EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 25 



pensable to horticulture, as a science, and even as an industrial pursuit, fail 

 in some degree to interest those who work mainly at the surface. 



Among these underlying subjects, we may specify pomology, both domes- 

 tic and commercial, forestry, floriculture, vegetable culture, landscape garden- 

 ing, and in a leading sense botany, with several others, in a greater or less 

 degree kindred to or inter-associated with them. 



With the purpose to bring together those who may feel interested in any 

 one or more of these subjects, by means of an arrangement through which each 

 may be able to attend the discussions of the subject or subjects most in accord 

 with his tastes, while at the same time economy of expense may be secured, 

 as far as possible, by associating the whole, it was proposed at last winter's 

 board meeting to segregate the society into sections, assigning to each a 

 group of kindred subjects, with power to hold distinct sessions during the 

 year, while the whole shall be assembled annually, for the election of its gen- 

 eral officers, and for general business and discussions. The idea has, so far, 

 only been outlined ; but the subject is broad and important, and may well 

 demand the careful and earnest consideration of the society. 



STATISTICS AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The horticultural reputation of the state would, beyond question, be greatly 

 advanced by a more complete report and digest of its pomological products, 

 and of the values of its investments of this and kindred kinds. To be fully 

 effective and satisfactory, it seems important that the statistics annually col- 

 lected by our state authorities should separately specify : The quantity of 

 each class of fruits actually marketed; the estimated quantity of the same 

 not marketed but consumed at home; the amount of land devoted to each 

 class of fruits; the amount of land occupied by vegetable gardens, commer- 

 cial or domestic; the value of such lands aside from the improvements; the 

 value of the same in their improved condition ; the age of each separate plan- 

 tation of fruit trees. 



This subject has been heretofore presented for your consideration, and 

 the matter was last year referred to a standing committee on legislation, 

 which committee may properly be called on to report during this meeting. 



Since my last annual address, what has been designated as the "Hatch law'' 

 has been given effect, and the authorities of our Agricultural College have 

 been constituted the managers of a state experiment station, under its pro- 

 visions. It may reasonably be anticipated that with the special and recog- 

 nized horticultural standing of this state, horticulture, and especially pomol- 

 ogy, will be made a prominent feature of its system of experimentation. 



There is, however, a very serious, if not in fact insurmountable, obstacle 

 in the way of successful pomological experimentation at the college, namely, 

 the location of the institution in the low and frosty valley of the Cedar river, 

 where only the more hardy fruits can be successfully grown. We are not 

 informed as to the plans of the responsible managers, with reference to this 

 difficulty, but it would seem requisite, in consideration of the very important 

 commercial fruit interests on the lake shore, as well as in other regions thus 

 practically shut out from the benefits of experimentation at the college, that 

 a plan be devised, by a system of outside experimentation or otherwise, to 

 confer upon so important an interest a reasonable share of such benefits. 



In consideration of the last mentioned items, I may be allowed to suggest 



