EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 4& 



of crossing and hybridizing. Our college experiments indicate that the 

 southern varieties of the Chickasaw cross readily with the Americana, and 

 the pollen of the best European sorts takes equally well. 



Our seedlings from DeSoto pits fertilized by pollen of the Wild Goose, 

 show varied combinations of the two species, and seedlings of D^Soto fertil- 

 ized by pollen of a large European variety sent by mail from Oregon 

 show in leaf, bud, and wood, they are true hybrids. The seedlings of 

 the latter cross were purposely left without protection in seed bed, where 

 on rich soil they had made a growth of three feet, and they came 

 through the severe winter sound to the terminal bud. This seems to 

 indicate that the pre-potent mother stocks will transmit hardiness to the 

 seedlings without regard to the pollen used. If this proves true we can use 

 the pollen of the best plums and prunes of the Pacific coast, as we have had 

 better success in using pollen of the plum and cherry which had been sev- 

 eral days in the mail sacks, than with that freshly gathered. 



If by crossing we could increase the size and firmness of flesh of our best 

 native sorts, and yet retain a part of the positiveness of flavor of the latter, 

 we could without regret bid good bye to the European sorts which have proven 

 really at home in but few localities of our great domain. 



J. L. BUDD, 

 Iowa Agricultural College. 



Mr. Lyon did not quite like Mr. Budd's conclusion regarding the Potta- 

 watomie, for his tree of this variety yields him nothing. 



Prof. Beal: The trouble is, the pollen is poor. 



Mr. Lyon: The Ohickasaws, while loaded south, wholly fail here, except 

 that I saw a few fruits upon them last season. 



W. J. Cook: What is the cause of plums shedding their leaves? 



Prof. Beal: Septoria or "shot-hole fungus" which bores the leaf, and 

 finally causes it to drop. It is not likely to continue, as some change will 

 take place which will eradicate it. 



Mr. Lyon: It has been with us thirty years, so it is to be hoped the change 

 will come pretty soon. 



Tuesday UveninglSession. 



This session was chiefly occupied with a lecture by Prof. W. J. Beal, of the 

 Michigan Agricultural College, the full text of which is here presented under 

 the title of 



THE HORTICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 



As you doubtless all know, each state and territory in the United States 

 which had in operation an agricultural college, began receiving from the 

 national government $15,0i per year, on February last. 



In our State, part of this money is used in paying one-third of the salaries 

 of six professors of the college, viz: those of chemistry, zoology, botany, 

 agriculture, veterinary, and horticulture. The president of the college is the 

 director, but draws no salary for his services in this capacity. After taking 

 out $1,000 for experiments in dairying, and $2,000 for experiments on the 

 northern sands of Michigan, the remainder is placed somewhere nearly even 

 7 



