4 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
IRecent Meetings of State Iborticultural Societies. 
Ohio. —The exhibit of pears and apples at the annual meeting of the 
state society at Clyde, Dec. 18, was unusually good. There was a 
general discussion of topics on the programme. New officers were 
elected : President, William Miller; vice-president, N. T. Cox ; secre¬ 
tary, E. G. Woodard, of Kirtland ; treasurer, R J. Tussing. Secretary 
Farnsworth and Treasurer N. Ohmer retired after many years’ service. 
Indiana. —The forty-seventh annual meeting of the Indiana Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at Indianapolis, Dec. 3-4. Among the speak¬ 
ers was J. H. Hale who discussed modern methods in apple culture and 
marketing. He criticised the Keiffer pear and the Ben Davis apple. 
It was reported that 68 students last year studied horticulture at 
Purdue University. W. W. Stevens, Salem, was elected president ; 
W. B. Flick, Lawrence, secretary. 
Colorado— George I. Spear, Greeley, Colo., discussed plum culture 
at the annual meeting of the Colorado Horticultural Society. He ad¬ 
vocated American varieties for cooking. E. F. Stephens discussed 
winter storage of apples. Reports of inspectors from various districts 
showed that in Arapahoe county 5,315 acres were bearing fruit this 
year, crop being valued at $512 000. Fremont county reported 5,000 
acres under fruit cultivation, 4,000 being apples. 
Ontario. —At the annual meeting of the Ontario Fruit Growers 
Association, at Walkerton, Dec. 2-3, Joseph Tweddle, of Fruitland, 
reported that by means of spraying he cleared $2,000 last fall from a 
4^ acre orchard for which he paid $65 rent, and that from a 25 acre 
orchard previously overrun with canker worms he secured returns 
amounting to $3,000. He sprayed once before blossoms opened, once 
immediately after and then every three weeks until the fruit was well 
advanced. There are 500,000 acres in orchards in Ontario and 7,000,- 
000 apple trees more than 15 years old. There are 11,000 acres in vine¬ 
yards. The president of the association is W. H. Bunting, of St. 
Catherines. 
Missouri. —The forty-fifth annual meeting of the Missouri Horticul¬ 
tural Society was held at Springfield, Dec. 2-4. There was a large at¬ 
tendance, twenty-nine honorary members being present from other 
states. Much attention was given to the apple, as the meeting was 
held in the heart of the Ozark country, and there was an unusually fine 
display of the king of fruits. All the officers of the society were re¬ 
elected. The horticultural exhibit at the Louisana Exposition was the 
subject of an address by F. W. Taylor, who stated that the space for 
the horticultural display at the St. Louis fair would be double that at 
Chicago in 1893. Concerted action for the better conduct of the fruit 
shipping business was urged. Secretary Goodman promises a full 
report of the proceedings in official form in January. 
Iowa. —President M. J. Wragg, nurseryman, presided at the annual 
meeting of the Iowa Horticultural Society, at Des Moines, Dec. 1-3. 
He recommended the adoption of a bulletin system for disseminating 
information to members of the society, and urged increased attention 
to horticultural education. The report of the treasurer, Elmer W. 
Reeves, of Waverly, showed a balance on hand of $1,321.87. Silas 
Wilson and C. L. Watrous were active in committee work during the 
meeting. Mr. Wilson is treasurer of the Iowa Park and Forestry Asso¬ 
ciation. Mr. Watrous is a member of the Horticultural Society Com¬ 
mittee on Lousiana Exposition exhibit. President Wragg was re¬ 
elected president of the society ; Wesley Greene, Davenport, secretary. 
Silas Wilson, Atlantic ; W. O. Willard, Grinnell; Abner Branson, New 
Sharon, and M. J. Graham, Adel, are the nurserymen on the board of 
directors. 
Illinois. —The forty-seventh annual meeting of the Illinois Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at Champaign, Dec. 17-19, President Henry 
M. Dunlap, of Savoy, in the chair. There was a large attendance, a 
fine display of fruit and aD interesting discussion of horticultural 
topics. Officers of associations in Iowa, Indiana and Missouri were, 
present and a banquet was planned in their honor. Among the papers 
discussed were those on “ Native Plums,” by Prof. E. Cranefield, Madi¬ 
son University ; “Parks and Public Grounds,” O. C. Simonds ; “ San 
Jose and Other Scale,” Prof. S. A. Forbes. Mr. Dunlap declined re- 
election and H. A. Aldrich, of Neoga, was elected to the presidency. 
