^66 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



JANUARY MEETING, iS8o. 



» 



A meeting of the Society was held at the residence of Mr. David 

 Sanborn, on Tuesday evening, the 20th inst. 



The meeting was an exceptionally pleasant and interesting one, the 

 discussions being spirited from beginning to end. 



After adjournment, the members of the Society inspected Mrs. 

 Sanborn's collection of house plants. The display included a large 

 variety of very fine specimens, there being particularly noticeable some 

 fine azaleas, Chinese primroses, begonias and variegated geraniums. 



The President having called the meeting to order, the Secretary 

 read from the minutes of the preceding meeting the topic for discussion : 

 " Effects of Climate on Horticultural Pursuits." 



Prof. Standish being called upon, said the subject is a broad one and 

 may be discussed from different standpoints according to the views taken. 

 With one view the subject may be disposed of summarily and quickly. 

 We may say that horticulture depends almost wholly on climatic influ- 

 ences. We may say the necessary elements are a deep, rich soil, well 

 watered and well drained, sufficient sunlight and rainfall, without 

 extremes of temperature. With these conditions and a skillful hand the 

 waste places of our earth may be made to blossom as the rose. But it 

 was from a different standpoint that he desired to discuss the question. 

 He wished to tread more on scientific ground ; but not so much as to be 

 tedious. The word climate is from the Greek klima or Latin clima, which 

 signifies to slope or incline, coming, no doubt, from the idea of the early 

 inhabitants that the earth gradually sloped or inclined from the equator 

 to the poles. It was afterward used to signify a belt or globe. 



There are five continents — including Australia, six — all constructed 

 on one common model — high borders and low centers, and being basin- 

 shaped. In North America the Rocky Mountains are on the west, the 

 Appalachian range on the east, with the basin of the Mississippi in the 

 center. So it is with other countries — high borders and low centers. It 

 is also a universal law that the highest borders or mountains face the 

 largest oceans. This arrangement, especially and wisely, adapts the 

 continents to the abode of man. What would be the effect were the 

 highest mountains on the east coast of America? The long rains coming 

 by the winds blowing from the east, northeast and southeast, the vapors 

 being condensed by the high ranges, would fall upon the mountains, the 

 winds would pass over without moisture, and the West would be a desert. 



The Professor stated that the climates of Europe and America were 

 modified by the Gulf stream, of which he gave an interesting description. 

 He also said that an important fact in regard to climate is the unequal 

 distribution of heat in the two hemispheres — north and south. The 

 Isothermal equator is north of the Geographical equator. The cause of 

 this is of an astronomical nature. The Isothermal lines north of the 

 equator — the lines around the globe where the climate is always the 



