STATE HORTICULTUR.VL SOCIETY. 235 



them, even by correspondence. In Clinton county, I am informed, a moderate 

 degree of success has been met with the past season. Tlie apple and pear crops have 

 been very good, while small fruits and vegetables have been unusually abundant, and 

 of superior (luality. The general subject of horticulture is receiving more attention 

 than formerly. St. Clair county presents a strange mixture of failures and successes. 

 Peaches, the past season, were almost a total f\iilure. Many cultivators are becoming 

 greatly discouraged as to this fruit. Apples give greater promise of success, but are 

 subject to scab and bitter rot in some varieties. Pears blight, and grapes I'ot. Not- 

 withstanding all this, progress is made and difficulties overcome. Small fruits thrive 

 with more or less certainty almost everywhere. In "Washington county— as in Jladi- 

 sou — direct railroad communication with the large towns of the north has developed 

 an interest in horticultural enterprises which, the past season, has been reasonably 

 well rewarded. Insect enemies of various sorts, blight in pears, scab in apples, rot 

 in grapes — all these have been encountered in a greater or less degree, as usual— and 

 yet the average result is fairly encouraging. Washington county has one horticultural 

 society . 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. G. WILGUS, V. P. 12th Dist. 



WILLOW CULTURE. 



The subject of willow culture is one which is deserving ot as much investigation 

 and explantion as any other branch of our horticultural or agricultural pursuits. A\'hen 

 we consider that about !^250,000 are amuially sent to Europe for an article which we 

 can grow here as good, if not better than there, the (luestion very naturally arises, 

 why do we send this amount of money to Europe? and why do we not raise this 

 article of commerce ourselves? 



It is the object of the undersigned to answer this question by saying : We c;ui and 

 ought to raise all the willows needed ourselves. The cultiu-e of the willow is not only 

 simple, but very prodtable; it requires no great capital to start a wiUowry, and not 

 even the best land we have is required ; on the contrary, wet laud is not only desir- 

 able, but may be reclaimed and improved by planting rows of willows, or alleys ol 

 willows, on such wet land, to absorb the superfluous moisture, whereby the adjoining- 

 land is put in a condition to produce crops, which otherwise would not grow, LUit it 

 must not necessarily be wet land; any laud that produces corn will produce willows. 

 The average yield per acre is from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, and the average price from 

 six to fifteen cents per pound. 



There are something like fortj' varieties of willows known to the botanists ; about 

 twenty-five are found in our country, and named by Gray as follows, to-wit : 1. 

 Salix, Willow Osier. 2. S. Candida, or Hoary 'W'illow. 3. S. tristis, or Dwarf Gray 

 Willow. 4. *?. humilis, or Low Brush Willow. 5. 6". discolor, ov Glaucous Willow. 

 6. S.eriocephala, or Silkj'-headed Willow. 7. *S'. sericee, or Silky-leaved Willow. 8. 

 S. petiolaris, or Petioled Willow. 9. S. imrpuna, Purple Willow. 10. S. cordata. 

 Heart-leafed Willow. 11. S. angmtata, Narrow-leafed Willow. 12. S. rostrata, 

 Long-beaked Willow. 13. S. iihylicifolia. Smooth Mountain Willow. 14. S. alha, 

 White Willow. 15. -5". //■a(7^7w, or Brittle Willow. 10. ^. m>m, Black Willow. 17. 

 S. lucida, or Shining Willow. 18. S. habijlonica, or Weeping Willow. 19. S. longi- 



