual gold and silver product, and four times the annual wheat product. The consumption of lumber, of all kinds, exceeded 20,000,000,000 feet, expressed in board meas- ure. But figures like these give little idea of the facts they en- deavor to represent. Besides, these figures express only the net product of the lumberman's direct assault upon the forests with axe and saw, and do not take into account the enormous waste in- volved in his operations, nor the awful devastations caused by forest fires, cyclones and the like. Added to all this, we must imagine, if we can, the grand total of the immense clearings made for farming purposes, most of the products of which never get to market. Some idea of what has been done in this way may be gained from the interesting estimate made by Fredrick Starr, of St Louis, that from 1850 to 1860 the wood land cleared for agri- cultural purposes averaged ten thousand acres for every working day. At this rate, the axe of the solitary pioneer alone would " clear " the whole United States in abput one hundred years from the present time. 92 Wisconsin State Horticultueal Society. I have said enough to show the immense importance of tbe subjfct, but the real gravity of the situation is not appreciated until we consider the relations that exist between the general life of the globe and its forest covering. The advantages that the earth and her inhabitants receive from the forests may be summed up thus : 1. Increased rainfall. I state this because it is commonly sup- posed to be a fact^ but it is by no means proved, and is not accepted by the best authorities, such as, in this country, Marsh, Whitney, Sargant and Emerson. 2. Equible distribution of rainfall and uniformity of tempera- ture; closely connected with these functions is: 3. The forests as storehouses of moisture. These effects, of which there can be no doubt, are of vast importance in the gen- eral life of the globe, and in very many departments of human labor. Nothing is better establi.shed than that the destruction of forests causes sudden floods at one time of the year, and drought at another ; turns navigable streams into drj^ torrent beds, diies up mil! ponds, extinguishes perennial fountains and springs, makes summers hotter and winters colder, delays spring and lengthens autumn, breaks up our once uniform winter, and in many ways lessens the fertility of the soil and intensifies the harshness of the climate. 4. Keeps off" the wind, thus diminishing all the great evils produced by their cold, their mechanical force, and their dessicat- ing or " drying up " power. 5. Their direct and indirect influence upon human health. 6. Their economic products, classified under the two compre- hensive heads of fuel and lumber. Of this feature I have already spoken at large. Some of the historic facta and illustrations which support the above conclusions are interesting. I will mention a few. Ireland was once densely wooded. It is now almost destitute of forest, the proportion being less than two per cent. That this is one of the natural causes of the repeated crop failures and famines is asserted by very high authority. Six centuries ago Denmark was covered with woods. These having been cut down, more Forest Culture. 93 than one- fifth of her entire area, once forest, is now a barren, sandy heath, and the government, at great expense, is endeavoring to reclothe these naked wastes. " The river Po, when first spoken of in history, was a charming river, from its innumerable sources in the Alps on the north side, and the Appenines on the south side, one of the mo>t charming livers in the world, and a blessing to all who dwelt on its banks." For centuries the destruction of the forests along its banks, and in the mountain valleys whence its waters come, has been steadily going on. The natural results have followed. Sudden floods have washed the fertile soil from the denuded surface over much of its basin. Tbe earth, pebbles and rocks have been swept into the main stream. Its mouth has advanced several miles into the sea. Its bed has filled up till its waters flow over the plains of Lombardy, higher than the tops of the houses, confined within the steadily rising walls by which the threatened people strive to protect their cities and farms. Almost yearly the overstrained ■wall gives way, a mighty torrent devastates the fairest fields in the world, cities are overwhelmed, farms buried under vast sheets of sand and pebbles, and thousands of people made beggars. Though not a large stream, this one river has, perhaps, done more damage in the last thousand years than any other in the world, and all this is attributable directly to the destruction of the forests, and to no other cause. France has suffered more than any other civilized country. The destruction of her forests was very rapid at the time of the revolution, and immediately after. The flanks of the Alps, on her southeastern frontier, being thus left bare, the most terrible results followed. Says a French wi iter (Blanqui) : " If you overlook from an eminence one of those land- scapes, furrowed with so many ravines, it presents only images of desolation and death. Vast deposits of flinty pebbles, many feet in thickness, which have been swept down from above, spread far over the plain, surround large trees, bury even their tops, and rise above them, leaving to the husbandman no ray of hope. "'' ''' Eivers might be mentioned whose beds have been raised ten feet in a single year. The devastation advances in geometrical pro- gression as the higher slopes are bared, and the ruin from above helps to hasten the desolation below. 