454 ANNUAL REPORT 



to the planting of trees and plants. ' ' In this state most trees are 

 short-lived, hence the necessity of planting some new trees every 

 year to take the place of those that die out. Every farmer should 

 raise some trees from seeds of hardy varieties; if they do not 

 bear fruit good enough thoy may be top-worked to something 

 better." Chas. Hirschinger of Baraboo, related his experience 

 in raising apple trees under difficulties that would discourage any 

 but the stoutest hearted. Starting, when a mere boy by planting 

 some seeds, he had tried high kinds, low kinds and every method 

 that had been advocated during the last thirty years; had many 

 times almost come to the conclusion that fruit growing was a 

 delusion; was still at it, and last year harvested 2,000 bush- 

 els of apples. Wm. Fox, of Baraboo, read a very exhaustive 

 and practical paper on grape culture, after which object lessons 

 were given in methods of grafting and budding to secure hardy 

 trees for the orchard, by Messrs. J. A. Cotta, of Illinois, and 

 Hatch and Plumb, of Wisconsin. Mr. Cotta had on exhibition 

 some fine specimens of double- worked trees, which we will allude 

 to at some other time. 



At the forenoon session of the agricultural society A.L. Hatch, 

 of Ithaca, read a paper on ' ' Orchard and Tree Planting on the 

 Farm and Along the Roadside." He showed very conclusively 

 that apple growing could be made a success, pointed out the soil, 

 location, etc., best adapted to it, and named as the most successful 

 varieties. Duchess, Tetofsky, Wealthy, Orange Winter, and Mc- 

 Mahon White; also of Russians, Switzer, Repka and Longfield. 

 The subject was discussed at considerable length and the discussion 

 showed that public sentiment was drifting in favor of tree plant- 

 ing. Potato culture was called up in an exhaustive paper by S. 

 B. Harrington, of Walworth county. He gave its history from 

 the time of its discovery, at the time of the Spanish conquest 

 down to the present, and showed its importance as a food-pro- 

 ducing plant; he gave the details of the most successful methods 

 of cultivation now in vogue. During the afternoon, dehorning 

 of cattle, profits of poultry, bogus dairy products and trotting 

 horses were all discussed, and the bee keepers held a well-at- 

 tended meeting in another room. 



At the evening session J. S. Anderson, of Manitowoc, addressed 

 the convention on the "Relation of State to the Farmer." Dr. 

 S. M. Babcock, of the experiment station, gave a practical talk 

 on "Milk and Butter Production." And now the weary audi- 

 ence were served with a rare treat by Mrs. M. E. Warren, of Fox 



