124 Wisconsin State Horticultubal Society. 



extremes. One fact is unaccountable to me. This same region, 

 away from the banks of the gulf, bays and rivers, is almost free 

 from the pest of mosquetoes and gnats. So, all in all, if I were 

 asked to locate an Eden in the United States, I should be tempted 

 to name Limona. Here we tremble not from fear of the pesti- 

 lence of the yellow fever, diphtheria, small-pox and its allies, and 

 laugh at malaria. 



But enough ! I only desired to direct attention, as I am re- 

 joiced to see your minds are already directed, to a study of the 

 soils, winds, heats and colds, and the plants adapted to each and 

 every climatic condition, and how man may correct or modify the 

 acerbities of nature. You have done much; you can do much 

 more. To your efforts Wisconsin owes more than to all the 

 geological surveys, the signal service and the chemical analyses of 

 the entire learned men of the age. They have done good ; but 

 you are the school teachers of the age, and the pittance allowed 

 for printing your reports is the best expended money from the 

 state treasury. Godspeed your work. 



HARDY EOOTS AND HARDY STOCKS. 

 (E. Wilcox, La Crosse.) 



For years friend Stickoey has had the monopoly of a little drive 

 at me, and as I want 3^011 all to enjoy all you can out of it, for I 

 mean to have my time with you, I now give the particulars. A 

 number of years ago he and I were at the Minnesota state fair, and 

 put up at the same house. In the course of conversation I got off 

 some of my fanaticism (probably on temperance). When I went 

 out, our landlord remarked that if that man found a mountain in 

 his way he was not going round it, but over it, and I am some- 

 times reminded by brother Stickney in this way, "I see you are 

 still climbing that mountain." Now, perhaps mountain is a proper 

 term to express the discouragements, losses and difficulties which 

 have met the tree-planter in the northwest. Well, for years I fol- 

 lowed my illustrious predecessor in a flank movement around 

 this mountain, which has been as devious and crooked as Grant's 

 line to Richmond. The first flank movement was to get hardy 

 roots for our trees. To do this it was recommended to use a long 