94 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. " In dry weather these mountain gorges and foothills, once covered with woods and pastures, are bare wastes of rocks and pebbles, where not even a bush can be found 'to shelter a bird, where all the springs are dried up, and where a dead silence, un- broken even by the hum of an insect, prevails ; but when a storm bursts forth, masses of water suddenly shoot from the mountain heights into the shattered gulfs, waste without iriigating, deluge without refreshing the soil they overflow in their swift descent, and leave it even more seared than it was from lack of moisture." The provinces in which such scenes were depicted — Dauphiny, Provence and Avignon — had been among the fairest in France, but the paradise was rapidly becoming a desert. In 1842 the de- partment of the Lower Alps had 245,000 acres of cultivated soil ; in 1852 it had 184,000 ; 61,000 acres, one-fourth of its arable area, had been washed away or rendered worthless. The popula- tion was steadily decreasing at the rate of one thousand a year in this one small department. Southern France became sadly famous for great floods and consequent ruin. Streams less than one hun- dred miles in length often suddenly swelled to more than the volume of the Nile, while rivers like the Loire and the Rhone threatened the utter devastation of their wide and fertile valleys. In 1856 the flood of the Loire covered 1,000,000 acres, that of the Rhone was equally destructive, and the total damage was incalcu- lable. These great disasters roused the French government to systematic and extensive effort. Laws were passed in 1860 for the re-foresting of the mountains, applying to private as well as to state property. Thousands of acres were annually planted in the departments above referred to ; and in 1875, when Southern France suffered greatly from floods, the river Durand, formerly the most dangerous in France — a river which as early as 1789 had ruined 130,000 acres of the finest land in the province — gave little trouble ; and it is around the headwaters of this river that the chief plantations have been made. So much was gained in fifteen years. The experience of France is peculiarly instructive, because here the results of excessive clearings have been most recent, and most carefully observed ; and, on the other hand, the possibility Forest Cultuee. 15 of restoring the forests, and winning back their squandered wealth and their protection, most clearly shown. Moreover the circum- stances and conditions of the French rivers are very sinailar to those in many parts of the United States. Let the noble forests that now feed the perennial springs of the Hudson be sacrificed to the greed of the speculator, and that magnificent stream would shrink to the rank of a mountain torrent, a curse rather than a. blessing to the smiling fields it waters and the prosperous cities it has nourished. On the general question of the diminution of rainfall and con- sequent shrinkage of rivers, the most important recent evidence is that of Councellor Gustav Wex, of Vienna, based on the care- ful observations of many years, and reported by him to the Academy of Arts and Sciences at Vienna in 1878. He showed conclusively that in the last fifty years the average level of the river Elbe has fallen seventeen inches; of the Rhine, twenty-four inches; of the Danube, fifty-five inches. And both himself and the Academy agreed in attributing this result to the felling of forests around the sources of these streams. No less an authority than the last edition of the Kyicydopaxh'a Britannica says, *' there can be no doubt that one of the causes of the terrible famines (of IST-i and since) in India and China is the unwise denudation of mountain slopes." Examples of the disastrous effort produced on climate by the destruction of forests are so numerous and well known, that I omit any mention of them. We may now understand the gravity of the natural question excited by all these examples ; what are we to expect in Amer- ica? This country is no exception to the laws of nature. It had a century ago the finest forests of the world ; it has now less forest area than it needs, and the work of destruction is going on faster