Part 93 (1/2)

Mrs. Gould: Mrs. Wyman will read Mrs. Boyington's paper. Mrs. Boyington was unable to be with us today. (See index.)

Mrs. Gould: Mrs. Countryman will read a paper written by Mr. Swanson on the judging of flowers. (See index.)

Mrs. Gould: Our meeting will close with Professor Washburn's talk on ”Bird Conservation,” which will be given with slides and music.

Professor Washburn gives lantern talk.

December 9, 1915, Morning Session.

Half hour question and answer exercise on ”Truck Crop and Garden Insects,” led by Professor Wm. Moore. (See index.)

The President: The committee on fruit list has been working very hard trying to determine why we have particular varieties on the list and the changes, if any, that should be made. Mr. J. P. Andrews, the chairman of the committee, is the man who has been doing most of this work, and we will be glad to hear from him at this time. He is quite radical and in favor of many changes as you will note when he reads his report.

Mr. Andrews: There are very few changes, and you know it has been the policy of this society rather to be conservative and not jump at anything until we know what it is. (Reads new fruit list.)

Mr. Andrews: I move its adoption.

Motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

Mr. Andrews: I would like to call attention to the fact that a great many criticize that we do not change the list from time to time. I have thought that for a long time. Two or three years ago there was a little move towards making it so we could change it. We are putting up some nice, big premiums for late winter apples and early winter apples, and there are undoubtedly some seedlings that would be all right to put upon the list if we knew more about them. It seems to me it is foolish to pay those premiums and then drop it right there. We do not know any more about whether they are hardy or not than if they had been grown in Missouri. They may have grown well through some protection or favorable location, but when you commence grafting from a seedling it does not give satisfaction as a grafted tree and in different localities of the country.

We want to know whether the new seedlings are hardy enough for this climate, not that they are simply of good quality to eat and perhaps will keep. We find that out here, but we do not find out anything about the hardiness.

I think we ought to require a person who has produced a good seedling and gotten a good premium for it to send some of its scions to the superintendent of the Fruit-Breeding Farm for testing and let him send it out to points north of here, between here and the northern part of the state, to see how much hardiness it has. Hardiness is the quality we want more than anything else. We have gotten along so far with the Hibernal, and we ought not to be so particular about quality as about hardiness. They ought to be required to give Mr. Haralson a few of the scions or buds so that he could try them there at the fruit-breeding farm and send them out to more northern locations under number, so that the originator will be just as well protected, and it will add so much to the value of the new seedling that he ought to be anxious to do it instead of holding it back as is now done.

I move you that we have some arrangement whereby those drawing the premiums for the first and second qualities, keeping qualities and eating qualities, etc., shall be obliged to give to Mr. Haralson something to work on, either scions or buds of those varieties, so that they can be tested in that way and we know what they are, otherwise it leaves it for any one to introduce a new variety just about on the same ground that some other varieties have been introduced in the state, made a nice, large thing for the man that introduced them to the public and sold them but afterwards proved a great disappointment to almost every man who ever planted them. I move that we make such an arrangement, and we recommend that the state fair do the same.

Mr. Horton: I second the motion.

The President: It is moved and seconded that some arrangement be made requiring people who enter seedling apples for prizes at the horticultural meeting and the state fair to furnish scions or buds of such varieties to the central station to Superintendent Charles Haralson that he may determine whether the trees are hardy and suitable for this climate or not.

Mr. Andrews: We need this provision so that Superintendent Haralson could visit those trees and see what they looked like.

Mr. Latham: I move that this matter be referred to the executive board to develop a workable plan to secure the purposes which Mr. Andrews has in view.

The President: Do you accept that as a subst.i.tute?

Mr. Andrews: I would if it wasn't for this one thing. It was left that way a year or two ago, and it hasn't amounted to a thing. I do not care if it is left to the executive committee if Mr. Latham will vouch for its being put through.

Mr. Latham: Don't you remember as the result of that action we prepared forms to be used by those who examined the seedlings and decided what seedlings should be further tested and all that sort of thing. We have those forms for use if the committee wants to use them.

Mr. Andrews: Those ought to be so as to hold the premium money back until we get some material to test.

Mr. Latham: I will say a few words. It is not such a simple matter as it seems. Here come perhaps fifty people who have grown seedlings. We tell them we are very desirous that all the seedlings in the state that have promise of merit be shown. In the division of the premium money they do not get more than four or five dollars apiece, the best of them do not get more than eight or ten dollars. Then here comes a resolution which says, ”Before you draw this money you have to furnish scions to the state fruit-breeding farm with the privilege of sending out to other stations in the state for testing.” The average man who owns a seedling that is really a good thing begins to think about it, and we will not get what we want. If a man has a seedling that is better than the d.u.c.h.ess and Wealthy and has hardiness as well there are lots of buyers around here that have their eyes open. There has been a half a dozen I know of picked up in the last few years really first cla.s.s, fine and hardy. Those trees are being tested out. It would be a splendid thing if we could get a really good seedling, as Mr. Andrews says, but a resolution of this kind will not result in doing what we want to do.

I would like to have it referred to the executive board so they can work out a practical plan. Mr. Andrews is a member of the board. I renew my motion.

Motion is seconded.

The President: The original motion as given by Mr. Andrews is that those people offering seedlings for prizes, before they receive premiums--