191 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



tion by attending the meetings of the Minnesota State Society, for 

 our wants and inquiries are similar to theirs. 



I feel a deep interest in our state society. I find that in 1870 

 we had ninety-eight members : in 1880 only fifty-eight. Of the 

 fiftv-eisrbt in 1880 only fifteen were members in 1870. Some 

 have moved away, and some have gone over the river of death ; 

 their labors are ended. In 1S70 we had $'626 in the treasury, in 

 1880, S15 ; plainly showing that we are receiving less money, or 

 expending more. Our fruit list has changed some in ten years, 

 Duchess and Fameuse only holding the position now that they 

 did then, in the first and hardiest list for all localities. They 

 now have for companions, Wealthy, Tetofsky, Haas and Plumb's 

 Cider, instead of Astrachan, Talman Sweet and Golden Russet. 

 Plumb's Cider has advanced from second to first list. ; Tetofsky 

 and Haas from third to first list, and Wealthy, then almost un- 

 known, has advanced to the first list, where I think it rightly 

 belonss. But it is a question with me whether we are advancing 

 in horticulture by crowding the Tetofsky into and keeping it in 

 our first list This much I do know, that a man who had Tetofsky 

 in his list of five varieties adapted to the northwest has failed to 

 get a premium for two years, and a man with St. Lawrence in its 

 place took first. Ten years ago Ben Davis was in our third list; 

 now it is stricken out entirely, and as no tree has had. such a 

 varied career, and will better ehow the fact that great minds do 

 differ, I will give a brief history of it. In 1873, Mr. Kellogg 

 moved that it be placed on the list for general cultivation. In 

 1874, Tuttle, Wilcox, Jewell, Greenman, Butler and others 

 wanted it stricken from the list, but P. S. Bennett and Kellogg 

 came to its rescue, and it was retained. J. C. Plumb placed it in 

 the list of iron clads in 1871. Felch, of Stevens Point, placed it 

 at the head of list of hardiest apples in 1873. That same year, 

 Peffer said it was not discolored at the terminal buds. Mygatt 

 spoke highly of it in 1874, the same year that X. H. Topping, of 

 Blown county, said he saw one man that had four trees, fourteen 

 years planted, who said : " Had I planted one thousand Ben Davis, 

 I could by this time have bought a good farm with the proceeds," 

 Judge Cate discarded it that 'year, but he also discarded the 



