: Yt eM Keane ra ws, ‘* VSP potter hei nt. Pe AS " q : “ = ha Mil Dros ESS haa) oa . ee : x : os ne PR se a NTR D CPt ik 6 . : . eye eed Sarita * siete v4 ". = ‘. £9.3¥«? aby laa * ae tte aa ar =~ ag ¢ "a eee Se OF ‘ Dee en gh nee od cae bet 42 : Fannie iseacneteees Te, rus SS ata wg ners ahaa rs PLA rex ey wae < be n@ | On r OF THE i ea TS otal Soc). 1892. EMBRACING THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY DURING THE YEAR. ENDING JAN. 13, 1893, PAPERS, DISCUSSIONS, REPORTS, ETC. EDITED BY THE SECRETARY, A. W. LATHAM, EXcCELSIor, MINN. VOle Nox 1: _ SHORTHAND REPORTER, J. H. SAVAGE, MINNEAPOLIS. wyas;.) MINNEAPOLIS: “HARRISON & SMITH, STATE PRINTERS 1893 LIBRARY Kaha pe : NEW YORK GARDEN TABLE OF CONTENTS. be Page. Letter of Transmittal to the Governor. ..........00: ccc ee cece ee eens 4 Communication from the Secretary.............. Mamnrey Teyara sche tra Melons ‘ 5 Or LP LT TTREIGC SA 9 07 en UE Sc Rig e See ec, Dla ga ee 6 _ Superintendents of Experiment Stations................ 0... seen es T — Committees Se hed Hae, Bae ncaa CA idee hh hee Aes ee Wan ane 7-10 TOG AE AAU CHO E CEPTS BEA ORG fs LETS ce ARSC OSCItiC Tne ETC IAI 11-18 NV ASaraiNatescvar onetaMahatate a nletareneceiate ove ha dcyardraet a eve erasers ocneleic wie 19-20 List of N urserymen and Florists......... BE ireints Sareea as, 2 21 ewspapers Advertising the Society ................. nag? ta fe rs SN yb Officers of Minnesota State Agricultural Society. .................. ae MP eae gt A ee ae ate alec) cae eard Sake Upitind ole ame 24-26 are Sedaris Se cK Seem etnias t oan, SW odie odesve deck 27 Rules for eanEUN MME IT Utes choc ave aoc e/a ce ce odcie bw Gadhia lols ook ts 28 SP Maar sediar arent pl Dhue cient tert ea ad cree ewete es aati nals 29 ecord of Proceedings of the Executive oeeeee AS LEV BGR 30 Ne Record Bieoustaanicr Meelis: Nos ts aen Sh. dc te wate tot ce oe we cass 33-51 Record of Annual Winter WRCAEING oa oak ca, ea oa dram oot: Bake 52-130 eM Fens hel on erevies oa aharatalaag oa Drei a aasa PRN eae le tale Saye Bie te ayes tee 131-138 SER de ee ee tig Sema uM A a Ota owe 139-144 OIA aa dade ialsTajavaNl eld ola crete a thrsCare til ecthar ere ene A Lie crap ENYS wlbnals, she eiacal oubl 145-147 Re lan thereto baie MIS EST oP a) ht chehasekaveh erage have in cictetes Gras eke 148-149 ween nee en eee e ete eee eect eet e teen ee cette nent eee te teees 150-171 MERE TEES UNS fa) g Suns no) Fats star ayy an inva. by = alee oaithe line twice kre Sf Ge cletels Sabinkie 5 172-173 <3 Deciduous Pree | PINY EL ETNOG als ods wate pet ita e cigs dreads wis wate nie hace 174-177 m Hort culture on New Prairie Farms.............. Sarna ate IV ew ak 178-185 Be” Electricity REIS eee tie Noh ie kate ek Se ete Re aa Line's eit ote 186-192 The Leaves of Our Hardy Trees......... TON Batre} 03 sin Ss clones 193-194 Sie tiosom BOW Cacrlog@ue: ie. eete.: oweeksees Boks Sh wei 195-205 206-209 210-239 bi ; 240-257 i, MATE MPO Le, >a) nt Se dracuta:e pie ate ivinee ees sig Sake siete ale alee a aeie soda eta 258-261 ig Pe pples ni OBE Cb See Oe Re Cee OS ae he NY = SIA AT AER A 262-297 tt” ees and’; Cherries 2. g..iseene wes Merde ted TOM ene irc ieeeia Gat at Sa ak Be 298-300 — GTAPeS ...--- ee eee eee eee eee BRP ara lol a etiste pd attest) Vas oie ieee Maree cit olanelet 301-321 bet Bernall MPA pee ct olay > ans oe pad eines reat aoe TONS Lael aie bin dies ess ne 322-351 _ Vegetables OKI IRE IRE ES pelea PB ET ied ibs ERE ET TS a 352-364 LCR eer fe art ty kina Gone eghae ee ania sic Pas Raed usle nas Taece 365-381 a: forticultural Structures and Implements...............0..20.0005 382-385 ARS) Peer MSY GUNS Ps se teh aa aie cools oe Uainet onl edae pte adsen 386 Pen ME aeI TN TG IAEES Bleuaee ere uinin totyie SI dia la BRlLA yield onierh(araiete o's ded « 396-399 Reatets te tenet e eee eect ee cece eee cent e eee ce eeee ce sens 400-403 ~ : . BOTANICAL honor to submit herewith the annual report of our society for th - ending January 13, 1893. be ; *s Respectfully yours, We Ash Wie ‘LATHAM, ae Secretary. oe e P5 atte Se re : rk, cae ce a she iy Bie Ph) nom ‘ ie. ot ry ae COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY. Ag a “4 EXCELSIor, Minn., April 18, 1893. ee las | Fellow-members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: ne ee _ The present annual report, the third one which it has pase \ | : 2 Be: my, pleasant privilege to edit for you, is being completed in the . ‘z ee hurry of preparation, at the last moment, before departing for an- | 2 - - other field of duties in your service, at the Columbian Exposition. | ocala _ The work has not, however, on this account been slighted, and a rust it may prove to be the best edited of the three. It ; ‘“ uires, I am finding out, much experience to do this work is well. : 2 Fees Br EY The topical arrangement is continued in the present volume eae _ to as complete a degree as is practicable. ; 2 Our members and friends from abroad have contributed lib- ee erally of their time and experience in giving value to this BS? report, and to those who study its pages it will be found help-” oe oa ful and instructive, and pointing the road to success in horti-. K % e. _ cultural pursuits in the Northwest. . my _ Hoping to meet you at the Minnesota Horticultural Exhibit ns cot the Columbian Exposition, where arrangements have been PB eininea to make it pleasant for you, Ci I have the honor to remain, hg Yours fraternally, Ke ‘ A. W. LATHAM, is Secretary. ) OFFICERS FOR 1895. PRESIDENT. J. WE SUNDER WOOD tile ccscsece iw Cae oe z - VICE-PRESIDENTS. CLARENCE WEDGE, First Congressional District.............. S. D. RicHARDSON, Second ‘ ¥ SS ENE ' L. E. Day, Third Se en Aare te ae oe * &. S. MackintossH, Fourth — oe uy 8 un J. H. STEVENS, Fifth meh eater ea ni: Minneapoli Mrs. JENNIE STAGER, Sixth ve eae ye sol y+ e AUER J. O. BARRETT, Seventh a Ibe ma ENN ga Brown’s | SECRETARY. DRE WS TGA PEPAWN 50 ol oe joo tece ys Cate LB Verne he Dirus DAY........ ie, SEs Ard sapien cts yee one ne a EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. . (President, Secretary and Treasurer Ex-officio.) RoW MAN MEEIOn, (Chainman).. .2.c 0-0 s%oeaeer ee he yo. aay Pes MELAS ca 5 aheis e wasiz ne ees Sie of vets iene wriitagn Sade Bae one hast Prof. 6. DOGREEN.: 2. ..0. tsa Re eT See OER BR ATNUD Seine ctice yuyetore sites Varo UR rer avie Mia STS et SOT Se erate see THEE WILCOX: .. oho. PY Ghent heh hu Cae Nae | ENTOMOLOGIST. PROES OTTO MUU GCE Riss snl. cit cal o aoe here cite thea oan ee LIBRARIAN. (The Library is at Room 2, No. 427 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis. ) a Ae ON AU ALTRTAN Sem Fany nice op ts Sis da Weeeiatay bik wales icine he ure atcha De ante ueRe E. A. CuzZNER, (Assistant), Tishex and o7th Ave. S.. Wines. ae -Minneapo (The assistant has charge of the poe stored at Pillsbury Hall, State University.) wag Pror. 8. B. GREEN 1893. aes (Central Station, University Farm), St. Anthony Park REPAIRS ESS ss. tic vie ctaee dense ae oko «+ 5 ihigekt tered «ats ..-Owatonna ry = BK Le SBE 0 tO, Se ee ee ean Bs heat deka tan .....Fergus Falls SDEWAIN COOK.......:.. Pe Send tes SA he WAY ia eec Soe dio Sia. WV REED PATEINGIG WEDGE s5,..0)50 ais cee ties secs EPS Aa Sice son ths ..---.--Albert Lea Cus. W. SAMPSON (grapes)............. AS OE Laine fae See Excelsior ; O. M. Lorp ( PGMS ANG SMAI LUIS)... soils es - hoeedid as ....Minnesota City W. H. HEmeEMAN (plums and small fruits).................5- New Ulm MEMES 55S 3 oda Ls ce oie ae vel kes Braet Pale an é St. Cloud ite PE RRMARIUNLEVEISESS ) ca'p sieve ticle Sie wie aks bio ahce.c eis wrcueticery'y Siarsia ww Se Excelsior PEE ILS Sos cinco! vice co bom. Ae tee tack eM eciuit od tateiiee hide La Crescent RB. oe LA a ST pag Bd a GT AR RR Set eee ee Montevideo : ’ { va : COMMITTEES FOR 1893. “Cae GENERAL FRUITS. é | FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. Satbste ries. Theilmanton fy Lee eee Cer ...... Rochester as .Pleasant Mounds SALES oli t.e. -.- Mairmont RT Oe Lee . Newport SMA abe ree Hamline eT tay I aEe waar ete eral whi eset oh chats yee ah dase wees. xcelsior D. V. eS RRR SEIS cee aa te erate cai als ors na Say Seveecces'| LOD? Lake Be ‘SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL ‘DISTRICT! SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, Ge POA SPINE ATL co ches i. 2) ARE Nien aight eel cs ce ie Ce an SHERI ANDERSON ov o's oe ko c.ole lene Melenheiete ia ae ous SEEDLING FRUITS. ~ APPLES. (Including crabs, hybrids, Russians, etc.) ; YAKS, VEL CHIEN ORG, «1n23¥ a o Uyralec aes cok oe oa glace veeteeeeeseeesees « Hibn GOW") 251 BAO 0 3 6h.) RRR SLD Ua RAT ts. PPAR ar mae 3 C01). Wok, PARKER? .. 0, HAA SING AB ARE IMS". UY Wo. DUFFUS...... Sak teeeerseeeeesens Dake | W.S. WIDMOYER....... OSHVVOOD lcceice hin ccatatsvnlaleiebe Nee een ete Mrs. A. A. KENNEDY........ hi He KNUDSON: 200) 52.6-. Neg ee sec i Al. ee ’ GRAPES. SMALL FRUITS. MEE NY MOQOR Ho). esac cite was Va i osiglel alate call ana se ea PHL, EPAURESIS oi Soc cee ‘ seve te cee e es ph Onegai Wo. Rosinson....: te Sai J DULChD @LOs(G) op ait a a eae a PPE PRS M A TI) AMEN NG OED as Aelia ike otc rn Mica dil | Wve olbe se e's’ seo MONTES @ bam FRUIT BLOSSOMS. (Cross-fertilization, etc.) ( (Cy a INS BHR DIRE Steen Ay ORL ARS APS ats SSE Cv a aie RWS eS .Owatonn 1D Re MM. M,.PRISSELLE | 6) 560. We eon alle i hc R. S. MACKINTOSH Paeinteisie “o aaeae FORESTRY. CLARENCE WEDGE...... sotbbusves ccd. uAbeRamE Pa Ae MONE Ven. o's ov 6 o- cee casles elustisoe es MOBIC sae cee (cohen Ce ee ee a ey eC aD Wate elt Stig eee ee Lies sc Bie oid eee hh ek a A), IShaytan Me RTOE TE rch roi cual ct AU Siew ahs ¥ Paaaiala 6 ardea'ehs Va wheaegaeal ane hans alia e ts Rochester ; OUT-DOOR HERBACEOUS PLANTS. el (Native and exotic.) i: ; Berea, MAINING | spit, boo ee gues deans cs bok cssedoetl oo. Lake City ¢ eee NA LM QUESTS 01, G.cran a scone cima dine a's Viele os ’.Fair Oaks, Minneapolis Hc ene AX 13, CINE WRIODD, Wee flare pia ol a eatin PS aisles Vases sot cow eeelee Lake City i as ¥ a fee I R | iy > wey Peet. eM easrramryeincys None Ss ohne a ON .St. Louis Park- x Rmmeer Te aT Crna N stat Aah us eee ie De Sle eae et Lake City . ay memes Care REZEEU) Cte a aie scsi Vie. atin « ee rsiigth oly Sep nis anh Tee ayes Ma ee AOS Hastings | « a BP AMEBOMN AG 05,c2 have hoc ba, fateh it But ice dh one tens Mice we hem Excelsior..." 77 NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. Peer ‘ MME A HIS St oes. kee ce eR Co eT ae kg he rae La Crescent ey PROF Be PG HEUIENG oy teed. petaiinae cn hylan Canes St. Anthony Park * fo (ai HORTICULTURAL STRUCTURES AND IMPLEMENTS * sedan Wy SENT UIGEAL VE OO EN Iyer eters Miia cag oil Seis oe Sole is URS be Le Lake City al i ES BF May. Aidit HOGOeOe dictate! date ssvavecetutars sierareaKe cba tetets Ey O.Gierg Ce Dae St. Paul , at COOKING AND PASTRY STORES. Os SY yy ‘ f, CBOSS Va done Giada ads ase na Waly saya omens Sauk ns Sauk Rapids of BeMies ANNIE BONNIWELL An. . 004 se venesenscescesievesvestsecss Hutchinson e APICULTURE. ‘ Ma Gy TES BESSY Sa Me Rd Excelsior i BARNETT OK SOMOS al Saati Pras arcs eiakig eR y ace’ a hyde a Ue css dna « 5 Forestville ° . ORNITHOLOGY. | é _ Mrs. Loutse Samson....... “okie ae Weta 2 Eleventh St. S., Minneapolis Ray. ee PONS TEA RRIS. ok sp balk cde can cate ts bees iakeue aw areee La Crescent SR LEME EER EE NR tye y's cle dali Sores <8 Sinie'd ale sos a cde be ye Hastings | "ENTOMOLOGY. ne aaa Ss? Pe EO Oe a | Pror. S. B. GREEN... eee eee eee cree teeter BE, Anthony LIFE MEMBERSHIP. | ees yee: OSEEANGY SNe SS nig sD aR tA renee NC : see ee Ree PETES Ae ili t\ susp ns RE Se eer - Saag ‘W. A Aireiiense |< .s 3 Ta, aeeeenemiepeceareet moe? to's oe) Ree \ ee . LEGISHATION. Wai GS Cou. J. H. STEVENS... ous, bb.Ue- ies cans eeamoekepeiee hae aa A OY OMT MINT: REPEAT S51. tym a Si algiote/a\lne SS, 0.8.spre Bieta e aetna eee ..++....Minnea B’ a EE ce-necn aac PAR ATER, i = Se Seer rr - ANNUAL MEMBERS SE eee aie 2 Ber pha a ANNUAL MEMBERS ss ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE $1.00. REMIT TO THE SECRETARY. _ Andrews, eg MU Diane ae Soke a wnt Aphyeie Seais b At «4 s)0la 2 52 Faribault .: - Allyn, Joshua, 1893 MGR As SEM Chee cictcs EMS MRE aretha wwe were & Red Wing ‘Austin, J. WwW. Place SRLS Ss asad card Sass Donte tater = Hardy, Montana " a Abbot, Bree lOO: ok Sun uate taal Cesena er SSE hia’ chatty a oye Saratoga Aspinwall, N. (ARS (2 5 Mate geek rare 7 1 2S Wal CON Sone an ae Harrison Ashenbeck, J. i 1893) oo. 2es eee eeween ss 731, 6th Ave. N., Minneapolis _ Anderson, J. S8., 1893...... ers CaM SAMs hss dae orale sew os wicks Atwater Seeaerereon, ©. 2):, ISOS 22. i cap eet sweet aca ces se... sa aes ae cine cuts Waconia Ree nistrony, Angustus, 1898... fics ee Secs balun dncccclecnces Albert Lea LS TS SEL COE DA a? ogo oe Lyle PM NEA okt oe sieh ods 8 Nese La baarg hs Cas dickinade Sachs a odie Ba sk Deka ee Myrtle xe aaa Gen’l A. A. AGES Se oak ns ee aT be ts eB IY IS has St. Paul - oe - Bunnell, M. C., "1893 ee REN cp ese AR RUT Te REE sie SASK toad mee Newport er SAE ee ci Lipa! (oie Sn) ojn sao, a,b wrt ple: niaje'e U Lista outa are Wein a webu 2s Hamline Busch, Fred., MEISE ef aoe Noro Nc ene aes honed weeds risks eka Richfield BeesaiTehy, J. O., 1893.05....... Ye wie Ss SO Rpiie ew rahe aks SrawhaSraLeN tw Ape Brown’s Valley - Ee SGN. oS oo Swain bak s ioe See oe woe eae dts Excelsior A OE Vaal (C'S Se ata ae eee eae a Se re St. Peter Buck, Daniel, 1898. ............2 Figs CERN eles pai et ae ew ekich wa ee Mankato 3 i Einniwell, Mrs. Annie, 1898... ... 2.3. ok. d sees cue ends eve esses Hutchinson MeeITIOLh, Frank, 1892... 00... ... cee see sen eee c eens ... Belmont, Manitoba i eemIBIEY-- Pr ESO an 5 Seah are o'de's\ a niaw dow La pI FEE Excelsior 4 Baston, J. J, 1893 he SE SARS © ARE oe SN in i ares ig A St. Louis Park % Meetown, HS., 1893.02. 3.6. es... Wr eee et, areata OE a Cree eel 6 Tracy _ Brackett, A. PPM cisate a re comer rte Taso CES Minneapolis - Brown, Wm., 1893 wh Le. Pia fae BRST aoa a ag Sand Coulee, Montana “ 3 MINTER ERP LAROS. (S62 A oa on ed's Sioa Rice dh oot dc cae ae Owatonna GEESE A TILE'S7 BG 1:1 a a, Alexandria ME MAUI oh eM tS Sronatctt aca SIA Te! Sou Gera cee ldns/ahdi ole ofa kaleloca'e tuare «(8 besa Clearwater EL SS CSTDEE RENTS ae a a eg re ay oe ne eT Madelia RIAN sa DOU ae re ce dive a otek e ee ces sh wehentwlp ob dt wees s Truly, Montana ET Oa te a oc ahd oid Ha eke Sia ini os dda wid oes Powreae t's Minneapolis TOG a eS oe Sa on a a se Renville EN eas TSO Cs 8 oc a) se Lea thie ilk cise bed Ghee cbok oes Mankato SIRE MENTE Sa UIE OSS ra aire he cide in Wie warctetnict? «oie aioe bo vs ae oe Lake City _ Bradford, Alfred, Pee Nee Sc Rens Ges Sukin Sh yal tha ER wka’ve am Excelsior Blackwell, ETD OW GS Ades as TORE ae Arwen hake hye ee Alexandria Safferding, Wm. H., 1893 Sp a be a Sane 127 Plymouth Ave., Minneapolis _ Buttermore, R. H., 1893 GRP Rica a sinisie ohAa lado ag a Kakayu'6 aiata A Siareyh be Lake City Brown, Per AER ME tr Mer huss oaths se aie o bg! ploy: aude Bak oe sles we Lac qui Parle ig Black, T. rtmiGed rae we acta ae 2 sce kes As. 4 ge Jefferson Island, Montana Buy - Beardsley, W. Seep PEERS cok x atone e Ao lemieica Nx seid dala a St. Louis Park >, “ aS . + , “ee ae): ‘ y ayl~: a lye be. aA ee Mek Y ‘ SMe eer OER ete AR ERT Akaea ag ty AIL Air Fanci FNMA) NN Py a TUN nT ee Sra is ang “Diss Mut eather Bayt ine Seach cr \ hee : ae, 4 ’ rig? a ; 12 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. - PAUL UIT AT EERE SUES 3 why 5 apa cee ise epae a whee soi plats) woat reponse alelsle ts Park Rapids PST Gs ise SOO Sees tye «ie in 'a si taiie Nate Sib syd this sehen oc Ope ove eC asie ame St. Charles RACH SOM: WEES Gr HN TOD a \se's cease kirk luda Carwin alain nia ap Ow ampere crete Lake City PoP NL Wg eh BO feta Wales orci te, gs ww eteleretn an » elclgucctalene bieityehe wees ole Rochester ROMMLEL, 21. LS AOyd 5 em te oe << on 4=,c cin iam cite ne iain ee pew epigin bears s.... Sumter A AMeT, AG, LOGS Seaccere ce + os oem Essex and 27th Aves. 8. E., Minneapolis Cuzner, Mrs. E. A., 1893 .......Essex and 27th Aves., S. E., Minneapolis pana opin, 1892: s..:... a0 beeping des oe see pete De Roa ilanie Semen Sumter Oleh. a lass POOLS 2. . a vim vob 'ee aa ohorate ake DRG EA oe acs Farmersburg, Iowa eeindler WM, 1898 |. ic ace uc clewine co Re ee Cec bis ee Be earn ele tlle AGI PC WAIT. LBOS 5 i. Sys siate iota ona orciets a ohataptin sega ero erep ele ar eke ee Tae Windom REIS DOV gE IVE c 1 BOS. oh. ic lee Mecvats ayers abeleials wnaiatie salen lela nts oleracea an Hastings BERR NETS 1.4 MODS vo. < Sate Otaia lesa) oye ciecai « cle oper be wade] etopatnin' alot fainiol eeines Sauk Rapids ROPER OEP gees TRIB esis Se shai is wie ceive melee IR stele aietele yeaate an Excelsior CONNIE OSS Spa PERE elt BSS gee eA te RS Se COME IC Vermillion, South Dakota PH AMMO r Tt) DELL, USUGi aw Cove ecltes sa hies «oe stat oe oeaey Aap Minneapolis MOTO te NETS: Hy, oo LOU is iadsiriasaime bicrhiersier alee bieine «2 meus muistole oak Minneapolis POINTED ed ky 2 POUL, case Soe oP, wine eomce axciniet Sh) of ok Sleep e/quece is/® melee ee ae Washburn SOU GES; oiiere) MODS cc's cls» (ot Sie bicjeicl.