than ever before. What shall shield us from the disas- trous consequences which other countries have suffered ? We al- ready feel the first symptoms of that " general deterioration of the earth," which is nature's "vengeance for the violation of her harmonies," in uncertain climate, dried-up streams, floods ever increasing in frequency, and ruinous effect, rivers no longer nav- 96 Wisconsin Statb Horticultural Society. igable, cold winds blasting the orchards and intensifying disease, the derangement of the seasons, and, in the older states, the abandonment of lands once fertile. Our country is so wide, so long, so rich, so big every way, that it can stand all this, and much more, and scarcely notice the loss, but, nevertheless, we cannot afford it, for when once we have used up our resources, centuries will but gradually restore them. The great laboratories of nature work by ages rather than days and hours. As the experience of Europe points out the danger, so we must look to her for a remedy. In every European state the care of the forests now forms an important branch of govern- mental concern, and largely occupies the minds of the people. Only six of them now have more than twenty-five per cent, of forest area, and only four — Norway and Sweden, Russia, Ger- many and Belgium — yield more than they consume. Even Russia, which, like America, is credited with inexhaustible sup- plies, reports but forty per cent, of woodland, and the government, finding the great artery of Russian commerce, the Volga river, annually shrinking, and alarmed at the enormous waste in her forests, has begun extensive plantations, established forest acad- emies, and is endeavoring to introduce economical management. The feature most essential to the efficient working of these forest departments of state, as well as perhaps most striking to an American, is the system of forest schools. There are thirty or more of these academies in Europe, the best "being in Ger- many and France. In the German schools, the period of study and practice extends over five years, and, before entering, the candidate must pass the standard of the gymnasium, a re- quirement equivalent to the degree of A. B, from an American college. The curriculum embraces three years in the natural sci- ences, mechanics, forest legislation and police, and other branchics of theoretical forestry, and two years of practical study in the forest. After this, if the pupil passes his final examinations, he heoomes an oher forsier Kandidat, and is expected to spend five years more in waiting, performing various duties as assistant in the meanwhile, before he obtains a permanent appoint- ment as oher forster. Yet so eagerly is the profession Forest Culture. 87 of forestry followed, and so keen is the ambition for a position in the government woods, that there is no lack of candi- dates. The result of this care and zeal is a system of forest cul- tivation almost as carefully conducted as field tillage. " The forests have all been surveyed, valued and divided into blocks, and there are accurate maps representing the extent and situation of each district, and whatever be the size of the woods every tree is recorded," and no tree can be cut unless it shows the mark of the overseer. That this system is conducted on a practical basis appears from the fact that only a little more than half the income from the state forests is required to pay all the annual expenses of the whole system. In France, as in Germany, the care of the forests constitutes a state department ; the magnitude of the oper- ations may be inferred from the fact that, besides the work in the Alps provinces and elsewhere, a forest one hundred and fifty miles long, and two to six miles wide, has been formed along the sand dunes of the western coast, by which millions of acres have been reclaimed and made arable. The French school of forestry at Nancy is one of the best. Its standard of admission is not so high as is maintained in Germany, and the term of study is two years less ; but it is a very well equipped and active institution. The British government has made arrangements for the training in this school of young men destined for her forest service in India, five or six of whom are sent out every year. Returning to our own country, we find that very little has been done to preserve or restore forest landr, and, worst of all, that total ignorance of the interests involved is well nigh universal. Generally speaking, the American has regarded the forests of his country in one of two aspects: first, ai affording means for great and rapid profit ; second, as obstacles to the culture of the ground. Yet greater knowledge is beginning to produce its natural fruit. We may discriminate, perhaps, two phases of growing interest in this matter. In the older states of the east, the once wooded hills and mountains being stripped, and the people beginning to awaken to the serious