WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 475 



Although thej" apparentl}- need it less thej' receive considerable 

 more aid from the state than our Minnesota legislature is disposed 

 to grant us. Thej^ re ceiveannuallj- from the state the sum of $2,500. 

 They have at the present time four district societies, each of which 

 receives from the state $150 per annum; and twelve experiment 

 stations, situated in various parts of the state, are enabled to do 

 some good work through aid extended by the societj'. 



WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 REPORT OF DELEGATE TO SUMMER MEETING, 1893. 



J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. 

 The annual summer meeting of the Wisconsin Horticultural Society 

 for 1893 was held at Kilbourn City on June 20th and 21st. A fine 

 program had been arranged for the occasion, which was fully carried 

 out. The attendance of the older members of the societj- and the 

 larger fruit growers was light; while the attendance of the mem- 

 bers of the local society of Columbia county and of the citizens of 

 Kilbourn City was very good. Free entertaininent was furnished for 

 all visiting members. 



As usual, at meetings of this society, the literary exercises were 

 of the highest order, including a verj' cordial address of welcome 

 b}^ J. E. Jones, editor of "Mirror and Gazette," and response by the Sec- 

 retary, B. S. Hoxie. in which he spoke in glowing terms of the Wis- 

 consin horticultural exhibit at the World's Fair, also the growing 

 interest in horticulture among the children of the state, which is be- 

 ing promoted through the very general observance of Arbor Day in 

 the public schools and the free distribution of plants among the 

 children by President Thayer— which this season amounted to thirty- 

 thousand. The papers read were able productions upon timely 

 topics. Among them was one on ''The Possibilities of Horticulture,'' 

 by Prof. Chester W. Smith, principal of the public schools of Kil- 

 bourn City, "Roses for the Garden," bj- J. E. Wright, of Baraboo 

 "Small Fruits and their Necessity in the Famil}-," b}^ Mrs. Franklin 

 Johnson, of Baraboo, and many others, together with short papers 

 and reports by delegates from local societies, and a free discussion 

 on strawberries. In connection with the meeting was an exhibit of 

 fruits and flowers. 



The most prominent and attractive feature of the exhibition was 

 the display of flowers, including roses of the rarest varieties.carna- 

 tions, peonies, pausies and bouquets of wild flowers in great pro- 

 fusion. This society offers premiums at their summer meetino-s to 

 children under sixteen j-ears of age for bouquets of cultivated and 

 collections of wild flowers, named and tastefully arranged, which 

 adds much to the interest and attractiveness of its meetings, and 

 also enlists the attention and proves a valuable educator of the 

 young people. 



The largest exhibits of strawberries were made by J. E. Kellogg 

 of Janesville. and M. A. Thayer, of Sparta, each showing about 

 thirty varieties. I. Boist, of Kilbourn Citj', showed about a dozen 

 very fine varieties, and besides them, there were quite a number of 



