HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 311 



varieties, standing in proximity to other good varieties, for plant- 

 ing next spring. There is a fascination in this whole work that 

 keeps pushing the lover of horticulture into much hard labor with- 

 out ever thinking of a pecuniary compensation, and if it were not 

 so, very little progress would ever be made on this line. 



Received from State Experimental Farm some willow and pop- 

 lar trees, also a number of grape vines, one of which 

 grew. They were all dead when I received them I thought, but 

 put them 24 hours into water and set in root-house and then 

 planted. Willows and poplars the same, of which only four lived. 

 They were well packed when received, but express companies seem 

 to have no further interest in them than to collect charges thereon 

 and deliver the brush. 



Of small fruit I have of raspberries only, Turner's Red. They are 

 hardy, but for reasons already stated have not fruited for three sea- 

 sons. The wild red raspberry, of which the woods are full, failed for 

 the same reason. Red and white Dutch currants bear abundantly 

 every year without fail. Have also from Cbas. Luedloff Long both 

 Holland and Fay's prolific, but neither has fruited yet. Goosebrries 

 and strawberries I abandoned. Will try strawberries again when 

 I hear that Brother J. O. Barrett of Brown's Valley, has made a 

 paying success. Blackberries and dewberries T have not had on 

 trial. I have my hands as full now and more so than I should for 

 my age, and from the pleasure I derive (which may pay me), I 

 cannot pay hired assistance. 



ROCHESTER EXPERIMENT STATION. 

 By A. W. Sias, Superintendent. 



We have, at present, sixteen experiment stations, so called, some 

 of which, like my own, can hardly be said to exist --except on pa- 

 per! Some five or six of these stations gave us good reports a year 

 ago. We are just now entering upon the great work before us, and 

 how vitally important, that we start right. After studying this 

 subject, with more than my usual care, I came to the conclusion, 

 viz: that I could not publish my honest convictions in regard to 

 this station work, without "blowing cold" on my past record, to the 

 detriment of my present stock in trade ! Yet, I must do it, if I go to 

 the poor house as a penalty ! I am not such a mad crank that I can see 

 no good in this work, or but what I can perceive that these stations 

 were created to subserve some noble end. But if our superintend- 

 ents aim to do the greatest possible good, in the shortest possible 

 time, they will get right down to bed rock, primitive Native Fruit 

 amelioration! And I am most anxious that this good work should 

 begin at once, and be vigorously prosecuted along the whole line the 

 coming spring, without taking time to itemize, my plan would be 

 simply this, take every known native edible fruit, from the apple 

 down to the creeping cranberry, into the experimental grounds, and 



