WINNEBAGO COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The object of this Association is the dissemination of such horticultural knowledge as may be specially applicable to the localities of this portion of the state, by holding meetings for discussion, and comparing experiences on various methods of culture, and for ascertaining such facts as may be made conducive to the advancement of the general ends of horticulture. The society distributes seeds, plants, trees, &c. The society returns its thanks to the State Horticultural Society for fifty copies of its transactions for the year 1874, which were duly distributed, and which is regarded as a work of the greatest practical value. The officers of the association for the present year, are: President-John O'Brien, Nekimi. Vice-Presidents-J. R. Paddleford, Omro, Isaac Miles, Oshkosh. Corresponding Secretary-E. S. Hayden, Oshkosh. Recording Secretary-R. J. Harney, Oshkosh. Executive Committee-G. A. Randall, Isaac Miles, L. Whitemarsh, E. Chase, James Sanderson, and the President and Recording Secretary, ex-officio. TRANSACTIONS OF THE WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, AT THE Annual Meeting held in Madison, February 2, 3, and 4, 1875. The annual meeting was called to order in the State Agricultural Rooms, at 8 o'clock, Tuesday Evening, February 2, by the President, J. S. Stickney, Wauwatosa, who at once delivered the annual address, given in full on pages 9 to 15 of this volume. At the conclusion of this address there was an extended discussion of which the following is a very full summary: Mr. Benton made inquiries as to insect foes to the evergreens, and called up Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson said that for a number of years a small green worm, with stripes on the sides, had made havoc with his evergreens, and destroyed the foliage, eating off the terminal buds. The worm was very active, and would drop at the least jar. He found it difficult to kill them, and as they seemed to be on the increase, he feared he should lose the trees infested. When about an inch long, they went into chrysalis state on the tree, and in about two weeks came out a small, brown miller. President Stickney recommended the use of white hellebore. He had found it very effective in destroying all kinds of insect foes. Dust the plants with it when moist with dew or rain. He had seen similar worms on Balsams. 10-HOR. Mr. Anderson spoke of hedges as a fence; had tried Honey Locust, but had neglected it, and it had grown too large. Could it be lopped or splashed? President Stickney had little confidence in the hedge for fences; had seen miles of them in Illinois, but they took up too much land and were too expensive; little dependence could be placed upon them for protection to crops. It requires six years or more to get a hedge to turn stock; regarded the Barberry as most suitable; did not take so much land; never suffered from cold; had not seen any injury to other crops from it; it was some subject to blight but this was not fatal to it. 66 Mr. Peffer had tried the Honey Locust; it grew too large, and on splashing" it, the tops all died, but sprouted up from below; if cut back near the ground the first two or three years, it will thicken up and make a very good fence, but needs a good deal of cutting back. He had seen a very good Hawthorn hedge, but in deep snow mice had girdled and destroyed it. Mr. Woodard, of Marengo, Illinois, said the Osage Orange had served well for hedges in northern Illinois, where not neglected;" needs to be cut back thoroughly at first, and to be pruned every year; if too high growth is allowed, it took up too much ground; was mostly used for outside and line fences, and was good protection when well cared for. He suggested the native thorn as perhaps suitable; had seen good hedges of it. President Stickney gave as objections to it, that it was destroyed by mice; eaten by cattle; often killed out by severe cold; suffered by fire-blight, and took two years to get plants from seed. Mr. Smith said that at the east the Honey Locust was a forest tree, and he could not recall having seen a single hedge of it. He questioned its hardiness. Mr. Daniels said that two-thirds of the Honey Locusts in Waushara county had winter-killed. Mr. Kellogg thought the Honey Locust was too rapid a grower; needed a good deal of cutting back at first, and pruning two or three times in each season; he had two other shrubs more suitable for the purpose, the Barberry and Hawthorn. The Barberry required less pruning; should be cut back the first year close to the ground. Mr. Tuttle had seen no hedges, either east or west, which an swered a good purpose