198 Wiscoxsin State Hobticultural Society. 



in railroad corporations may say this stock is heavily watered, but 

 of this you can judge. 



I hardly think the present winter as hard on trees as 1872 and 

 1873, bat it is hard to tell. It has certainly been cold enough. 

 We thought after that winter, also 1874 and 1875, that trees were 

 nearly used up, but the statistics of 1879 report that Wisconsin 

 produced that year six hundred and fifty thousand bushels of ap- 

 ples. With all my blunders, one thing I have found out is, that 

 a short paper read before any society gives the best satisfaction, 

 especially if the subject be a dry one, therefore I ask your indul- 

 gence and pardon for the length of this paper ; for had I compre- 

 hended the fact that the more a man wrote on it the more he 

 wanted to write, I certainly would not have chosen it. But I 

 hope at some future time t) give you a review that will be more 

 flattering, and if in this, I have said one word or advanced one 

 idea, that will benefit the future fruit grower of Wisconsin or any 

 other state by way of inducing him to post himself thoroughly 

 before he starts in, thereby saving him much trouble and disap- 

 pointment, then I shall feel amply repaid for giving this general 

 but imperfect review. A few words more. I cannot close with- 

 out speaking of one special feature of the proceedings of this 

 society for the past ten years. You may read the reports of Maine, 

 Michigan, Canada, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and in fact all others 

 that I have seen, and in none of them have they such interesting 

 and valuable papers as we have annually received from and had 

 read by our lady friends — papers on flowers, home influences 

 and adornments, that are treasures worthy of a place on the tables 

 or in the libraries of every home in our state. Enough instruction 

 and sound advice is given in those papers to better the condition 

 of many, ye3, very many homes in our land, if read and practiced 

 by the members thereof. 



J. C. Arthur, of Madison, remarked that the nature of the 

 fungoids and their habits of growth are not fully understood ; 

 and there are many erroneous views prevalent in regard to them. 

 Now Fungus is a plant, with habits and individuality peculiar to 

 itself, as much so as any plant, tree or animal. There are many 

 kinds ; some of them feed on inorganic matter the same as plants 



