been ascertained. I reply more particularly that a mere frost is not supposed to do injury. The conditions under which blight is supposed to originate are, a growing state of the tree, a sudden freeze, and a sudden thawing.

We would here add that many things are to be ascertained before this theory can be considered settled, as the afterstate of the sap after congelation, ascertained by experiment, the condition of sap vessels as ascertained by dissection, whether the congelation, the thawing, or both, produce the mischief; whether the character of the season following the fall injury may not materially modify the malignancy of the disease; seasons that are hot, moist and cloudy, propagating the evil; and others dry and cool, restraining growth and the disease. It is to be hoped that these points will be carefully investigated, not by conjecture, but by scientific processes.

11. We have heard it objected that trees grafted in the spring blight in the graft during the summer. If the stock has been affected during the fall, blight will arise from it. If the scion had, in common with the tree from which it was cut, been injured, blight must arise from it. Blight is frequently caused in the nursery, and the cultivator who has brought trees from a distance, and with much expense, has scarcely planted them before they show blight and die.

12. It is objected that while only a single branch is at first affected the evil is imparted to the whole tree, not only to the wood of last year, but to the old branches. I reply, that if a single branch only should be affected by fall frost, and be so affected as to become the depository of much malignant fluid, it might gradually enter the system of the whole tree, through the circulation. This fact shows why cutting is a partial remedy; every diseased branch removes so much poison; it shows, also, why cutting from below the seat of the disease (as if to fall below the haunt of a supposed insect) is beneficial. The farther the cut is made from that point where the sap has clogged the passages the less of it will remain to enter the circulation.

13. Trees of great vigor of constitution, in whose system but little poison exists, may succeed after a while in rejecting the evil and recover. Where much enters the system the tree must die, and with a suddenness proportioned to the amount of poison circulated.

14. A rich and dry soil would be likely to promote early growth, and the tree would finish its work in time, but a rich and moist soil, by forcing the growth, would prepare the tree for blight, so that rich soils may prevent or prepare for the blight, and the difference will be the difference of the respective soils in producing an early growth.

IV. Remedy.-So long as the blight was supposed to be of insect origin it appeared totally irremediable. If the foregoing reasoning be found correct, it will be plain that the scourge can only be occasional; that it may be in a degree prevented and to some extent remedied where It exists.

1. We should begin by selecting for pear orchards a warm, light, rich, dry and early soil. This will secure an early growth and ripen wood before winter sets in.

2. So soon as ascertained what kinds are early growers and early ripeners of wood, such should be selected, as they will be least likely to come under those conditions in which the blight will occur.

3. Wherever orchards are already planted, or where a choice of soils can not be had, the cultivator may know by the last of August or September whether a fall growth is to be expected. To prevent it, I suggest immediate root pruning. This will benefit the tree at any rate, and will, probably, by restraining growth, prevent blight.

4. Whenever blight has occurred, I know of no remedy but free and early cutting. In some cases it will remove all diseased matter, in some it will alleviate only, but in a bad blight there is neither in this nor anything else that I am aware of any remedy.

There are two additional subjects with which I shall close this paper. 1. This blight is not to be confounded with winter killing. In the winter of 1837 or 1838, in March, a deep snow fell (in this region), and was immediately followed by a brilliant sun. Thousands of nursery trees perished in consequence, but without putting out leaves or lingering. It is a familiar fact to orchardists that severe cold followed by warm suns produce a bursting of the bark along the trunk, but usually at the surface of the ground.

2. I call attention of the cultivators to the disease of the peach tree called "the yellows." I have not spoken of it as the same disease as the blight in the pear and the apple, only because I did not wish to embarrass this subject with too many issues. I will only say that it is the opinion of the most intelligent cultivators among us, that "the yellows" are nothing but the development of the blight according to the peculiar habits of the peach tree. I mention it that observation may be directed to the facts. HENRY WARD BEECHER.

October, 1844.

The following paper was to have been placed along with Henry Ward Beecher's letter to the Magazine of Horticulture, Boston, Mass., Hovey, Ed., on pear blight, but want of time excluded it. It is embodied in this report for the reason set forth by Mr. Fletcher.

Mr. President and Fellow Members-One rainy Thursday of the last State Fair I met our beloved William Henry Ragan, who, for once in his life, seemed disturbed. He said that in the discharge of departmental work at Washington he had gone entirely through the thirty-five volumes of Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture and had found three valuable contributions from Henry Ward Beecher when a resident of Indianapolis, and that to preserve the same his wife had copied them for future use. He was grieved because for the first time in his life an editor looked light upon his efforts and refused to print in his paper a matter of general interest. He asked me to offer it to our Society at its annual meeting and secure its preservation in this year's report.

