ANNUAL MEETING, I902, IOWA STATE HORT. SOCIETY. 3^ 



Mr. Coleman, from southwestern Iowa, says that he has a Flem- 

 ish Beauty pear grafted on an apple planted eighteen inches deeper 

 than it grew in the nursery, and it has never blighted and has borne 

 well. He thinks, however, that four inches deep is about right for 

 general planting. The general opinion seemed to be that in very 

 severe locations and especially on dry soils it is desirable to plant 

 from 12 to 18 inches deeper than the trees grew in the nursery, and 

 that in desirable locations from four to six inches deeper is sufficient. 



Mr. Dewey, in a paper on strawberries, said he thought the En- 

 hance and Sample the most profitable. He thought Bederwood was 

 good enough for the home market, but that the Dunlap will take 

 its place. He thought that the Crescent and Lovett were among the 

 best of berries to raise for a cheap class of trade and would pro- 

 duce the most per acre. The speaker recommended cultivating 

 strawberry plants with a Hallock weeder until they began to make 

 runners. 



In a discussion on the renewing of old strawberry beds a few 

 recommended taking but one crop from the plants, while others 

 stated that their best berries were obtained from old beds. The best 

 method of renewing old beds was discussed, and the chief point 

 brought out was the importance of doing it as soon as the plants are 

 done fruiting. One grower thought 2,500 boxes per acre was a 

 good yield, while another said that he thought he ought to get at 

 least 8,000, and that sometimes he had raised as much as 12,000 

 boxes per acre. 



Franklin Brown classed Desoto as first for both marketing and 

 for home use, and thought the Wyant would come second. He 

 thought that Bordeaux mixture would prevent ripe rot of the plums, 

 and recommended spraying early in the spring before the buds open. 



Mr. Patten thought that buckwheat was the best cover crop for 

 orchards and recommended sowing it about July 20th. . 



The society passed resolutions endorsing the National Inspec- 

 tion law. 



A fine exhibit of fruit was made in the basement of the capitol. 

 It contained many seedlings of interest. Your delegate took with 

 him some of the best Minnesota seedling apples and talked about 

 them to the members, and also gave an address on the subject of for- 

 estry conditions in Europe. 



More Wisconsin Poetry.— Pres. Loope, of the Wisconsin Society, had 

 not quite recovered from our banquet when he reached home, and so he re- 

 lieved himself in verse as follows: 



"Now Underwood's a dandy — at singing he is handy, 



He can surely hypnotize you through and through, 



I'd go and join a troupe, Sir, as sure's my name is Loope, Sir, 



If I could warble comic songs as he can do." 



