IOWA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 29"^ 



of twelve district reports, seven mentioned the growing- of peaches 

 quite considerably this year. 



Many of the Iowa fruit men think we can expect better results 

 from American fruits and seedlings than from the Russian varie- 

 ties, yet a few of the Russians are doing remarkably well where 

 grown in the northern portion of the state but have not merited 

 the recommendations they have received from the Agricultural 

 College, £t Ames. 



They also expressed themselves very decidedly against running 

 the state experiment station as a commercial nursery; that it had 

 been one of the sharpest competitors for the commercial business 

 of the state and adjoining territorj^. 



Mr. Berryhill and others thought that although many mistakes 

 had been made at the experiment station, aa necessarily there must 

 be in making experiments, yet on the whole there had been a great 

 deal of good come from it, and it had been a great success in 

 solving the fruit problem of the Nortnwest. But all were agreed 

 that it should not be run on a commercial scale or stock sent out 

 in greater quantities than was needed by its patrons for experi- 

 ment purposes. 



Among the remaining papers on the first day's program was 

 " Evolution of Horticulture," by Eugene Secor, given in verse, that 

 would have to be rendered in full to be fully appreciated. 



"Comparison of Oriental and Occidental Horticulture," by Geo. 

 H. Van Houten, was listened to with a great deal of interest. In 

 Japan he found the apples, pears, cherries and plums inferior when 

 compared with Iowa fruit, but their oranges were the best he had 

 ever seen. The Japs were most expert horticulturists, and every 

 nook and corner and sometimes shelves on the outside walls of the 

 houses and on the roof were occupied with fruits and flowers grown 

 in every conceivable shape and variety; small dwarf fruit trees 

 growing in four or five inch pots for the fruit as well as for orna- 

 ment. In Palestine, the fruit garden of the world, fruits are grown 

 in greatest abundance and perfection, 3'et there, as in Egypt, the tax 

 gatherer is the greatest blight and hinderance to horticulture. 



"The Cultivation of Young and Old Orchards," was the title of a 

 paper by J. P. Jackson, advocating thorough cultivation till July 

 1st, then mulching, thoroughly fertilizing with wood ashes and ma- 

 nure and washing in the spring with strong soap-suds. This was the 

 method favored by most of the members, yet there were a few who 

 practiced ver}^ heavy mulching with green inanure — oats or clover — 

 instead of cultivating. 



Dr. Finlayson, in a well prepared paper showed the " Relation be- 

 tween Fruit and Health." They are well known associates and as 

 such recognized by the laity as well as the medical profession. 

 The apple stands first as a staple food, as its keeping qualities are 

 best; grapes and all fruits, both domestic and foreign, were highly 

 recommended. Those who use the most fruits have little use for 

 medicine or doctors. 



Top-grafting the apple was in general favor to secure good winter 

 varieties, especially in the northern half of the state. Some of the 



