498 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



no pleasant features were retained in my mind to carry away. The develop- 

 ing of the larger picture in the landscape is the truer art. 



Dr. Whiting — The removal of front fences is all very nice, if one is forget- 

 ful of how soon his fine plants will be stolen, his flowers destroyed and his 

 premises despoiled by marauders. How are we to manage this part of the 

 problem? 



Mr. Pearsall — I have had figood deal of experience with similar depredators 

 on the farm and have always shamed them out of it. I think a right dispo- 

 sition toward this petty class of thieves will lead to a proper condition of 

 things. 



C. T. Rosencranz — I am glad that I live where good fences are kept up. I 

 think good fences make good neighbors. With regard to the depredation of 

 small boys, I can illustrate how I have succeeded with them. A group were 

 found appropriating some hard, worthless apples in late summer and I came 

 upon them. I explained that I did not allow people to take apples without 

 leave, and told them if they had asked, I would have taken them to a fine 

 Benoni tree and allowed them to fill their pockets with good fruit. This 

 statement spread among the boys and I have had no trouble with thieves. 



Mr. Tracy — My experience has been that the small boys know the exact 

 position of the Benoni trees better than the orchard owners. My way is to 

 turn upon the boys and show them that they have rights that are worthy of 

 my respect. A great many children are taught to disrespect the rights of 

 others because they are not allowed to possess things of their very own and 

 over which they have absolute control. Just a word about watering lawns. 

 I have watched a good many lawn makers m Detroit. The rule is to smooth 

 off the yard, which has been filled with dirt from the excavation of the cellar; 

 then steal some turf out in the suburbs, lay it down and set the sprinkler 

 going, giving it just enough water to keep the green color in the leaves. 

 This always results in disappointment. .It pays to prepare the soil deeply 

 and then either turf or seed. I prefer the latter, and when water is ffiven 

 soak the ground as a good rain would do. This induces the grass to root 

 deeply, and. renders the lawn permanently able to resist a drouth. 



Prof. Satterlee — I see one of the sub-topics relates to thorns as decorative 

 plants. I recall a combination of native thorn and bitter sweet as one of 

 the happiest associations of plants for effect that I have ever seen. The 

 English thorns are not quite hardy with us, but they are worth protecting for 

 thir beauty. 



Prof. Bailey — Thorns are valuable for decorative purposes, (I) On account 

 of showy flowers; (2) Leaf character; (3) Attractive fruit; (4) Deligh ful 

 habit of the trees. The last two are the strongest points. The large fruited 

 thorn (cock spur) drops its fruit early, because of the investment of insects, 

 and so loses a strong point that would otherwise be in its favor. The smaller 

 fruited species have not this fault, for they hold their fruit into winter. The 

 forms of thorns are very marked and attractive, even in winter, when foliage 

 and even fruit are gone. These trees are somewhat difficult to t'-ansplant 

 and also difficult to start from seed, they germinate so slowly. By stratifica- 

 tion of the seeds and allowing them to remain a year one can have fair suc- 

 cess. 



Mr. Garfield spoke of ferns as delightful accompaniments to the yard, and 

 suggested an improvement upon the ordinary plan of planting them next the 

 house. He would arrange a group of shrubbery for a background, and place 



