48 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



it will, why may we not believe the groves and the hedges have much to do with 

 restraining the winds and lessening the severity of the climate. 



This middle time of February the deciduous trees are naked and bare. Count- 

 less limbs and twigs on each one of uncounted thousands of trees are helping in 

 their way to break into smaller and antagonizing currents the great stream that is 

 this day pouring from the northwest. Myriads of myriads of sleeping, waiting 

 buds are swinging on the swaying branches. They bide their time, and the cold, 

 the sleet nor the gale can destroy them, for they are well wrapped and are safely 

 •connected with the snow-robed earth. They are the promise of leaves and blossoms 

 and fruit for another summer. These leafless trees give much of shelter to-day. 

 For that purpose they are far better than no trees. 



But we will go among the evergreen groves. Ah, here it is almost still. The 

 gale that pours and roars among the tree-tops is stayed by the pines, the cedars and 

 the spruces, till it only reaches us in slight and fitful puffs. 



Plant trees. Plant all manner of trees for summer, but for winter plant ever- 

 greens. W. R. Laughlin. 



Thursday, June 8 — 2 p. m. 



The following letters were read: 



KiEKwooD, Mo., June 6, 1892. 

 Mr. L. A. Goodman, Secretary State Horticultural Society ; 



Dear Sir— I very much regret that it is not possible for me to attend the 

 meeting of the Society at Chillicothe this week. 



I see that my name is down on the program for some notes on the Woolly 

 Aphis, but my studies of the habits of this insect and experiments in its extermi- 

 nation are not yet concluded, and I shall have to defer a report until a future meet- 

 ing of the Society. I am inclined to think that the excessive rainfall of the present 

 season would in great measure drown it out. With us it has this year appeared 

 mainly above ground around the base of suckers and small branches, and especially 

 on any abrasion of the bark. In these positions it does not, however, do nearly so 

 much damage as when it attacks the roots, and is, moreover, easily dislodged by 

 •drenching with dilute kerosene emulsions or washes of soft soap or soda. 



If I might base a prediction on my observations in Kirkwood and vicinity, I 

 should say that the damage to fruit by codling moth and curculio will be much less 

 than usual the present season. 'J'he heavy rains seem to have beaten the insects 

 from the trees and kept the young fruit so drenched that oviposition was not suc- 

 cessful. In our own orchard none of the few apples, peaches and cherries that are 

 on the ground show insect punctures, but seem to have been brought down by the 

 winds and rain. Will you please ask the fruit-growers present how far their ex- 

 perience in this matter coincides with mine ? 



In conclusion, please accept for yourself, and present to the members of the 

 Horticultural Society, my most sincere thanks for the compliment of honorary 

 membership conferred upon me at the Sedalia meeting. It is only one of many 

 kind tokens of appreciation of the little that I have done in entomology that the 

 ♦Society has bestowed. 



Wishing you a pleasant and profitable meeting, I am, yours sincerely, 



Mary E. Murtfeldt. 



