36 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



March 



Reported for the Weetern Pomologiet 

 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society- 

 Annual Meeting. 



Mark Midler— Dear Sir; — Our State 

 Horticultural dociety has just closed one of 

 the most pleasant and profitable annual 

 meetings which it has ever been the good 

 fortune of the fruit growers to hold. This is 

 the culmination of labors in the riglit direc- 

 tion. How chauged the scene since you, 

 Mr. Editor, was an active member of the 

 Society and assisted in its first organization. 

 For the last few years new life, new fruits, 

 and new energy has been imbued into its 

 existence ; and few, if any, organization of 

 fruit growers can be found that will show a 

 more enthusiastic set of men than wore 

 found at this State Society's Annual Meeting, 

 where with an attendance of from fifty to 

 seventy-five of the best representative men 

 of the State, tlie fruit interests did not falter, 

 but got such an enthusiastic good cheer that 

 great good cannot fall to follow. Our friends 

 from Northern Illinois were here, and our 

 meeting with them was " good" to all in at- 

 tendance. 



Tlie meeting convened on Tuesday evening 

 the 1st. Mayor Leiteb and President of the 

 City Society, delivered an addi-ess of wel- 

 come. President Hobbins then read his 

 annual address, written in his usual easy 

 and t appy style. Congratulated tlie Society 

 upon its perfect harmony of action and suc- 

 cess of its exhibition for the past year ; very 

 discouragiugly of tree peddles, as a pestilence 

 to be shunned, if we would succeed in having 

 the nomenclature of our orchards reliable 

 and would hope to have an orchard. His ex- 

 perience with Eastern horticultural journals 

 has not been satisfactory, and counsels not 

 to be guided by their teachings, but let the 

 West educate from the multitude of her 

 teachers. Our climate, soil, and practices 

 are so widely separate, that he, the Presi- 

 dent, could hardly hope for much good to 

 come out of the East. Urged the appoint 

 ment of an Entomologist. Also to memo- 

 rialize the State Legislature for assistance to 

 enable the Society to complete the system of 

 experiments now commenced in their ex- 

 perimental garden — "the only garden of the 

 kind under tlie auspices of any Stiite So- 

 ciety." And surely the object is a good one, 

 and if managed right would result in much 

 value to the entire West. 



The Secretary reviewed the year's pro- 

 gress and noticed with pleasure one marked 

 token of horticultural progress, viz: the 

 demand for horticultural reading; that it 

 was very greatly upon the increase. The 

 Western Farmer was vastly improved, and 

 now tlie Western Pomologist claimed its 

 share of public fivor. From this he argued 

 that there was progress in store, or the de- 

 mand would not sustain the effort. Urged 

 the giving or using of more horticultural 

 works, both papers and books, for premiums 

 at fairs, as a means of educating the people 



and promoting one of the highest branches 

 of the industrial pursuits 



Reported nearly two thou.sand plants, 

 trees and vines growing in the horticultural 

 experimental garden; explained whi-rein it 

 hadlhus far fallen short of the objects of its 

 founders, what its aims should be ; and said 

 another reason for requiring the continuance 

 of this wort is that we may have some place 

 where all the old and new sorts may be con- 

 gregated, worked in some manner so that 

 they will fruit at the earliest possible mo- 

 ment, and by comparison of sorts very much 

 can and would be done to correct the nomen ■ 

 clature of our present list, and thtse lists so 

 corrected should become the authority of the 

 State. 



This garden in time should grow to an in- 

 fluence of no mean proportions. Imagine 

 for a moment, a thousand varieties of apples 

 growing there, five hundred of pears, one 

 hundred or more plums, and as many grapes 

 and strawberries ; not to mention other 

 fruits, ornamental trees and plants. With a 

 managing committee of say three of vour 

 best pomologists and botanists, whose duties 

 should be to vieit as often as might seem 

 necessary, the garden, comparing the various 

 fruits and noting its progress and condition. 

