516 WISCONSIN AGEICULTUEE. 



ground, and wi]l spring up and bear an hundred fold of highly 

 improved and useful products, the Society already has abundant 

 assurance. The leading article of distribution — the Chinese 

 Sugar Cane — was distributed from our rooms to the extent of 

 nearly ten thousand packages, into every part of the State. 

 We learn that it has been very generally planted, and in the great 

 majority of cases, grown to the entire satisfaction of the cultiva- 

 tors, except in the matter of ripening its seed, in which it has 

 generally failed, although obviously and wholly owing to the 

 extraordinary backwardness of the season. Some few experi- 

 mentalists have demonstrated, however, that the seed might have 

 been ripened generally, even the past season, by simply planting 

 that portion intended for seed more open to the sun, and sucker- 

 ing it out to but few stalks in a hill. Several who pursued this 

 course inform us that they fully ripened their seed. But the 

 rich saccharine properties of the cane have been fully demonstra- 

 ted to every one who has grown a hill of it the past season. The 

 fact of its having been so widely distributed and advertised in 

 this manner, to every neighborhood, will undoubtedly lead to 

 its being extensively and profitably cultivated the present season. 

 In fact, we doubt not but that the extra impetus given to thia 

 subject alone, through the aid of this Society, will eventuate in 

 more advantage to the State than the Society has ever yet been 

 expense to i+, since its organization. 



Not wishing to confine its labors wholly to the more masculine 

 and- substantial interests, to the neglect of the more refining and 

 tasteful, the Society has, among other things, distributed some 

 thousands of packages of flower seeds, mainly of new and choice 

 varieties ; that they have proved a profitable and cheap embel- 

 lishment to many a wayside cottage and happy home, can hardly 

 be doubted. 



In the way of cuttings, considerable quantities of the German 

 Osier Willow have been distributed, not so much from the Soci- 

 ety's having any extraordinary faith in its probable profitable 

 cultivation in our State, as in obedience to a strong desire on 

 the part of many to experiment in its cultivation. Its culti- 

 vation, both for home use and exportation to eastern cities, maj 

 prove important as our State gets older. 



