100 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



with the allegiance of the whole state to that society, how they can 

 advance their interests, how much of loss and failure they can guard 

 against. 



The state society of Michigan might do that, but there has been some 

 antagonism to the state society for a number of years. That, however, 

 I am happy to say, has almost entirely died out. It came through some 

 ill-advised measures, no doubt. Certainly it could not have been in the 

 interest of the public. But the Illinois people are like ourselves — they 

 are somewhat young. They have a few men who are far up in their 

 business — large, commercial growers, who travel and study and bring 

 home to the rest of the society everything they learn. They have a 

 large number, like ourselves, just commencing, and perhaps their society 

 just about compares with ours. 



The Missouri State society is almost in the same shape, but they are all 

 in good working order, and everything is going along smoothly with 

 them, and they are very rapidly becoming educated in their line, as we 

 are. 



QUESTIONS. 

 THURSDAY EVENING SESSION. 



What is the effect of throwing soapsuds and soap-water around ornamental 

 shrubs? 



Prof. Slayton: Death, every time. I know that is recommended by 

 the papers frequently. I have seen it for forty years. I have tried it 

 some. Near my house, I have set a cherry tree, three successive times, 

 in about five years, and I throw the slop-water there, but there is no 

 cherry tree there now. I had a hydrangea there, and it blossomed nicely 

 two years, and after blossoming, about the middle of August, it gave up 

 the ghost. I remembered that I had poured cold slop-water around it a 

 good many times, and I concluded that that was the cause of its death. 

 I began to watch, then, and I found that every tree near the door from 

 which I carried the slop-water, was in a bad condition; and as soon as I 

 reflected I remembered that three or four near the house, that had died 

 and been replaced, in some cases three times, were all dead, and I believe 

 that slop-water is the cause. Since then I don't throw a quart in the 

 same place that I ever threw any other quart, so far as I can remember. 



A voice: The nicest quinces I ever had, had this treatment. 



Mr. Wright : I have seen this operation performed on the quince trees, 

 and where soapsuds was used the quince trees attained a niuch greater 

 circumference, and never failed to produce good crops of quinces, when 

 'Other people in the same neighborhood could not get quinces at all. I 

 am satisfied that soapsuds is beneficial to quince trees. 



Mr. Wilson: It wasn't soapsuds I referred to, simply dishwater. 



Mr. Morrill : I don't think the advantage gained compensates for the 

 malarial influences occasioned by throwing slops in any one place. 



Mrs. Gebhart: We have made a i^ractice of throwing slop- water 

 around trees and rose bushes to prevent any malarial influences. 



