SUMMER MEETING, 1S80. 53 



TV. K. Gibson defined ''gumption" as that faculty which leads a man to seize 

 upon the advantages that come with emergencies. It is a power in reserve, 

 which some men hold more than others. He had seen this illustrated in all 

 phases of life, in horticulture, in marketing, as truly as in seeding and har- 

 vesting. 



Mr. Adams now presented to the meeting a simple plan of using the garden 

 line, saying that many gardeners worked at a great disadvantage because they 

 allowed the line to be always in the way. His method was to simply draw the 

 line taut, and by passing the blade of a hoe over the line an impression is 

 made that will stand quite a storm. He exhibited the "Eureka" post-hole 

 digger, saying his use for it was in the removal of small plants like straw- 

 berries. He had had as good success by using this in transplanting young 

 strawberries as by the use of pot-grown plants. He asked for that mole trap 

 that his friend Potter had called for. 



Mr. W. A. Brown said the most effective trap he knew of was a faithful boy 

 to watch and throw them out of their burrows as they traveled along. This 

 could be done most satifactorily in the evening or early morning. 



Mr. Bridgman advocated that the mole be saved, that the strawberries 

 might be saved from the ravages of the May beetle and cut worm. These 

 pests formed the main living of the mole, and we could afford to lose a few 

 plants by moles and have the remainder saved from worms. 



Mr. Potter objected to Mr. Adams' use of the hoe upon the garden line, 

 saying that very soon it would spoil a hoe for use. He practiced snapping the 

 line as the carpenter does a chalk-line. 



Mr. Gibson spoke of the value of straight rows, not only as a matter of 

 economy, but as an indication of thrift. 



Mr. I. W. Marsh, of South Haven, exhibited a whiffletree guard. This 

 guard is a simple but very practical device consisting of a metal strip, forming 

 a smooth connection with the tug and extending past the hook and end of the 

 whiffletrees, so as to prevent their rubbing or even touching the trees, allowing 

 them to slip smoothly by without injury. It is also useful to prevent whiffle- 

 trees from catching in fences, gates, posts, etc., or breaking over standing 

 corn, cane and cotton. 



Mr. Jeremiah Brown, of Battle Creek, had used salt to kill cut worms upon 

 asparagus and strawberries with a large measure of success. 



Mr. Marvin believed in salt and freezing to kill cut worms. 



Mr. "VV. A. Brown thought it required a goodly amount of "gumption" to 

 employ salt discreetly and with the best effects. He thought we should use it 

 with great caution until we knew more about the results. 



Mr. Bridgman argued that salt was a specific and not a general fertilizer, 

 and when we knew just when it was needed it would be a great aid to horti- 

 culture. 



W. W. Tracy explained Mr. Crawford's plan of setting out an orchard. 

 (This will appear in full in the secretary's portfolio). 



A general discussion ensued, which was taken part in by Messrs. Lyon, 

 Tracy, Baldwin and Adams, on the best method of surmounting the difficulty 

 of getting straight rows over a hill, following which the convention listened to 

 a paper by Mr. Jeremiah Brown on 



