48 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Davis: The clover-root borer is an annual insect, making three 

 changes of form each year, all in the clover. No remedy for it is yet 

 known which is effectual. Eotation of crops will probably have the best 

 results of any method of dealing with it. The egg is very small, a quarter 

 the size of a pinhead, is white, and is laid in the stem; it hatches in ten 

 days into a white, footless grub, which burrows in the roots; in the latter 

 part of summer these pupate, turning from white to brown, and then 

 change into the beetle state. This form of the insect is quarter of an inch 

 long. It feeds upon the roots, as did the grub, and lays eggs which hatch 

 again into the larvae described; but whether the eggs are laid in fall or 

 spring is not yet known. Wet or dry weather seems to have no effect upon 

 the insects save as it affects the growth of clover. 



Mr. L. D. Watkins said he had had a new forty-acre field of Alsike 

 clover wholly ruined by these borers. 



REPORT ON EXHIBITS. 



The committee on exhibits would report that they find on exhibition a 

 number of good specimens of several varieties of apple. Considering the 

 almost entire failure of the apple crop the past season, it certainly shows 

 that apple-growing is not a lost art in Eaton county. The apples were for 

 the most part of large size and free from scab and the apple worms, which 

 we understand is due to spraying. 



The largest collection of apples is shown by M. H. Bailey of Windsor, 

 and consists of Baldwin, Talman, Fallawater, and Bellflower. A remark- 

 ably fine plate of Northern Spy from Michael Merkle of Eaton ; of Ben 

 Davis from L. W. Wilton, and Fallawater from H. P. Hayes of Benton, 

 deserve particular mention. 



Several other plates of apples were noted, but your committee were 

 unable to learn the names of the owners. 



C. P. Chidester of Battle Creek shows a plate of Chidester's No. 3 

 seedling black grape. Both bunch and berry are of a large size, and it 

 seems to have unusual keeping qualities. 



We notice also a photograph showing several trusses of the Conrath 

 black raspberry, now being introduced by Conrath Bros, of Ann Arbor. 

 The berries are of large size and quite numerous upon the trusses. It 

 seems to be promising as a large early black-cap. 



R. H. Warren exhibits a parsnip the size of which indicates that the 

 soil of Eaton county is well adapted to the growing of roots. 



One of the most interesting exhibits was the collection of adulterated 

 vinegars and jellies, shown by Dr. Kedzie of the Agricultural college. 

 From his statements of the results of his analyses, and the tests made in 

 the presence of this society, we would urge that, as individuals and as a 

 society, every possible means be employed to arouse a public interest that 

 will secure a law to control the sale of such and other adulterated articles 

 of food. Not only should the injurious effect upon the health of the con- 

 sumers be considered, but the fact that the sale for the pure-fruit products 



