STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 421 



Delagates were in attendance from Wisconsin, Illinois and Kan- 

 sas, to whom were extended the usual courtesies. 



The last year has been a very disastrous one to the fruit interests 

 of Iowa. The reports of directors from all parts, except the south- 

 western portion, show a very light crop of fruit of nearly all kinds, 

 varying usually from half a crop to a total failure. These valuable 

 reports also show widespread destruction of trees in orchard ; 

 twenty-five to thirty per cent, of all orchard trees being killed out- 

 right or virtually ruined. It may be regarded as a singular fact 

 that this destruction was greatest in the southeastern part of the 

 state, where the mercury went to about forty below, and seventy- 

 five per cent, of trees are reported ruined, some entire orchards be- 

 ing destroyed on low lands, whilst on high lands the injury was 

 proportionally less according to altitude. The greater destruction 

 in this section is undoubtedly due to the fact that further north 

 more attention has been paid to the selection of hardy varieties. 

 Nursery stock and young orchards have suffered but little, whilst 

 orchards ten to fifteen years out are injured worse than older 

 trees. 



The variety that has suffered worst of all is Ben Davis. Some 

 will replant this variety on account of its good record in the past, 

 whilst others will discard it entirely. 



In the southwestern portion of the state, but little injury was 

 done. A few trees were killed, the number increasing towards the 

 north. The fruit crop in this section was generally good. 



There seems to be quite a difference of opinion as to the cause 

 of this general destruction of trees. Some believe it i^ not the ex- 

 treme cold that kills, but the sudden changes towards spring. 

 Others think the condition of the soil as to moisture at the setting 

 in of winter has an important bearing, abundance of moisture being 

 a favorable condition. All agree that hardier trees are a necessity, 

 and that to obtain long keepers of the best quality, extensive ex- 

 periments must be carried on. And in view of this fact they voted 

 to ask for an annual appropriation of $2,500, in addition to the 

 $1,000 they now receive, believing that a state rich enough to 

 build a two million dollar capitol, can well afford to devote this 

 small sum to promote so important and valuable a branch of 

 industry. 



The President's address was brimfull of good practical sug- 

 gestions and the lectures and essays were mostly admirable pro- 

 ductions in plain English, there being scarcely a reminder that the 

 authors knew a little Latin and desired to make the most of it. 



