Winter Meeting. "227 



both little peaches and leaves from ten Elberta trees and I knocked off 

 his wages. So I have quit professional sprayers. We had a heavy 

 hail storm which knocked off a good many plums, but did not hurt 

 our peach crop in the least. Blue damson and Forest Gem and Wild 

 Goose had enough on them, and bid fair for the next crop. Apples 

 were beaten up altogether too much by the hail to suit me, but they may 

 outgrow^ that somewhat. Should like very much to attend the meeting 

 but work is crowding here and have about eaten up last year's peach 

 and apple crop. With best wishes to all. Respectfully, 



J. P. COWDIN. 



Mt. Grove. 



FOURTH SESSIOInT.— Wednesday Night. 

 The program opened with a song by the male quartette. 

 CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF STREET TREES. 



By H. C. Irish, Missouri Botanical Garden. 



A general study of the condition of street trees in many of our 

 larger cities reveals the deplorable fact that a very large per cent of 

 both the newly planted trees and the older ones are rapidly going to 

 decay as a result of careless planting, neglect, improper pruning, un- 

 necessary mutilation, vandalism and the attacks of injurious 

 insects and fungus diseases. In St. Louis the cyclone of 

 1896 wrought havoc with many trees in some sections of 

 the city, many of which were damaged beyond reparation 

 either by being killed outright or so badly injured that they 

 could not long survive. Many others which might have been saved 

 by proper care were allowed to die from neglect. Others were killed 

 by too much pruning, which was a shock equal to, or perhaps greater, 

 than the cvclone itself. Added to these other agencies which more or 

 less tend to check a healthy development such as mechanical and chem- 

 ical impurities of the air, an unsuitable soil, and a confined root area 

 and it sometimes seems marvelous that so many trees live as long as thev 

 do. The development of large park systems is rapidly increasing and 

 many streets possess beautiful avenues of trees showing the possibili- 