- jerks aicieeiseses oe. t hie sles ele ne sla engl vom heme Lake City Meantorghis Ws LOS vie oe pete ias aie wycictphatiye etal cate nia ele ahaha ae aoe) Red Wing Dennis; Av’ Bz, (18935. F2%. owe a eee’ oom a4 alone 0G Se Gio asic Cedar Rapids, lowa Dick, Wrancis, 1893s... Ages ise tenis doe So cise mips ares Coane Mie ae ae Afton Weletraz,. G7 Hi TBO 2 wie casks ates oe cern niate os ie sonia Fort Benton, Montana Dobson, Woy LSB aoe se ace tee ee teen «Geese someone Minnetonka Mills SB TOLU( hae: thes feta Ga koi’ 5 Pee APES On or tie Orn eryre Oia yri rs Alexandria DPunnewold, John, ISIS... Pa. Set Reap wiciee akain eins 4's seek ares «are sein ime Duelm OID. WU obs 1808 cess 6. cans thuerte eeied care Progressive Age, Minneapolis Mavice, We Go 1SOR cs cl oden ta ewan es teens. 6 400, 9th St. S.E., M nneapolis DAM Pier, Wi, LEO esis is o'eie wis aleerrne ie gine» stme viene ote ch riche) ka ere St. Paul TORE | CR AR Op) o Baw Los in eae iba nites os Seer bis he eee Heron Lake MPA WAG (NAB PLO OS san sin cis loess Ale micmisajen » mie ee ainre # 400 Sibley St., St. Paul Wiexter, Cass, OOS cca oo ew cla’gints's wie ale to eie Bio's owt pio Main a'e Bins eG Mound City OVENS egy SOB icc dic os 5s orlOhiy ate ah ice ole gb winieniepld inte he) Seley Sans Le Sueur f , “ ’ § ‘a si ‘ ate Eee ee eee Retr ty a i) aw SE vi a et at ‘ t 14 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Pijseheines fr Wi, 1693. sees ogous chee ene a bans ame Grand Forks, N. D. LE ET ett ye] DAR (10 ora Sa rig eA Sa ALA GC ci. Aaa Elbow Lake PSUS OWN Ae BOD. cic nf oie osutne s eieecies saaueaee seamen .Davenport, Lowa MIM Get ails) Ty. L800: a2 > ns c's oe eae SA whelraeeie ces ae Sioux Falls, S. D. PEM SHEOM LNeOdore; 10932; 0c asieecioemee see oe nite ena hae East Union ARUN foe IPs ASO «oc cts» ida corel atk /arewoa a hese apse eile pn eines et Hastings Franco. , 1802...) 2... «- ceeltgtisroe mas altel ou ileh «maaan Hutchinson Pia en Ac. Eg U892 «js: «sd digs poeae sieperioem Mesias eles Estherville, lowa PENIS bON. Gr. W.,) 1892... i csastig ew aeie aie aciniietvmeeiel neat Eau Claire, Wis. Fremeakes.,- 1808... veo tives ates oh RPE ee eb pias teenie Buffalo Lake asco, .:C,; 1893..-Jsuns 2 Sosa aang bee ee ae eae eens .--Nichols ey ianad: Maniel,, 1803's decjeaiccis ccm, ic» < sits wee agate neers een Rosemont. PPOPLCR HICCCHET, US93. cre ciciata ta sic! 0 «cbietoc oid legemhale stat y. ule aiet pie ye ieieretate Pine Island PAN SON PON, ALBOS. 2s ctaresis Os, o seks 20 thus, orcare, sik vine Wie oes Siena Skjold, S. D. PAULINA AT ONZD, LOOe te meth ois Nein msvocns vic shea elses Swe af ara ela meee Spring Valley PPanson Ton Wi MEER. sete seme 6 os vrata oisin dome 6 cihielosa oe 2 eee Lemond Merson, Mirs-~-Oy mbm avA 5 L692 05 ata ce siee «= Secicle's ae alesde s winle'e ERMC eINe St. Paul PERG Moe, ABOS: we ainges acd SelisaGSeR wintery Siee op ee een Wes ae Tracy Jones, PAATON, 1893 © cr seiakiers oem clare CRORE aren eases tiarae bettors Canova, S. D. Pehis NITRO Arles, LGton seus Bila sic maniate 5 /Matala Simiarh 6 'alatetals sipyecochiecehy, » Owatonna PLEO A SASMABOS, Se dek taco Asse ats teas baba otal piesa he Winnebago City PRO MAEM NS Ae POG Siz peisn Sohne isPanc-a ic asec oie cee ewlelenal aa: sieistode ale hsuap antes Tordenskjold PREG MIE WIS, JESUS Lesh, heen“ mcpocleie sicis,e nie arm op) eye re mgaralage eae Grand Rapids MMOS Ge Ch ISOS re. Foi ou os ag sic aeinee ok sod So eagles goat WV A OCT DOW Ean PRITA SIE Morel getll oUesey. = Sieve, are olahlatee sein. Sela p mip’ eyninleleseidgo nl ass alos ee eee Stordon SUCRATISSGDERY Be. Wereg LOGOS: .citia.c%s tone Mn 2 phage ain eng wp ahavein en eletein. © % Gisls (hin inne saa Wid am Gossen Set nerpiat a, AotW TSO: ee eb cS acs etic a te Case ig nid aoe © Rede flmiede's 0, mw Lodi, Wis. SIATISUE RT PutT EPI. TSO gS 5c yew ire apeitny 08 4) x whee ar elas wiale lala ee a Winnebago City SGmLIMEL Aes sO) GO as dye i ewinsm ve aloes 0% siatuyet eras Syme Sete alps no a La Crescent “OC ET ALT CP TATU Calan eg fests ies eke ee SOR SS Reet Sen ee ees is Bac St. Paul PREP Rs Tea BLO oN nas indents oc ein ene a ER e.sid nie kis ote a eid alls bjnte) oe ishe's Morristown Wennedy, Mrs. A tA ASO «cis a) steishats piaisnip cco-cletale wis wieuetels = pra)alele Hutchinson RAIN GUTH ET Ea IMice EBOS abc vis atts ois were + oj2'e s evwle She's" wae num, Siecle miehoie Lakeville CGI ae TO LRL RON. Staves gie cis late. Wornclinte nce R= Sais a9 t Sigs eto aicte es pietais Rochester LG: is LAPS deat] Ft ee een ee ee en ICR Deets W Ce aan Shae nstare hoes Milaca emeela nda IN FO 1 SOd: ae ic Ge ate clarantists aac. a opie so levsle'ea/albys,2l5, 9 wale Plainview Kam balliant. Ws, A803 esac. Sele tanincrsre ope'al dB mre’ Soleo c njs)sisloie » wine oles Austin Ronning. Charles, -169oe ir iia tem 'sictaiwiain ete «aia o aist> ode any vO 2 Sac a ee Defeat f Red Wing Parker, W. BS TROS ac ck LN OES ES era A ae Fee Farmington Se Palfer, Dr. ¥, L., 1893. .............06. isi Wht aie meee PN Bird island ik MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. es 16 ME Sh Pendergast, Prof. Ws Wey Lagoa e csste « erelyi- lem wineio oye ELA EAP Hutchinson Pennell: Prof, CiS.; T8Qs. see eee amet os evsie oiare os elas © St Anthony Park — Pond. 1. B.,(1898 ©. ate asec ae eae Ceara wartne eee tS Yelle a ee =e Bloomington | Powell, F. M.,1893.0.0%2) boots ae eee eee ees i a Glenwood, Iowa Powell, M. B., 1892... 00. 5 Swecedeme are evr eee tree cen ecing- o> amma St. Peter Piants, Ds-Vi4 1893.20. 5. Lase bee hee e eer a ats tetany ee cles ble eye Long Lake ~ Parrys Co Ms,: 18926 65s sis Neate 523 Guaranty Loan Building, Minneapolis Pacha the Jc, 1893. \... 5. ee eee womens 117 Main St. S. E., Minneapolis _ as | BP eSCO bt, Gy Els; ASOD, » «3 sinh ee oe ee eeeneR ceey ee apenas Paste Albert Lea a Parry Phy 1802. ...-3 8 hos on elottece ai eerie epee eee sere te Excelsior Bei Payne! ©. 'H.,21892. 22% .sic ease ce «0's tence eee e cece ee eeeeetenereeenesas Dexter | Bo Peschong; Peter, 180202002. i. co aye spew Goa Neuse eaten Odebolt, Iowa — ie Pupchase, ds kee, LBOWs soaks pe. ok Pes cee eke ee ols ee ete eee Minneapolis fas 3 Paterson IeA', 1898. coerce haha See oe ays caveee ee Fair Oaks, Minneapolis — Peart, Ts, WBZ. ih. oe eatin clea sig tie ee sn vine bees needa ce eng Mankato | Pate oe (GOR Jase aaes: took awk cra Coane: oe er Bethel ParkS;/Degig ASOD oe gp cioe 2c a erin ne = aineelsiaed 019s ele tineleelye Pleasant Mounds Pratt, TAS USOT oe aie Mek. casa ele bie Flntat ait' oso oyo\te 2 bie ie a Richfield Page, Prof: C. E., 1898...... 2.02.2. cee cece eee e ee tet eee e een eees Windom — DONS EN LB OR eS iit Serene Son tal eee ogee cena diene eae Faribault PIS Win 4A, LBUB 2 alles aces dee ee unite ctor aheieigi =a Shan ie .. Northfield Payne, Si). I898 tenis foe. ce vee gee been ca ep eee as eee Kasota ] Patterson, JaS., 1802. 0... 1. cc asst e ween pec ee eens eens aces cen Albany, Wis. Pribyl, Bev. Bs J.y1892... 2... case eee cee cee cee cere swite cee rieminr . Weseley Petersony Petery W920; . a. as je ae aie tne we te oe ae os msl nlel ain ia ays Elbow Lake . Pe CAO, oC SOG eo ~ aie ee a he Se ee a aera sieele wiclee aah mimes Winnebago City Rogers, Dr. A. C., 1892.....--.2.06 wee eseeceecesees x tatu ste eae eee Faribault ie Pete acadsGO aw wh I8OS: ous stk.ag ow teeleiss coap hy Seem te seer Winnebago City — ae Reed gree dn PETG TGAS ABI Sis oss ohn ta Sa «en enloie ne clei ea Minneapolis ager TA VRES ANAC COR LS1S) foi ane nah Speers ia WSR re 439 Clinton Ave., St. Paul i eer dley Pion mwl ees. cLe wre ahh cabin. eeay Oven cee anes Burr Oak, Iowa ~ ah Be CH MOTIOS Vas BOR o covdicls scene ate die eele ebsites nie tes nde eae Kedron — ah ERAT Way ASO Bier sidene og c's eieip os ofels = ere > Sinn etore oem Wis) et ie wtetars Pony, Montana PNG e GAA. ESS ea: d sole aieieye: = wien Ree eta AEE Aree = Pony, Montana Reinold, Mrs. H. C., 1893.........2.--5.22-eee0: 43, 8th St. S., Minneapolis Ryan, John, 1898........... cee eee cence eect nee e een en tees Pern Canton Somerville, Wm., 1892.......... Es Neaatcins aiaren thats aletvale falsjous (eyo ftvas ol etsy steel cee Viola Solem, Rev. O. A. Th., 1893........-..-. ses eee cee eee cece teen ns Halstad a Sirandwold, lec 1S0aee.o. Urape oa ctocet Coad aussie ble gee mere Trysil, Dakota Br Sait Wi a SURLY Line in chinist ohslacilelepjases Solent ng Winnepeg, Manitoba ae SM PAON OCW ed SON rey Acte Seo uae stan ss derdlole sot evn, -aiee'ge ae Excelsior a8 See paOTi ge Att 1ROd: a ec aeeahh wtdee Avy eats 0s oct deka ena Excelsior ‘2 SRT Wl g Peel kc ee Oe SHARE Oe ac RTE Scio Alden Sargent, C. A., 1893. ..... 2. sees e eee eee SNE ais ohaoo5' 2 8. le 8 oe Biot aS ee Red Wing Sundbere) ©. Aj, 1893 ...0 00... fee eee cliclee se dence eee eter wes Worthington Sharp, Dr. L. N., 1898.......... pre eatiiciecke saat ee Pet Minneapolis © Sanern tlle iss Bagel SOa coc e bokeh eer spisrics «#6 tay a's. 0a us wate Seen Viola PS erway WNiras, Nid Ose S98 sar JS oe a en siclale sd ee claaee 40 tse St. Anthony Park — Shaubut, Mrs. J. J., 1892...........-. atts 5) Sie Seach eee pene Cheney, Kansas Sele tic WD. Peay FOOD. us innlegg wieiwle seis Fininie lt wn wee 2 kiele ae ota Fairmont Rare b tie Gre le Ne GOOy wes Viet hiaue alate wie cariaia Sipletclneteen 25/054 S grok p alalb, Grae Long Lake wo Oia Nha ar ach aMcteratter chard 13 Washington Av. N., Minneapolis Malet cuss ted Dey gee eet eeA se Mele: Manitoba Merete oe en PIS eR erate Bak Hastings Repaecay Wea Ontu ee att ciohata’yviel a e/a, LetapN clade ac discs ile b c Cannon Falls Siebenaler Mathias, eet oie clas wateta’a lath wiataiats qreutntetacla' dig Vales aie dies Hastings meermavue, (A. D., 1893.00.04. es ele eae Ja taicl aialageeer dha de 95.52 S eRe Caledonia Meee en, FL H,, 1898. oe ee eee eb spe dewies 41S. 11th St., Minneapolis. Schmauss F. T A ae ees Sa SEN Rn las ALY 30 Btu ate Lake City - Strom, W..B., 1893 Meet Ma ac nays Cee Ce PAM Ne doin waste ota thele aha Lis Hector 1 SRE aw AND SOA Sane, (ee age St. Charles: i _ Smith, 19 ea es Salajalanf arid a mc Rime aronmale SSA cle, ne gade wk ine ace Kasson St. Anthony Park: Pemeeanenicny,. 1h ECOG OLE; L892) s-2'.7 7 aie) ot amlaidietel tice Vin'aco.ge 3 & ose WMiieietbie ns Caledonia. aS 4 Rept GUS cpiniat aumomiha Slate AMS EN ea detckre sb gan wardebintte Money Creek: _ Sorkness, H. O., 1892 St. Anthony Park SRE SE DSTI Sh AS ee St. Anthony Park ESS ARLES (OER OE So St. Anthony Park AIRMEN oy) ABZ 5 hee aes ess coe duced Glee e eee tinn aebes posteas’ Rochester Secor, Willard, TENE intel slot ates sat tes mma ON Sack eda e'es was, s.2 Winnebago Oity eavage, J.-H, 1898... 0: 0.0.0.5... Guaranty Loan Building, Minneapolis Menmison, Mrs. louise, 1893....7..... 6.025 ..cce00e 2, 11th St. S., Minneapolis EMME LASHED. 1 OU he os fers, sos en mice Fda ton wis haere Bale o's tials Se os Excelsior cE RON STE 8 SE aC ea RN Poa ai Montrose . Bee ME ERC TRB Ko te Aa caie oui kety arch wide ek carte shale Oe Long Lake Stewart, E. C., eda ai rd Paw ie See a eens Sears BONE Fein eS EAC Barnum SEEM RIOR, AQUI. sacie's ines spso'o sfdstd's oi uve ahdite on aiei dak v beraslere Sea's Red Wing SPeremnT AORN TBOS Af, 3. ote5 gcse: «os deine es oe’ veah esse ede ode La Crescent. Taylor, Barnett, 1893 ...... see fo Berth hehe Lk oat Le Oa A SEE Te Forestville Terry, PRUE ey SES ihe nok singe eco Sk erg MeIe aie tpi ad LA wie Wid Say su aie's Slayton Thayer, BNE Perey Pk LOS ala hls e Ni aletand Sty dala rakes 2 ESE RSP Sauk Rapids ‘Trenham, N. J., 1392 SAE AE De aR OTS ee SR ae Alexandria Turner, John, a Geen GRC at ye Shakopee NE TCSUNT YER 05, fas aie Wai vial ois: sop cio ips o,aie'asee vim elo'« be ies c's y Farmington BE oT SURYG Cat 3 Od aS EU ieee Ane a A i Owatonna EIEN ELS Ny LOOM. 6 5 <8. 2 0 05. so oaiveis enw GaWalspne ts ceeenrseee Shelden, Iowa. - Thompson, anyey, NGG ee seinen eA ees ate or ee c Neate ee Windom ee ERIS ET A [TS I rR Hastings. © Bonning O.A., ee ee OND ren go Si AR ice ener Taopi Taft, A. B., 1892 SD FRACS EA Tee eA eR PR ar Hampton. ‘s Siieiimann, Ue nae til atinteetre nak Sia ieand nos Gicdatne outeanalk Theilmanton SPIE, Woe J. D898 6 oy .wek ees) abe ceuns wesewecegends estes Py Stillwater Seeeniiie, Phomas, 1803.0. c, 2. coe ce chek cias Okeke cbastedine Long Lake: a Aah PROS ees oe icc oN hdc sine oe ceed Cea ees Lake City Beenderwood, Mrs. ‘Anna Pep A CUE rica ata pint naa Shadi d Ae eecnea eae ot 4 Lake City MGs WIN, 1898. ook ce cece ccs cee beck 2520 Bryant Ave, N., Minneapolis Ba: D yarnoldt, O. SIDED eo PaO ARR Ook irk tad aah 3 is Lawndale. =) Vachlin, Wm., TEES Woke Wen AOR LR Faribault. Jedge, Ginrenca: dhs 2 eRe a RS thsi c oate Gus wbiaeeuatee Albert Lea RECA HN USO. 8 oo haa afe a Sycicinios dcPon.c Laces ON cielo vid eee atease Hastings Meret We'd 11803. 12.0... ockec cece Idlewild 7 a " Thy F ih 18 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Westorig GyAs tS argon do i ic\ele cic oteia)erste'etele'ehete RE eet ns poeta Woehle, B., 1892 : WV ELLE TEVA EB xg PSO 20552 5V. <0 s Seok Sree bleu binG, o/oisie lal lp Wie ete bin clamte SGN aft WEES IIPETIC, NBO Ror... e'n'e Aelcieisiale as cig tie crasimellelanel distant eae Owatonna — We nlictemn 2 Fe, 1803 <.) ... shies Sees ea kids vee eae Owatonna Wood, Joseph, 1808. ......c..stcveecs sete, eles say nlaceemcte cole cata e WKian a Wentworth, David;,1892. 036.0. 0.05 .elsas ccecaee Ent Ay nied § +... Hastings VIS EAD ABO. F5u oes Made ceil Se 13 Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul Willford, F. W., 1893.......... chloe gag hid ee pee tesa Canton — Riinibers WD's 1803 sos ss cae «G2 eset a eee Oe ee Jordan Mridmover’, W.-S.; 1898/. 22. .6is. sac. 0623 oes ek eee eee ee Dene Dresbach Wentworth, Dr. S. S., 1898.............0 e005 629, 6th Ave. S., Minneapolis Pvalicens d..0., 18035, nc NPs. eye. 6 aos nsee sey nde eee eee Rose Creek Wiest; 1, 1808s ee hiss oss o. she pee ea mt Walliams, Prot: I) Aue 0808.02: .>.+ - -:caemeeren ealto ben Brookings, S. D. Winlsjens F/G E8GRn ks... sss ea aheeeend Sales bane ee WVeRLISUTIIS, TOG ye TOU cg cienw'els oo as & «sis ag seem etc tet er thai ae -Barnum Petey ey, pM Oss nc devises sree ste seam OSH aoe 3 Edina Mills © ZIENNET CP CUCT WOO) aint ties vis atelseisive eee MR fave oe (nth ys tatu: ane verte Caledonia LIFE MEMBERS. NG Fee, $10.00. (May be paid in two annual installments.) Life members — are entitled to full sets of back reports, except one or two volumes, exhausted. EPS TOE LLU Siete cs soit wale’ bis ee soe o 0.0 ole acon) s ohare een na a Chowen MVEA AW 5 Reve chsh se 22 cia holds cae 0 bee ecly ate rr Short Hills, N. J Nagel, Eggert ....... ..see-.-1118 W. Lake St., Minneapolis VISA EO ee Dye Nii. bsipc ds = «sara vein se 2 ts oa ae 2 in Dats ratp ermnelets Morris © PVOrVI Ss Mayda sete Sk cues ea ele vee ed cevee gate at ee La Crescent TS1o 7S) TNS yy be 85 W. Congress St., St. Paul Bi) SUAS ers METS SEMI. . i 2/06). 3 . . tn od oa Ud Sinciga sh nlqciele 2 Stillwater BETS IN OPOGUISU Ss os 6 Sond oide sc wlaccecddeccevs Oakland Cemetery, St. Paul PRUE SRNOUA GU TN crate ae yy BH Wakes OF: ely wale Eau giv ond ae cee « Short Hills, N. J LIST OF PAPERS ADVERTISING THE WORK OF THE SOCIETY IN 1892. The following newspapers run a notice gratuitously, for from one to three months, calling the attention of the public to the work of our society. Most of the newspapers solicited complied at once with our request. Todd County Argus, Long Prairie. Lincoln County Journal, Tyler. Tribune, Mazeppa. Banner, Royalton. Saturday Evening Spectator, Min- neapolis. Republican, Tracy. Foot Prints, Brown’s Valley. Argus, Shakopee. ' Times, St. Charles, Express. Mantorville. Hubbard County Enterprise, Park Rapids. Herald, Sauk Center. Republican, Faribault. Post, Rochester. Age, Aitkin. Republican, Red Wing. Republican, Kasson. Argus, Red Wing. Douglas County News, Alexandria. Chisago County News, Taylors Falls Journal, Caledonia. Advance, Waterville. Leader, Kenyon. The Peoples’ Press, Owatonna. Star, Rushford. Grant County Farmer, Ashby. Record, Pine Island. Record, Dodge Center. News, Lake Benton. Carver County News, Waconia. World, Staples. Tribune, Farmington. Sun, Hokah. News, Le Sueur. Journal Press, St. Cloud. Leader, Hutchinson. Graphic Sentinel, Lake City. Democrat, Springfield. New Era, St. Vincent. Journal, Fergus Falls. Gazette, Slayton. News, Canby. The Great West, St. Paul. Sentinel, Dawson, News, Brownsville. Press, Atwater. Times, Monticello, Post, T'wo Harbors. Ugeblad, Fergus Falls. Journal, Owatonna. Sun, Morris. Journal, Verndale. Herald, Winona. Hector Union, Bird Island. News, Winthrop. Eagle, Delano. breeder and Farmer, Howard Lake. Enterprise, Arlington. Journal, Buffalo. 3 OFFICERS OF THE FOR THE YEAR 1893. : PRESIDENT. Bibret: He STU VIENS doe esas ceeds EAE Tite tite ... Minneapolis bet ; ite FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT. action of business, at which time short papers will be read and short talks given by the members present on subjects pertinent to the occasion. _ Later in the day, the Society are to be tendered a drive by the citizens of Lake City, to take in points of interests about the city, including the Rest Island grounds, where very interesting meetings will be in progress. _ The occasion of this meeting will be one of much social enjoyment as well as profit, and it is hoped a large number of the members may be in attendance. Those expecting to be present and to receive the hospitalities offered, are requested to notify J. W. Kennedy, chairman of entertainment com- _ A.W. LATHAM, Secretary, Excelsior, | a mittee, Lake City, Minn., of the fact several days beforehand. Ms ; J. M. UNDERWOOD, President, Lake City. PREMIUM LIST. [Articles exhibited must be grown by the exhibitor.] FLOWERS. . Perlection- ot Cit HOWerSs.3 oes. Soe ces enero nie enee se $5.00 Collection-of- Cit TOSeS 42 ig. in sot demateteee eek eee ee eee 3.00 Collection) of cut pansies .).2%)\5. 