STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS DEFERRED. 



17 



The Secretary moved that the address of the President, which is the 

 next in order on the programme, be deferred and made the special order 

 for to-morrow afternoon, immediately after the discussion of topics from 

 query-box, stating as reasons for the motion that the time was short, that 

 the address was somewhat lengthy, that it was of a character to interest 

 all, being upon the " Mission of Horticulture," and he hoped there would 

 be a fuller attendance then than now. 



Mr. Pearson asked what was the wish of the President. 



The President. — I would prefer that it be deferred, especially as I 

 understand that the Committee on Soils and Fertilizers, whose reports 

 are due at that time, will not be ready to report. 



The motion was put to vote and carried. 



DISCUSSION UPON THE REPORT. 



Dr. Humphrey. — In one of the papers read the writer says the great 

 State of Illinois gets its apples from Michigan, Ohio and New York. 

 Why is it that we can't raise our own apples? I say our black prairie 

 soil is too fat; I have seen orchards on these rich soils die out in six or 

 eight years, while orchards thirty feet higher, planted on "the barrens" — 

 land where white-oak had grown — were thirty years old and in good 

 condition. I think the main fault is in the soil. 



Mr. Pearson. — I don't think the fault is all in the soil. 



Dr. Humphrey. — On these rich soils they die before they are old 

 enough to bear fruit — die from over-feeding, and this is the reason they 

 are so short-lived. On the barren bluffs they live thirty or forty years. 



Mr. McWhorter. — I fear we will be led into error by Dr. 

 Humphrey's statement. It does not damage trees to have the surface of 

 the orchard covered with water, provided it does not remain long ; the 

 trees must not stand a long lime with wet feet. 



I would probably not agree with Mr. Ellsworth as to the cause of the 



early decay of our orchards, for I think it is mainly owing to climatic 



influences ; severe cold of winter, succeeding seasons of less than the 



usual amount of rain-fall, is very damaging to trees. Orchards on dry 



prairie soils in Mercer county have done best, because these soils endure 



dry sea-sons better than the stiflTer timber soil. My old Pomeroy orchard 



was planted on dry prairie soil nearly thirty years ago, and is now in better 



condition than the one where I now live, which was planted on timber 



soil or "barrens " from which I grubbed out scrub-oaks and hazel brush. 

 3 



