WINTER MEETING. 245 



and the result was at least four times the amout of fruit. I kept thera well pruned until 

 the first of July; would have sent a vine to the fruit show at St. Louis, hut from some cause 

 they commenced cracking open, hut not as bad as those pruned under the old method. For 

 my pear orchard I expect to use prlnclpaly Klefer, with some others to Insure cross- 

 fertilization. Yours respectfully, 



Abner Taylor. 



Albany, Mo. , Dec. 3, 1894. 

 Mr. L. A. Goodman, Secretary State Horticultural Society, Trenton, Mo. : 



Dear Sir— Will you kindly siibmit at the meeting of the Society, to be held at Trenton 

 this week, for discussion, the question: Is it advisable to subsoil the ground for new 

 orchards, where tlie surface is somewhat rolling, and tlie soil rather thin, with clay sub- 

 .soil? Sorry I cannot be with you. KespectfuUy, 



C. G. COMSTOCK. 



Answer — If too rolling, no ; if not, yes. 



Columbia, Dec. .3, 1894. 

 Mr. J. C. Evans, President Mo. State Horticultural Society, Trenton, Mo. : 



Dear Sir— It is with exceeding regret that I am compelled to say, necessity forces me 

 to stay away from your meeting. The Illness, now of some months' duration, of the 

 Director of the Experiment station, has put upon me the duty of attending to the writing 

 and publishing of some bulletins of importance, which must be brouglit out immediately. 

 I am with you, however. In spirit, and as an evidence of tlie interest I take in the business 

 which brings you together, I send you a set of photograplis, donated to the Society through 

 Mr. Harris, wliose letter is enclosed, on the results of fertilization with nitrogen. If you 

 will accept them In the name of the Society, and exhibit them at the meeting, and, at the 

 same time, state that Mr. Harris is anxious to serve the intei'ests of horticulturists in any 

 vraf possible, you will do me a favor. Should any member desire such a set for his local 

 Society, let him write to me, as I may be able to procure It. Yours very truly, 



P. Schweitzer. 



MORETON'Farm, N. Y., Nov. 19, 1894. 

 L. A. Goodman, Esq., Sec'y Missouri State Horticultural Society: 



Dear Sir— I take pleasure In presenting to your honorable Society, in behalf of the Per- 

 manent Nitrate Committee of London, a set of photographs lllustratingisome experiments in 

 fertilizing with nitrate of soda, made by Dr. Paul Wagner at the Agricultural Experiment 

 station, Darmstadt, Germany. Although not touching upon Just the crops in which the 

 members of your Society are probably the most interested, nevertheless I think they may 

 prove of interest as Illustrating the effect of a nitrate on the growth of plants in general. 



I am, yours very respectfully, 



S. M. Harris. 



This series of photographs are* very valuable to the Society, and 

 we have recognized their value by appropriate letters. Sec'y. 



The Best Herbaceous Plants and Shrubs. 



Prof. J. C. Whitten, Columbia. 



In the Thirty-sixth annual report of this Society appeared a paper 

 by Prof. G. C. Broadhead, entitled "A Plea for onr Native Plants." It 

 is with our natives that I wish to deal. 



Ko one who has enjoyed a healthy boyhood or girlhood can fail 

 to look back, with keen appreciation, upon the youthful jaunts to the 

 woods and meadows in search of early spring flowers. And, indeed, 

 to the older mind these little blossoms present just as glad a greeting, 