 Will any one present say that such a work is 

 not worthy your best eflforts ? Might it not 

 become a labor of love of this Society and 

 the pride of the State, to which other States 

 may point with envious pride ? Still another 

 benefit, and one which to my mind is of 

 incalculable benefit to the State is, the influ- 

 ence it would have upon young men, stu- 

 dents, who will see with honest pride the 

 fruit resources of their State, and in their 

 leisure learn to study its development, from 

 this the fruit sections or localities of their 

 own homes, and when they leave their col 

 lege life they have learned what the books 

 do not teach — practical horticulture — its ef- 

 fects will be known and read of all men in 

 the renewed activity in tree planting. 



The Treasurer's report showed a balance 

 on hand of $326.31, which was considered 

 very satisfactory. Wednesday morning the 

 fruit was placed upon the tables, and resulted 

 in the filling of about three hundred plates 

 of apples, pears and grapes, aU in very fine 

 condition. Surely a feast of good things, fit 

 for any epicure to look upon, and was very 

 creditable to the fruit growers of a " non- 

 fruit growing State," — as the croakers are 

 wont to call Wisconsin— and elicited much 

 praise from members and State officers 

 present. 



Upon the que.stion of dividing the State 

 into fruit districts, there was a lively and 

 interesting debate ; and while all admitted 

 its advantages, it was conceded that for a 

 lack of knowledge, it could not be satisfac- 

 torily done at the present time. The effect 

 of soil upon the health and hardiness of dif- 

 ferent trees was presented much more forci- 

 bly to the minds of the members than ever 



before. Mr. McCaflfee, of Freeport, Illinois, 

 cited the fact that the Rock River country, 

 known as the Galena limestone country, 

 would not grow plants and trees that would 

 survive the rigors of the climate but a few 

 niiks away, and instanced the quince, or 

 pears and quince. And here grapes require 

 more protection. 



Mr. Tuttle thought the State might some 

 time be divided, and that we would with 

 experience be able to have a list for the 

 damp lake regions, one for heavy clay laods 

 and another for the sand. Some sorts were 

 better adapted to the one than the other, 

 while some are equally good in all. Men- 

 tioned the Faraeuse as one of the very best 

 in Central Wisconsin ; the dry atmosphere 

 seemed just the place for it, where it was one 

 of his best, while it was the reverse in Mich- 

 igan and New York, and even his own im- 

 proved trees did not do as well the past damp 

 season as usual, j 



Judge Knapp thought the soil had very 

 much to do with the success of trees. Some 

 varieties will grow to perfection where oth- 

 ers equally as hardy will not grow at all. — 

 But owing to the geological character of the 

 State, one portion having been divided and 

 another covered with the drift of the glacier 

 period, great diversity must exist, even to 

 an entire change of character in the distance 

 of a few rods. Much interest was manifested 

 in this subject, enlisting the study of the 

 members as to why a fruit succeeds in one 

 locality and dies in another but a few rods 

 distance ; which was very briefly answered 

 by Mr. Tuttle, that some do well on the rich 

 soils of the prairie, or even stimulated open- 

 ing soil. Mentioned the Yellow Bellfleur 

 and Wagoner of this class, but must be 

 planted upon the lighter well drained soils. 

 Expressed himself much pleased with his 

 experience thus far with the Russian sorts. 

 They adhere to their native characteristics 

 of leaving out very late, even after the oth- 

 ers were well advanced, then with great 

 rapidity of growth till they ripen their wood 

 by the middle of August. The revised fruit 

 list of apples as the best five, from which 

 there was not a dissenting voice, and which 

 hardiness is the first requisite, but in this 

 case they also are unexceptionable in qual- 

 ity, are Red Astrachan, Dutchess of Olden- 

 berg, Fameuse or Snow, Tollman Sweet, and 

 Golden Russet. 



A second list was then adopted as worthy 

 in most respects, but to which there might 

 be instances of failure, but nearly equal in 

 every respect to the first, viz : Sops of wine. 

 Fall Stripe, St. Lawrence, Fall Orange, 

 Plumb's Cider, Perry Russet, Willow Twig, 

 Red Romanite, Blue Pearmain and Seek-no- 

 Further. 



Still a third list for trial: Sweet June, 

 Tetofsky, Lervelle, Baily Sweet, Gross 

 Pommier (Haas), Paradise Winter Sweet, 

 Cable, Gillfleur, Ben Davis, N. Spy, and 

 Raules Jannette. 