for protection against stock. Had little faith in them for this purpose. They take too much land. White Willow was sometimes used, but unless the field was large, little land would be left for cultivation. Mr. Plumb thought that we had gone altogether astray on the subject of hedges, trying to pattern after those in Europe in form and treatment. He regarded the Barberry as perhaps the most suitable in the character of its growth and other respects, as it needed less pruning; but it requires a long time, ten or twelve years, to make good fence; the Buckthorn will not bear the requisite cutting back; as a rule we cannot summer prune our plants, without injuring their vitality. Honey Locust can be used for this purpose; when it gets six, eight or ten feet high, cut off and let it thicken up; it is a gross feeder and will require a good deal of cutting back; he had a poor opinion of hedges for fences, but favored them as screens or wind-breaks and for ornamental purposes. He regarded it as an important branch of our business, as a society, to encourage their use for these purposes; they will add much to the beauty of our homes, and be very profitable in keeping out cold winds from our gardens and fields. Evergreens are very suitable for this; perhaps the Arbor Vitæ is best adapted for ornamental use, as it is more easily handled and pruned, and its natural growth is beautiful in form. For screens, would use Lombardy Poplar, setting the slips eight inches apart in a single row, thinning out and cutting off as they grow up. The refuse can be used for summer wood, which will be quite an item, at the present price of fuel; White Willow and Soft Maple can be used for the same purpose; will not make good fences, perhaps, but will be good screens. Mr. Benton recommended Red Cedar as reliable for this purpose; it grows rapidly and can be pruned to any form desired; is very compact, and is a very fine ornament and screen, serving the purpose as well as a board fence. Mr. Kellogg said if Red Cedar is used, get them from the north; those brought from the south were not acclimated and would fail. Pres. Stickney had seen very fine screens of White Pine, trimmed back to a suitable form. He was surprised to see it. We do not yet realize how evergreens will bear the knife if used at the right time; that is, while they are making new growth. Before the terminal buds are formed, cut off the ends and new shoots are sent out in compact form; neglecting to prune until an undesirable form is developed results in great loss. Mr. Plumb said he did not know of a time when we could not prune evergreens safely; had done it at various seasons of the year, in June and December, and could not see that cutting back had any more injurious effect at one time than another; would not hesitate to cut back to the desired form, whether the growth was new or old. Mr. Jackson suggested the use of crab trees for the purpose of wind-breaks and screens; would be profitable for fruit also. He had Hyslop crab trees that had been broken down, but sent up strong, hardy shoots from the ground and made a very compact growth. They had borne abundantly, and the fruit was sold at a good price; he thought the Hyslop was but little cultivated, but with him it was more hardy and productive than the Transcendent; on account of color and keeping qualities, it would bring more in the Chicago market. Mr. Tuttle had shipped both to Chicago and had realized the highest price for the Hyslop; said he believed both varieties came from New York, but they were little known in the east. Eastern people cannot raise fruit as formerly, and even now are dependent on the west for it. These crabs are good, but we are not dependent on them for fruit, even in the northern part of this state or Minnesota. Mr. Kellogg said these crabs are hardy and ornamental, but liable to be injured, as screens, by mice and blight. He regarded the Hyslop as much inferior in quality to the Transcendent and others. Mr. Benton had been troubled some with blight, but by seeding down the land, had in a measure obviated it. Mr. Harney, of Oshkosh, regarded the Hyslop as much inferior to the Transcendent in quality. and it was no hardier. The Transcendent did not keep as well, but was excellent for preserves. He thought the Society should cultivate the public taste; they should not recommend anything on account of the dollars and cents in it, so much as for its merit. Mr. Daniels had made a practice of drying the Transcendent; had found it very valuable for this purpose; when common dried apple was worth ten cents, he should regard them as worth twelve and a half. Mr. Plumb first knew the Hyslop in 1848; it was grown in Mr. |