Winter Meeting. 249 



instruction that will help them make a success of the business, and 

 save them from making serious mistakes. 



The success of our efforts are attested by the number of members 

 in our local societies and the list of correspondents and workers and 

 helpers (some 3,000 in number) in this good work; all of whom. get the 

 best that the Society offers in the way of reports and other information 

 sent out. 



Our fruit crop and its problems have been a serious study. The 

 cold of February 13 killed all the peach buds in our State, as far as a 

 market crop was concerned. 24 degrees below is too much for peaches. 

 Blackberry and raspberry vines were also injured. Only a partial crop 

 was secured. Strawberry crop was a "big one." Wet weather inter- 

 fered with its marketing fully, but a good, large crop was marketed at 

 fair prices. The apple crop was very badly injured by the late frosts 

 and cold rain of April 15 to 20, preventing fertilization, and only a small 

 crop was gathered, but sold at remarkably good prices, considering 

 the quality. 



The spraying question, one of our greatest questions, is still be- 

 fore us for solution. Liquid and dust, their relative value, has not 

 yet been settled. In our large orchards we are still using the dust and 

 I find it a partial prevention at least. Each year I make the mixture 

 more of the lime and less of the copper sulphate and sulphur. 



OUR AWARDS AT ST. LOUIS. 



These awards, while many and satisfactory as a whole, have not 

 been to all of our counties nor all of our individual exhibitors. The 

 commission and myself, as their Superintendent of Horticulture, did 

 everything we could possibly do, to give and get a fair award, equality 

 in fact, in all these exhibits. I realize more than any of you how hard 

 it is to get every award exactly fair and just. We tried in many ways, 

 at many times, to secure a rehearing of this matter before the Superior 

 Jury and get our awards revised and modified. Some of our counties 

 should have had a gold medal instead of a silver medal, and some should 

 have received a silver instead of a bronze. 



The same is true in regard to some of the individual exhibits. I 

 would that I could have secured their adjustment and have them changed 

 to what I know they should have been. But everyone who has had the 

 responsibility of such a large exhibit and daily entries and care of 10,- 

 000 feet of space, understands fully what it means. We used over 1,000 

 barrels of cold storage fruit and nearly as much fresh fruit, and had 

 in the jar exhibit over 2,000 jars to care for. 