405.5. 6 06 Betas cemented ee 3.00 Wollection:of cut’ Carnations. ek = 5-0 =- Sailer et eeeieee 3.00 Ora Gesiomk =). 2 Pees siete is nieve te as ole iyeecie wet eee pee 5.00 Hane DOUGUGh: Ag ns tga cttres Bed Ores a bid ons asaicl diese ol ire Smet ee 2.00 FRUITS. Raspberries.—Collection of not less than three named varie- HIS, ONE QUAEL ACI ie seis cle eres sles cals sayas,sunlep ctalosa $3.00 Largest fruit of any variety, one quart................. 2.00 Minnesota seedling, not before exhibited..............- 2.00 Strawberries.—Same as fur raspberries. Blackberries.—Same as for raspberries. Currants.—Same as for raspberries. Gooseberries—Same as for raspberries. VEGETABLES. Collection, not less than Six kindS..............-.....:.4--- $3.00 APD ArArys, three PUNCHES ocmre te ania tele ctatejets wns wire 1.00 SCCUG, MSER v/a wpb sina cers ) Goi Peet NO RUE LU ee aaah Bisiieiotaas (ests "oe as 1.00 GarTOtS) SUX. J3) fac Vly direcate Rh acdiregs bio bawee ey ete te wien ere ovals 1.00 OMIOTIS A KSER AU esses ese AN os ae Ne Sy NE Te peat ne shanna Sievaual 1.00 FRACHSHES (SIX ois ike wre hie ene ceielohis erate rita Netaieest ena stern iatsue ney 0) 1.00 (Purnips; Sik... 22. 2 2 DO CLR eS) Nae AIRE Ob oe eee 1.00 Pieplant, Six Stalls cic. .is.Jchnse eee eaten coh ote Gok oa ee 1.00 Miettwce, SIX MEGAIs2 cies ewe oe earn ieee eben roreree etl Satara cites 1.00 Cabbage, three heads iz :./eite eis asa inci is ote lapse Paka 1.00 Cauliflower, three heads: 2. coreg os see ee paea seieeles os orale 1.00 Green’ peas, half peck... 4. .cpseecmei de cee ee ne eis s Se 1.00 String bears, half peck. :: ixtiteosseawe es et ees la tee ae 1.00 New. potatoes, half pecks2)acsvesaceenuss oe aeae aielang wate 1.00 Cucumbers, Six... Blas kasccsee eke wala tierce ar eel need 1.00 Sr MINER SGIIASH, SIX. |. sis cae ae opt ele meciae Healt caleeer 1.00 RULES. All exhibits must be in place by1 p.m. The awarding committee will have power to recommend special premiums on seedlings and articles of special merit, fruits, flowers or vegetables, not provided for in the sched- ule of premiums. Premiums will not be awarded on articles enn of ex- hibition, even if there is no competition. Competition will be open to all, but the annual neitiborshtt fee of one dollar will be deducted from premiums awarded to persons who are not members of the society. J i ‘ ws ~, Sioa eck Menara se nT 2) z ~ < ae eo é oy SNe eS ae, UES r al Tee See ot ee Shs . € sae at ss Spe ae é a he th 4 ee Site a NRT WA Re Ey a . AN ny ‘ ots Dy . : a ety FLOWERS. a “a Premium eecollection of cut flowers..:............-000% First me collection of carnations. ..................- First me Oollection of cut roses..../.......2....500-5 First Meeband bouquet. -..0.5...26... eee eect ees Second Mee loral design.....-. .......-... Moe tora First > Collection of cut pamsies......:........... First _ Oollection of cut pansies................ Second Beriioral design. ............+.0s¢ Wh Seok Second rant DOUGUETE:,, 0. .22.k 6. dock ee cence weet ess First SeHand bouquet. :............b.... Angie cae Third ’ Collection of cut: flowers.................- Second * Collection of hollyhocks..............++00+: First “el FRUIT _ _ GOOSEBERRIES — Me TELOUGNLON. +... kee ee ence eee eens First IMTITHSUEY cat cece wan de nee ces First MPEROUEIGON 252 iw nels eg ped eveanteesak Second _-RASPBERRIES— | aes Collection of raspberries ........ .......+. First DMD GLO eo ajo aie se bal Ga be ele wo die a k's First MEER PGT 2 yc 2 a Swims g clara) sisleica sia oS, o a Nessiare.a. 20 First PE TEEL DEO .'S cc. coca oh eicieie s) wl’ ogee Pend First - CURRANTS— Meret DUTCH 6... ore ete ee ie Se ie First = Collection of currants.<.............. 0.4: First _ STRAWBERRIES— EY os edn w ee peels fo tonn « First MEBIMAEB Oso Sa web 6 beph meneame wewsicie i First _ -Manchester....... Fiat eh iene Meta ig .... Wirst ee VEGETABLES. =. Collection of vegetables............. -.. 4. First UE Dy eS Se se ta aE ay ce First Be REIRDE iat eehs oh re oi ciara Se Fide asters aly nid Fw clad he First DIME isa eS nectar a Manas © on ci cree nets bo First EE SA Pee ners oie See ae First POTIONS. i ne ate se ee Ach hes Gee Rae First MTGE 27.000 Sackler ms sfreh ec cue ane ss voc sus First IRI TGA isr nil ae Sod 2 oles rca Ure) aed ae oon ne sons, o's First MMTRIENGNY OY ote oe agiia Scin poles sia ico vaiso ain Te ous First BEE DOUALOES (ui. so ojos eee ea eee et as First MMPEGANIS. «<0... .2c+e-0: Pees UA oes teaprrend ay 3h First _ Asparagus.... SO TAEU Tae needs oe pene ors ECON EEG S ene hee ysis k ty nate ns ose ene sn es First ee. Signed, SUMMER MEETING. — ae LIST OF PREMIUMS AWARDED AT THE SUMMER MEETING Amt. $5.00—E. Nagel & Co 3.00—E. Nagel & Co 3.00—E. Nagel & Co. 2.00—E. Nagel & Co. 5.00—E. Nagel & Co. 3.00—Mrs. J. Allyn. 2.00—Miss M. Lyons. 3.00—Mrs. J. Allyn. 2.00—Miss M. Lyons. *1.00—Mrs. J. Allyn. . 3.00— Miss M. Lyons. 3.00—Wyman Elliot. $2.00—Wyman Elliot. 2.00—Wyman Elliot. 1.00—Nels. Anderson. 3.00—J. F. Case. _ 2.00—Nels. Anderson. 2.00—Nels. Anderson. 2.00—J. F. Case. 2.00—Wyman Elliot. 6.00—Nels. Anderson. 2.00—Nels. Anderson. 2.00—Nels. Anderson. 2.00—Nels. Anderson. $3.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn.. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Joshua Allyn. .50—Joshua Allyn. 1.00—Wm. Lyons. _W. E. PERKINS, SARA M. MANNING, HARRIETT B. SARGEANT. Awarding Committee. 36 | RECORD OF SUMMER MEETING. (The talks in this record are not reported in full.) Pursuant to notice, the summer meeting was held at Lake City, July 19, 1892. Arrangements had been made by the peo- ple of Lake City who had undertaken the entertainment of the society to hold an out-door meeting in the grove at the resi- dence of J. M. Underwood; but, on account of the inclemency of the weather, it was found necessary to convene in-doors, and the sessiou was held at Masonic Hall. About forty members of the society were in attendance and as many more of the ladies and gentlemen of Lake City. The forenoon was passed in social converse, and in the examination of the exhibit of fruits, flowers and vegetables. At one o’clock the company gathered about the tables in the dining hall belong- ing to the Masonic rooms, where the hosts of the occasion had prepared an elegant dinner. After dinner, without adjourning from the dining room, the program prepared for the occasion was proceeded with, as follows: President J. M. Underwood: I am not like Mark Tapley, jolly under all circumstances. We expected everything to be smiling and our meeting to be held in the grove, but the threat ening weather dampened my spirits until I came down town and met my friends here, who are always ready to support me in any emergency. They said it would be all right. I find myself much better natured and’ feeling much better now that the sun is shining again, than when everything was cloudy and ominous in the morning. Our horticultural society has a membership of 325, the larg- est it has ever enjoyed, and we are fast making accessions to our numbers. In holding our summer meeting, as well as our winter meeting, we are always anxious to interest those who are not members, and the little slips at your plates will tell you how you cah become members of our society. Lhave the pleasure of introducing to you now the Hon. Wesley Kinney, who will give you a few words of welcome on the part of the people of Lake City. Hon. Wesley Kinney: Ladies and gentlemen:—One of the happiest experiences of life, aside from the meeting of old friends, is the formation of new friendships and new ties, an opportunity for which this meeting affords. NE ee RP tein pet wot tae ase es SUMMER MEETING. 37 _ As the president has stated that he was somewhat disappointed Bethin the heavens were lowering, before him, I was also dis- Re pcinted when I thought, ‘‘Now, my little speech will not fit _ the occasion. I cannot say the earth is smiling.” We cannot meet in the grove, and I cannot speak of the blooming fiowers, _ the singing birds, etc., and I thought, ‘‘What can'I say?‘ I thought I could refer to our magnificent system of waterworks, a. _ but you cannot see them through these walls of brick and mor- ois. tar. It needs no words of mine to convince you that the people of _ Lake City are glad to see you. And I speak in behalf of the mayor and the city council when I say the ‘freedom of the city” is granted you. You are welcome to all our households. ‘f We have many objects of interest here, not the least of which, in the views of some, may be Rest Island. Ido not suppose any of you will visit it because of the remedies there applied, but _-—‘- you can visit it because of the beautiful scenery. You can step om _ into the borders of our sister state across the river, and you E ae will there see the rock where the Indian maiden threw herself os into the lake. I am told the foot-prints where she set her feet _ are still to be found. Ido not know this to be so. Es The people of Lake City welcome you; the mayor and com- mon council welcome you and bid you a glad and free welcome - toour homes and households. To-day our homes are yours. You have only to take possession. os _ Response to the address of welcome, by Prof. C. D. Smith, of the State Agricultural College: KS Mr. Chairman, gentlemen and ladies: I am almost too full. for utterance. I appreciate your most hearty welcome. When your quondam mayor stood in the doorway, I thought dinner ___was to be very late, and I felt as the Methodist minister did when he was visiting at a farm house, and as he was waiting, _ thinking dinner would be brought on, he asked a little boy, ‘Johnny, when will your dinner be ae The little fellow , answered, ‘‘As soon as you are gone.” ___, Perhaps you called on me because you thought you would rad hear nothing about horticulture; perhaps it was you thought _ Iwould be brief. I am interested in an undertaking in which 4 a _you all are interested, the agricultural school. While you are ¢ Se cultivating the berries and small fruits, and the whole line of Pr * _ horticultural products, we are trying to cultivate a still larger _ product whose fruitage is more important than all the horti- _ cultural fruits of the state combined. 38 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. You develop your Own business; on the other hand, we must depend on you. We are glad to welcome the young boys to our school, as you are glad to welcome us here; and we hope to welcome the girls also, as soon as provision can be made for them. Send to me the name of every bright boy who is inter- ested in farming. We desire to do them good. We desire heartily to accept the welcome so cordially ex- tended. Music: (uartette. Toast: <‘‘Horticulture in Minnesota.” Response by O. C. Gregg of Minneapolis, president of the Farmers’ Institute: Ladies and yentlemen:—Not because it is customary, but because 1 feel it, I wish to say that I have a very pleasing sensation come over me as I meet you here in Lake City to-day. I want to make a personal statement of fact. ‘The time was when I regarded a horticulturist in Minnesota, asa misguided man, but I always had a respect for you as a body. I thought Minnesota was a land of blizzards and not of fruit, but I have been con- verted. I was brought up a Methodist, and I look upon you as brethen and sis- ters in the great horticultural church. I have come to this belief by reason of experience. I was slow to believe, being, probably, naturally conservative, but I have seen so much of the successful work of the hor- ticulturists of Minnesota, that I am forced to believe that it has in it all the elements of success. Perhaps you will say that all I mean is that we can raise choke cherries, etc., but I am satisfied that we are going to make a grand success of that New England product, the apple. We propose to stand by apples on the southwestern frontier, where my farm is, not with the hope only, but with the expectation, that we will succeed. I expect to-day, from branches in southwestern Minnesota, fruit that I shall pluck with my own hand. Very naturally I regard this from the standpoint of one who goes about a good deal over the state. When I go through the streets of Minneapo- lis and see the little newsboys, I wish they had the privileges I had when I was a boy aad could go out into the orchards and pluck all the fruit I wanted, club the trees etc. But there are many boys on farms even who are hungry for fruit. Very soon, however, we shall have a lot of boxe and girls growing up who shall no longer hunger for fruit. I look upon you this afternoon, and I say you are every one of you ministers, and may the Father of all bless you in the noble work in which you are engaged. The work has a brighter look than ever before. Some one asked me, ‘‘Do you think every one is going to raise fruit?” I said no, but scatter all the seed you can and some of it may fall into recep- tive soil. You whoareold members of this horticultural society can take this consolation; you can say, ‘‘I earnestly work for a cause, that has made the state better.” You can say that success is with you. S vs Me ue 4 ea le? an ; ‘oe % “ a vay . ie bh re a wee ayaa bh eee, , Ps Wiens Sneed et A ee PAS eer Oe BNO ie tN ae GPO at an cae Ne ae ¢ : M Sie Lae ' . x WaGe ye An f sol § » ee as ‘ ‘ - SUMMER MEETING. 39 Toast—‘Our Birds.” Response by Mrs. G. F. Benson, Lake City: tR ‘To the lover of nature there is no more delightful recreation than the _ study of birds in their native haunts. In one of his charming essays, Burroughs says that “people who have not made friends with the birds do not know how much they miss.” In this locality we are fortunate in having a great variety of birds to observe, as the great valley of the Mis- sissippi seems to be the place of meeting for those which are peculiar to the eastern part of the continent, and those which belong more especially to the western part. Then, in addition to the large number which breed here, we have occasional visitors from the far north, and in spring and fall thousands of migratory birds, the most dainty, the most bewitching little creatures that can be found outside the tropics. Indeed, 1 some- times wonder if the tropical birds can be, after all, more beautiful than a many which we can see any day, either around our homes, or by taking a short drive into the country. A Minnesota author has said, ‘‘We Americans go to the ends of the world insearch of that which often times may be found at our very doors,” and I have often thought when looking through my field glass at one of these highly colored warblers, that were it only a foreign bird many ‘ would admire and exclaim at its beauty who now pass it by without a Me thought. What can be more brilliant than our Scarlet Tanager or the in- ae tense orange of the Baltimore Oriole? What color more exquisite than the heart-shaped pendant on the breast of the Rosebreasted Grosbeak? Look at the Blue Jay in his fresh full plumage! Notice in the sunlight the bronze and purple and green iridescence of the large Blackbirds, the blue and red of the Bluebird, the yellow and black of the Goldfinch, and Be. where will you find a picture--with such blending of shades and tints? _ Add to all this combination of colors the charm of life, and it comes + nearer the heart than the most skillful painting ever done by the hand of man. Ne: That birds are the friends of man and his helpers in the arts of bor- ticulture and agriculture, is a fact long since acknowledged. Those who a are interested in birds simply because they love them, and not because of x ; their usefulness, are greatly indebted to horticulturists for their investi- re gations of the habits of birds, and for the laws that have been enacted for their preservation. Were it not for these laws many species of our Bt, song birds would become extinct. When man joins himself to the long list of enemies which the song bird has to contend against, its doom is =. sealed. A recent effort to find a work of authority on our birds, resulted a in information being received from the state librarian that the only ac- a count of the birds of Minnesota is to be found in the reports of the state horticultural society. Here in our own little city the birds have many friends. The laws are generally well observed, and as a consequence many of the so-called wild- -___—scwoods birds build their nests and rear their young near our homes. This ; forms one of the chief attractions of our villages, and it is sincerely to be Rt: hoped that throughout the state people will awake to the appreciation of __-__ this fact, and not only see that the laws respecting the safety of the birds 4 are enforced more strictly, but devise some means whereby the increasing _ hordes of English Sparrows may be checked before our song birds are 40 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. © crowded out and driven away from the homes they have known for so many summers, and the places they have cheered with their delicious music shall know them no more. Toast: “Our Fruit Garden, —Better than beef or beans.”’ Re- | sponse by Mrs. A. A. Kennedy, of Hutchinson. When I read the note from our worthy secretary informing me that I would be expected to respond to this toast, I thought of our committee on arrangements as Paul said to the Romans, that they had ‘‘a zeal but not according to knowledge,” and I wondered much that they should choose a crooked stick when they had such magnificent timber at their command. I have made and served a great many dishes of toast, but this is the first of this kind, I think. When ‘our Heavenly Father planned and brought into existence this world of ours the department of horticulture received his most careful consideration. Outside of the gift of his Son, fruit was his greatest gift to man, and I thank God, for granting me this privilege of lending a hand to help roll their car of salvation—I was going to say,and I think I will not change it, for, is not everything that pertains to the elevation, refine- ment and true enjoyment of the human family salvation? I think so. When the Great God created this world he cast his eye over the work of his hands and pronounced it very good, and then the very first thing he did was to make a garden, and he did not plant it to beans, nor fill it with herds of cattle, but planted it to fruit, as much as to say that this was the only diet fit for man in his purity. Beef and beans were an after-thought, and came in after the curse was pronounced. This is conclusive evidence that fruit is in theascendancy. But let us look at it from another stand- point. In order to make 1,200 pounds of beef, it would take four acres of land to produce hay and pasturage, and one-third of an acre of corn, allowing 30 bushels per acre; and at four cents per pound, live weight, it would only come to $48.00. So it would take at the least four and one-third acres of land to make $48.00 worth of beef, and this is saying nothing of the care the first summer or the milk it would consume. The outside figures for a crop of beans is 30 bushels per acre, at $2.00 per bushels, would be $60.00 per acre, while fruit with the same amount of cultivation will produce 2,000 quarts of berries, ( 1 raised that many quarts from three-quarters of an acre last year) which at 10 cents a quart would pring $200.00;and there are those that do better still. Now,who that wishes to amass a fortune would think for one brief moment of raising beef or beans? Thus far I have said nothing in regard to the enjoyment we get. If any one wouid ask me how much enjoyment I get from my garden, I should have to answer as the little girl did when her mamma asked her how much she loved her. Toast: ‘Our Beautiful Wild Flowers,—Fast disappearing be- fore the onward march of civilization.” Response by Miss Sara M. oo of Lake City. Once as fell the evening twlight, And the glowing tints of sunset Linger’d in the western heaven, Suddenly was sound of music n cp aa hg ee ag a es SPN | Ae x 5 Saad PS el a et phe % SUMMER MEETING. As of many sweet bells chiming With a minor wail of sadness, Like the music heard in dream-land. ’T was the ringing of the ‘‘blue-bells,” Each its tiny clapper swinging, Calling all the flowers to council. Then they came in all their beauty, From the prairie, hill and forest, With one impulse met together. Much I wondered at the meeting. Did wild flowers hold conventions? Were they troubled with ambition? Over all the fair assembly Silence brooded calm and peaceful As it were a Quaker meeting. Then at last ‘Jack in the Pulpit,” Moved by strange power to address them, Stood erect and very solemn *Neath his canopy bright-colored, And he said to them “all evil Cometh from the love of money, This the root from which it springeth. For this cause our tribes are driven From the meadows and the prairies, From the hills and fertile valleys, By the onward march of progress, As it journeys ever westward. Weeds we are unto the farmer, As he field to field still addeth, Leaving us not e’en the hedgerows. He cares nothing for our beauty: Only for his wheat and barley And the fruits his hand has planted.” “We, the rainbow tinted flowers, Can alone find rest and safety In dense thickets by the brook side, Where no vandal plough can reach us: On the bluffs so wild and lonely, *Mid the lichen’d rocks and mosses.” “So methinks this is our mission Making bright the lonely places, That when tired of wheat and barley And the fruits his hand has planted, Even of his ‘Russian Apples’ Of which wisely he discourses,” UWE 4 Be rE a RP ae ONE CLS a Ne as Ree et fon KON S GUR MED NET Poet ie Oh ERE ER CT Mn eee ey Sv rs os - y c.? Va! whe 4 x ‘42 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘Should the thoughtful farmer wander To our unfrequented region, He may love us for our beauty, He may learn from us the secret Making bright the lonely places— Thus we render good for evil.” As he ceased again a silence Over all the fair assembly Brooded, and the darkness gather’d. Then again the bells were pealing, But no minor wail of sadness Linger’d in their sweet-toned chiming, And the sound of sylvan voices Mingled in harmonious accents With the ringing of the “‘blue-bells,” Sounding far away and fainter ‘Good for evil, good for evil.” Toast: ‘‘Research,—By it we will introduce much that will be valuable to our state.” Response by John S. Harris, La Cres- cent. Ladies and gentlemen:—I am not in the habit of making any apologies, but I cannot do justice to the subject to-day on account of sickness. When man was created he was created to knowledge, and God made a garden and placed him in it and commanded him to keep it and to enjoy the fruits thereof. But man lost his position and God turned him off. I think he was locked out, and he went out into the cold, wide world. While he was there in Eden he had tasted all manner of beautiful fruits, he had al) manner of beautiful flowers; and their influence has per- vaded him all through the ages. But he grew from bad to worse; and finally he was driven from Eden and from the face of the earth, except Noah and his family; but in them the institution of horticulture was preserved. Getting further along, we find that the Babylonians had fair hanging gardens. But the people had made research in order to have those gar- dens, the record of which, though brief. has been handed down to us. During the dark ages there seems to have been a falling off in horti- culture. Coming down to about four hundred years since, we find the principles had been kept alive, and probably in no past age of the world has there been as great an advance as within the last one hundred years. Research has been the great element of this recent advance. Research has brought us scores of new fruits. The first instance of research upon record is in the good Book. It is of those who were sent into the land of Canaan and who brought back the grapes. I have no doubt they had more influence than all other things the spies told. There is an opening to us for research. We have tried what are called native American fruits and introduced them into the state, and have very generally made failures of apples. We have been more successful with small fruits, but we have not been as successful as we desire. A few years ago, two men, Prof. C. L. Budd and Charles Gibb, made a journey 4 7 SUMMER MEETING. 43 through some of the bleakest regions of Russia, and they came back to us bringing an abundance of fruits which they thought would thrive in this locality. But most of these are lacking; some have one difficulty and some another. There is still an aching void. We must search again. We must send more men to that land and see if we cannot find something ‘that will answer our purpose better. All over this country the hardy pioneers brought seeds from their eastern homes, and we have trees twenty-five and thirty years of age. Research may find out some of these and we may receive good from it. Again there is another wide field for research. There are fruits which we know would be useless planted here—the orange, the citron, the peach, ' etc. But we have native fruits that can be improved, that are hardy, that - are adapted to our soil and climate, and that will be more wholesome and invigorating than the tropical fruits. Let us search our hills and forests and find the choke-cherry, the raspberry, the blackberry and the straw- berry. Let us bring them in and place them in the hands of our experi- menters, and encourage them to grow larger, and better fruit, and then perhaps we will have fruit equal to that of any other land upon which the sun shines. Toast—‘‘The Columbian Exposition.” Response by A. W. Latham, Excelsior. Mr. President. ladies and gentlemen:—With the consent of our presi- dent I will read the few remarks which I have prepared, as the members of our society are aware that Iam not a public speaker. I do not feel so bad about this since the ladies who have preceded me, who, it is agreed, - belong to the sex who are the best talkers, have both taken the liberty to read their replies. In regard to what I had to say on this question, the situation is radically changed by developments since this was written, and I feel obliged to leave out a portion, which, I regret to say, was over- flowing with wit and humor. You will never know the amount of your loss, but I assure you, it is a great one. There is a general belief that this exposition had its origin in the ef- forts of one Columbus, who lived a long time ago, so long ago that I doubt if even our veteransof this society, Mr. Harris and Col. Stevens, have any personal recollection in regard to it. The facts, as far as they can be reached, would indicate that this remarkable man, Columbus, planned and x arranged for this exposition some time along the last of the 15th century. He was certainly a man with a genius for the future. It is a great thing for him, so many hundred years ago, to have devised such an institution as we understand this exposition is to be. A historian, whose name I have forgotten, but upon whom we can de pend probably as much as upon some other historians, says, I believe, that Columbus made up his mind at an early age that he would build a fleet of ships and quietly, without saying anything at all about it to his wife, for fear it should get out, would sail to the west and discover America; and it would seem that he had even then determined that the exposition. to be named after him, should be held in Chicago, on Lake Michigan; but it was necessary first to discover the country where this city was to be built. It is said that he was successful in his maritime venture, and early inthe morning on the 12th of October, 1492, when from the masthead was heard the cry, ‘‘A light ahead!” this great man came hastily on deck and cried ‘out, ‘‘There is America!” ER OE MA Te Ag OR Ie Oe ee ee AT ee bes Pe 4 Pe ie y xe har. A by) - d mF ii Se t : i a > 44 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I will not tire you with a romantic history of this explorer, but that he was successful in his plans to discover America, where was to be founded a great empire, of which the interior metropolis was to be the city on the lake, where was to be held the exposition to be named in his honor and to perpetuate his memory, we are all witnesses, and we all hope to be there and to assist in honoring this man of tre:nendous foresight and courage and perseverance, While we do not know it to be really so, yet we believe he even had it in his plans to have laid out in this part of the country the fair state of Minnesota, for the purpose mainly of allowing the friends here gathered, and their predecessors, to organize this horticultural society with the de- sign, without doubt, that, with other similar organizations, we should be present on the occasion of this exposition to assist in honoring and glori- fying his name. That our society may be able to do this fittingly is cer- tainly our hearty purpose and wish, although the apparatus for its ac- complishment cannot really be said, as yet, to be in motion. The ma- ~~ chine is planned, and its parts adjusted, the engineers are posted, and everything seems to be ready except the necessary orders to move. We are patiently waiting for this, and as somebody says, ‘‘All things come round to him who will but wait.” Our society, in common with the rest of mankind, should learn a lesson from the foresight and perseverance of this great man, long since passed away, but whose lesson forever remains. The work we are doing, not bearing fruit as we could wish in the present, is the substratum work that is bound to yield results in the future, we hope not so many hundred years from now. but within the knowledge and period of our immediate successors. “Tet us then be up and doing,” And “learn to labor and to wait.”’ Music: Lake City Quartette. Toast: ‘‘Our Women Allies,—The best half of horticulture.” Reponse by J. T. Grimes, Minneapolis. Ladies and gentlemen:—I am aware that the subject assigned me isa delicate one, involving as it does the question of woman’s right to the best of every good thing. ; “Our Women Allies--The best half of horticulture.” In fact,without the refining influence of woman the ‘‘best half of horti- culture” would be an unknown quantity, amounting to but very little in the economy of life’s enjoyment. What did man know about horticulture anyway until woman had the courage to reach out her hand and pluck the fruit from the tree of knowledge, and tell him that it was fair to look upon and likewise good to eat? And having taken the initial step in this great work, she has led him on ever since, not by force, but simply by at- traction, in the path of the beautiful, along which flowers bloom and fruits grow and ripen, whose luscious sweetness tickle the palates of the very gods. I mean, of course, gods of our fraternity. Where would we be to-day without ‘‘our women allies?” Who was it that took us by the hand when we were innocent and childlike and pointed out the unfolding beauties of nature in bud, leaf, flower and fruit? Who first taught us to say “Our Father which art in Heaven?’’ Can we ever forget that sainted mother? esti et PRO 5, este (ne a oS iene faay Chee ee ig PAG * A a eas NS hl Bin Vy <* } wat f vie t SUMMER MEETING. 45 Who led us along by the babbling brook and gathered wild flowers and . placed the dainty violets and buttercups in our little hands as we jour- neyed on our way to school? Can we ever forget that loving sister? And when with laughing pride, who shared our pleasure in the moon- light walk beneath the trellised arbor, where none would dare to intrude? Who plucked the blushing rose, and having kissed it, placed it upon our manly bosom? Can we ever, ever forget that dear sweetheart of ours, in the sacred memory of by-gone davs? Can we forget? : And, who in all these years has clung to us like a tender vine, trusting, ever trusting? Who has been our guiding star to lead us on to deeds of noble purpose? Who was it that planned our home with all its beauti- ful surroundings, and placed her smile upon it? And who but her could train those olive plants that cluster around our frugal board. Woman, the angel of our hopes, “our better half,” thee we can ne’er forget. ay Toast—‘‘All Around in Horticulture.” By Miss Ida EH. Til- re - son, West Salem, Wis. 3 A certain theological professor charged a young minister, under his in- ‘e ‘Struction, never to venture even a mile away from home without a ser- y mon in his pocket. By past experience I have found it wise to take an essay with me. When, only a few minutes ago, our president assigned me a toast, I was glad I had along an essay lately read at the Wisconsin meeting, a part of which will be better than my random talk might prove, > and, judging from the bountiful and beautiful repast spread before us, --- you can appreciate something on the subject of eatables. Let us begin with my favorite asparagus, April’s best gift, esteemed a delicacy as far back as the early Greeks. Till a recent period, however, its cultivation and preparation seemed among “‘lost arts.” Two popular modern cook books, which we own, make meager mention of this root; and ff - Lonce lived in a town whose principal gardener had plowed up his aspar- a agus because of no market forit. But its valuable diuretic properties, and its early appearance when we so hunger for something new, fresh and green, are causing increased attention and appreciation. Our roots are 4 eight or ten inches below the top of the ground, and, therefore, send up ¥ crisp, tender, blanched shoots, quite different from those green, woody “ones _ whose roots are near the surface. The French believe asparagus % promotes longevity. Of three famous savants who enjoyed it heartily, two lived over ninety years; the other died in his‘eighties because, as -* his companions believed, he did not eat asparagus enough. ie Radishes, lettuce and young onions are May’s tribute. Although yel- < _ low or white onions look delicate, we think the ‘‘red Wethersfield” is act- R ually more sweet and tender. Raw onions now rank among the best of liver.medicines, and in ancient Egypt this vegetable was worshipped as a sort ef divinity. From every point of view there is no wonder the Israel- ites, in barren, bilious Arabia, wept for the leeks, onions and garlic of Egypt. Those bulbs had drawn tears before and have since. The radish is anti-scorbutic, blood-purifying and tonic, while lettuce furnishes a nervine having all the value of opium and none of its ill effects. June