VALLEY HOBTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 399 



rye straw. He did not like the ma])le leaves. They decayed too 

 soon and weeds took their place, causing plenty of work. The pine 

 leaves did better, as they lasted longer, and the rye straw better 

 still; did not notice any perceptible difference in the ripening of the 

 fruit in either patch. Clean rye straw or slough grass is, perhaps, 

 the best covering we can get for strawberries. 



President Barnard said he had forgotten that he was to read a 

 paper at this meeting, but if he had written one it would have been 

 upon the resuscitation and replanting of our apple orchards. Upon 

 this subject he spoke at some length; and among other things he 

 stated it as his opinion that extreme drouths, as well as extreme cold 

 weather, has much to do with the destruction of our fruit. He said 

 he was constrained to believe that a horticultural experiment station 

 located somewhere in the northern or middle section of the State, 

 and under the supervision of the State Horticultural Society, would 

 be of immense value to the horticultural interest of the State. He 

 said he was very strongly confirmed in that opinion since visiting 

 the Iowa Experimental Station at Ames, under the management of 

 Prof. Budd. 



