108 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



the American people, and was sure that they would not neojlect 

 this subject so long as to suffer serious loss. If the necessity was 

 laid upon them they would provide for it. If they could not 

 meet it in some other way, they would plant trees and raise their 

 timber. 



He said he could heartily indorse the sentiments of Mrs. Kerr's 

 paper. Ladies should take great interest in the cultivation of 

 flowers, and it would doubtless be beoeficial if they would work 

 in the garden, but the American ladies seem to be too feeble. 

 They cannot endure the heat of the sun ; a little labor completely 

 unnerves them. There was no good reason why this should be 

 so ; with out door exercise or work of this kind they can easily ac- 

 quire vigor and strength and add much to the pleasure and com- 

 fort of their liv»s. 



9 A. M., July 15th. — At the opening of the morning session 

 Judge Collins, of Appleton, gave a short but very interesting ex- 

 tempore address on the importance of practical and scientific 

 knowledge in the practice of horticulture and agriculture. He 

 said there was too much resemblance in regard to the mental and 

 intellectual apprehension of the facts and principles essential to 

 the successful development of these interests by those engaged in 

 them with that of Topsy respecting her origin and continued exist- 

 ence. She just " growed," and that is about all that many can 

 tell in regard to the crops they cultivate. Why they grow, what 

 will help or retard their development, they cannot tell. Many fol- 

 low on in the old time ruts of the fathers, planting the same seed, 

 giving the same culture — if it can be called culture where there is 

 no intelligent adaptation of means to end — as those before them. 

 We can still find those who pay little regard to the elements in 

 the soil, peculiarities of the location or mechanical treatment 

 required of the crop they wish to raise. Some still move the 

 stable to get rid of the manure pile ; burn the straw to get it out 

 of the way ; others put on what manure they happen to have, no 

 matter what its quality, or what the condition of the soil, the wants 

 of the crop. The soil may have all the elements thus applied in 



