56 Horticulture in Wisconsin Territory. 



Art. III. Sortie observations on the Climate and Soil, and the 

 state of Horticulture in Wisconsin Territory. By F. K. 

 Phcenix, Delavan, Walworth Co., W. T. 



I have been for the past three years, a subscriber to your 

 excellent Magazme, and have thus far been very much inter- 

 ested in its contents, — not only as a nurseryman and fruit- 

 grower, but also as one who has a great taste for flowers and 

 their cultivation ; though as yet I find but little time to grat- 

 ify myself in that respect, as fruit and fruit trees have to us, 

 in this new country, far more of the indispensable. It is not, 

 however, in regard to flowers here, as in sections that were 

 heavily timbered when settled; as the whole face of the 

 country is studded with wild flowers from the time when the 

 frost leaves the ground in the spring, till late in the autumn, 

 some of which are very beautiful and fragrant. Among 

 some of the most common, I would name a number of species 

 of the /Ranunculus, (I believe, early, low, yellow flowers,) 

 the violet, painted cress, bugloss. a number of the asclepiases, 

 cupid's dart, very abundant and most beautiful and fra- 

 grant, four species of the liatris, five solidagos, five gen- 

 tians, three girardias, some species of the poly gala, a lily, a 

 phlox, and asters innumerable. Besides these, that are not so 

 very common, we have some lobelias, a Neottia, two species of 

 the lady's slipper, another lily, &c., &c., so (hat you see 

 Nature provides us flowers, and that not according to the 

 stinted measure of Art. And though wild flowers are so 

 plenty, almost every family has its patch or bed of cultivated 

 flowers, and some tolerable good collections of the common 

 sorts. 



The cultivation of fruit is very much neglected. The 

 country has been considerably settled some four or five years, 

 and yet but a small proportion of those who have been here 

 so long have even currant bushes set out, — and this too when 

 the soil and climate are excellent for all sorts of grain, and 

 as far as lias been tried, such fruits flourish exceedingly, and 

 when the people are wholly from the Eastern and Middle 

 States, where fruit was abundant. It is owing I think to the 

 hurry and press of business, incident to a new country, and 



