194 NEBRASKA STATfc HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



good, from 150 to 200 being present at each session. This, of course, 

 cannot be considered a large attendance when it is remembered that the 

 membership of the society now numbers over 2,000. The classes in horti- 

 culture from the agricultural school swelled the attendance very materi- 

 ally at the first session. 



The fruit display was large and attractive; the standard hardy sort of 

 apples, of course, predominated in this, but there was a very good collec- 

 tion of seedling apples as there always is at the Minnesota meetings. The 

 production of seedling fruits is one of the most important lines of work 

 being carried on by the society and it is safe to say that the Minnesota 

 society leads all horticultural organizations of the country in this work. 



One of the sessions of the society was devoted to nursery topics, one 

 to reports from superintendents of trial stations and reiDorts from various 

 fruit districts, another to papers dealing with the treatment of fruit, 

 flower and vegetable gardens during July and August. One afternoon was 

 spent in joint session with the Forestry Association and'^ another afternoon 

 session was conducted by the Plant Breeders' Auxiliary. Some of the ses- 

 sions were devoted to miscellaneous topics. 



One of the most interesting and instructive papers of the whole pro- 

 gram was "The Storage of Orchard Fruits," by Prof. J. C. Blair, of the 

 Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station. The advantage of some means 

 of storing apples in the fall until the glut in the market is over was shown 

 in a very convincing way; discussions and illustrations by means of 

 charts were given of several storage houses adapted to farm conditions. 

 In the better of these houses it was found possible to hold the temperature 

 at 33° F. with ice refrigeration; a thing not thought possible before. This 

 was accomplished by thorough insulation. Professor Blair reported the 

 results of some rather unique experiments to show the relative value of 

 various insulated materials used to keep out heat from the storage houses. 

 The best insulator was found to be a dead air space, next best, paper, and 

 next wood. Concrete and the like was of little value. The Nebraska 

 Horticultural Society could not do better than to secure Professor Blair 

 for our next winter's meeting. 



The Plant Breeders' Auxiliary and its work deserve special attention. 

 This society is a branch of the Horticultural Society and the requirements 

 for membership in it are membership in the parent society and a promise 

 to do some actual work in the breeding of fruits, flowers or other plants, 

 whether this be on a large or small scale, whether by hybridization or by 

 simply growing seedlings. Of the seventy members of the Auxiliary thirty 

 are now growing apple seedlings to secure better varieties, five are grow- 

 ing crab apple seedlings, eight plum, two grape, two raspberries, one 

 strawberries, one rose, one phlox, and two peony; twelve members have 

 set trees for natui-al crossing and four have been crossing fruits by hand 

 during the past season. This record speaks well for the public spirit of 

 the horticulturists of Minnesota since it is, of course, recognized by all 

 that there is little hope of reward for such work aside from the satisfac- 



