STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 287 



and I estimate that my orchard of IS acres has netted me about 

 $300 or $400 per acre, clear, besides trouble and expense and 

 the cost of the laud at $100 per acre. I have a new orchard set 

 since the hard winter, with 500 Duchess. 



Mr. Jenkins. What have you fruited this past season t 



Mr. Dartt. It is hard to tell. Most of the fruit grew on four 

 acres. 



President Elliot. What is your method of planting? 



Mr. Dartt. I plant rather shallow, about the same depth as 

 in the nursery. But plowing towards the rows has caused the 

 trees to stand on ridges. They were in nursery rows and thinned 

 out afterwards. 



JlEPOET FROM THIRD DISTRICT. 

 By M. Cutler, Sumter. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



It gives me pleasure to meet with you once more. This is a 

 place where we, the lovers of fine flowers, fruits and vegetables, 

 meet on a common level to receive and impart information that 

 will be of value to us, as well as the thousands of tillers of the 

 soil throughout this great northwest, who are not present. As 

 I come from the great prairie west of the Big Woods mj report 

 will necessarily pertain mostly to that section. Since our last 

 meeting I have succeeded in organizing a county horticultural 

 society in McLeod County. While we have not met with the 

 success we hoped for, we do not propose to give it up yet; re- 

 membering the early history of our State Society, which we now 

 consider a great success, we shall persevere. As to our work 

 the past year and present standing I refer to our secretary's 

 report. 



The exhibit of vegetables and fruits at our county fair was 

 probably the best ever made. That of vegetables was said to 

 equal that made at the state fair. The grand display was no 

 doubt the result of offering liberal premiums for the best display 

 of farm products. Oue man entered over eighty kinds of fruit, 

 grain and vegetables. 



Wild plums and grapes were abundant the past season. 



STRAWBERRIES 



owing to the drought were not as fine or abundant as usual. The 

 best were on low land and where huge snow drifts covered them 



