STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 279 



seed found in the seed stores of the continent. There are thirty 

 or more intermediate forms of the Scotch pine on the Vilmoria 

 grounds. Here also Prof. Budd found many forms of 



THE WHITE POPLAR. 



Unknown or not yet introduced iu the IJLited States, and predicts 

 that the best forms of this variety will yet become our leading lum- 

 ber trees for hundreds of economic uses in building. Some of them 

 are as erect in form as the Lombardy, and very little given to 

 sprouting. 



At Metz Prof. Budd spent a day looking over one of the oldest 

 nurseries in France — that of Simon Louis. 



FRUIT TREES AT METZ, 



In the matter of fruits he found here over 1,000 varieties gath- 

 ered from all parts of the temperate zones, but without any attempt 

 to divide into species or races. "" Indeed in England, France and 

 the German States no thought has been given to the races or species 

 of any of the fruits. They accept experince as a guide without any 

 inquiry into origin or native country. But a change is coming in 

 large portions of France and Germany. The recent destructive 

 winters have wrought havoc over great extents of country, such 

 as we have never known in the prairie States. At Metz and along 

 the fruitful valley of the Moselle the people now use the word 

 resiste as frequently as we use the term Iron-Clad. In the young 

 nurseries at Metz we now find two-thirds of the varieties of the 

 apple and pear to show in leaf and bud an admixture of northern 

 forms of these fruits. The ' survival of the fittest' has guided these 

 recent plantings, however without thought to any guiding princi- 

 ple as to race such as they apply to other trees and shrubs. 



"As a rule, without exception, horticultural men take great 

 interest in our work of taking comparative notes as we proceed 

 northward. So far as we can learn our trip is novel in its design 

 and purpose. The general expression is that it will indirectly ben- 

 efit large portions of France and Germany, as well as the prairie 

 States of America. The terrible winter of 1879 and 1880 was 

 enough to set such men as Simon Louis to thinking on the subject 

 of determinate growth as a measure of hardiness." 



METHODS IN FRENCH NURSERIES. 



"After saying that in extent and variety the Metz nursery 

 exceeded all expectations, and that we hope to secure a great num- 