consequences, consid- erable effort is being put forth to preserve the existing forests, and to make plantations. Moreover, much land, either worn out or 7 — HORT. 98 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. made unprofitable, in comparison with the rich western prairies, is now suffered to grow up to timber. In the great treeless regions of the West different motives are at work. The pressing neces- sity for immediate protection against wind, as well as the great difficalty of procuring fuel, has led state legislatures to encourage the planting of tree belts and groves by liberal grants of land, by remission of taxes and payment of bounties. Comparatively nothing has been done to check the rapid destruction of existing forests, or to enforce economic methods in their use. In 1874, an attempt was made to secure national legislation on the subject. The American Association for the Advancement of Science presented a memorial to congress, which was made the basis of a bill providing for the appointment of a commissioner of forestry, whose duty it should be to inquire into the destruction of timber, and the means necessary for its preservation. This bill did not become a law. The problem is, in this country, an exceptionally diflficult one. No one can gainsay the necessity for an immediate general awak- ening on the subject. Within the lifetime of a generation the re- sources of the present timber growing states must be exhausted. There now remains in the United States but one vast tract of timber yet untouched — that of Oregon and Washington territo- ries. The secondary consequences of forest destruction will be suff'ered by those who are now children, unless something be done to prevent our following in the fatal footsteps of other nations. But the nature of our general government precludes national leg- islation such as is relied upon in Europe. Neither can we depend upon state action, since private ownership is and must ever be the rule, and we would not tolerate, much less do we desire such interference with indvidual liberty as the paternal gov- ernments of Europe exercise. Evidently our sole reliance is upon such motives as appeal to individuals. Of these the most powerful is self interest. Let it be proved that it pays a man to preserve his wood land, or to plant out trees for profit, and the future of our forest supply is secure. Two things seem to make this proof impossible ; if it requires fifty years to make a forest crop, it will be hard to make a farmer believe that such a crop Forest Culture. 99 pays ; and, secondly, the fact that is so uncommon for the son to live on the acres his father tilled, makes it impossible to rely largely on this phase of self-interest. Otherwise, it might easily be shown that an estate in trees is a better bequest to one's heirs than money in bank. There are, however, two or three considerations which modify somewhat this rather disheartening view. First, it does not require fifty years to make a paying forest crop. You do not have to wait till the maturity of the trees before they begin to make returns. Mr. John Ilall of Raynham, Mass., has a plantation thirty years old, of white pine, already large enough to make board logs. Col. Saltonstall, of the same state, transformed a bleak and worth- less hill into a paying forest in seventeen years. There are many such examples. A Larch plantation is calculated to yield three times the total investment, including interest, at the first cutting, in twenty years ; and at the rate of thirteen per cent, per annum for the whole time, at the final catting, at the end of fifty years. Further, the certain rise in the value of all timber products, which must follow the further destruction of existing forests, must be taken into account. Still more immediate in eflfect will be the market value of growing plantations on farms, even though young, as soon as the importance of this subject is generally understood. If a young orchard is now an immense addition to the value of a farm, so, in a few years, will be a grove of ash, of hickory, of black walnut or elm. Thus may self-interest be enlisted. Gov- ernmental aid may be made an important factor in the problem, mostly in the direction and supervision. And, thirdly, public spirit may be relied on to do a great deal when the nation is as generally enlightened upon this subject as the people of Europe now are. When the burning of a quarter section of solid oaks shall be looked upon with horror, when the wanton destruction of a growing tree shall be counted the sin it really is, when the culture of valuable trees shall absorb some of the time and money now wasted in trying to coax wheat out of the hard stones of New England, or in scaring the grasshoppers away from the windswept plains of Kansas and Dakota, when some of our col- leges shall furnish young men with instruction in forestry, and 100 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. when