REPORT, 1898, CHIEF FIRE WARDEN. 299 



fires. With this view the Chief Fire Warden prints in his report 

 short, fresh and comprehensive sketches of the forestry systems of 

 fifteen European states, including- Saxony, Prussia and France, 

 which are foremost in the science. The importance of setting apart 

 a tract of primeval pine forest by the state as a health resort is also 

 discussed. 



SUMMER MEETING, 1899. 

 WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"THE WISCONSIN HORTICULTURIST." 



" Eureka ! " We found it, on the banks of the Fox, a quiet inland 

 town, with one of the liveliest horticultural societies of our state. 

 Delegates came by boat from Oshkosh, 22 miles away, and by rail to 

 Rush Lake Junction, 7 miles, where we were met by carriages. From 

 start to finish the convention was one round of ovation, and nothing 

 was left undone for the comfort of the guests. 



The meeting was called to order on time, and President Johnson 

 gave us the opening- address. As Dr. Loope was away, Mrs. Brooks, 

 president of the Rushford Society, gave us a hearty welcome, and, 

 as Dr. Loope said afterward, we "went right in and took everything 

 in sight." Secretary Philips responded, and the convention settled 

 down to business. The program was carried out fully except one or 

 two papers. 



Nothing before the convention was of so much interest as the ef- 

 fects of last winter. The general root-killing by the dry freeze, for 

 want of snow and moisture, was the greatest Wisconsin has ever 

 known. The two southern tiers of counties suffered most. Mr. Coe 

 reported the worst destruction for his district. Wherever the 

 ground had two inches of snow through January and February, the 

 orchards, nurseries, gardens, clover and grain fields escaped. 



G. J. Kellogg gave a report of the rainfall for the last 21 years, 

 showing the precipitation for the months of September, October and 

 November. This gave the key to some of our worst seasons of loss 

 when the ground froze up dry. Prof. Goff gave us a very interesting 

 report of what we had left after the severe dry freezing of the win- 

 ter. Mr. Philips reported only one variety of the 35 apples in the 

 trial orchard at Wausau that would have to be replanted. The 

 thermometer registered at Wausau 44 below zero but they had 16 

 inches of snow. The opinion prevailed that with dry falls we 

 must apply heavy mulch early in winter for nearly everything. 

 More time was given to this question because it was the most vital 

 to our interests. 



Interesting letters from absent ones were read, and while the dele- 

 gation from the state was not large the local attendance and a big 

 turnout from Omro Horticultural Society made things lively from 

 first to last. The time of the convention was just right for our 

 northern strawberry crop, and we did not have to import berries for 

 the table supply. 



J. M. Smith's Sons made the best exhibition they have had for 

 years, both in fruits and vegetables, but G. J. Kellogg & Sous took 



