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TE "HORMIOULTOBAL SOCIETY, 1897. 
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also ealted attention to the need of some horticultural journal 
id referred to the Minnesota publication as being in advance of 
em, supplying a means of spreading horticultural knowledge. 
% Legislation was advised to protect planters from the ravages of 
_ the tree agent, San José scale and other pests. He also called spec- 
re attention to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, to be held at 
0 maha, during the summer and autumn of 1898, as an opportunity 
to place on exhibition the products of their orchards and farms. 
nb Our state should also take a part in this exhibition. It was my 
pleasure to make the acquaintance of the secretary, Mr. F. N. Chase, 
of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who seems to be the right man in the right 
. "place. 
_ The secretary’s and treasurer’s report followed and showed a total 
‘disbursement of about $4,000, with a balance of nearly $2,000 on 
_ hand. 
_ State Superintednent Sabin read a very valuable paper on “ Horti- 
eiiture in the Schools,” which was full of practical suggestions, 
_ plainly showing that the up-to-date farmers were in need of a higher 
_ and more practical education, also that horticulture was a study 
_ placing its pupils in touch with the great book of nature, the source 
of all knowledge. He advised the New York state system, which 
_ places bulletins from schools of agriculture in county schools, also 
provides an instructor who should visit and give instruction in all 
_ rural schools in a certain district. 
‘Sa The election of officers was a very tame affair compared with our 
By -election—forty-four votes being the most cast, while we had about 
160 at our last meeting. C. F. Gardner, of Osage, was elected presi- 
" dent; Geo. H. Van Houten, of Lenox, secretary for the ensuing year, 
and all the other officers were re-elected. 
ing A most animated discussion on “our Wealthy” followed. Mr. 
_ Haverland of Fort Dodge, who has about 1,000 trees of this variety, 
said he sold about $2,000 worth of fruit this year, and he claims that 
o be the most profitable variety to plant in northern [owa, outsell- 
_ing any other kindinthe markets. A paper giving the annual yield 
: and price obtained for ten years from a ten-acre orchard showed the 
Bedaincas averaged profitable, yielding a net profit annually of more 
"than $50.00 per acre during the ten years. 
_ Hon, J.G. Berryhill, of Des Moines, presented a very instructive 
a aper onthe “Plum.” He uses large quantities of manure, making 
_ the ground very rich, securing very profitable crops annually. The 
_ Desota was not satisfactory with him on account of its over-bear- 
ing, making fruit too small to be marketable. The “Hammer” is a 
_ very promising new variety, a seedling of the Miner. 
; Mrs. Virginia Berryhill read a paper on the “Sweet Pea,” which 
was full of valuable hints on producing that beautiful and easily 
grown flower. As more than 90 per cent of the sweet pea seeds come 
. ft om California, she advised growers to save seeds, selecting such 
_ varieties as best suited them. 
_ There were many other scholarly papers read by growers of large 
_ experience which I cannot mention for want of time and space, all 
of which were of more value to planters in Iowa than Minnesota. 
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