STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



After remarks by Messrs. Earle, Galusha, Murtfeldt and others, 

 expressive of sympathy with the family, the Treasurer was substituted for 

 the Secretary, and the motion was put to vote, and prevailed unanimously. 



AUDITING COMMITTEE. 



The President appointed Messrs. Hammond, Graves and Mann as 

 committee to examine the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer. 



REPORT ON GENERAL HORTICULTURE— FIRST DISTRICT. 



The President called for the report of the First Horticultural 

 District by H. C. Graves, Committee. By request of Mr. Graves, it 

 was read by the Secretary, as follows : 



Mr. President and Members of the State Horticultural Society : 



Out of the thirteen correspondents appointed by your Secretary 

 seven have responded, and, although quite a number of counties remain 

 unheard from, enough is received to show quite clearly the status of 

 horticulture in this district. 



There is very little left to say without repeating what some one or 

 more of the correspondents have already said. I will only make a few 

 general remarks, and a brief local report of the fruits, etc., at this point. 



The season, the past year, in this district, has had its variations of 

 wet and dry, heat and cold, but has not been marked by extraordinary 

 extremes and excesses. The spring opened in medium season with a fair 

 amount of rain in April, but running rather dry in May and early June. 

 During midsummer there was plenty of rain-fall and heat, which pushed 

 the fruits and cereals rapidly forward, giving strong vine and wood 

 growths. The last of August, with September and October, were dry, 

 with more than ordinary heat in the latter months, causing trees and 

 vines of all kinds to mature an excellent growth, so that I think little 

 danger from cold the coming winter is apprehended. 



Plum and Cherry trees commenced to bloom at this point May 2d, 

 coming out very slowly, as cold northeasterly winds prevailed, with frost 

 and freezing every night for seven days ; then, turning warmer, the Apples 

 and Strawberries commenced to bloom, and warm, dry, windy weather 

 followed. We were a little surprised that the repeated freezing did not 

 affect the Plums and Cherries seriously — the former making a fair and 

 the latter nearly a full setting of fruit. This is testimony in favor of the 

 idea advanced by your committee last year, and our esteemed friend, E. 

 C. Hatheway, viz. : that greater destruction of our fruits emanates from 

 long rains at time of inflorescence than from frosts. 



Apple-trees here bloomed quite generally, but most kinds rather 

 sparingly, very few trees, comparatively, in this district, giving more than 

 half a crop, and from that down to none at all. There was a moderate 

 supply of summer and fall apples of home growth in our markets for a 



