252 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



sible that trees and plants may absorb the poison in sufficient 

 quantities to be dangerous? 



Prof. Forbes — Prof. McMurtrie mixed arsenic with earth in a 

 flower pot, and grew potatoes in this poisoned earth, but a care- 

 ful analysis failed to show the least trace of poison. 



Mr. Doan — Why do we not find the thrip in our strawberry 

 plantation this year? 



Prof. Forbes— We find plenty of them at Champaign. 



Dr. Schroeder — Does not the poverty of the soil have some- 

 thing to do with this insect question? 



Prof. Forbes — All insects do more injury where the soil is 

 poor. 



Mr. Minier — I think that we have learned that a rich soil and 

 careful, thorough cultivation is the best preventative against in- 

 sect depredations. 



On motion of Mr. Schureman, it was decided to fix the hours 

 of meeting at 10 a. m. and 2 and 7:30 p. m. 



o 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Mr. Hursey — I think that the speakers got the cherry a little 

 mixed this morning. The wild red cherry is probably a valuable 

 stock, but the black is of little value. 



Mr. Minier — The wild red cherry is rarely found as far north 

 as this, but I have found it growing in Scott County. If Mr. Gas- 

 ton has found a stock that will succeed as well as he thinks this 

 will, we owe him a vote of thanks. 



Mr. Gaston — Arthur Bryant, Sr., speaks of this cherry as a val- 

 uable stock, and we have two at Lacon that are doing well on it. 

 We, therefore, think it the coming stock. 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



BY C. K. DENNIS, HAMILTON. 



Another year has rolled around, the time for our annual meet- 

 ing has arrived and finds me booked for an address. In order to 

 attend the meeting I came from a distance, and was much im- 

 pressed with the beauty of the country. Looking as far as 

 one could see, the eye was met with field after field of wav- 



