HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 461 



■encouragement can be found by farmers and fruit growers of 

 this state in any easier or less painstaking methods. 



It is well known that many of our careful growers have from 

 time to time produced abundant crops of apples, that as to size 

 and excellence of quality were unsurpassed by productions of 

 orchardists of other sections in the East or South. And it has 

 also been demonstrated that we have here a number of hardy 

 kinds that have sufficient merit to recommend them for general 

 introduction and cultivation, at least for trial. Of course it must 

 be borne in mind that one must get his trees from hardy stocks 

 and such as will be found when fruiting, true to name. Some of 

 the new Eussians are yielding satisfactory returns, and those that 

 have been tested will prove more satifactory than mere experi- 

 ments with semi-hardy and unknown varieties. 



There is much to be hoped for in the investigations being 

 made from year to year by careful growers, as well as from the 

 experiments being carried forward at our experimental and 

 horticultural stations. The meetings being held from time to 

 time for the purpose of eliciting useful information on these im- 

 portant topics is all important and in the right direction, and 

 gives assurance for the hope that we may speedily behold the 

 day when we shall raise a rich abundance of choice and health- 

 ful fruit. 



It would afford me pleasure to attend your annual meeting 

 were I not otherwise engaged. I trust you may have a large and 

 very successful meeting. 



Very truly yours, 



S. D. HiLLMAN. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS, AT HUTCHINSON. 

 By M. Cutler, Sumter. 



Members of the McLeod County horticultural Society, 



Ladies and Gentlemen: We have met once more for the 

 purpose of comparing notes and obtaining such horticultural 

 information as will be of benefit to us in the future. We have 

 come together under much more favorable conditions than last 

 winter. Then it was a howling blizzard and forty or more de- 

 grees below zero; now, we are enjoying an old fashioned Indian 

 summer. 



