Winter Meeting. 267 



REPORT OF THE IOWA MEETING. 



(Delegate— H. S. Wayman, Princeton, Mo.) 



When we think of the great amount of fruit that is shipped to the 

 Iowa markets from other states, we would naturally suppose that the 

 fruit growing industry in that state is of little importance ; but how 

 readily our minds are disabused of such ideas when we hear those ener- 

 eetic fruit sfrowers discuss the conditions of this line of work and the 

 possibilities before them in their great state. Why, they almost matle 

 me think that the time is not far distant when they will reverse the 

 present order of things and put us to buying our fruit instead of selling 

 to them. 



The first session, Wednesday, a. m., was devoted mainly to the 

 strawberry, which they grow with great success. As yet berries are pro- 

 duced only for the local market, and prices are more or less irregular, 

 and sometimes very low. After some discussion, it was decided that 

 this condition could best be remedied by organization for the purpose 

 of effecting better methods of distribution and by the employment of can- 

 ing apparatus to take care of the surplus fruit. 



C. G. Patten of Charles City read an important paper on "The As- 

 sessment of Nursery Stock." He told of the inconsistent and exorbitant 

 rates that are being paid on nursery stock, which tends to discourage the 

 business and necessitates an advance in the price of stock. He showed, 

 also, how all this expense eventvially falls on the fruit grower. 



The afternoon session was given largely to papers on the pleasure 

 and beauty of horticulture. "The Horticultural Mission," by N. C. 

 Wragg, Waukee, and "The Future of Horticulture in Iowa," by S. 

 Bailey, I\It. Ayr, were excellent papers. Both were full of high ideas 

 and purposes of this favored vocation. "The Flower Garden," by J. F. 

 Wagner, Sunbury, was instructive and practical. "History of the Chry- 

 santhemum," by Julius Erdmann, Ames, was complete. "A Plea for 

 Wild Flowers," by L. H. Pammel, Ames, pictured the beauty of our 

 most common wild flowers, and even some of our weeds, and taught how 

 to appreciate more the flowers and plants that grow in the nearest fields. 

 The paper was certainly sound sense, flavored with fragrance. 



Thursday forenoon was spent in discussing the spraying problem. It 

 was generally agreed that spraying is as essential as any other part of 

 orchard cultivation; but what, when, and how to do for practical and 

 profitable results was the puzzle. No one had sprayed extensively, and 