H. L. Doan was elected vice-president; L. R. Bryant, Princeton, 
secretary, and J. W. Stanton, Richview, treasurer. The society decid¬ 
ed to meet next year at Champaign. A strong bid for the annual 
meeting came from Bloomington. 
Quebec. —At the tenth annual meeting of the Quebec Pomological 
Society, at Waterloo, Dec. 16-17, S. H. Fisher said that 25 per cent, of 
the cultivated land in Canada was in weeds. R. Brodie quoted figures 
under the topic, “ Montreal as a Fruit Center.” From June 15 to Oct. 
1, there were brought into Montreal 150 cars of fruit on which freight 
and duty cost $1,200 a car. In winter oranges came from California j 
Florida and Mexico, 160,000 boxes from the Mediterranean alone. In 
spring, apples arrived, 225,000 barrels being sold, and 200 car loads of 
small fruits came in from the United States and Ontario, not including 
that grown nearby. Up to Dec. 2, there left Montreal for foreign ports 
476,753 barrels of apples ; at present there are stored over 50,000 bar. 
rels. There were not vessels to take all the apples stored, and there 
still remain in Ontario 400,000 barrels. 
Sidney Fisher was elected president ; Dr. H. W. Wood of St. Johns, 
secretary. 
Minnesota. —At the annual meeting of the state society, President 
W. W. Pendergast, in his address, stated that forty years ago it was 
thought impossible to raise apples in Minnesota. To-day forty varie' 
ties are successfully raised in the state, and this year’s crop amounted 
to 500,000 bushels. The state society has grown from a membership 
of 41 in 1890 to 1,248 in 1902. Among those at the annual 
meeting was George II. Whiting, of Yankton, S. D. Among the prize 
winners were O. F. Brand, Faribault, and the Jewell Nursery Co., 
Lake City. Wyman Elliott, of Minneapolis, recommended ifor Eastern 
Central Minnesota, Wealthy, Duchess and Northwestern Greening. 
For Western Minnesota, Wealthy, Hibernal and Longfield were recom¬ 
mended for hardiness. Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea, was elected 
president of the society. J. M. Underwood was made a member of the 
executive committee. President C. M. Loring, of the State Forestry 
Commission, discussed “ Roadside Trees.” Mr. Underwood presided 
at the banquet of the Horticultural Society. Prof. N. E, Hansen, 
Brooking, S. D., responded to a toast. W. W. Pendergast, the retir¬ 
ing president, showed such a familiarity with the subject of plums 
that he was dubbed the “Plum Deacon” of the society. E. H. S. 
Dart, of course, talked of girdling fruit trees for productiveness. 
Michigan. —One of the mostjnteresting papers read at the annual 
meeting of the Michigan Horticultural Society, at Hart, Dec. 2-4, was 
that by Prof. U. P. Hedrick on varieties of apples. This was illus 
-trated with a collection of 72 kinds from Michigan, Massachusetts, 
Rhode Island, Nova Scotia and Washington. Prof. Hedrick said that 
the term variety is used too loosely and often fraudently by the 
nurserymen and seedsmen, who send out old sorts under new names. 
A variety should be defined by its perceptible qualities rather than by 
its origination. Without new sorts all agriculture must come to a 
standstill. Yariation is the result of environment, or of hybridization 
and selection.- All the plants have a tendency to vary and none are 
exactly like the parents. Varieties differ in different localities in size, 
shape, color, texture and flavor. Thus we have well-marked strains of 
varieties grown under different geographical conditions. They are 
also plastic, and, by selection alone, marked results can be secured in 
the vigor of the tree, and color, size and quantity of fruit grown under 
the same conditions. Varieties do not run out on account of age, but 
because of being poorly adapted to the location, or especially subject 
to the attack of insects and disease. The report of the secretary show¬ 
ed that “ little peach” is spreading and that peach yellows is decreas¬ 
ing. In general Michigan horticulture has improved during the year. 
Virginia. -The seventh annual meeting of the Virginia Horticultural 
Society was held at Lynchburg, Dec. 2 3. The fruit exhibit in¬ 
cluded plates of Smock, Solway and Bilyear peaches in perfect condi¬ 
tion, which had been in commercial packages in cold storage. Three 
grades of Ben Davis, York Imperial and Pippin apples were shown in 
connection with lectures on packing fruit. The George E. Murrell Or¬ 
chard and Nursery Company, Fontella, Bedford county, showed fine 
plates of Albermarle Pippins, Winesaps, York Imperials, Ben Davis, 
Rome Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Baldwin, Lawver and others. Vine 
