458 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tent with forests. Doubtless it was time to begin to retrace our steps and 

 commence planting; but we should remember that the conditions of forest 

 existence are so changed that it is useless to lament the clearing away of ma- 

 ture trees. In the original forests still standing it is difficult to find perfectly- 

 sound and healthy trees, and we must cut them or lose them. We should 

 also remember that large numbers of trees are growing in prairie States that 

 had no trees a third of a century ago. This, of course, would not help south- 

 ern Michigan, but it showed us how rapidly the country could be reclothed 

 with forests, and helped to mitigate our regret at the necessary destruction of 

 the original forests. 



There seemed to be a prevailing opinion among those present that although 

 we were in no imminent danger from the descruction of our timber, still we 

 did not have the healthy feeling that we ought concerning the importance of 

 preserving and planting timber areas. 



Thursday Morning Session. 



The first work of the morning was the receiving of reports from the dele- 

 gates sent to the meetings of sister societies. The first report was from the 



ONTARIO FRUIT GROWERS' ASbOCIATION. 



BY PRESIDENT T. T. LYON. 



The undersigned, delegate to the meeting of the Ontario Fruit Growers' 

 Association, at Chatham, Ontario, on Wednesday and Thursday, February 

 9th and 10th, 1887, would respectfully report as follows: 



We reached Chatham on the morning of the 9th, in time for the opening 

 session, at 10 o'clock A. M. 



The forenoon was partially devoted to the placing of the fruits ; the amount 

 not being large, although of fine size and general appearance, except that 

 many specimens were destitute of stems, and a few had been occupied by the 

 larvae of the codling moth. In these respects they were hardly up to our 

 Michigan practice. The specimens were arranged upon tables, but without 

 plates, and few, if any of them, were named, although they were, in most 

 cases, of varieties generally known, so that labeling was hardly needful. 



We observed the difficulty so common with our own society — that, with a 

 fair attendance of members from oiher places, the local attendance was light. 



The discussions were generally opened with a short paper, followed by ex- 

 temporaneous remarks, although we observed that it seemed to be customary 

 for the president to direct, and in some degree control the consideration of 

 the subjects, by calling out such persons as he deemed proper, rather than by 

 leaving room for volunteer remarks; while the discussion of a subject was 

 peremptorily closed, by the chair, at the hour fixed for the consideration of 

 the next topic, and the same occurred on the arrival of the hour for adjourn- 

 ment. 



