secretary's budget. 459 



grow too fast," he said. "To get the best fruit, we want the trees to 

 grow as fast as possible, but to prevent the blight, they should grow as 

 slowly as possible." 



It was with great difficulty that the pear blight questions and dis- 

 cussions were shut oif by the chairman, so great was the interest man- 

 ifested in the subject. 



A paper on "Protection from Frost*' was then read by Prof. Lazen- 

 by, of the Ohio Experiment Station. In the comparative tests between 

 TQulched and bare ground, it was found a temperature of from three to 

 five degrees greater was maintained where no mulch existed. This, he 

 thought, proved that mulching strawberry beds is disastrous. It pre- 

 vents absorption of heat during the day and radiation at night. As to 

 the ifse of smoke, while it keeps the temperature up in a house where 

 it can be confined, he does not consider it of any special value in the 

 open air. Mr. Rogers, New Jersey : "From five to seven degree is the 

 iiifference in favor of bare ground, I think. This has been a long set- 

 tled fact in ray State." 



Mr. Scott, Michigan : "I have tried the smoke in the field ; it's a 

 pretty sight, but of no practical value." 



A note from F. K. Phcenix, Wisconsin, on the same subject, was 

 then read, though it contained no new suggestions of special value. 

 Speaking of using explosives, and the vibration of noises, he said, "I 

 don't know how much it would take to scare off the Frost Devil, but 

 noise is cheap in America. I most profoundly believe in the human 

 mastery and control of earthly elements and conditions." Mr. Morrill, 

 Michigan: "I prefer to mulch; it brings profit in dollars and cents. 

 It keeps the blossoms back later, thus protecting them, even though 

 the temperature under the mulch falls lower." 



Mr. Pierce, of Ohio, then read a paper on the "Conduct of State 

 and Local Horticultural Societies." He opposed addresses from out- 

 side speakers, and thought the fairs and exhibitions should be held in 

 the country around the fruit growers, rather than in the towns and 

 cities. Secretary Garfield then made a few remarks on the same sub- 

 ject, agreeing with Mr. Pierce with regard to having exhibitions in the 

 country, "The whole family, everybody, should be interested," he 

 said. "When the father plants the tree, let the wife hold it, and the 

 children stand ready to water it." 



"Lessons of the World's Fair" was the title of the next paper, read 

 by Mr. Goodman, of Missouri, Secretary of the State Society there. 

 Flat tables, and five apples or pears to a plate, a glass structure lighted 

 from above as well as the sides, were among desirable features for 

 fruit shows he thought. Better rules for judging were also urged, a 



