72 Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. 



The Baraboo river separates between two very distinct floras. 

 The timber on the north side is but scattering, and consists largely 

 of jack oak with its usual accompaniments of poplar and hazel, 

 while on the south side it is a heavy forest of all the varieties 

 common to this latitude. The underbrush, grasses and wild flow- 

 ers of the two regions are quite as distinct as the timber growths. 

 Had human agency, in the first place, reversed this order of plant- 

 ing, there is no doubt but that in time, it would have righted 

 itself and established the present order, so subtle and yet so 

 mighty are the influences which determine nature's operations. 

 There is a little plant found in Labrador, the Epilobium Alpinumy 

 which is described in our botanies as being found in the White 

 and Adirondack mountains. It is also found at the dells of the 

 Wisconsin on the ledges of cliff which face to the north where 

 the sun never shines enough to drive it away. How came it there, 

 in perhaps the only spot in Wisconsin where it finds congenial 

 circumstances? Cultivated products are more cosmopolitan in 

 their habits than others, but yet we see enough to satisfy us that 

 the same unseen influences are at work, modifying their growth, 

 and affecting our success in their culture. 



That the difficulties which lie in our way are great, is confessed 

 by the efforts which we make to succeed ; and our success is not, 

 as yet, very satisfactory. Tbese difficulties lie to a great extent, I 

 think, in our extremes of temperature, and in the occasional ex- 

 cessive dryness of our temperature. We cannot overcome these 

 extremes, but must fortify ourselves against them. In the matter 

 of temperature, we sometimes have the thermometer at 90° 

 in the shade, which may mean 120° on the sunny side of an apple 

 tree ; and twice in Sauk county I have carved my name on solid 

 mercury. In view of these facts we would naturally cry out for 

 shelter for an orchard, but in a sheltered place the excess of heat 

 is greater than in an exposed one. At sunrise in a winter's morn- 

 ing the cold is as intense in a sheltered place as it is on a hill top. 

 It is doubtless more intense, as a casual frost will strike in a 

 valley more severely than on high ground. This would drive us 

 away from shelter, if we would avoid extremes. 



Oar soil is good enough. We have no difficulty in securing 



