Meeting foe Discussion at the Faie. 69 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION AT THE FAIR. 



It was thought advisable, by a number of members of the society 

 •who were in attendance at the State Fair, to resume the custom of 

 holding a meeting for discussion some evening during the week of 

 the fair; therefore notice was given that such a meeting would 

 be held on "Wednesday evening, Sept. 5th, at the Agricultural 

 Rooms in the Capitol, and that the subjects for consideration would 

 be "The Exhibition of Fruit at the Fair of 1878," and "Climatic 

 and other causes affecting the fruit crop of the present season." 



On calling the society to order, President Smith, in introducing 

 the first subject for discussion, said that he was much pleased to 

 see so creditable a display of fruit on exhibition, and thought that 

 it gave us good ground for encouragement in regard to the fruit 

 growing interest of the state. He was specially gratified to see 

 the northern portion of the state so well represented by its fruits. 

 He had come, year after year, to the meetings of the society, and 

 spoken of the success of particular orchards in Brown county, the 

 pear orchard near Green Bay especially; and the accounts he had 

 given had been so very favorable, even in seasons when there was 

 little or no fruit in large portions of the state, that he had often 

 been disposed not to mention it again, lest the members of the 

 society should think that his statements were greatly exaggerated, 

 and he was very glad to be able to show samples of fruits from the 

 orchard, and to bring forward the testimony of a number of per- 

 sons present, who were well acquainted with it, to confirm the 

 statements he had made. 



Mr. W. Reynolds, secretary of the Brown County Horticultural 

 Society, being called on, said that he had known the pear orchard 

 mentioned for a number of years. It stands near the top and 

 on the eastern slope of quite a high ridge lying between Green 

 Bay and Lake Michigan. The soil is quite poor. Great pains was 

 taken in setting out the trees, and for a number of years they were 

 well cultivated, but lately they have been neglected. They now 

 stand in sod ground. The present proprietor does nothing for 

 them beyond the marketing of the fruit. There are about forty 

 trees in all. Some four or five of them seem to be affected with 



