STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 57 



Prof. Burrill — This is a valuable paper, and applies to Illinois 

 as well as Missouri. I do not say commence cultivating late, but if 

 the orchard has been properly cultivated early, late cultivation will 

 not be injurious. If trees have made a normal growth there will be 

 little danger of a second growth. 



J. Webster — I think we have overlooked this question of cul- 

 tivation, and stopped the plow and cultivator in July or August, just 

 when it was needed most. Constant cultivation, till the wood is 

 perfectly ripened, is what we need. 



H. E. Van Deman — If we were to draw a life-like picture of 

 the average Illinois orchard, it would be in a wheat field, or planted in 

 ' the spring in the corn field, and in a year or two seeded down to 

 timothy, and mown, or used for a pasture. It is absurd to expect an 

 orchard so treated to thrive and be healthy. We might as well ex- 

 pect a horse or cow to live and thrive without any feed. 



Mr. Webster — Our Southern Illinois orchards are starving to 

 death. 



H. D. Brown — I don't like the direction this discussion is tak- 

 ing, for if this advice was followed, but few trees would die, and the 

 nurseryman's business would be injured. But very few will follow 

 it, and I do not think we need to feel any special anxiety. 



The committee to whom was referred the President's Address 

 and Secretary's Report, submitted the following: 



IlEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, 

 AND SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



Your committee, to whom was referred the President's Address 

 and Secretary's Report, approve the President's recommendation in 

 relation to establishing Horticultural Experiment Stations in differ- 

 ent geological and climatic sections of the State. We believe such 

 stations should be established at ouce, and as soon as our funds will 

 permit, we think from one to three hundred dollars should be ex- 

 pended for this work. The President well says, we need more 

 members and more young men to help on our work. To secure this 

 desired end, we should first enlist our wives and daughters, then the 

 boys will come in. We commend the Board for their action in the 

 past, and urge that in the future they continue to give the ladies a 

 prominent place in our field of labor. We also heartily approve of 

 the plan of introducing music into our meetings, and think it will 

 have the effect to interest the young people in our work. 



