INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 345 



them. All seemed to enjoy the meeting, and manifested much interest 

 in the worli being done. Let others follow their example. 



President Stevens: I believe this is the last of the reports. We will 

 now take the subject "Forestry," by Mr. Freeman. Secretary State Board 

 of Forestry. 



FORESTRY IN ITS RELATION TO FRUIT GROWING. 



BY W. H. FREEMAN, SECRETARY STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen— I come before you not well 

 prepared today, as I have postponed preparing a paper longer than I 

 should have done. I have been rather covered up with work lately, and 

 was unable to prepare a formal paper. 



To discuss the subject of forestry with relation to fruit growing is 

 a rather difficult task. As far as forestry and horticulture are concerned, 

 within themselves, they are entirely separate institutions. Forestry deals 

 with the propagation of forests; horticulture with the growing of fruit; 

 but there may be good relations existing between the two, rightly pur- 

 sued, of which j'ou all know perhaps as much as I do, if you have studied 

 it. As far as definite relations are concerned, we will say there exists 

 none; so far as possible relations, there may exist many, primarily the 

 protective feature. Forests tliat protect orchards are of great benefit to 

 horticulture. When I am traveling through the State, I always observe 

 the orchards. I see there many conditions I am unable to account for. 

 If any members here present are able to account for them, I shall be very 

 glad to hear from such members. I find orchards, old and young, in a 

 state of decay. It is seldom that I find a No. 1, thrifty, growing or- 

 chard, an orchard that does not have a great many defects. There may 

 be many causes for this. I would attribute part of them to climate ef- 

 fects, both cold and rain. You are aware of the fact that climatic con- 

 ditions in Indiana have changed in recent years. In 1886 the extremes 

 of climate were 124 and 21; in 1896 they were 121 and 22. That is quite 

 a variation in the extremes in ten years. It may be that the absence 

 of forests in the way of protection is showing itself upon our orchards, 

 in killing the trees. If that is the case, and forests will protect the or- 

 chards of the State and prevent this killing of the trees, they are a good 

 thing for the fruit grower. 



This brings us to the question of moisture. It is a false idea that 

 you can plant forests and produce rain. That is not so. If it were so, 

 we could plant forests upon the arid wastes of the West and produce 

 rain there. Tliere is this about it, however, that forests will protect 



