224 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



STATE EOAD CONVENTION. 



Butler, Mo., January 24, 1892. 

 Mr. L. A. Goodman, Secretary Missouri State Horticultural Society :: 

 Dear Sir — I have the honor to report that in pursuance to ap- 

 pointment I attended the State Road Convention at Sedalia, Mo.^ 

 January 19 and 20, 1893. The Convention was composed of repre- 

 sentative men from all portions of the State, a great many of them 

 being members of the various county courts. The subject of road 

 improvement was fully discussed from many standpoints, and a series 

 of proposed changes in the Road laws were recommended for passage 

 by the Legislature, which was also asked to submit a constitutional 

 amendment permitting the various counties, by vote, to increase taxa- 

 tion, and issue bonds for the purpose of road improvement; but as the 

 proceedings have been published in full in the daily and weekly news- 

 papers, I will not make an extended report. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Henry Speee. 



FRUITS AT BLUFFTON. 



Bluffton, Mo., August 17, 1892. 



As the worthy Secretary has proposed that a report on things in 

 general would perhaps be appropriate, I have adopted it. 



To begin with the season of 1892, may say that the spring and 

 early summer were exceedingly wet — so much so that the apple blos- 

 soms had a poor chance to become pollenized. A heavy crop here on 

 my place I can attribute solely to the great bee town close by. These 

 took advantage of every hour of sunshine when the blossoms were 

 dry. I have since been told that wherever there were bees the apple 

 crop was a fair one Jennettings, as a rule, bore a good crop, mainly 

 because the trees bloomed about two weeks later than others, and hit 

 a time when there was less rain. 



Plums bloomed and set fruit freely, but, owing to the curculio, I 

 only had crops of mature fruit on Wild Goose and Louisa. The latter 

 was free from its attacks, while alongside of it others were all de- 

 stroyed. 



I sprayed some of my plum trees twice, and a few three times, but 

 in every instance rain soon followed to wash the poison off. The same 



