134 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



horticultural societies. If you could take away horticulture from the world, 

 you would have bare walls and scanty food. We are constantly dealing with 

 new things in horticulture. We have new ideas, new fruits new flowers, new 

 diseases. All require our attention. There is no agency which so quickens 

 investigation as organized societies. Horticulture has outgrown the old accept- 

 ance of the term, and the word now relates to all that embellishes the home, 

 the farm, the garden, and the park. 



" Horticulture has its aesthetic side, and its economic side, and which has de- 

 veloped most in the last twenty-five years would be hard to say. If you travel 

 over the country and view the elegant villas, and shady roads, and the pretty 

 school-houses, you will be convinced that the aesthetic side has developed. 

 Horticulture cooperates with education, religion, and moral culture. On its 

 economic side we look at the large business done in flowers. A history of nur- 

 sery enterprises in this country would be of interest. A half century since 

 how few and small were the nurseries of the country. All honor to the men 

 who built up this business, and made our country the most fruitful, and the 

 most fiowerful under the sun. Thirty years ago the fruit of the Chicago 

 market could have been carried in a wagon, and now it takes whole railway 

 trains to supply the same market. The Wilson st'awberry marks the era when 

 the first efforts were made toward modern horticulture." 



Mr. C. A. Green read a report on "Animal and Vegetable Life." Mr. Green 

 argued that vines and trees are live beings, have sensibility. The tendrils of 

 vines will reach out and cling to other vines and trees for support, but will 

 never twine around branches of the same vine. The roots run in the direction 

 of water and of fertilizers. 



Secretary Ragan suggested the reading of letters from absent members, and 

 letters were read from Commissioner Colman, Charles Gibb, of Quebec, Isadore 

 Bush, of Mo., and Prof E. W. Hilgard, of California. 



Voted that committees of three upon each class of fruits on exhibition 

 be appointed by the President. 



Voted that three sessions, daily, of the meeting be held, commencing at nine, 

 two, and eight, local time, which was about thirty-four minutes faster than 

 railroad time at ninety meridian. 



Mr. L. B. Pierce, of Tallmadge, 0., explained that the exhibition of fruits 

 and flowers is made by the Ohio Horticultural Society, assisted by citizens of 

 Cleveland, but it was expected that this society will take charge of this exhi- 

 bition, and award premiums. Messrs. Campbell and Pierce were appointed a 

 committee to take charge of the exhibition. 



Wednesday Morning Session. 



The society met in the tabernacle at 10:30 a. m.. President Earle in the 

 chair. 



"How shall we protect our crops in time of drouth?" was the title of an 

 excellent paper by Mr. John M. Smith, president of the Wisconsin State Hort- 

 icultural Society. Clay is the most difficult soil to manage; a dark, sandy 

 loam the easiest. The first step is thorough drainage. A soil that is not 

 drained bakes down hard and will not so readily absorb moisture. Next com ^s 

 the abundant use of manure, and especially of wood ashes. They may be 



