REPORT OF STATE HORTICULTURIST. 



97 



motli campaign and with the Assistant Horticulturist, H. P. 

 Sweetser, in charge of the meetings, the schedule was com- 

 menced on April 6th, a somewhat later date than in the two 

 previous years. 



Because of the additional work at the office desk only three 

 or four days in the middle of each week were devoted to dem- 

 onstration work. The weather conditions were never so unfav- 

 orable for out-of-door meetings as they were this spring. In 

 practically all of the meetings, it was necessary for the indi- 

 viduals to consider health first, and the extreme cold winds and 

 the wet condition of the orchards made it unwise for anyone 

 to stand long out-of-doors, no matter how interested. This 

 condition explains in part at least the noticeable falling off in 

 attendance. The interest seemed to more than make up for the 

 lack in attendance, and, on the whole, the meetings can be con- 

 sidered a success in the seven counties which were visited. 



The total number present at the eleven meetings was 305 and 

 217 trees were sprayed at the various orchards. One meeting 

 was cancelled. One was postponed on account of a heavy snow- 

 fall only to be held later in a downpour of rain, with a small 

 group of interested and enthusiastic fruit men. 



Certain it is that this method of distributing agricultural 

 knowledge is in no way excelled by any of the various methods 

 of spreading the gospel of better farming. 



The towns visited in this w^ork are well scattered and for the 

 most part in sections not previously visited by this bureau in 

 spraying demonstration work. 



Foreign Nursery Stock. 



The shipments of foreign nursery stock into this state have 

 been practically the same as last season. The Bureau of Horti- 

 culture has attempted to check up the inspection of all of the 



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