as the Wealthy, McIntosh Red, which are also grown commercially in Wisconsin.

(2) Is Wisconsin horticulture progressive? It gave your delegate much satisfaction to know that Wisconsin is keeping abreast of the times in adopting gradually the more progressive cultural methods. The source of satisfaction should not be taken as resting too strongly upon what has been accomplished in the past as upon the possibilities for future progress. It is encouraging to us that new developing horticultural fields are in a position to take up the more progressive methods and to profit by the mistakes of others, than some of the old districts where horticultural interests appear to be abating. Wisconsin horticulture should rise to the possibilities in the adoption of such methods as is making modern commercial fruit growing profitable. That is, including (1) improved methods of picking and marketing fruit, (2) intensive commercial spraying, (3) selection of commercial varieties, (4) adoption of intensive cultural methods.

In regard to the program at the convention, it might be well to say that the time was allotted to a discussion of a wide range of fruits, and hence not much time was spent upon fruits adapted to Wisconsin conditions. Probably two of the best subjects on the program were those of the sulphur sprays discussed by several experts, and the fruit marketing session which was handled very ably. Much of the time was spent in the considering of subjects of a somewhat technical nature such as the naming and classification of fruits.

Mr. D. E. Bingham of Sturgeon Bay was in attendance as a delegate also, and will report upon orchard conditions as he found them in the commercial orchards in the vicinity of St. Catherine's. Your delegate was treated very courteously by members of the local society at St. Catherine's, and also by officers of the American Pomological Society.

STUDENT JUDGING AND IDENTIFICATION CONTEST.

PROF. J. G. MOORE, Horticultural Dept., Univ. of Wis.

A new feature at the winter meeting of the IIorticultural Society was the Student Judging and Identification Contest. For some little time there has been given in the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, a course in pomology, which has as one of its objects the familiarizing of students with the common varieties of fruits grown in Wisconsin and other states. This work has been primarily confined to the apple.

For some little time there has been carried on in connection with the winter meeting of the Michigan State Horticultural Society, a Student Judging Contest. This contest seemed to create a great deal of interest in the lines of variety identification and judging, not only among the students in the College of Agriculture, but also among the fruit growers in attendance at the winter meeting. The writer suggested to the President and Secretary of the Society that the inauguration of a similar contest in Wisconsin might be expected to have similar results, and also increase the interest of the students in the Horticultural Society to which, in the past, comparatively few have had any definite relation.

The suggestion met with the hearty approval of the Executive Committee, and a sum of $20.00 was set aside as prizes for such a contest. It was divided in four prizes of $8.00, $6.00, $4.00 and $2.00 each. The contest consisted of the identification of fifty specimens of apples taken from among some thirty or forty varieties suitable for use in Wisconsin, and commercial apple culture in other state. The second part of the contest consisted of the judging of four variety classes of six entries each; the student being required to award four prizes and give the reason for the awards. The work required over three hours, and the results obtained were highly satisfactory. The final awards were made by Mr. D. E. Bingham who was selected by the President as judge of the contest. The final grade of the student was determined by taking the sum of the final ranks in both the identification and judging contest, in which the student had been placed first, second, third, etc. The student having the lowest grand total was declared winner. The prizes were awarded as follows: Miss 12-H. S.

Vida French, first; Mr. Carl Muck, second; Mr. M. W. Richards, third, and Mr. W. Mueller and Mr. P. Lunde tied for fourth.

While this contest was only an experimient during the present year, the interest which it awakened among the students, members of the State Horticultural Society, and parties who read of the contest through the press, was so great that it would seem advisable that the contest be continued, and that the scope of the work covered be still further perfected in the future. One noticeable feature was the fact that those students who took part in the judging contest were more interested in the regular program than the average student who was not in the contest, being more regular in attendance, in fact, being present whenever the work at the University would permit.

The Horticultural Department feels very grateful to the Executive Committee of the Society for making possible this contest, and for its co-operation in trying to train the young people of Wisconsin along practical fruit growing lines.

WASHINGTON AND OREGON VS. WISCONSIN.

The President: We will now follow the suggestion of our Secretary and call on Mr. F. J. Toland of L Crosse to speak to us on the Western country.

Mr. Toland: I was invited to talk to you about Washington and Oregon and possibly can tell you some things that will be of interest. For a good many years I have been interested in fruit growing and the height of my ambition has been to own a good commercial orchard. With that object in view I have visited fruit growing sections in New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, California, Oregon and Washington. I visited Spokane, Wash., the 2nd day of May, 1909, and left it on my return trip the 14th day of July. During that interval I visited nearly every advertised fruit proposition in Washington and northern Oregon. Quite a number I had visited in previous years and this was my fifth trip to the Pacific Coast. As I found conditions materially the same at all the advertised points, I will only mention some of those which are most prominently before the public, and as briefly as possible.