STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 199 



spades near the .surface, meeting at tlie center of the bed. The flexible young plants 

 do not recei\ e any injury by using a roller over the beds or tramping them, to tix 

 <the dirt tirmly about the roots. Some five or six millions of one-year plants of the 

 larch will, without doubt, all be cleaned out at two years old, Avith as many more ot 

 Norway spruce; a like number of other varieties assorted. To a novice at the business 

 this looks like one of the fancy ways of making money we read of in the advertising 

 columns of the daily press, but not to one familiar with the frequent and serious losses 

 in failing to get seeds to vegetate — loss by "damping oft'," or drouth; birds are 

 extremely fond of both seeds and the tender plants ; forty men and boys have been 

 busy regularly in weeding, five times over, these fifteen acres — I see in the anticipated 

 future groves all over these prairies, monuments to the patient, persevering toil of 

 him who has at this hour of our need been raised up for the purpose of carrying to a 

 successful issue this important industry. Having the general accompaniment of merit, 

 extreme modesty, I know that Mr. Douglas will not thank me for telling right out in 

 meeting my views of the great value of his work. Besides the seedlings there are 

 many acres of small transplanted evergreens. Apple, pear, mountain ash, and hirch 

 ■seedlings arc all extensively grown. Apple and pear orchards have been productive; 

 the older trees of the latter show some blight this year. In passing, I would say that, 

 ■in my opinion, the climate on the border of Lake Michigan is much more favorable 

 for this branch of bu.siness than that of our prairies distant from a body of water. 



Berries of all kinds, and currants have, so far as learned by the committee, borne 

 good crops the past season in all parts of the State. In my own locality the Lawton 

 blackberry had a full crop for the second time in thirteen years. Cherries have also 

 been loadetf with fruit, though there has been a general complaint of an unusual 

 amount of loss by rotting. The cause of this is believed by some to be the curculio. 

 Apples, except in a very few localities, have been almost a failure, the yield light, 

 and what few there were mostly unfit for table use, from injury by cracking and 

 scabbing. Pears, so far as noticed, have generally borne full crops of fine fruit. 

 Dwarf pear trees are almost universally discarded at the Xorth. The planting of 

 fruits appears to be progressing about as rapidly as is advisable until our people are 

 generally fully aware of the fact that our insect enemies will render our labors nearly 

 abortive, unless a constant, vigorous v.'arfare is maintained against them. Many are 

 planting screens of evergreens for shelter to their houses, orchards and stock yards. 

 Hedging with Osage orange is being almost universally adopted. Timber planting is, 

 in comparison with its importance, receiving fiir too little attention . It is believed 

 that the cause of horticultural improvement can be advanced by — 



1. The forming of local societies at points where sufficient interest can probably be 

 kept up to maintain a working organization. 



2. By extending the circulation of our horticultural papers, and inducing our local 

 papers to devote regularly a portion of their columns to horticulture. 



3. By encouraging its study and practice in schools in the vicinity of each one of 

 lis, in giving them trees, shrubs and plants, with practical instructions in transplant- 

 ing, grafting, budding and after management. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



SAMUEL EDWARDS. 



