442 
STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
and blossoms on the prairies, all have a history, which if well 
told will tell a tale of interest to every hamlet in the land, and 
be read by thousands who are looking westward for a place to 
spend their days. Aside from the gratuitous labors by Dr. 
Lapham, some years since, and printed in the different reports 
and periodicals, we have no written botany of Wisconsin. 
Other states are fast out-running ours, and it becomes us to 
look to our laurels, or the fact will tell upon us seriously ere 
we are aware where we are. 
The day has gone by when it is expected that a life time of 
experience must be served as a sort of apprenticeship to fruit¬ 
growing. Science, knowledge, comes to our aid, and this, wed¬ 
ded to the already acquired experience, will be instrumental in 
much good. As life changes, so we progress. A well and 
authentic description of the botany of any locality cannot 
well be given without also describing the soil connected there¬ 
with. This given, and the adaptability of this to any given 
fruit tree or shrub, and who cannot discern the reliability of 
that certain track for the particular fruit of his choice. Then 
getting out of the beaten track of traveling by experience 
alone, let us call to our aid the sciences, and with this new de¬ 
mand and great necessity, invoke the assistance of the present 
legislature to further the cause. Believing that by so doing, 
we in asking and they in granting, will bestow a lasting bene¬ 
fit upon the future generations, who as they apply the knowl¬ 
edge gained by the study of these sciences to their labors, may 
more easily and effectually combat with the insect enemies, 
more readily supply to the wanting soil its proper food, and 
guard with greater efficiency against the fickleness of our cli¬ 
mate. 
The advantages to be gained by a botanical report with a 
proper record of the same, to be made or kept either by accu¬ 
rate drawings of plants, or preserved by drying and pressing 
or otherwise, specimens of every known species that can be 
found, is well expressed by Dr. I. A. Lapham, who writes 
your secretary that already “ many of the plants in my (Lap¬ 
ham) collection are now scarcely to be found in the state, hav- 
