AN OUTLINE OF THE WORK OF THE WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY The Wisconsin State Horticultural Society conducts field work at sixteen different points as indicated on the map. The work was begun in 1897 at Wausau for the purpose of testing the hardiness and adaptability of the different varieties of tree fruits in the northern or "cut-over" regions of the state. These orchards comprise 55 acres and 5445 trees in addition to two acres of grapes. The orchards at Wausau, Medford, Barron, Poplar and Maple are "Trial' Orchards, being for the purpose above indicated; the Sparta vineyard is also in this class. The remaining orchards are located in sections where tree fruits are known to thrive and are designed as "Model" or demonstration orchards to show the best methods of culture, best varieties for market, etc. An account is opened with each of the "Model" orchards with the confident expectation that a decided margin of profit will be shown at the end of 10 or 12 years. The orchards should then yield profitable crops for 20 years longer with but moderate expense for maintenance. In these two ways the Society hopes to demonstrate the possibilities of fruit growing in Wisconsin. The Society has recently (1909) undertaken the task of improving the grounds of the 7,000 rural schools of the state. (See 1909 Arbor Day Annual, p. 41.) A comprehensive plan has been adopted and the first steps taken. Additional Aims and Purposes of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society Organized in 1865, being the legitimate successor of the Western Fruit Growers' Association, which was organized in 1853. Chartered by the State of Wisconsin in 1871. Purely an educational institution. Its purpose the advancement of every branch of horticulture throughout the state. Aims to accomplish this through publications, individual help and Conventions (two yearly). Issues an annual report (250 pages) containing articles by experts on orchard culture, small fruit and vegetable gardening and the decoration of home grounds. Sent free to members. Issues bulletins on practical subjects written in plain language and free from technical terms including pruning, spraying, planting, etc. Sent free to members and others who apply. WE ANSWER QUESTIONS Individual help is furnished through the Secretary, who obtains from reliable sources information on any horticultural topic. No charges for such services, Receives an annual appropriation from the state for the support of the field work and other activities. Maintains a membership of 158 life members and over 1,000 annual members. (Feb., 1910.) Extends an urgent invitation, a promise of help and the hand of fellowship to all who want to learn about the growing of fruit, flowers or vegetables; to all who love the beautiful in nature a hearty welcome is assured. Cordially invites every person in Wisconsin who knows something about fruit, flowers or vegetables to become a member, as such persons are needed to help along the splendid work in which the Society is engaged. FREDERIC CRANEFIELD, Secretary W. S. H. S., Madison. WM. TOOLE, President W. S. H. S., Annual membership 50c. Life Membership $5.00 Remit to Secretary, Madison, Wis. CALIFORNIA TRANSACTIONS OF THE Wisconsin State Horticultural Society SUMMER MEETING. La Crosse, Wis., August 25, 1909. MORNING SESSION. The meeting was called to order by the President, Mr. William A. Toole, at 10 o'clock, in the Court House. After the invocation by Mr. Irving Smith, the president announced the first subject on the program, "The Orchard, Location, Varieties, etc." and called on Dr. Loope to speak on the subject of "Apples.' Dr. Loope: In regard to the location of the home orchard, there are a great many homes in the state of Wisconsin that have no location that would be of any use for a home orchard. The location ought to be one reasonably high and well drained; never anything else. In regard to varieties, that is where we differ; here is where our roads will part right away. In the home orchard there is one tree that you absolutely must not plant, and one apple that must not be in the home orchard, the apple of discord, because it will bear something that will make trouble all the time and you cannot take care of it. The apple of discord is entirely discarded in my home orchard. But for fifty trees for the home orchard, I would say, 10 Wealthy, 5 Duchess, 5 Northwestern Greening, 5 Whitneys, 5 Tetofsky, 5 McMahon, 5 Snow, or Fameuse, 1 Wolf River for shade, I Sweet Crab for the children Now, you will notice in that list I have no really good winter apple, and in all the lists for your home orchard you had better leave out all the real good winter apples. What I mean by that is, that the regular old fashioned winter varieities, such as are grown in New York and Ontario and Michigan, we cannot raise. There is no use planting them; they will die. There may be favored localities where you can put in that class of fruit in this state, but there are not many of them, and the main part of the home orchard you must devote to the summer and fall apples, and if you do that you can grow all the apples you can use on fifty trees such as I have named. You would not be able to use them all. The reason I put in the Wealthy is because the Wealthy is one of the best apples grown in Wisconsin or anywhere else. I put in the Wealthy, because, if you are near cold storage, and you have ten or twelve trees, they will fill your barrels with Wealthies, put them in that cold storage and take them out in February, March or April, and you have the finest eating that anybody ever had in an apple. So you can have apples all winter long, if you are near cold storage. As regards culture; it is quite a mooted question. I have been to quite a number of horticultural meetings, in Missouri, Illinois and other states, and I find just as much diversity of opinion there as there would be here today, probably. The fad that they have just now is clean culture; it is a very fine fad; if you are going to have the very finest ideal for an orchard, you have got to keep it clean, free of sod, without anything green between the trees, because that is the ideal condition. The question of culture in the home orchard is quite a burning question, because we know and you know and every one knows that the home orchard is the neglected place on the farm. If there are any Canada thistles, quack grass, or any of those things to be grown on the farm, they are grown in the home orchard. The trees are neglected, they are not pruned, and once in a while a tree will die under such use, and they will come around and say, "Why, we cannot raise apples here, the trees die." I have quite a large orchard of some five thousand trees, and I find in that orchard the trees die, but before this I have made this state |