WARSAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 305 



insects. Plant many kinds, so as to suit all tastes and markets; 

 plant few kinds, because there are only a few kinds that pay. And 

 these truths (for they are more or less truths) have been rung from 

 every part of this state, yes, and every adjoining state, just as men's 

 ideas were awakened by some one or more examples. And, having 

 decided to plant an orchard, Mr. A. says plant deep, so he digs a deep 

 hole, crowds his roots into the hole, tills in the dirt, wishes it well, 

 and goes his way, having done his duty, and feeling assured that he 

 is morally certain of good results. And so on through the list of 

 theories. Well, after having planted the orchard, each after his own 

 hobby, back they go to the books, or some where, and they read: 

 "Cultivate for the first years in some hoed crop." All right. Again, 

 what does that mean? corn or potatoes? Well, generally corn, and 

 so it is planted as taught, and thoroughly cultivated, and the tree 

 generally pretty thoroughly barked by the singletree by the time the 

 orchard is four years old. Then it is sowed to grass, and mowed in 

 the last of June, and the hay carefully raked and removed, leaving 

 the ground exposed to the burning sun, and if a seasonable shower 

 allows the grass to start, it is pastured to consume the fallen fruit, 

 and to save the grass, and this is repeated until finally the tree, feel- 

 ing the undue strain put upon it, begins to decay, and, as everywhere 

 else in nature, puts forth its best efforts to perpetuate its species, 

 produces an over crop of fruit, is enfeebled thereby, encounters a 

 severe winter and is killed. Strange if it was not. 



Now, I am aware that this is not the picture that every man 

 would see if looking in a glass that reflected his orcharding, but I 

 fear the number is few (myself in the same boat) who have not 

 ridden some of these hobbies. I hardly think this can be called an 

 overdrawn picture, although there are many noble exceptions. Time 

 will not allow me further to show horticulture as it is taught by the 

 records (for the records do teach), and as practised by individuals 

 who find some of these theories in the book, and adopt them with- 

 out fully understanding the surrounding circumstances. 



Now as to horticulture as it might be. If our little horticul- 

 tural society twenty years ago had adopted a ledger account with 

 each of the several items that have been mentioned, giving all of the 

 surrounding circumstances, and balanced the account every five 

 years, they could have positively asserted that such and such things 

 were facts, for here is the proof, and the planter could turn to the 

 record and see how the most successful one or ones (for one swallow 

 does not make a summer), managed on similar soil, having similar 

 surroundings, viz: exposure, drainage, inclination, etc., etc., to that 

 on which he wished to plant; and then, having followed the well- 

 proven plan, would be justified in expecting similar results. 



And now I will make the assertion, that there have been more 

 trees killed in Hancock county by careless handling and improper 

 planting and care, than have lived. And secondly, that of those 

 21 