joung men whose fathers hewed houses out of the primeval forest shall be ashamed not to be able to name ten different trees in an American wood-lot, then we shall begin to see the barren hill- side reclothed; the dry railistream shall murmur through the long summer again, and the " Grreat American Desert " may yet fur- nish the fireside with warmth, and the cabinet-maker with the raw material of beauty. The next paper presented was by Mrs. Alex. Kerr, of Madison, on HEALTH IN HORTICULTURE. " Blessed is the man who has a good doctor," says one, but more blessed, say we, is the man who can do without one ; yea, thrice blessed is that home where health is an ever abiding, ever wel- come guest ; bright-eyed health, with roses on her cheek, whose firm, elastic tread, whose rippling laughter, whose cheery voice, give a hope and a courage, which are born of Heaven. What is too diiricult for the inmates of such a home to attempt or to accomplish? Strong hands and brave hearts perform with ease tasks of which the tired brain never even dreams, and at which he feeble, sickly body shrinks in dismay. Every moment is available. From dawn to " dewy eve," work is a pleasure, and when darkness falls, " Tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," comes like a benediction. No midnight lamp polluting the air of the apartment tells of sickness, of weary watching, of gloomy, anxious forebodings. No ghosts of unpaid doctor's bills haunt the house, appalling in their huge proportions ; but peace, and plenty and sweet content follow in the train of health, and lend to domestic life an enduring charm. Would you seek this gracious guest ? Would you win her to your hearthstone? Then follow me to the garden. It is a mid- summer day. The blue bending sky is above you ; on every hand are flowers of rare beauty whose perfume recalls to you the time when you were a free and happy child. You partake of the delicious fruit, you are refreshed, you are invigorated ; you Hbalth in Horticulture. 101 walk along the well-kept garden paths, and murmur, " ITow de- lightful ! " But your time is precious ; you must hasten back to your office, to your counting-room, to your library — or, if you are a woman, to your sewing, or possibly, to your kitchen, and the old pain and weariness come back, and as for health, you have not heard even so much as the rustle of her garments. If you would truly seek and find health, you must spend hours in the sunshine, where you can breath the purest air. You must keep close to the great, throbbing heart of nature ; your delicate hands must not scorn contact with the dark, damp soil, for out of it are the issues of life. Do you not remember the old Roman legend of the three young men who went to consult the oracle at Delphi ; and how, when they cried, " O Lord Apollo, tell us which of us shall be king at Rome," there came a voice from the sanctuary which said, " Whichever of you shall first kiss his mother." And, while two of them were for hastening back to Rome where their mothers dwelt, the third fell and kissed the earth, for he said, " The earth is the true mother of us all," and he it was who ruled at Rome. Dear old Mother Earth ! We are too apt to think of her only as offering a resting-place, when work is done, and tired hands are meekly folded over a pulseless heart. But there is magic in her touch, and to the living, earnest, active man she brings a new and quickening power. In horticulture, men would find a relief from that weariness, against which they vainly contend, day after day, the result of too constant devotion to business. The frequent and startling in- stances of sudden death, or the equally sad and alarming cases of paralysis or affections of the brain, whereby a man is incapaci- tated for any mental effort, have led us to .seek for the cause. We can easily see why an intemperate or a dissipated man, a man who has an ill-ventilated, uncomfortable home, with poorly-pre- pared or insullicient food, should suffer the penalty. But, that a man of unexceptional habits, possessed of an ample fortune, with a happy home and all the comforts and luxuries of civiliiied life, should be stricken down, is accounted a mysterious dispensation of Providence. On inquiry, we too often find that this man led a 102 Wisco>TsiN State Horticultukal Society. tread-mill existence ; that he went back and forth, back and forth, from his bouse tohisoflfice, from his office to his house, with never a day's recreation, much less a vacation journey. To his wife's oft- repeated invitation to accompany her, his reply was that home was the best place for him ; that he was miserable away from his business. So after tea, he looked over the daily papers, then fell to planning for the morrow, till ten o'clock came, and then to bed. To sleep ? " Ay, there's the rub ! " Could he have slept, all might have gone well with him. But, instead of taking note of this first