Intensive Cultivation. 65 



President Earle —It seems that the people of this coast are deter- 

 mined to do us honors. Here is an invitation, backed up by the 

 presence pf an intelligent committee, to visit the capital city : 



To the Officers and Members of the American Horticultural Society : 



The undersigned, a committee on behalf of the Board of Trade and citizens 

 of Sacramento, most cordially extend to your honorable body an invitation to 

 visit the capital city of California either as a body or individually, as your con- 

 venience may permit, during your stay on this coast, and we pledge you a hearty 



welcome, and a pleasant, and we trust profitable, visit. 



P. E. PLATT, 



EDWIN K. ALSIP, 



Committee. 



The invitation was accepted, with the thanks of the Society. 



Dr. Ridpath, of Indiana — In view of the frequency of these in- 

 vitations, I move that in the future all such communications be re- 

 ferred to Mr. Hatch, as the Society is the guest of the body of 

 which he is chairman. 



So ordered. 



Mr. Smith, of Wiscon.sin, was then introduced, who read the 

 following paper: 



INTENSIVE CULTIVATION. 



BY J. -M. SMITH, OF WISCONSIN. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



The above subject is not just the one that I should have chosen had I 

 been given my choice. But yon all know that there is no alternative for 

 the private in an army except to obey orders, unless he chooses to desert, 

 and that is generally a harder road to travel than that of strict obedience. 

 Hence, being only a private in this array, I conclude to save my honor and 

 reputation by obeying the order of our President to the best of my ability. 



" Intensive cultivation " may be applied either to the farm or garden, 

 though it is oftener applied to the garden than to the farm. It may also be 

 of two kinds : First, of a kind that, while it may be so applied as to produce 

 very large crops, yet, when produced, they will not sell for a sura of money 

 sufficient to pay the expenses of their cultivation, harvesting and marketing. 



I have known much of this kind of "intensive cultivation," or farming, 

 done at the eas^t near my native home, a few miles from New York city. A 

 single illustration may not be amiss. Many years ago a wealthy gentleman 

 of New York city purchased a farm near my native home. The land was 

 very poor, but he determined to show those about him that very large crops 



