406 ANNUAL BEPORT 



•' There is not a flower can grow upon the earth 

 Without a flower upon the spiritual side ; 

 All that we see is pattern of what shall be in the mount 

 Related royally, and built to eteine significance." 



THERE IS NOTHING SMALL. 



" No lily, muffled hum of summer bee, 

 But fiads its coupling in the springing stars, 

 No pjbble at your feet, but proved a sphere. 

 No chaffinch, but implies a cherubim." 



" Earth is full of Heaven, 

 And every common bush afire with God." 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Dartt. 1 wish to call attention to the blighting of fruit last 

 season. Some ten days before blossoming time last spring we had a 

 snow storm and frost. I examined the fruit buds after that and found 

 the blossoms literally full of insects, that are known, I think, as 

 thrips; they were of all sizes from a sixteenth of an inch to the merest 

 speck. They seemed to be moving about but I did not know why they 

 were there; and it is a question with me whether those insects did not 

 destroy the plum crop last season. The blossoms remained a short 

 time and then withered. 



Prof. Porter. My theory in regard to the loss of the plum crop is 

 that it was mainly caused by the dryness of the atmosphere at that 

 season and a want of fertilization of the fruit blossoms. 



Mr. Urie. Might not that condition have been avoided by spraying 

 the trees? I knew a man in Illinois who raised large crops of plums 

 every year, and he sprayed the trees with warm water. 



Mr. Harris. The cause of the failure of the crop last year was no 

 doubt the dry weather. Spraying of the trees might be of advantage. 



Col. Stevens. There is a valuable plant growing wild on the prair- 

 ies in Dakota that ought to be cultivated generally, it seems to me it 

 is very valuable. I refer to the shrub ShepercHe argentea, 



Mr. Gibbs. The Dakota Horticultural Society mention it as one of 

 the wild shrubs or trees, which it recommends for general trial. It 

 grows wild in both South and North Dakota. It is probable the seeds 

 were brought by birds. I have it growing on ray farm. 



Prof. Porter. I have experienced difficulty in the germination of 

 the seeds and would like to know how to grow it 



Mr. Sias. Mr. Benj. Bear of Eyota, a friend of mine, when coming 



