STATE HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 347 



most remarkable "object lessons" consisting of exoginous 

 plants, the best fitted by nature to withstand a long and severe 

 drought of anything, perhaps, we have ever seen. I allude to 

 his splendid exhibit of many varieties of the Cactus family from 

 Mexico and Colorado, It occurred to us that we might possibly 

 get a good suggestion from these "Children of the Sun," in re- 

 gard to what sort of a leaf we wanted in an arid situation for 

 orchards. But come to look the subject up we find there are five 

 hundred species of the Cactaceae, all natives of America, and 

 most of them leafless. But in lieu of leaves they have clusters 

 of hairs or prickles in great and "touch-me-not" abundance, as 

 many of you know to your sorrow and your neighbor's delight. 



Now, it is well known that the most of our Northern trees 

 and plants would die if deprived of their "summer clothing" 

 (their leaves) for a single season, hence the question arises to 

 one of limited botanical knowledge, whether these little hairs, or 

 prickles, possess the characteristics of ordinary leaves and per- 

 form any or all of their vegetable functions'? This question is 

 Intended to show, first that people who have not made a regular 

 study of botany, and have no five hundred-dollar-microscope to 

 aid them, know but little about leaves or their uses; second, to 

 show the necessitj^ of appointing at this meeting a committee of 

 at least one scientific botanist to give us next winter a paper on 

 leaves, showing the comparative value of thick and thin leaves, 

 etc. 



Eobert Douglas is doing a most praiseworthy work in intro- 

 ducing into this Northwestern country hardy evergreens from 

 the Rocky Mountains. I put on trial at this station, last spring, 

 one hundred each of Picea, Pnngens and Abies Douglasii from 

 his collection of seedlings, with satisfactory results. 



EXPERIMENT STATION AT LA CRESCENT. 



By J. S. Karris, Superintendent. 



Mr. President and Members of the State Horticultural Society : 



I can only report that we are making progress slowly. We 

 have made but few additions to the varieties under trial since 

 the report rendered at the last annual meeting. Among such 

 are a few trees of Ostheim Cherries from Chas. Luedloff, doing 

 well. Put in a few cions of Dartt's hybrid apple; doing well. 

 General Le Due's favorite plum, top worked on wild native, has 

 done very well. 



