STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 299 



LOCAL SOCIETIES. 



WARSAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



In making this my fifth Annual Report (for eighteen hundred and 

 seventy-two) of the Transactions of this Society, the undersigned finds 

 but little ©f special interest to lay before the general reader. 



The meetings of the Society have been held regularly through the 

 year, and all the workins^ members continue to take a commendable in- 

 terest in the proceedings. The community generally, however, seem to 

 take but little interest in the work which the Society is doing in their 

 midst; neither can it be said that much progress is making within our 

 own limits. The conviction is more and more being forced upon us, 

 that fruit-growing is a hard road to travel, in view of the numerous 

 difficulties and impediments to be encountered. The chief of these, in 

 this region, are the codling moth and curculio among insects, and the 

 pear blight among diseases. While, regarding horticulture as a science, 

 it would seem as though its shadows and mysteries only deepen the 

 more we attempt to penetrate them. 



The Apple and Peach crophas been large this year. Of the former 

 many fell prematurely, and many more were imperfect and not market- 

 able; of the latter, the quality was generally very poor — consequently 

 prices ruled very low. Cherries were a failure. Strawberries almost 

 a failure. Other small fruits generally yielded but moderate crops. 



At my recjuest. President Hammond, to whose zeal and active labors 

 tHe Society owes so much, and to whom it is so much indebted for 

 whatever of reputation it has abroad, has written out a resume of the 

 year just closed, with which 1 must close this report. Air. Hammond 

 says: 



" Notwithstanding occasional discouraging circumstances, this 

 Society is making progress, and may be considered one of the fixtures 

 of the community. Most of the members have a large pecuniary in- 

 terest in horticulture, and consequently in the success of the Society ; 

 and therefore bring to the work not only their own innate love of it, 

 but an earnest desire to learn more of the mysterious influences that 

 make our business so hazardous, — to-day crowning our efforts with 

 abundant success, to-morrow blasting our fondest hopes. 



" Perhaps we may, without egotism, claim that we have made a good 

 record ; yet we have only demonstrated the possibility and necessity of 

 greater progress in our noble science, which so pre-eminently promotes 

 civilization and refinement, and adds to the health and comfort of the 

 people. 



" There are a few items of general interest, that it may be proper 

 to mention in this connection : 



