STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 446 



Mr. M. J. Hoag, who has beeu for the past three or four weeks in 

 the South, gave a short description of the country. He said he 

 found good soil for fruit growing, it being a sort of clay loam. It 

 was much firmer than ours, the native soil being very hard. They 

 could not raise grapes there to compete with those of California 

 growing, but they were about the same quality as ours. He 

 never saw fruit trees grow so rapidly. He measured a pear tree 

 that had grown nine feet three inches in three years. About 

 fifty per cent^row from cuttings. Their water was not considered 

 safe for drinking purposes unless boiled, and the majority drink 

 cistern water. 



He also gave a short discription of the people and their ap- 

 pearance with regard to health, and also the cattle and the effect 

 of water and climate on them. 



Mr. Hoag said, in regard to his experience in fruit growing, 

 that he started a few raspberry vines last year. He had covered 

 about half of them this fall. He said that he believed vines 

 should be covered in such a severe climate as ours. He didn't 

 believe in clipping them if they were to be covered, as it Stiff- 

 ened them and they were liable to break when bent. He never 

 saw any blackberry vines that would live here unless covered. 



Mr. I. D. Swain said that he didn't think it was a good plan 

 to bend th3 vines. He lost more vines that way than he gained 

 berries. 



Mr. Sias said he used a potato fork in covering and finds it the 

 best, as one man can handle the vines. He thought the vines of 

 most varieties needed shelter. 



Mr. Swain said there was little difference between thorough 

 cultivation and mulching, mulching keeping the land cool, which 

 is what the vines Avant. 



Mr. Sias said that on some soils it was unnecessary to manure 

 heavily. 



Mr. Stedman said blueberries grew here wild about thirty 

 years ago, and he thought they could be grown here now. 



Mr. Sias said he saw some bushes at the head of Bear creek 

 and he had planted a few in his garden and they bore well. He 

 believed they could be cultivated. 



We insert here the address of President Cutler, at the annual 

 meeting of the McLeod County society. 



