158 "VViscoxsiN State Horticultural Society. 



markable yield of wild fruit, plums, cherries, crab and thorn apple?, 

 acorns and nuts of all kinds. Why these exceptions? Is it 

 sufficient to say because those varieties are hardy ? A portion of 

 them are, but many are not, and it is a practical and important 

 question, whence came the vitality that enabled them, not only 

 to live throagh such unfavorable climatic changes, but also to 

 bear fruit. Is it in the composition or mechanical condition of 

 soil, elevation or aspect, the effect of natural or artitioial agencies 

 on manner of growth and fruitage? When we can determine 

 what these conditions are, success will be virtually achieved, for 

 it will enable us to both maintain and develop hardiness. It is 

 well to seek after hardy varieties, for we must have them, but do 

 we not overlook the influence of culture and local adaptations, 

 and by neglecting to furnish the conditions necessary to a hardy 

 growth, impair the hardiness with which we commence. In our 

 hardy native trees, and varieties of fruit, we always find each one 

 in its own peculiar conditions, and do not look for them where 

 these conditions are not present. Should one of these important 

 nataral elements become wanting, then the variety, hardy before, 

 loses its hardiness, its adaptation, and soon disappears. This 

 must be true to a much greater degree with our cultivated fruits, 

 and there is good reason to believe that many varieties which at 

 first were regarded hardy, but in a few years proved tender, would 

 have retained their original promise and vigor, had we understood 

 and used the means best calculated to secure a perfect develop- 

 ment. Will not this same fact account for the remarkable di- 

 versity of opinion among our members in regard to the value, the 

 productiveness and hardiness of the different varieties. These 

 local conditions in one case give them value, and the want of 

 these in others, makes them less reliable and even worthless. 



Some attention has been given to this subject before, but it 

 seems to me not near the amount the importance of the subject 

 demands, and that we ought to make special efforts in this direc- 

 tion by taking notes, and putting on record every exception to 

 the general experience, and all the conditions connected with 

 them, both of success and failure, in our hardy varieties, and in 

 the half hardy and tender varieties and the seedlirigs as well. 