I am aware that to a progressive society it is in one sense a back number, but it does show us that for our present magnificent display in this house there was sixty years ago a substantial beginning. Excavations in our day disclose the foundations of structures whose immense proportions astound us overshadowing as they do any efforts of modern times. Time and the checker game for national life obliterate all above the ground line. The palaces of Caesar are traced only by subterranean walls and halls over twenty-one acres of ground. Around such ruins great interest and sentiment attaches. One stone at Jerusalem attracts more attention than any other object save the birthplace of the Savior— because it identifies the site of Solomon's temple. From contact with such things in my travels I have learned to revere them. I never look upon this grand structure in which we have our home to-day-with our name over the door, but I think of the hundreds of carloads of broken stone the size of an egg which with cement form one grand stone thirty feet beneath us on which this architectural beauty stands. Who of 100,000 visitors thinks of it! No one of thought and knowledge of the past is willing to say we shall endure as we are--Nation and State. A chronological chart from Adam to Christ shows how nations are blotted out; the next 4,000 years may wipe out the present flags of this earth. Every stone of this building may find a place in the walls and fortifications forced upon our descendants, but rest assured the humble foundation will never be removed. It will show the future archaeologist the possibilities of the superstructure.

Had there been an unbroken succession for ten years of winters as destructive to orchards as that of 1863 and 1864, no sane man would have embarrassed his soil with a fruit tree save as a curiosity, and the unearthing of Mr. Beecher's letter would alone afford us a glimpse of a paradise long since lost to us. Pardon a personal allusion to him. I knew him during my boyhood and on to his demise. The inspiration derived by growing up at his feet has afforded me greater pleasure than aught else

during life. It led to association with Fuller and Hovey, Thomas, Meehan, Barry, Warder, Elliott, Kirtland; Hull and a host of others outside of our State and into the sanctums of the Ragans, Aldridges and Sigamsons.

Note what Mr. Beecher says about our roses! Of all that number I know full well that he introduced the majority. He entered every dooryard in this town. He dug up and transplanted or threw away; he gave new varieties; he drew all of us after him to the short counter on which our first displays were made. He enlarged our store of knowledge and excited our powers of observation. He taught us of stamen and pistils

and their functions, and that the tints of flowers and the blushes of fruits were the reflex of smiles of the great Creator. Mr. Beecher was, moreover, eminently practical. Witness his high estimate of our privileges as a fruit growing State and country. Behold with what prophetic wisdom he saw our possibilities over a stormy sea which then required thirty days fortunate sailing to cross. Fruit for ourselves! Fruit for the world! And he lived to see his words fulfilled. Our esteemed brother, Joe A. Burton, will be pleased to read what he says of seedlings-and paradoxical as it may seem, is creating pedigreed seedlings to replaceyea, to exceed valuable varieties named by Beecher that are now lost. CALVIN FLETCHER.

Room 12, State House,

Indianapolis, Ind., Thursday, December 4, 1902.

The State Board of Horticulture met immediately after the adjournment of the Indiana Horticultural Society. On roll call thirteen answered to their names.

On motion of W. C. Reed, seconded by Professor Troop, the Secretary was ordered to have printed exhibitors' certificates to be signed by them certifying that fruit and flowers shown by them and competing for premium were of their own growing.

Sylvester Johnson, present trustee of Purdue University, was recommended for reappointment.

Several bills were filed and allowances were made, and an order drawn on the Treasurer for the same. (See order book.)

The local Horticultural Society of Pendleton, Ind., gave invitation to the Society to hold its summer meeting with them the coming August. On motion the invitation was accepted unanimously.

On motion adjourned sine die.

W. B. FLICK,

Secretary.

W. W. STEVENS,

President.

REPORTS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES, VICE-PRESIDENTS, AND MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS, SELECTIONS, ETC.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHERN DISTRICT.

J. C. GROSSMAN.

The past season was remarkable for the continuous wet and cool weather. Many of the rain storms were accompanied by severe winds, which, in many localities, destroyed many fruit, shade and forest trees. The extremely moist atmosphere was very conducive to plum rot, which was very severe among most varieties, especially so upon Hale, Burbank and Nickson in our own orchard. Peaches also suffered a great deal with the rot.

The strawberry crop, chiefly on account of the severe drouth of 1901, did not average over two-fifths of an average crop.

Frost about the first and also on the fourteenth and fifteenth of May did considerable damage in many places, and the humid atmosphere prevented perfect pollenization. The prospects for next year are better than last year. There were a great many second crop strawberries this fall, more than we had ever heard of before. This may materially decrease the yield next season.

Other small fruits were a fair crop, with a brisk demand and higher prices for all varieties of fruits than for a number of years. Cherries were only a fair crop, with failures in some sections. The demand was greater and prices higher than we ever experienced before. The apple and pear crops were unusually heavy in most of the counties, and the quality fair for unsprayed fruit and very fine in sprayed orchards.

Peaches were a complete failure in most sections or counties of the district with the exception, possibly, of Lagrange, where there was a very light crop on budded trees and a good crop on native or seedling trees, the crop being so heavy in some places as to break the trees down. There never is a complete failure in the peach crop where are plenty of native trees growing.

Plums in some counties were only a partial crop. With us the Japan,. Abundance, Burbank, and Nickson were so heavily laden we had to thin severely, taking off one-half to two-thirds of the fruit last of June. We probably lost one-half of those remaining on Burbank and Nickson by rot, yet there were enough matured then for the age and size of the trees.

The late fall and dryer weather ripened the trees up fairly well and we look for a good season of most fruits next year.