30G BOAKD OF AGKICULTUKK. 



the boys were more glad than I was. Children's Gardens is the subject 

 of the afternoon. I would not know how to discuss this point from 

 this standpoint, for at our house the garden Is for all of us. One of 

 my neighbors said: "1 get so mad every few days I can hardly stay 

 at home because my wife will go into the garden and plant something. 

 I don't allow her to plant anything without my observation and over- 

 sight." I said: "Well, my wife' has a perfect right in the garden just 

 when she pleases and lo i>lant anything that she wauls, even if she 

 has to plant it herself." I thinli a garden should be a garden for the 

 whole family, and above all things have a bountiful supply of every- 

 thing that is grown in the garden. 



President Stevens: Perhaps we have taken as much time on this 

 subject as we can spare. A great many of us are so situated that 

 we can not interest the children along the line of market gardening, 

 and if this is true we should interest the children in some other way. 

 We have found that we can interest children by assigning portions 

 of the garden to their cultivation and pay them for their services. 

 This is very successful. Give them a bed of onions and peas and 

 buy them of them, the same as if they were on market. You will be 

 surprised at the interest they will take if they see a nickel or a dime 

 ahead. 



The next subject is "Home Making," by W. L. Elgin Fox, of Rich- 

 mond. It seems that Mr. Fox is not present. Has anyone a thought 

 along this line of home making, to give to this Society? 



Mrs. Stevens: Might I ask if there is any possibility of having this 

 paper from Mr. Fox? If there is, let's not discuss it until we hear 

 this paper. He may be here tomorrow sometime, or perhaps this evening. 



President Steveus: If this is the pleasure of the Society we will 

 postpone this subject until some future time. The next topic is, "Five 

 of the Most Promising Varieties of Apples," by Mr. Hobbs. 



Mr. Hobbs: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen— We are somewhat 

 handicapped in presenting this paper or subject for the want of a 

 good definition. We will find it very difficult to determine just what 

 a new variety is. A variety may be as old as the hills in some places 

 and perfectly new to us, and vice versa. It may be old to some people 

 in the world and new to us— new in every sense. "Varieties may not 

 have been tested as to soil and climate, so I am at a loss to give a 

 good definition, more than to say that it is a variety that we are not 

 acquainted with. I think this will afford a practical working basis 

 for discussing new varieties.^ Then there is another trouble, that is the 

 trouble of local adaptability. Most varieties of fruits have their pecu- 

 liarities as to soil, climate, and as to treatment, so Ave have this to 