enriches our list with cooling strawberries. Shakespere’s Richard III., in the midst of state-craft and slaughter, turns aside one moment to say— “My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn I saw good strawberries in your garden there; I do beseech you send for some of them.” 46. MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ae Horace Walpole named his lovely country-seat ‘Strawberry Hill.” This plant is found wild and apparently native in both hemispheres, and has since received such further development, there is hardly a climate or soil to which some variety is not adapted. We always hope to show patriotic sentiments ‘‘Fourth of July,” by eat- ing new potatoes, ourown native American tubers. Long may they wave —their tops—in the gentle breezes, of course. Let Persia claim her beans and cucumbers, but give me ‘‘Mayflower” potatoes, or give me something better. The bean, however, has built up New England, and we all re- member Daniel and his companions, excused from the king’s wine and meat, were permitted a diet of pulse and water, ‘‘and at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the chiidren which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.” ‘‘As cool as a ‘cucumber” was supposed to be nonsense, till an enterprising scientist introduced his thermometer into one near its center of growth, and found that point phenomenally cool. This plant has been used to assuage fevers, and if consumers can wait, as we do, till cucumbers are fully grown, just before turning yellow, no danger of cholera will ensue. That renowned traveler, Madam Ida Pfeiffer, at one time, for three days, could get nothing else to eat. Tomatoes are good alone or combined, raw, stewed, baked or in soups, and their calomel makes them especially valuable for bilious persons. To get the best results, plants must be set early, and box-like inclosures or old peach baskets got ready for covering them frosty nights. My weary pilgrimages up and down our long row as, “The shades of night were falling fast.” and again, “At break of day,” do indeed remind us of Longfellow’s youth when “From his lips escaped a groan, Excelsior!” As for melons, having been robbed many years in succession, we long ago gave up the unequal contest of raising them, till now I hardly know in what month they come or any of their qualities. Autumn has a royal gift of apples, plums, grapes and nuts. It is said a confirmed apple-eater never gets bilious, and the grape cure for consump- tion is well known. Then, when our land is fast locked in ice and snow, what satisfaction to contemplate canned fruit and jellies, crisp cabbages, golden squashes and pumpkins, onions in their airy crates, and turnips buried in sand or sawdust to prevent wilting. Whoever takes pains to set out and cultivate a garden, can, in addition to his wholesome exercise, eat a complete course of medicine. Is not that better than a complete course of drugs? Of fifty-two centenarians ex- amined by Prof. Humphry of Cambridge, nearly all were ‘‘small meat- eaters.” ‘‘What can I dofor my little boy,”asked a mother, ‘‘sothat he wont want to eat between meals?” ‘‘Have the meals thicker together?”, replied this young gourmand. Piecing between meals, candy, spices, irritants and stimulants will tempt less where food is simple and nourishing, and work be done not on one’s nerve but by genuine strength. An Arabian legend says Satan, claiming the whole world, demanded, one year, half their crops for rent. Given his choice, he selected, as we might suppose, the top half. That year they planted turnips and carrots. Satan in a rage reversed his choice, whereupon the wily Arabs planted SV pete pee 3 ae 4 * wt “Wal % ! ’ s 5 ¥y P 5 “ & x hi Fe a ? a tL yr = =e Ls 4 ee <4 yo on me “I Ne Ny Pee ee Pee Yt de ws W2 ol Be otN O Mata i eur 4 “78 ‘ 7 fy 7 SUMMER MEETING. ¢ 47 a corn, beans, buckwheat and perhaps, small fruits. Profit, health and comfort still rise from the garden and help vanquish ‘‘the world, the flesh, and the devil.” Toast—‘‘The Horticulturist, —While observing the laws of nature, he observes the laws of the land.” Response by Hon. R. H. Moore, Lake City. ‘Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:—I have no notes, not even a bank note. * * * * The horticulturist is an observer of the laws of the land. Abraham Lincoln usually fitted in a nice little story. and I am reminded of the story of the physician who was asked how was the health of the com- munity. He answered, ‘“‘It is distressingly healthy.” Though you are horticulturists, you never ‘‘raise Cain,” and so far as the criminal lawyers are concerned, you never ‘“‘butter any of his parsnips.” Perhaps you oc- casionally find a black sheep in the class to which I belong, but I be- lieve you will have to search a long way before you will find a black sheep among the horticulturists, yet you will occasionally find one who will steal a row off from his neighbor’s raspberry patch. In this age in which we have a conflict of rights, it is pleasant to think that we have a class in our community that will offset a good deal of the evil that we annually import from abroad. Toast: ‘‘The Horticulturist,—The man who in nature’s garden works with God.” Responded to by Rev. E. B. Chase, Lake City, Minn. Mr. Chairman, friends of horticulture:—I appreciate the honor of being called upon to say a word before this wise and practical body who are to be judged by the divine standard—“‘by their fruits ye shall know them.” It is because the fruits of horticulture have grown to such perfection. and been such a blessing in ameliorating the general condition of man, that it is every way fitting for brethren who try to conserve the spiritual welfare of man to plat a wreath with which to crown the brow of horti- culture. Did you ever think the first of all recorded industries was that of the horticulturist? The Creator, himself, we are told, was a gardener, and that part, I sup- pose, has prompted the form of this toast. For if Kepler’s thought be true in the realm of science, ‘I think thy thoughts after thee, O, God,” it is equally true you think God’s thoughts and work God’s works. For we read in a work that has many hints on horticulture, that is not. however, quoted as authority on horticuiture, that God planted a gardén eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed fo dress it and to keep it. I salute you then as the especially commissioned of God, you whom he called to carry on the work of creation he began. Christ, himself, who showed a most intimate knowledge of horticulture in the parable of the vine and branches, who said, grub out all that bear not fruit, in the miracle of cursing the barren fig trees, who showed his soul was near to nature when he said, ‘‘consider the lilies of the field,” expressly declared the “works that I do shall you do, and greater works than these shall ye do.” Let us wrest these words from their original application and see how the horticulturist illustrates their truth in the line of his grand calling. ‘oe > 4 ‘ SY es ea as SAN NI il ena Sli Acie Dia Sg cat nth . ‘ 3 , nee Ny thesbet 0 e, Mn erg ' af f 48 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. . oe Take Indian corn and see how man has changed and improved it. “Originally a tropical plant, it has gradually been changed in its char-~ acter so as to mature its crop in the short seasons of Minnesota, and from a tall grass-like plant producing but little seed, it has been dwarfed and ’ made much more prolific.” Even the peach, native to Persia, has been largely improved till it ripens in various climes. Within the memories of some here fruits were few, flowers confined to the hollyhock and a few others, but now, thanks tothe labors of your fellow- toilers, man has taken the few plants, fruits and flowers God has made, and has multiplied them almost beyond enumeration. I recall my boyhood tramps after the wild strawberry. Goa made a good berry, itis true. He made man also in his image, and when he said dress and keep the garden, he started man in a direction of development, saying, ‘‘beat my berry,” and man has done it. God made a few varieties of apples; the first work on pomology records twenty-three varieties, The horticulturist took up the work of making apples and pushedit on- ward till now we have more than 2,000 varieties; and man’s experiments. going on now in the hybridization may yet, with the Russian apple or some other, give you an apple tree for Minnesota’s prairies that will defy Minnesota’s arctic frost, blush in blossoms with the kiss of spring, and reward your labor with luscious autumnal fruitage. But I need not weary you with multiplied illustrations of the way the horticulturist is working with God, or draw upon our imagination for the future, for from what you have already accomplished in increasing and improving what the Creator made, and from the varied and wise investi- gation and experiments now in full operation, we feel assured still greater victories and honors are to characterize your profession in evolving plant, tree and fruit till ‘‘the bounteous Eden, lost of yore, with fruits and flowers we would restore.” One thought more. The horticulturist is the man who, in nature’s garden, works with God, for yourcalling is one that tends to bring out and develop the divine in men. In your cultivation of plant, flower, berry: tree, you come in close fellowship with nature, and are ever striving to find the true, the beautiful and the good, and that very effort brings out the divine in you. . Right here I am reminded of the story of the Scotchman and the Eng- lishman who were talking together of their respective countries; the Eng- lishman said: “You eatoats in Scotland, doyou? We feed them to our horses in England.” The Scotchman, not willing to be beaten, replied: ‘“Yes, and whoever saw such horses as you have in England, or such men . as we have in Scotland?” The occupation of horticulture is one pre-eminently fitted to produce men madein the image of God, for the horticulturist, says another, “thinks as God thinks, in living forms.” We think with words, God thinks in living forms of beauty and usefulness. You also think in living forms; you plan to develop a living beauty, Your thought is seen, as for example, when you took the wild crab on the plains of Asia, small and ‘‘so sour as to turn the edge from of a knife”,— and have given us the wonderful orchards of our eastern and more genial. climes. Speen NS ame seer Fy » pi Dal as “ « 4 : ae 9, EF ble ok” re Qe Fe sgh rs ? go lie BW fe INS te, aR eee Sten NAL Sl eS Be Ld v 7 * . « 6 SUMMER MEETING. 49 Your thinking in forms of beauty, starting with the simple rose of Eden, has developed the unsurpassed and varied splendor of the roses seen here before us this afternoon. So with nearly all our vegetables that we prize for their agreeable flavor and nutritive properties; together with our flowers they. have been brought from a wild, unpalatable state by careful selection and cultivation totheir present high state of development. All these marvelous developments in forms of beauty and of fruitful- ness, that have beautified, enriched and blessed the world, all imply cult- ure, patience, skill on the part of the horticulturist like that of God’s. It is thought in the horticulturist’s brain that has added to the prim- itive glories of creation. It is thought in his brain and arm which gives us asummer the year round. It is thought in the horticulturist that has enlarged the work God began. “The man whose life work survives in the rose or strawberry is a cre- ator, a benefactor, a teacher,”—a teacher and benefactor, first, in mul- tiplying and improving the blessings God gave at first,—and second, by the efforts to produce these he has been saving man and restoring to a higher better type of manhood. While it has given new plants, flowers, and fruits, your calling, like the Scotchman’s oats, has also been helping to make men. The agencies of heaven all conserve the grander, higher nature of men, and you areco-laborers with the Infinite,for as He sets a high ideal so you bring into your daily task the ideal of the highest attainable perfection of growth and production. _ You are satisfied with nothing that you, or that others have done. It is your duty, your design, your delight to enrich the earth with a wealth and beauty never before attained, and that noble discontent, that divine restlessness seen in man and peculiarly distinctive in the life of the horti- culturist, has lifted humanity upon higher and holier planes of living, so that while you have been laboring to produce that which is more and more perfect, productive and beautiful in the world of nature, you have by your very effort been working in union with God in the production of _a nobler type of man. It was more than a coincidence then, it was prophecy indicative of the purifying and ennobling influence of your manhood-making calling, that Mary at the tomb of herrisen Lord,whom she did not recognize,could think of no one more likely to possess the attractive features and intense look of love of the perfect man than that horticulturist who kept the garden where he had been buried. I will step aside to let Whittier place this -wreath upon your brow, “Oh, painter of the fruits and flowers, We thank thee for the wise design, Whereby these human hands of ours In Nature’s garden work with thine. And thank that from our daily needs The joy of simple faith is born; That he who smites the summer weed, Must trust Thee for the autumn corn. 50 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * Give fools their gold, and knaves their power, © Let fortune’s bubble rise and fall, Who sows a field or trains a flower, Or plants a tree is more than all. For he who blesses most is blest; And God and man shall own his worth © Who toils to leave as his bequest An added beauty to the earth. And soon or late to all who sow The time of harvest shall be given; The flower shall bloom, the fruit shall grow, If not on earth, at least in heaven.” Mr. J. S. Gray: Mr. President:—I wish to offer the follow- ~ ing motion: I move that the thanks of this society be and are hereby ten- dered to the people of Lake City for the bounteous feast we have enjoyed this day, provided by them for the members of this society, and also to the mayor and city council of Lake City for the ‘‘freedom of the-city.” The motion was put by the president and carried unani- mously. The report of Prof. S. B. Green, superintendent of central experiment station, was here submitted as follows: (See index. ) Music—Duet. President Underwood: .I thought, when Mr. Wyman Elliot announced that he could no longer be with us, but must take up his home somewhere else, what a great loss it would be to us, and, especially so, when I found myself in his position. But I have pleasure recently in the thought that Mr. Elliot is not going to leave us, but will be here to help in planning and carrying out the work of our society. We will hear from him in response to the toast, ‘‘Our Future,— What we have planned and what we will execute.” Response by Wyman Elliot, Minneapolis: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I think my mantle has fallen on pretty good shoulders. I think here to-day we have an evidence of it. What the future will bring forth we have yet to prove. When I was a small boy I found it very hard to make a speech and to get up and say it, and now that I am grown it is no easier, so I have pre-. pared a memorandum of what I want to say, and I leave it for you to judge whether it is applicable. Theamonnt of thought and right judgment exercised in our planning fol- lowed by persistent execution will largely determine what will be the fu- ture product of each individual, society or organization. Each detail of work from the first conception to the final completion must be pushed with vigor and zeal, in conformity with the laws of production, of what- ever kind or nature the business consists. Let us plan ever so well or spec- gt ice. SUEUREN, St . i Y SUMMER MEETING. ‘51 - ulate ever so wisely, if there is a failure in the execution, our planning will prove of little value. The essential laws of production vary but little ~ from season to season, the same general law governs this year that will govern next, or a hundred years hence, susceptible of variation only as we change the conditions from natural sources by artificial means. As I sub- stitute or change the natural conditions with right judgment, so will my product be a success or failure. Human nature is the same the world over. Some were born to plan and execute with thoughtful care and intelligent judgment, others can plan and only make failures in their execution, while others are only fitted to execute after another’s planning. I presume it is not expected that I am to express what the future acts of the members of this horticultural society will be, or the horticultural achievements that they may accomplish. I am no futurist, but prefer to be counted as an expectant of the present age, ever ready to deal with the problems in horticulture of to-day and leave what is to be hereafter to those who may seek to follow in our footsteps. What we need most is to plan well for the present, see that our lamps are trimmed, and filled with the oil of persevering energy and industry, that their light may make bright the path wesoon