GENERAL HISTORY. 123 



fruit, just as he can, by cultivation, grow fine fair fruits or miserable scabby 

 ones upon his Baldwin apple tree. But he can no more change its character 

 than he can grow Greenings on Baldwin wood, or make, by extra care and 

 feed, a short-horn bull out of the new born Jersey heifer calf. If these are 

 facts (and I honestly believe I have stated them fairly), can we pay too much 

 attention to the matter of the selection of our seed grains, and do not the 

 farmers of Michigan owe Professor Beal a debt of gratitude for the constant 

 and earnest persistency with which he has urged them to do this, and the 

 practical methods of so doing, which he has so frequently and clearly 

 described ? 



E. M. Potter pursued the same general topic in the discussion of the sub- 

 ject of "Michigan Nursery Stock," holding that it is quite practicable to 

 grow as good nursery trees in Michigan as elsewhere, and that lack of rapid 

 growth here is fully compensated by increased hardiness. He speaks of 

 "canvassers" thus: "We shall always consider a real wide awake and com- 

 petent canvasser, who is strictly honest with his customer and true to his 

 employer, as a desirable attache to the business, and one of the noblest and 

 rarest productions of the craft. Such an one, like the standard dollar, 

 ought to be well received everywhere ; but I am sorry to say that too often the 

 glittering counterfeit is taken at a premium, while the genuine gets both 

 'clipped and punched,' if not wholly rejected." 



Injury both before and after planting, as well as in digging and packing, 

 were considered, and both in the address and in the subsequent discussion the 

 idea seemed to prevail that losses consequent upon ignorance and carelessness 

 on the part of the planter were too frequently laid at the nurseryman's 

 door. 



Primary horticulture was illustrated by Professor Beal by giving an account 

 of how his young daughter was drawn to take an interest in the practical 

 operations of gardening. The details of the process were so simple and com- 

 monplace as to induce covert remarks of a disparaging character, but the 

 effect was none the less certain and the lesson none the less valuable on that 

 account. More practice of a similar character would doubtless add very sat- 

 isfactorily to the ranks of our young horticulturists. 



On Wednesday the morning session opened with a paper by E. D. Pierson, 

 entitled, "The Orchard as an Adjunct of the Farm." The essay is a prac- 

 tical history of the educational experiences of an orchardist in connection 

 with farming, from the initiatory steps to the planting and management of 

 an extensive market orchard. 



A most valuable thought is that of the necessity of protecting the trunk of 

 an apple tree from the attacks of borers when its vigor becomes checked by 

 pruning, grafting or other cause. 



C. B. Stowell, of Hudson, gave an address on " The Garden as an Adjunct 

 of the Farm." 



Fruits, vegetables and flowers were separately considered and each deemed 

 essential to a well constituted farm garden. 



This address and those of Secretary Garfield and Hon. Thomas F. Moore, 

 of Madison, which followed it, drew from Professor Beal a letter recently 

 sent him, saying a certain school district had appropriated 125 to buy trees 

 with which to ornament their school ground, and asking him to tell them 

 "how to fix it." 



In closing his remarks the Professor offered the following: 



