STATE HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 349 



In strawberries the old Ironclad was the earliest to ripen and 

 the first berries were fine, bnt the main crop was cut short by 

 the drought. The Foundling aj)peared to resist the drought best 

 of all, and retained the vigor of the plants to the last, but we have 

 too few plants to decide upon its merits. Sharpless and Cum- 

 berland Triumph were very nearly a failure; Jas. Vick better 

 than the previous year but hardly satisfactory. The Crescent, 

 fertilized with Old Ironclad and Wilson, gave the best results 

 of all. 



PLUMS. 



Our native plum trees are all doing well. The De Soto bore 

 some fine fruit which was awarded the first premium at the state 

 fair. It is a good fruit and has been sufficiently tested to war- 

 rant its being recommended for general cultivation in the east- 

 ern and southern parts of the State. 



Our facilities for testing varieties and conducting experiments 

 are better than ever before, and we intend, as fast as possible, 

 to secure every variety of native plum, and in conjunction with 

 O. M. Lord, of Minnesota City, whose soil is very different from 

 ours, to give them a most thorough trial, and also to commence 

 raising seedlings from them, selecting with the view of originat- 

 ing improved varieties. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



In closing our report we take the opportunity to urge the 

 establishment of more systematic experiment stations for the 

 testing of varieties upon varied soils and assigning to different 

 individuals such portions of the work as they seem best fitted for 

 conducting and would request detailed written annual reports 

 from each. Thus far our experimental work has been a labor of 

 love, performed at private expense by generous individuals who 

 could ill afford it. 



Our State is rapidly increasing in population and wealth, and 

 good fruit in abundance is one of the prime requisites of happi- 

 ness and prosperity, costing too much to be imported from 

 other states. In view of this fact we ought to be able to induce 

 our state legislature at the present session to increase the ap- 

 propriations to our State Horticultural Society that the stations 

 might be increased and the line of work extended. Trees, 

 shrubs, plants and seeds ought to be furnished to these stations 

 without cost to the managei'S, and the Society ought also to be 