shall leave and enable those who follow to profit by our mistakes and successes. At the conclusion of the program as rendered, the society adjourned to take a drive which had been arranged by the citizens of Lake City. The route of the drive lay through the. grounds of the Jewell Nursery Company, the residence portion of Lake City and along the, shores of Lake Pepin to Rest Island, where the company broke up. The various members of the so- ciety were taken to the homes of the citizens where they were entertained for the night. Thus ended one of the most enjoyable summer sessions of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, for the successful conduct of which the society is under great obligation to the people of Lake City. iy dar id eb Ret haa Sik ae FEE le AM UN Dr a Re ects ae haa Nl ala Ulva ae ME oe Wee te Ub aries ee rah MEM Coney eR Bk we) vi i ‘a . ane " - 52 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Record of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting OF THE Minnesota State Horticultural Society, HELD AT MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURS- DAY AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 10TH, 11TH, 12TH AND 13TH, 1893. NOTICE. Program of the twenty-sixth annual meeting of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society to be held in the Lumber Exchange, corner Fifth St. aud Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, Minn., Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 10, 11, 12 and 13, 1893. Keep this program for use at the meeting. Annual membership fee, $1.00. Life membership, $10.00. Remit to the secretary. The ladies are especially invited. ANNOUNCEMENT. The rapid growth of this society the past year, and the increasing in- terest in horticulture in our state, warrant the expectation that this meeting will be one of unusual interest, and al] persons interested in any branch of horticulture, either as amateurs or professionals, are urgently invited to attend and take part in the proceedings. Assurance is received of the presence with us of several prominent hor- - ticulturists from abroad, including B. E. Fernow, Chief of Forestry, H. E. Van Deman, Pomologist, Prof. N. E. Hansen, of Ames, Ia., and others. The program has been prepared with special reference to allowing am- ple time for the discussion of every subject presented, of which a full sten- ographic report will be made for use in the published transactions of the society. ; } A liberal premium list has been prepared, to which your special atten- tion is called. The interest of a meeting is much increased by a good exhibit, in making which you are urged to assist. Especial interest attaches to this meeting from the fact that the horti- cultural exhibit from this state to be made at the Columbian Exposition the coming season is to be considered, and final arrangements made to secure the full co-operation of the members and the use of all the availa- ble horticultural resources of the state. Minnesota should stand second to no state in the beauty and quality of its horticultural display, and it is our privilege to see that it does not. The usual reduction to one and one-third railroad fare has been secured, which will be available, however, only in case one hundred persons attend who hold receipts or certificates showing that they have paid full fare to the place of meeting. Do not forget, then, in purchasing ticket to call for a certificate from the agent showing that you have bought a full fare ticket to the meeting of this society. «. — > oa 43 Pt. ~ Pa, '¥ o OS ly o Extreme St nasi nat =) ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 53 Members, delegates and visitors reaching the city previous to the open- ing of the meeting are invited to call at the library, Room 2, No. 427 Nic- ollet avenue, which is the headquarters of the committee on reception, Col. J. H. Stevens, Wyman Elliot and Prof. S. B. Green. The address of the chairman of the committee on entertainment is C. L. Smith, editor: Farmers Tribune, Minneapolis. Papers publishing this program, or calling attention to this meeting and sending the secretary a marked copy of the paper containing the no- tice will receive, when published, a bound copy of the proceedings. J. M. UNDERWOOD, President, A. W. LATHAM, Secretary, Excelsior. _ Lake City. PROGRAM. Tuesday Morning Session, 10 o’clock. General Subject, Small Fruits. Prayer. Opening remarks by the president. Appointment of committee on credentials. Report of committee on small fruits—M. Pearce, Chowen; L. H. Wil- cox, Hastings; J. A. Sampson, Exceisior; Mrs. A. A. Kennedy, Hutchin- son; M. Cutler, Sumter. Small Fruits—J. A. Sampson, Excelsior. Improvements in Growing Strawberries—L. H. Wilcox, Hastings. Tuesday Afternoon Session, 2.0’clock. General Subject, Small Fruits and Grapes. Small Fruit Culture for the Farmers—C. L. Smith, Ed. Farmers Tribune, o" Minneapolis. Horticulture for the Children—M. A. Thayer, President Wis. State Hort. Society, Sparta, Wis. Fruit in the Red River Valley—E. W. Hazeltine, Grand Forks, N. D. Horticulture in the Farmers’ Institute—O. C. Gregg, Superintendent Farmers’ Institute, Minneapolis. 3 o’clock. Report of committee on grapes—Daniel Buck, Mankato; A. H. Brackett, Minneapolis; E. J. Cutts, Howard, A Woman’s Experience in Vine Culture—Mrs. Sophronia Irwin, ®xcel- sior. Vine Growing in Wright County—E. J. Cutts, Howard Lake. Tuesday Evening Session, 7:30 o’clock. Music. Address of welcome—W. H. Eustis, Mayor of Minneapolis. Response to address of welcome—Alfred Terry, Slayton. President’s annual address—J. M. Underwood, Lake City. ~ Music— Annual report of secretary—A. W. Latham, Excelsior. Annual report of treasurer—Ditus Day, Farmington. Annual report of librarian—A. W. Latham, Excelsior. What we know of the Effects of Klectricity on Plant Growth—Prof. S. B. Green, St. Anthony Park. Report of committee-on legislation—-J. H. Stevens, Minneapolis; Wyman Elliot, Minneapolis; F. G. Gould, Excelsior. Pesoiniment of committees on fruit list, award of premiums, sugges- tions for the good of the society, summer meeting, president’s address, obituaries and final resolutions. 4Pirte % 1 ie ta ee we Ree ae | wd id sai te, Shae ea ae J = Ate vo eet iad SE pean tt ahs hie hy $a oe Se ee ~ F 4 ~ ‘ one 7 es nS ‘ Ay 54 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SUCIETY. > - Wednesday Morning Session, 9 o’clock. General Subject, Apples and General Fruits. , Prayer. _Itis expected that H. E. Van Deman. Pomologist of the U.S. Agri- ‘cultural Department, will address the meeting during this session. Report of committee on apples—Clarence Wedge, Albert em R. C. Keel, Rochester; H. M. Lyman, Excelsior, Hardy Apples in the Northwest—It. C, Keel, Rochester. Crossing and Hybridizing of Fruits, Roses, etc—Prof. N. E. Hansen, Iowa Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa. Report of committee on seedlings and fruits—J. S. Harris, La Crescent. Report of committee on general fruits—M. W. Cook, Rochester; Alfred Terry, Slayton; G. W. Fuller, Litchfield; W. Mackintosh. Langdon: M. Pearce, Chowen; D. E. Myers, St. Cloud; D. T. Wheaton, Morris; Sidney Corp, Hammond; 8. D. Richardson, Winnebago City; S. H. Kenney, Mor- ristown; J. F. Zatterstrom, Spencer Brook; B. C. Yancey, Edina Mills: Mrs. P. A. Thayer, Sauk Rapids: Rev. O. A. Th. Solem, Halstad. Wednesday Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock. General Subject, General Fruits. : Report of committee on plums and cherries—C. W. H. Heideman, New Ulm; O. M. Lord, Minnesota City. The Leaves. of our Hardy Trees—O. F. Brand, Faribault. Rambling Thoughts on Horticulture—Wyman Elliot, Minneapolis. Report of committee on fruit blossoms—L. H. Wilcox, Hastings; S. B. Green, St. Anthony Park; C. W. H. Heideman, New Ulm. Reports of superintendents of experiment stations—Prof. S. b. Green, Central Station, St. Anthony Park; E. H. 8S. Dartt, Owatonna; F. H. Fiedler, Fergus Falls; B. F. Jenness, Willmar; Dewain Cook, Windom; Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea; Chas. W. Sampson, (grapes) Excelsior; O. M. Lord, (plums and small fruits) Minnesota City; C. W. H. Heideman, (plums and small fruits) New Ulm; D. E. Myers, St. Cloud; H. M. Lyman, (apples) Excelsior; J. S. Harris, La Crescent; L. R. Moyer, Montevideo. Reports of vice presidents—Clarence Wedge, First Cong’! Dist. Albert Lea; Dewain Cook, Second Cong’! Dist. Windom; L. E. Day, Third Cong’] Dist. Farmington; R.S. Mackintosh, Fourth Cong’! Dist. Langdon; J. H. Stevens, Fifth Cong’l Dist. Minneapolis; Mrs. Jennie Stager, Sixth Cong’! Dist. Sauk Rapids; J. O. Barrett, Seventh Cong’! Dist. Brown’s Valley. Reports of local societies. Wednesday Evening Session, 7:30 o’clock. General Subject, Forestry. The lumbermen of the Northwest are especially invited to attend this session and take part in the discussion of this subject. Address of welcome—Col. J. H. Stevens, President Minnesota Forestry Association. Report of committee on forestry —G. W. Fuller, Litchfield; H. J. Ludlow, Worthington; Mrs. J. H. Brown, Lac qui Parle. Report of committee on evergreens—C. P. Nichols, ‘Northfield; G. W. Somerville, Sleepy Eye; Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea. ae peta te . “ 7 ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. | 55 _ * Practical Tree Planting on the Prairiesand Preservation of the Natural Forest Region—Prof. D. R. McGinnis, Secretary of the Chamber of Com. merce, Grand Forks, N. D. Timber and Water Conservation—H. C. Putnam, Eau Claire, Wis. Present Situation of the Forestry Probleni—B. E. Fernow, Chief of Forestry, Washington, D. C. Geo. C. Jones, Watertown, S. D., State Forester, E. T. Ensign of Col- orado, and J. O. Barrett, Secretary Minnesota Forestry Association and others prominent in this field will be present or contribute papers for the occasion. ; Thursday Morning Session, 9 o’clock.. General Subject, Bee-Keeping and Fruit List. d ’ Prayer. Address by J. P. West, Hastings, President Bee-Keepers’ Association. ae. Report of committee on apiculture—Dr. J. R. Walker, Leech Lake; i Mrs. J. W. Blackwell, Alexandria. Suggestions to Beginners in Bee-Keeping—C. C. Aldrich, Morristown. Further papers will be presented by Prof. S. B. Green and others, inter- spersed with discussions. tor 11 o’clock. Report of committee on fruit list. “ane Thursday Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock. General Subject, Annual Elec- tion and World’s Fair. 5 ste. Report.of committee on award of premiums. el Report of committee on president’s address. is Report of delegate to South Dakota Horticultural Society—C. W. H. ____-Heideman, New Ulm. Report of delegate to Iowa Horticultural Society—Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea. Pe Report of delegates to Am. Horticultural Society—Wyman Elliot and “a A. W. Latham. Annual report of the executive committee. a Annual election of officers. cE , Status and Plans for the Minnesota Horticultural Exhibit at the Colum- a ‘ bian Exposition—A. W. Latham, Superintendent. am Report of World’s Fair committee—J. M. Underwood, W. Elliot, Prof. . §.B. Green. — Forestry at theWorld’s Fair—J. O. Barrett, Secretary Minnesota Forestry Association. 4 How can the Florist Assist in the Horticultural Exhibit at the World’s i: Fair?—A. 8. Swanson, St. Paul. Thursday Evening Session; 7:30 o’clock. General Subject,-Floriculture. Report of committee on deciduous trees and shrubs—L. R. Moyer, Monte- ____ video; Ralph D. Cleveland, Minneapolis; Wm. Wachlin, Faribault. Ss Report of committee on out-door herbaceous plants—L. R. Moyer, Monte- video; W. J. Wickersheim, Idlewild; Miss Sara M. Manning, Lake City. The Prairie Flora of Western Minnesota—L. R. Moyer, Montevideo. OPN hy AN eT Pes te ee UN PP AY eee ON aR > os ie tay ee ret NS 7 ae Dat ae x rh aol cae ain) iy Sra! Son et a eH ines 3 ON Listes Wise. EG ic eee t 38 “ ay TY Ag A ’ * oA w \ i 56 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ee Report of committee on horticultural structures and implements—J. S. : Gray, Minneapolis; A. S. Swanson, St. Paul. Report of committee on house and greenhouse plants—F. G. Gould, Ex- » celsior; Gust. Malmquist, Minneapolis; R. S. Mackintosh, Langdon. Orchids—W. A. Manda, Short Hills, N. J. Cosmos—Gust. Malmquist, Minneapolis. Bulbs for Winter Forcing—R. J. Wessling, Minneapolis. Roses for Winter Blooming—Victor Nelson, Minneapolis. Plants for Early Flowering —K. Nagel, Minneapolis. Carnations—F.. G. Gould, Excelsior. Friday Morning Session, 2 o’clock. General Subject, Vegetables, Sugar, Syrup and Pantry Stores. Prayer. Agricultural Chemistry—Prof. H. Snyder, St. Anthony Park. Report of committee on vegetables—Mrs. A. Bonniwell, Hutchinson; Joshua Allyn, Red Wing; E. M. Chandler, Minneapolis. Onion Culture—J. J. Baston, St. Louis Park. Horticulture on New Prairie Farms—Prof. W. M. Hays, Agricultural College, Fargo, N. D. My Failure in Growing Celery—J. Allyn, Red Wing. Report of committee on sugar and syrup—J. F. Porter, Red Wing; E. A. Lane, Chowen; Wm. Danforth, Red Wing. One Method of Making Maple Syrup—E. A. Lane, Chowen. ' Report of committee on cooking and pantry stores—Mrs. A. B. Under- wood, Lake City: Mrs. S. B. Green, St. Anthony Park. Fruits and Nutrition—Mrs. Clara S. Hays, Fargo, N. D. Report of committees on suggestions for the good of the society and on summer meeting. Friday Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock. General Subject, Meteorology, En- tomology and Ornithology. Report of committee on meteorology—Prof. C. W. Hall, Minneapolis: F. M. Crosby, Hastings. Report of committee on entomoiogy—J. 8. Harris, La Crescent; Dr. M. M. Frisselle, Excelsior. Insects Injiurious to Orchards, etc., in 1892—Prof. Otto Lugger, Ento- mologist, State Experiment Station. Report of committee on ornithology—Otto L. Bullis, Winnebago City; Mrs. G. F. Benson, Lake City; Albert Lano, Madison. The Food of Birds—Albert Lano, Madison. Report of committees on obituaries and on final resolutions. Unfinished business. Friday Evening. By invitation, the members of the society, delegates and invited guests and their wives will meet in social gathering on Friday evening at the residence of a citizen of Minneapolis. S ee) a. > “ae map ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. BF PREMIUM LIST. All exhibits must be entered with the secretary by 2 p. m. of the first 4 - day to be entitled to compete for premiums. Exhibitors competing must be members of this society and the growers or makers of the article exhibited. The fruits, flowers and vegetables ex- hibited must have been grown in Minnesota. All exhibits must be in place by 2 p. m. of the first day of the meeting. Each exhibit of fruit or yegetables must consist of five specimens, and be worthy of a premium. _ No premiums will be awarded on unworthy exhibits. APPLES. ist Prem. 2d Prem. MPEG DION cs or ayeree deka Ses anise oe ee te 3d prem. $3.00...... $8.00 $5.00 eRe MAPICUY CMMI GEM excise ste hgelds nicks esas Sauda ewe Semele 1.00 .50 needling apple, never before exhibited.................... 5.00 3.00 . GRAPES. SRI TRIRTT aS cree Rete FN eee ssh fo gol drawn Ss wLareeinwwit\e. cian Sho a 2 5.00 3.00 Pema LEMS GYR PLE UCU ice < Sv cm <= bk siels. ga eles ovat sw elas arave'« 1.00 .50 CRANBERRIES DPPAMECULOM: coc5e icles veces Sree teeter se nee meena Sanaa WY ALTE 3.00 2.00 | PLANTS IN POTS. - Collection of ornamental and flowering plants............ 5.00 3.00 © ae OtEN INE | EMOIOME relies sin a2 tn Wich en's ae lee wah /a ga eka a aie nee .50 pemete Sera 1 DIOOM. 2005s se. 55. Coes. ees Sew sede ee 1.00 50 Single begonia in bloom......... NS erie ate. SE ons Gk 1.00 .50 See CATH AGG, IIT MODs... 515 be «soe sai. oe era's tle 0 v.we's oe 1.00 .50 rere orchid dim) PIOOMLs 62. ya icede selemd ens Lode dies ewes 1.00 -50 Pere eat 108” DIQONIN gi cela ou vice RL GW v.cyee es wis senses 1.00 .50 ; CUT FLOWERS ESO ERY CU SRR ae ER Toe eS basis art ee he 5.00 3.00 MECC VAS, POSER reacts een Melia alike bid ois S mdeks Pewee oa eels 2.00 1.00 PM eCUINH Or CATHAROHG so crlas cheiesactxignis sac bee ees tales weds 2.00 1.00 PRES OMMIELC Got uh Nd ok Bata tree hee Gata ov am ielae Selsres sae meee 2.00 1.00 Bree MP ERIOIVGER, 2). cokes ok a watnisto cies Fs evn oly SS bled eee seeks els 2.00 1.00 VEGETABLES. i _ Collection—not iess than ten kinds....................... 5.00 3.00 Early potatoes, single variety .....2..........0. cceceeee ees 1.00 50 Peabo) POUALOES, SINGIE VWAMELY bo i ess Es oe ce eel cee eed 1.00 50 Pens TSIEN ALTIOEY td fe 8) 0/5 = a's eelod. caw G3 20% oe clare Lo 1.00 .50 SEEDS AISLE VATICUVG dey ait sine cioicta ena e< Saeed awe wales ea 1.00 .50 UP UE POAV A TLOGY cara i sc. op)ltaraie a4 c/s oi? oieie aba > drole eee abje ina bie 1.00 50 SENS 2 SIMO LOWMATIOUY <6 ¢ isi-is's'w cs 24 boss nce s ak Serle sees 1.00 _.50 BeRLOGUS “SIRO LG VATIOUY «2. 