ANNUAL MEETING AT SAGINAW. 483 



for it is unexcelled for home use. I have found great difficulty in getting what 

 I want for my own use. 



Several other gentlemen strongly endorsed the Hubbardston. 



Mr. Peffer — Perry Rnsset is a variety of considerable value, only it needs 

 with us a choice of location. It wants a dry atmosphere — hence does better 

 on knolls, while the Golden Eusset thrives better on lower, more moist 

 ground. 



Mr. Lyon — I wish to speak a good word for the Melon, sometimes known 

 as Norton's Melon. It is an apple of excellent quality. 



R. D. Graham — Grimes' Golden is a favorite apple for home use with me. 

 It is good quality, medium size, handsome color, a good keeper and fair 

 bearer. 



Mr. Lyon — I supposed it to be a shy bearer. 



Prof. Bailey — It is as productive as the average of winter sorts that are 

 dessert apples. 



Prof. Satterlee — I am well pleased with Mr. Phillips' list, only I would put 

 Northern Spy nearer the head of it. 



Prof. Bailey — The Mother is worthy a high place in this list. 



Prof. Satterlee — How about the McClellan ? I have seen it at fairs and 

 admired its quality and appearance. 



Prof. Bailey — It is an apple of the Seek-no-further type and even better in 

 some points. 



Mr. Tracy — We do not usually state in a discussion like this, the specific 

 purpose for which an apple is required, and thus often shoot wide of the 

 mark. For instance we should, in discussing market fruits, consider the 

 purpose to be be subserved. If a yellow hotel apple is wanted, discuss vari- 

 eties that come in this view ; if a red hotel apple is wanted, an entire differ- 

 ent set of fruits would come into the discussion. If we were more specific 

 our judgments would be more accurately interpreted. 



The chair here closed the the discussion and called upon Prof. W. W. 

 Tracy for his 



EEPORT ON VEGETABLES. 



The report of this committee has usually been a review of the claims made 

 for and a report of the trials made with the various new varieties brought 

 forward during the year, but I have thought it might be made more profitable 

 to consider the past and present condition of gardening as an art; the tend- 

 ency towards change ; its desirability ; and somes uggestions for elevation of 

 the art. 



Just let us look at the garden of thirty years ago as compared with that of 

 to-day. We all remember that old garden lying beside the road just beyond 

 the house, and separated from it by a plat of grass ; grass, mind you, growing 

 as God made it to grow, just right to roll and tumble upon and not a smooth 

 and shaven lawn guarded by a placard " Keep off the grass." Scattered here 

 and there, through this green belt, were a lilac, or syringa bush or tree, 

 beneath whose shade grew great bunches of lily of the valley and a few 

 clumps of iris, phlox, or pseony, throwing up great masses of gorgeous and 

 beautiful blooms. Just beyond this lay the flower garden, with rectangular 

 beds and narrow earth walks, bordered by narrow boards or a row of stones, 

 possibly by a narrow line of box; and in these beds great masses of larkspur, 

 poppy, pinks, scabiosa, etc., not closely trimmed and planted so as to form 



