FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION, STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 11 



The Fifty-First Annual Convention of the Iowa State 

 Horticultural Society. 



MRS. E. W. GOULD, MINNEAPOLIS, DELEGATE. 



Iowa may well be proud of its Horticultural Society and of 

 its splendid exhibit of apples, pears, grapes and nuts recently 

 shown in the State Capitol at Des Moines. 



Its rooms in this building are handsome and commodious, 

 much like a large private library, where were easily accommo- 

 dated the average of about fifty who were in attendance. Here 

 the sessions of its annual meeting were held December 12, 13 

 and 14. Just outside its doors in the rotunda of the capitol was 

 staged the exhibition of fruits and nuts. 



Some of the many interesting papers and discussions were 

 upon "Renewal Pruning to Promote Bearing," "The Family 

 Garden," "The Past, Present and Future of our Native Plums," 

 "Our County Agent," "Spraying and Cultivating," "Fall vs. 

 Spring Planting," "Orchards of Wisconsin," "A System <of 

 Parks, National, State and County," "The Oaks," "Some Native 

 Shrubs," a fine talk by our own Prof. Cady; "Conservation of 

 the By-Products of the Orchard," "Forty Years Rose Growing 

 in Iowa," "The Peony," "The Mission of Beauty," by Iowa's 

 poet, Mr. Eugene Secor of Forest City ; "Records of Fall Bearing 

 Strawberries for 1916," "Evergreen Windbreaks," "Arrange- 

 ment of Farm Buildings and Grounds" — all of which awakened 

 lively interest and warm discussions. 



On Wednesday afternoon a speaking contest by six students 

 of the Horticultural Department of the State College at Ames 

 and selections by a male quartette from Iowa State College made 

 up a very popular program, much appreciated. 



The exhibit of apples consisted of over four thousand plates 

 of apples and about two hundred boxes. Words fail to describe 

 the beauty and fragrance of these. A few pears were shown, 

 also grapes and nuts. 



That Iowa and Des Moines are awakening to the importance 

 of this exhibit and meeting is shown by the fact that committees 

 from the Greater Iowa Commission and the Commercial Club of 

 Des Moines waited upon the convention, bringing an invitation 

 and proposition that they hold their 1917 meeting in their 

 Auditorium down in the center of the city and combine with the 

 State Florists and Gardeners to make an exhibit that will be 

 much more accessible to the general public. They felt that such 



