ILLINOIS HORTICULTURiVL SOCIETY. 269 



2. The tank should be constructed with materials that are poor conductors of heat— that will 

 retain, not radiate it— thus utilizing the greatest portion of tlie fuel used. 



I am aware that every professional tiorist believes tliat his mode of striking is the l)est; that they 

 look upon any innovations relating to tlieir way coming from an amateur with distrust, and are very 

 lotli to believe any improvement can be made. Yet, if they will reflect a moment, tliey will realize 

 the fact that tlie amount of fuel requisite to keep tlie water in the tank at 70" would not when the 

 temperature was at 10" above O" outside keep tlie liouse from freezing. Your Secretary, Mr. Scott, 

 has had some exi)erieuce, and can inform you that in his grcen-liouses there are more clays tlian one 

 during winter when he could not raise tlie temperature in the houses to over 45" : that the water in 

 his tanks heated by a coil in the house furnace was boiling up to 212o . This excessive heat destroyed 

 all the stuff in liis tank. 



Mr. Groner, of our city, a florist and boot maker (he regularly makes one pair of fine boots every 

 day), has two commercial green-houses nearly as large as Jlr. Scotfs. He propagates all his plants 

 for sale in a single tank the size of mine, using the same size lamp boiler. lie lias had no trouble. 

 On a cold day he fires up his stoves to keep his house up to the proper temperature: llie tank takes 

 care of itself, 



I give you, Mr. rresideiit, a statement of tacts as I have observed them, and believe tliat any one 

 who will can succeed in starting cuttings, with but very little trouble; that ladies may, as a number 

 of ours have, miniature green-houses constructed upon Dr. Kittoe's plan in successful operation in 

 their parlors, thus adding to the beauties and attractions of home. 



Propagation is eflected by keeping up an equal temperature in tlie tank. A tank 

 heated by the same apparatus, that heats the house. "We are mucli indebted to Dr. 

 Kittoe lor the progress we have made in the growth of plants. The fir.st tank erected 

 by the Dr. was built with brick heated by the pipe which heated the liouse. We have 

 now something better. The communication of captain Beebe was received with so 

 much applause and approval that we entered into the enthusiasm displayed, and could 

 not report correctly. 



ADDRESS rilOM JUDGE KNAPP, OF WISCONSIN. 



We, the delegation from Wisconsin, thank you for the kiud' reception which we have received. 

 Though coming from a sister state, I believe tliat we of Southern Wisconsin and you of Northern 

 Illinois are twins. Our temperature, our trees, our insects, our birds, our interests are identical; 

 but you have the advantage of us as regards numbers, and yon being stronger, we invite you to come 

 over and help us in our weakness. 



Much encouragement is held out to farmers of that State to plant belts of forest trees. Anyone 

 who plants one-fiftli of his farm with trees is entitled to one hundred dollars prize, but strange to 

 say not one of our citizens as yet has claimed tlie reward. We fear tlie time is coming quickly 

 when the country north of us on the Chippawa, the St. Croix, the Menominee, and other sections 

 will lie denu<led of their trees. Why, the Jfississippi at some points is entirely covered with lum- 

 ber, while it escapes by Green Bay and other outlets, and many thinking men are beginning to fear 

 that cohl wind from Lake Superior will sweep <lown upon us and destroy our fruits; and if that 

 should ever happen, Illinois would be exposed to the same extreme cold. 



Gentlemen, we feel interested in you, and we want you to be interested in us. Our list of apples 

 is comparatively small; raspberries and blacklierries dry up with the extreme drouth, strawberries 

 also, unless they arc mulched. Among grapes, we are successful with tlie Delaware, Concord, and 

 some of the Roger's seedlings. He referred to the timber i[uestion once more, calculating forty pine 

 trees to the acre, it will only take twenty-five years to consume all the trees in the pine lands of 

 AVisconsin and Michigan. This is rather startling, but it is true; and it is high time we are turning 

 our attention to the planting of timber trees or make up our minds to give up the idanting of fruits. 



The rest of the evening was taken up by Dr. Hull, who treated of sun scald, cellular 

 structure, and the rupture of cells, he recommended root pruning in the culture of 

 fruit, by this system the early ripening of wood is secured, which is necessary to 

 produce a fruit bciu'ing tree. 



Under certain conditions a tree can be made perfectly hardy, and productive, taking 

 as illustrations, the heart cherries, the pear, and the peach. 