3 o4) I never loved a pig before or since. I petted it; I fed it; I cared for it Pie as my first great wealth. It was more to me than bonds, stock or lands. Ss _ I felt as rich as a young Vanderbilt, but alas, my pig became a hog, and Es * then, unhappy day! my pig was father’s hog, and I nad nothingto show for x: De “it. I tell you,my friends, be careful how the boy’s pig becomes fathe1’s hog: 2 be careful how the boy’s calf becomes the father’s cow. A child should Aaa _ be taught lessons in ownership, possession and responsibility. Givethem i something all their own. Ifacolt, they should have it when a horse: ie if a lamb,give them the sheep: also,if a plat of ground, let them have the " product. be There is no better way to start a child in this experience than with =: fruits and flowers. A dozen strawberry plants set in the spring may pro- , __ duce 500 in the fall, and the next season yield a bountiful supply of de- _ licious fruit. , The work in all its detail is healthful, easy and pleasant. The growth is rapid and results profitable. What is true of strawberries is also true of many other plants and flowers. " & To the state horticultural society of Minnesota I now make the same a proposition I made my own state society last year: to donate 6,000 straw- «4 berry plants to the first 1,000 children in Minnesota, who will receive and . _ care for them under such regulations as you may see fit to adopt. I shall _ donate 30,000 plants to my own society this season for distribution as be- vi _ fore, and I hope to see sufficient interest in Minnesota to warrant a simi- 4 lar donation to this society another year. I want to see every child the ” real possessor and owner of a plant, fiower or shrub, to care for, protect and propagate. Those who are successful with small plants should be en- _ couraged with larger ones the following year, and so on, year after year, be _ until every child becomes a practical horticulturist. I want to see this id _ work done so thoroughly that every child may have the honor of surround- ing his or her home with beautiful flowers and delicious fruits: and that every family will from actual experience acknowledge the refining influ- ence of horticulture. a Discussion. om + 45 * -< Er taAte ae _ Mr. Thayer: In that letter which I mentioned in my paper, _ I sent out instructions to the children how to set out the plants, and I also sent some illustrations of the pistillate and non- - pistillate varieties, and gave instructions also how to spread the roots, ete. 68 = MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * President Underwood: I know how interested you were in listening to this valuable paper of Mr. Thayer’s and I hope you will discuss it thoroughly, asking Mr. Thayer all the questions you can possibly think of. Mr. C. L. Smith: I move that the magnanimous offer of our friend Mr. Thayer, be accepted by the Minnesota State Horti- cultural Society with thanks. 4 Mr. Sampson: I second the motion. Mr. Alfred Terry: In seconding the motion I would like to say that Mr. Thayer’s work in Wisconsin reminds me of the work done by our ever to be remembered Mr. Hodge. I have seen the time in years gone by when the little ones from nine years old and upwards were planting some thousands of trees in order to get the medal,and I have seen in later years some of those trees planted by the then young men. I remember very well the work that Mr. Hodge performed in the southern- part of the state, where as yet we had no artificial forests at all, but which is now dotted over with trees that were planted by those children, or afterwards replanted by their parents, who could only have been made tree planters through the lead- ing of the little children. I feel that Wisconsin has a Hodge, and I hope that Mr. Barrett will take Brother Hodge’s place in this state, and establish groves on our prairies, in whose shade those who follow us will sit and cry ‘‘Woodman, spare that tree” to this country. ( Applause.) Mr. Barrett: I want to say that this experimentation, and its consequent suggestions, offered to us in Minnesota, strikes me as the most practical enterprise that we can engage in As the secretary of the forestry association, I feel as though I had a new inspiration in this arduous battle for the right—for the planting of trees, and I think I could be instrumental in reaching the young people in some such way as Mr. Thayer has mapped out. It looks to me as though we could combine horticulture and forestry in a matter of this kind, and largely through the distribution of circulars, and similar methods. I would like to ask Mr. Thayer if the Arbor Day experiment in planting trees was a success. Mr. Thayer: Report shows that over two thousand districts outside of the cities observed Arbor Day and planted 18,393 trees. : I wish to say, Mr. President, that there are very few in this room who appreciate how much can be done in the direction I suggested. You cannot realize the feelings of those children ~~. ty oe . SS See Se? ee ~ u~ , . ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 69 - until you have read their letters as I have done. I noticed it even in my own little town when I gave them a donation two years ago, and I had no idea when I made them the offer, that if they would come to my place the next day I would give them some raspberries, that there would be more than a dozen there; but the next morning at seven o’clock I found a dozen or two waiting for me, and all day long they kept me busy doing up little packages of red and black raspberries. All that summer children waited for me to tell me about those plants, and how they watered them every day, and still they died. (Laughter. Or else they hoed them every day, or the bugs eat the tops off —they told me every detail about them. It has made those children very friendly tome, so much so that Iam well paid for my little donation by the look of gratefulness and interest on their faces when I meet them. The idea of sending out those plants with instructions showing how they should be cared for, and the business of writing for them, and all those things—I tell you it pays one a hundred times for all the trouble. I would suggest, if you have a state school superin- tendent, if he will allow you to embody this circular in his | Arbor Day circular, it will be of vast assistance to you, and there is one point you want to work for—to have the state do this distributing. Have this bound with the Arbor Day cir- cular, and the state then distributes them to every district, and thus you will reach every school district. You will find that this plan of sending out these plants will furnish consider- able work for your corresponding secretary, as the reports are generally made to him. I think if you will follow the plan out you will do more to advance the cause of horticulture in this state in the next ten years than you could do with ten times the same amount of work in any other direction. It will reach families that you can reach in no other way. Few of you, unless you have taken the pains to ascer- tain the condition of the farmers, know to what extent they neglect the fruits and flowers. Why, our society three years ago sent out five or six hundred circulars to different parts of our state asking certain questions. Among those questions was this one: ‘‘What proportion of farmers in your vicinity raise fruit and fiowers of the varieties ordinarily grown?” These letters came back with re- plies like this: ‘‘Not one inone hundred;” ‘‘Not one within five miles of here;” ‘‘Not one in fifty;’ and I think there were only 10% MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * very few that put them at less than not one in ten or twenty. The returns showed that not one in thirty or forty on the © average raised fruit for theirown family use. Now, it seems tome that this is the way to reach those families. If there is any horticultural taste in the father, mother or child, you can reach it this way. Of course this circular is subject to im- provement, and I think you should appoint a committee if you accept the offer, to make such changes as you would think would be in the line of improvement. I know if you dothis one year, that the letters coming from these children to this society will cause many of your members to rise up and pledge even ‘fifty or one hundred thousand plants if you need them. You have whole-souled nurserymen and fruit growers in Minnesota, and they will all be glad to contribute to this movement after it is started. Mr. CG. L. Smith: As an indication of the interest that. the children in Minnesota take in matters of that kind I will say that a year ago I sent a little slip to about three hundred coun- try newspapers in Minnesota, stating that I would send to any girl or boy who would send me the names of twenty-five far- mers receiving mail at their post office, a dozen strawberry plants free by mail. That advertisement appeared just once, and I immediately had to send a notice to the publishers that they need not continue the notice as I had more letters than I could answer in two months. Under that arrangement I had to send out 7,800 strawberry plants last spring to the boys and girls of Minnesota. It was moved by Mr. J. A. Sampson, of Excelsior, that a committee of three be appointed to take charge of this matter, one member of that commitee to be the secretary of the society. Mr. J. O. Barrett of Brown’s Valley suggested the appointment on that committee of a member of the forestry association. The motion, seconded by Mr. Alfred Terry of Slayton, was withdrawn after considerable discussion, as the matter was already in the hands of the executive committee, lying over from last year. President Underwood: I take pleasure in introducing to the society, Mr. O. C. Gregg, who will address us upon ‘‘Hor- ticulture in the Farmers’ Institute:” Mr. O. C. Gregg. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I assure you it gives me much pleasure to appear before you to-day. I never look upon this assembly, but with a very vivid remembrance of its relation to the farmers’ institutes of our state. When the work was first being started, we found some of your members our staunchest friends, and we received ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 71 \ P: from your ranks, and are now receiving, some of our very best institute -__ intructors. I am here to-day at the request of your secretary, to talk to you a little while concerning the work of horticultural instruction as con- ducted in our institutes,and,undoubtedly, I could make a very long report if I gave you a detailed account of what we do; but I think this is hardly from the fact that many of you have already attended our institutes and necessary know what the workis. Ihave thought, however, it would be very proper for me to discuss some principles which I think should be kept in mind in conducting this work in our farmers’ institutes. lam pretty well persuaded that there are some, at least, who fail to understand the true situation of the case. The work in this line in our state has very natu- rally taught me some things; yet Iam fully persuaded I have a good many more to learn. The first point I will make with you is this: in order to conduct this work successfully in our institutes, there is great need of tact. The speaker before me has very truthfully and attractively outlined the situation in Wisconsin, which is very like that which we find in Minnesota. The average farmer takes but very little interest in horticulture, and consequently has done little or nothing in the line of fruit growing. When you approach him in a public meeting on this matter, you must use a good deal of tact. I think we can best illustrate this matterof tact by telling a little story which some of you may have already heard and forgotten. This story is about a little incident that occurred in the life of that great family which is sometimes called the third department of the human family, namely, the Beecher family. I | always had a great admiration forthem. It is said that Henry Ward Beecher was at one time attending a ministerial meeting where they had been discussing at some length the, great difficulties attendant upon the planting and the growth of this grand gospel, and they laid many things up to the charge of 11d Adam and to the Devil, in general. Henry Ward Beecher sat there in their midst undoubtedly thinking that there were many things charged by men to old Adam that should be answered for by themselves. So he rose and said, ‘‘Brethren, we are taught we are fishers of men, and my own experience has taught me that there are two kinds of fishers. One of them takesa very finely polished pole, with a very fine line, and attaches it to a neat hook nicely baited and approaches the stream with soft tread, throws his line and hook carefully and gracefully and skillfully over into the water, catches his fish and returns at night with his basket full. There is another kind of fisher who cuts down a big pole and ties on it a big coarse line and a big hook, and he dosen’t even expect to bait it, but walks up to the stream with a sort of authority and threshes the water, saying, ‘‘Now bite, or be damned.” (Laughter.) Now, I told that story to illustrate what I would call, on the one hand, tact, and, on other hand, the lack of it. Now, then, the next point I want to make is this: In order to exer- cise tact you must have a pretty fair conception of the kind of fish you are going to catch, and as arule men are exceedingly shy. They belong to the trout variety. I am wellaware that there are some mullet heads among them, (laughter) but my experience in life has led me to entertain very much respect for the average man. Itis not wise to discount him. Now, I want to bring before you a Minnesota farmers’ institute, and, first, I want to tell you how they are brought together. A happy thought came to my friend,who acts as our assistant,in connection with a book that 72 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. cs we found necessary to distribute, and we started out to distribute those beoks in our institute work, advertising that a certain number of copies of a valuable book would be given free at each of the meetings. The book was a really desirable possession. We have tried to present it to be just what it is, and it was a surprise to us to see’how far reaching that advertisement was. Time and time again we have opened up our insti- tutes at half-past nine, though generally at ten o’clock in the morn- ing—that is as early as we can get together on the first day—in the larg- est halls furnished by our state, and had every seat occupied by ten o’clock, I have known men to be there after having driven ten or fifteen miles in cold and wintry weather, so they might be sure that the book promised would not be lost by them through any failure of theirs to be on time. As the doctor said, ‘*‘The average man wants to possess sometbing for nothing, and in that way you have a big holdon him.” We have to study those things and we dostudy them. I believe if I were put to-day into the ante room of a hall with my eyes bandaged, and then the bandage taken off, I could make a pretty shrewd guess, by the way people come into the hall, as to whether they come from mere curiosity or from an interest in the meeting itself. When they come from curiosity they fill up the back part of the hall first, and you always have plenty of room down where the ° Methodists put their mourner’s bench. On the other hand, after the work has been established in a place, and the people become interested in the themes which are presented, then they begin to fill up the front seats. Now, we have the people assembled here from this notice to geta book, and also to hear what may be presented. Iam going to leave it to you, that unless there is a good deal of tact used in the presentation of the subject of horticulture, they will soon begin to go out of the door. I have learned there are more ways to dismiss a congregation than. by pronouncing a benediction. (Laughter.) In order to make the institute a success, I have made it a rule that it is always in order for people to go out of the institute whenever they please. I have sometimes told them the story of a friend of mine who said to me, one day, ‘‘Mr. Gregg, I don’t like to go to church,” and I said, ‘‘Why?”’ ‘‘Weli,” he says, “‘because that man stands up and jaws, and I can’t jaw back.” I tell them that it is proper to jaw back in an institute. (Laughter.) He also said, he didn’t like to go to church because he had to stay until the thing was closed, but I tell them that it is always in order for them to go out of the institute room before the benediction is pronounced. Now, bearing in my mind the fact that the majority of these people have no liking for horticulture, we aim to interest them in subjects of a dif- ferent nature, as, for instance, many of you may have heard of our friend Theodore Lewis, a man from Wisconsin, who can talk “hog” and hold an audience as very few mencan. Put Theodore Lewis on the platform and let it be understood that he is going to talk“‘hog,”and let him have his pictures behind him--and there you have another powerful factor, we have held institutes when we could not have held them without pictures. I am not talking disrespectfully. now, but I am talking of aclass of people who are not interested in horticultural work. They have brains and power, put they are not interested in it. So, Isay, hold them with hog, and I speak respectfully of hogs when they are sold at six centsa pound on foot, and going higher. I tell you, in all probability there will be a time this winter when we will put that hog on the platform to hold these peo- ple interested. HM ; >. . ay 7) ‘ eet oe ee eee Tees! ee . ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 73 I was taken with a remark of the gentleman from Wisconsin, — to the effect- that you must get at the hearts of the fathers and mothers through their children. That is tact. Now, after you get these people interested in hog, what will you do? Well, I have intimated in institute meetings that we would very soon havea talk on sheep if they are sheep men. Now, you can putin a sandwich of horticulture between them, and they will take a little horticulture because of the sheep talk that is coming later. Sam Jones said one day, ‘‘Some people make sport of me because I make the people laugh; but when I get them laughing, then I lam in arock.” There is tact there, and I make this application of it to institute work, when I say that, when we get the hog door open we lam in horticulture. Now, the next thing to be considered is, what sort of men shall present these subjects to them. ‘These men are farmers, and they have their fami- lies to support and the dollars to look after. They have learned from experience that their dollars come from hay and wheat and cows. They know what abusy life itis. Now, if you put the subject of-horticulture on the platform, and havea man speak on it who has the appearance of being from the city, while they will listen to him because they want to hear about the sheep later, they will discount everything he says. And now I want to say to you that while you have always showed great wisdom in the selection of your assistants in this work, you have shown eminent wisdom in recommending Mr. William Somerville in this capac- ity. I have known him twenty years, and I have often said to him, “If you do the best you can, William, you cannot disguise the hayseed that is © in you.” Why, when he steps upon a platform there is not a man there who does not. know that he is an old farmer; and when this institute learns that this man can run a farm and a garden, and raise berries and evergreens, and make a success of horticulture, it has been a matter of surprise to me to notice how much interest those farmers felt upon this subject, as they watched his words and took stock in what he said. And after he got through his first winter’s work, I can say that in the track of the Minnesota farmers’s institute meetings, there were springing up little patches of evergreens, berries, etc.,and 1 can see that they are even taking hold of apples, although Mr. Somerville is exercising great care in this matter, being careful not to lay too much stress upon it. Now, a word or two about your books. Beyond question you want such a book as you publish for yourself and your fellow horticulturist. But I do not think it is wise for you to attempt to send out your horticultural re- port to the farmers at large. You cannot hope to have enough to give one to everyone who comes in to our meetings, and the consequence is that there is always a feeling of disappointment among those who do not receive a book, even though they may not be interested init. In this book of ours we try to have a good horticultural department. Our friend . Smith says it is ‘“‘line upon line, a little about strawberries, raspberries; etc.” Iam starting out this year to put in that book next yeara few en- gravings, all that we can get. This is the kind of work that we want to do in the horticultural department of this state. Gentlemen, I thank you for your patience in listening to me, and if there are any questions you want toask meI shall be glad to answer them. 74 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. M. A. Thayer: I have had a little experience in this line of work at the farmer’s institute. I am in charge now of one of the corps of workers in Wisconsin. Since the commencement of that work we have had in every institute a long session or talk on horticulture. Not one has been omitted, and we found very much interest takeninthem. As suggested by my friend, Mr. Gregg, I think one of the strongest ways of presenting horticulture or any other culture is by illustration. Now, — these maps I have here to-day were not manufactured for this meeting. I left home on my way to an institute the last of the week, and these are drawings that I use in presenting horticultural work to our farmers. I find it to be one of the most successful ways of presenting those topics to our people. After each discussion I tell them that if they will give me their names I will send them a little pamphlet giving all the illustrations represented by those maps, giving them cuts of the different varieties of fruit, giving them the sketches of the farmer’s model fruit garden, which I have made, and recommending exactly what they want to set outin that garden. At the meeting last Friday when I made that announcement, more than fifty came forward and requested that book. They became interested in it at once. If I say to them that I produced three hundred bushels of black- berries from a single acre, as I did last season, if I tell them whut I sold that product for, if I show to them that from a quarter of an acre of strawberries I received so much, if I say to them as I have in many, cases, “I can produce a crate of ripe delicious berries ready for your family as easily as you can produce and deliver to me one bushel of wheat,” it means something te them. Thevsell their wheat for sixty cents a bushel apd come to me and pav me $3.00 a bushel for my fruit, and that means something to them. If I tell them that I am producing five or six or seven or eight or even nine hundred dollars’ worth of fruit from a single acre, it sets them to thinking. If I explain to them that they have just as good land at their very door, and that with the same culture they can produce the same results, it sets them to thinking. Of course, I never advise them to go into it for commercial purposes, but I say this: that I can grow berries ready to pick at two cents a box,and any intelligent farmer can produce them at a costof three cents a box. Well, they begin to think of those things If I tell them that the expense of small fruit growing is not in growing the fruit, but in the picking, the boxes and the cases, in the express charges, and in the losses, they begin to see that they can begin to produce their berries at first cost, and have the most delicious fruit on earth ready at their own door. Now,the true way to reach them, asI said before, is through illustration. We often have two or three different talks on horticulture, and we give one to the children. I give practically to the children of our state in the even- ing session very much the same talk I have given this afternoon. I give another one to the farmers in the afternoon, and so in two or three ses_ sions we talk horticulture to our farmers; and I expect to follow that out as long as I am an institute worker. Mr. Gregg: I do not want to leave the impression before this society that when I referred to our friend William Somerville and the person- ality that impressed itself so favorably upon farmers, that that was his — ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 75 - only stock in trade. Mr. Somerville is very apt as a teacher, and his pres- entation of the work is right in the line that Mr. Thayer has suggested. After he has stated in his plain, straightforward way what he has done, then perhaps Mr. Lewis will get up to the blackboard, which we have and to which every one has become accustomed. and show the farmers what he has done upon his hog farm in the line of horticulture. Now, I have no criticism to make upon your report. I have come to be much interested in all its pages. But in my mind the great mass of our farmers have not yet become sufficiently interested in this matter to take the pains to go into all the little details that you do here in this meeting. Again, you are not able to furnish the necessary number of copies to go around, and, evenif you were, I do not think it would be wise to spend the money in that way. In other words, we may say that the mass of the farmers are in the primary department of horticulture and are not ready yet for the fifth reader and higher mathematics. Mr. Smith: I have had some little experience in that line and I agree with what Mr. Gregg says. 1 would also say that in the work of other horticultural societies there has been published what has been termed a primer of horticulture, which takes up the more important details of cul- tivation of the berries and the orchards, being a book of thirty-five or forty pages, which tends to explain the more common things in connec- tion with this branch. I have mentioned this matter for the last seven or eight years in the annual meetings of the state horticultural society, and sometimes it seemed as if we were just on the eve of publishing a similar primer of horticulture. We have never done it, however, and I have hoped I would live long enough to help distribute a little book not to exceed fifty pages in size that could he printed by the thousand for dis- tribution over the state of Minnesota. Mr. Gregg: Allow me to suggést as bearing upon that matter, that I have often thought it would bea very good thing for you—I may be in error—to take the department of horticulture into your own hands. If action is taken this winter, as I hope it will be, we shall be in better shape by reason of the publication of that book than we have been in the past. Now, what will you gain by this. First, you will have it bound in substantial paper covers, and then distribution will be made with one move of your hand. In order to save confusion in our meetings we have always requested the members of the institute to remain seated while we are distributing our books, and thus you will see this can be done, as L said, with one move of the hand.’ ' I am taking steps to have our farmers begin to save these books with the idea of making a library. No doubt you are as well acquainted with the facts as I am, that we are almost wanting in agricultural books. I can go into our public libraries and can find ten books on hunting dogs, where I can get one book on agriculture. I paid $25 for books this spring, and I will state nere candidly that fifty per cent of those books were as worthless as a last year’s almanac. They were obsolete. You who read the agricultural papers largely wiil bear me out in saying that we have often to wade through a great deal of stuff before we get a little information. So I am trying to make up a good ‘library of agriculture that cannot be bought. To-day, right here in the nineteenth century, we who follow agricultural pursuits must face this fact, that we are following an occupation without a literature. Bi: 7s ee 76 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 2 Mr. E. J. Cutts, of Howard, then read the following paper “Vine Growing in Wright County.” (See index). This was. followed by ‘‘A Woman’s Experience in Vine Culture’, by Mrs. Sophronia Irwin of Excelsior. (See index.) Mrs. Irwin’s paper was listened to with great attention and at its close she was liberally applauded. A long and interesting‘discussion fol- lowed, at the end of which the society adjourned to meet at | 7:30 P. M. EYENING SESSION, 7:30, TUESDAY, JANURY 10, 18938. The meeting was called to order by Pres. J. M. Underwood, who introduced Hon. W.H. Eustis, mayor of Minneapolis. Mayor Eustis stepped forward and welcomed the society to Minneapolis in the following words: Mr. Chairman and: ladies and gentlemen: It is a great pleasure for me to meet the representatives of the state horticultural society this evening. Now, I did not intend to make you an address, but somebody whispered in my ear some time ago, that having succeeded my disting- uished predecessor, Mr. Winston, that I would be expected on this oc- casion to come before you and say you are welcome to the city of Minne- apolis, and when this evening, at dinner time, I saw that I was booked foran address to you; I said that a cog had slipped somewhere. (Laughter.) I am here to say just a word or two to you. I am glad to meet with you. It is a comfort and pleasure to turn in from the cold street without and come up here and find the palms all around, and the flowers blooming with fragrance, and the tables weighted down with the fruit of the soil of Minnesota. I have been pained ever since I came to the state, ten years ago to think we could not raise apples in the state of Minnesota. But, lo! the apple, my favorite fruit, is here. I remember, in old St. Lawrence county in New York, how my father tried to start an orchard of apples; year after year he would dig out the old and put in the new, but he never succeeded in raising any apples. I had an idea that Minnesota, being on about the same parallel as St. Lawrence, gave no promise of ever raising apples here. We used to raise apples in some of the counties in the state of New York, down in Geneseo and Rochester counties, but never in St. Lawrence county. Now, when I came to find the finest grapes I have ever seen raised here, right on the shores of lake Minnetonka, I could hardly believe my eyes; but it is true. Now, if I were to select out any body of men and women in this state before whom I would stand to-night, I should select those who are here to-night. You are here as disciples of nature, because you are accustomed to think the great thoughts of nature. You are groping through the paths by the light of science, and by grafting and by pruning and by tilling, you are bringing out beauty in the lily, you are adding sweetness to the violet, flavor to the berry. That is more than Solomon could do. You do it because you have your ear close down to the great beating heart of nature and you are studying it. You think about these things ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. Snes oi by day—it is the burden of your thoughts—and it is the essence of your dreams by night, how to produce some new variety. Now, then, such lives develop the highest manhood and womanhood. I am glad to meet you to-night, you who hold communion with nature. That is all we are here for, to follow in the footsteps and find out the plans that the great Master had when he started vegetable life; to find out his ways and ascertain his thoughts; and when at last we have ex- hausted the laboratory of the great I Am, and ascertained the last secret of the vegetable and animal life, then it will be time for the end of time to come. Weare marching on that highway and you are the pioneers, I might say, in this movement to a higher vegetable life. which means a higher animal life. I am glad to say weicome to you in the name of the city. You are wel- come to this hive of hospitality, and I will not shorten or weaken our greeting by making it long. You come to us and we give you the cordial greeting of citizens who appreciate your life and the work that you are doing. Our hospitality and our greeting is as sweet as the honey in the honeycomb that I saw in yonder room. I remember, as a boy, I used to sit down in my father’s yard and listen and watch and wonder when the bees would swarm. Then, at last, 1 would hear the increasing murmur and see the increasing cluster, and I knew the old queen was moving, and soon they would take a bee line for some place. Then, how we would fool them with our mulberry stalks, and entice them to stop. (Laughter.) I am glad we have held out the mulberry stalks and have caught this hive of industry from all over the state and enticed it to light in this city for a period. You are welcome to our city and hearts and all that we have. (A pplause.) Response to address of welcome by Hon. Alfred Terry, Slayton: , Mr. President. Mr. Mayor and fellow horticulturists: Many of you will join with me, I know, when I say that we have very pleasant recol- lections of the past hospitality that we have always received from this city. This lends even a double charm to this welcome which we have just received from the mayor. (Applause) Many and many a time our society has received a number of invitations at the same time, and I know that Minneapolis has been placed where they have always felt that they could have an undoubted aud unqualified welcome. We recognize that in Minneapolis wonderful improvments have been - going on in past years; we recognize nature’s gifts,among them St. Anth- ony Falls; we recognize also that push, that energy, that determination of the citizens of this place. We alsorecognize that there is no inven- tion of our times but what Minneapolis grasps after and places before our eyes. We recognize also that in hospitality she is second to no city in the world, and I shall be glad, with the rest of you, when I see that ship of defense of ours, which is soon to be launched upon the oceans of the world, I shall be glad, as I said before, to see that glorious vessel bear the great name of Minneapolis, and spread its renown from continent to continent. (Great applause.) I know that we oftimes go back to our boyhood days and think of the pranks and tricks that we have played. We think of this, that and the other thing, but the thoughts are only fora fewmoments. Yet when we ee PEE NO ope eT nes OM DRY a VTA? ss 1.54 Feb. 5. E. A. Cuzner, Salary as-lbraridhsi. An nee cra ee 10.00 “« 5. Dewain Cook, ex. as dei. toS, D. Hort. Society.. ... 19.53 “5. F.C. Metcalf, desk for libraryiyc eves a cwoaeks sivas 10.00 “Sb. Wyman: Biliot’ express on reports. +..).0 04... -e es = 2.77! van. 22. J)..S. eatris, expenses AS: CX; COM... Us) Pes eon cate ae 19.64 S*\ 22,, