18 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



that Mr. Lyon conducts at South Haven, to save the people's money from 

 waste. 



Mr. S. D. WiLLAKD of Geneva, N. Y., commended Mr. Lyon's ideas of 

 experiment station tests; the stations are grand things, and their number 

 should be increased. " If I were about to start in fruitgrowing, I would 

 go to Mr. Lyon and find out what is successful at his station, and then 

 test that on my own ground. I can not grow prunes, though successful 

 with plums; yet, five miles away, at the experiment station, they are 

 highly successful with prunes." 



Mr. Morrill agreed with this. " Each must test for himself. Not that 

 the exi^eriment station does not do excellent work, but that one can not 

 rely absolutely upon any tests beyond one's own farm. I experiment for 

 myself upon almost every new sort that's offered." 



Mr. Rice: Most of us can not do that. 



Mr. Morrill : Twenty-five dollars will be enough to test a great many 

 varieties. 



Mr. Lyon: Mr. Willard spoke of the failure of the Great American 

 strawberry. It was originated by Mr. Durand of New Jersey, who had 

 many others, but not one of them all is now grown, and for the reason that 

 no grower equals the thorough, intensive culture under which these varie- 

 ties were produced. The experiment stations aim to test by average 

 modes and conditions of culture. They are the best media between the 

 originator and the grower. 



Mr. Morrill: I tried the Great American and failed; but tried the 

 Parker Earle and succeeded, and made money by it. Five hundred dol- 

 lars would not buy my present stock of the Parker Earle. 



Mr. Porter of Port Huron advised caution in trying new varieties, 

 except by testing a few by the same cultivation given standard kinds. 



Mr. BuTTERFiELD of Lapeer (a member of the state board of agricult- 

 ure): My impression is that if as favorable terms could be provided as 

 were made at South Haven (gift of land to the state), a horticultural sub- 

 station might be established in the eastern part of Michigan. 



Mr. A. M. Smith of St. Catherines, Ont. : We make tests of varieties 

 by sending them to our members (Fruitgrowers' association of Ontario), 

 and having them experiment and report. 



