200 TRANSArTIONS OF THE NORTHERN 



gre:\t enemy to the orchardist, and I inquired of Col. Capron what he 

 knew about the blue-jay. He took me to the case of birds, and pointed 

 out a blue-jay, jauntily perched upon a twig, with his gay plumage almost 

 as natural as life, and said : "There he is, and by his side the contents 

 of his stomach when he was killed." 'I'hat dissection had made a go.od 

 record for him and his race — the despised blue-jay had robbed some 

 horticulturist of a single cherry, but with the cherry were found no less 

 than forty specimens of fruit-destroying insects and worms. 



Hut, Mr. President, I am not unmindful of the fact that you gentle- • 

 men came here to discuss horticidtural subjects yourselves, not to hear 

 me do so, and, while thanking you for your kind attention, 1 again, 

 Mr. President and gentlemen, on behalf of our citizens, give you, one 

 and all, a cordial welcome to our city and county. 



President Ellsworth responded in behalf of the Society, and 

 expressed his sense of the courtesy which was shown by the citizens. 

 He then proceeded to deliver his annual address, which was as follows : 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Ladies and Gentlemen : 



The unceasing march of time has brought us to the close of another 

 year in our Society; and we are again assembled at our annual meeting, 

 for the purpose of discussing the best means of promoting the horticul- 

 tural and arboricultural interests of our State. 



We know what this Society has done to promote these interests ; the 

 past is secure. What the future will bring forth depends almost wholly 

 upon the interest manifested by the people. 



I have often felt that most of our citizens did not fully appreciate 

 the object and aims of this and other kindred associations, or realize the 

 great benefit such associations are to themselves. Until the people 

 awaken to their duty, and come tbrward with their hearty support, the 

 influence of our Society must, in a great measure, be restricted. 



Comparatively few seetn to give the subject of Horticulture and ar- 

 boriculture more than a passing thought, very many not realizing their 

 importance ; hence the indifference manifested. 



The past season has been noted for its continued drouth, yet, not- 

 withstanding, the fruit crop has been fully an average one, nearly all 

 kinds being plenty in their season, with, perhaps, the exception of straw- 

 berries. 



The winter thus far has been a peculiarly severe one, but, so far as 

 my observation has extended, fruit trees of all kinds appear to be un- 

 injured. I attribute this to the fact that the more hardy varieties of 

 fruits have been planted for some years past. 



The experience of all at the West, especially nurserymen and orchard- 

 ists, during the last twenty years, has been a severe, expensive, and yet 

 beneficial educator. We have witnessed the destruction of trees, of 

 many of the favorite eastern varieties of the apple, too tender to with- 

 stand our climate, necessitating the substitution of hardier varieties. 



