STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 47 



the Normal schools that turn out teachers by scores; and the com- 

 plete sytem of railroads that carry our surplus products to other 

 lands and pour wealth into our purses. 



Gentlemen: excuse me for occupying so much of your time. We 

 have before us a programme framed upon the urgent necessity of 

 the times, and I expect it will draw out the experience and obser- 

 vation of members, and that you will be able to satisfactorily dis- 

 pose of questions that are of vast moment to us, and to thousands 

 of people in this and adjoining States. While we remember that 

 the year just ended has been a prosperous one for our farmers, and 

 has witnessed a remarkable increase in the wealth and population 

 of our towns and cities, and large additions to the area of land 

 placed under cultivation, we should also remember this increase 

 in population is making new demands upon us, and calls for a like 

 increase in horticultural products, and if we do not raise them, 

 they must be imported from other States, at the loss of the profits 

 of production, the expenses of transportation, and the cost of sup- 

 porting an army of middle men or dealers; three items that would 

 reward us for considerable labor. Permit me to notice a few of the 

 products that are wanted in larger supply. There remain no 

 doubts on the question of small fruits. The strawberry is at home 

 with us, and its cultivation in quantity for shipment to more 

 southern points might be made very profitable, while at the present 

 time there are not more than one-half enough produced to satisfy 

 the demands of the home markets. A hardier late variety that 

 will bear shipping is very much wanted. Currants do well in every 

 part of the State, yet the demand is so much in excess of the sup- 

 ply that the selling price is getting higher each year. Raspberries, 

 and especially the Black Caps, ought to do well here. The demand 

 for them is so great that this society will be warranted in giving 

 them a little attention, and if we have not already suitable varie- 

 ties, to encourage the improvement of our native species, and the 

 originating of some new and better varieties. The experience of 

 the last season would indicate that some varieties of blackberries 

 may be profitably grown when we better understand their treat- 

 ment. As we are out of the latitude for growing peaches, and 

 they can never be furnished to us so cheaply as to come within 

 the means of the ordinary citizen to use more than as a luxury, 

 the blackberry which is in season at the same time with the peach, 

 will find in it no competition, and may at least, partly supply its 

 place, and yet, never become so low in price as it does sometimes in 

 the East, in good peach seasons, as not to pay the cost of production. 



