92 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



pumped by horse power into a tank and then distributed by iron 

 pipes and rubber hose to the highest points of the g-arden,to be run 

 along- furrows to the limits of the patch, has convinced him of the 

 profitableness of the practice. Small stuff like young radishes, 

 beets, etc., he waters by spraying rather than by flowage. 



Mr. Dewain Cook talked of his plum orchard in an interesting way. 

 A paper he presented the next afternoon on " Girdling Apple and 

 Plum Trees," illustrated by many specimens of trees showing gird- 

 ling done one, two and three years before, brought to a head the 

 suggestive references of Mr. Dartt and others about Mr. Dartt's 

 latest hobby, girdling. Mr. Dartt's theory will appear later in our 

 magazine in a paper by himself. Aside from his own positive 

 views in its favor, it seemed to be the general opinion that its prac- 

 tical use was limited. 



The last on the program for that session was Mr. Dartt, on the 

 "Commercial Orchard." 



The evening session was held in the court room, and it was taken 

 up with ornamental horticulture largely, the two principal features 

 of the session being a paper on "Ornamental Trees for the Street 

 and Park," by Eugene Secor, president of the North-East Iowa So- 

 ciety and " Planting on the School Grounds," by Miss Gertrude Ellis, 

 superintendent of schools. Mower county. The appeal found in the 

 latter paper resulted in a resolution introduced the next morning 

 and adopted, asking the legislature to pass the present Iowa law 

 obliging school directors to plant and care for not less than twelve 

 shade trees on the school grounds — or something like that. A law 

 like this might be useful in crystallizing public sentiment in many 

 school districts and aid in educating up to the desired point. 



Another resolution of interest adopted asked for legislation for 

 the protection of village shade trees against the vandalism of tele- 

 phone and similar companies. The Albert Lea people are in a posi- 

 tion just now to appreciate the need of such a law, as both light and 

 telephone wires have lately been strung there. 



This being the first meeting of horticulturists your secretary has 

 been permitted to enjoy in a number of years, he gave himself up to 

 it thoroughly and pronounces it from his standpoint an enthusias- 

 tic gathering. There are now four such local organizations in the 

 state, and the prospect is that there will soon be more, as a number 

 of other neighborhoods have enough state society members to create 

 easily a center of local interest. Where these societies can be main- 

 tained they serve a very useful purpose in arousing public senti- 

 ment and disseminating correct information. It is the special work of 

 such organizations to popularize horticulture andinterest all within 

 reach in both the useful and beautiful in our art. 



As these societies increase in number, as they are sure to do from 

 now on in a natural and legitimate way as the state society expands 

 in its work, may it not be well for the central society to send them 

 words of encouragement and cheer through the presence of someof 

 the veterans of horticulture inour ranks,who will take equal pleasure 

 in the duty? 



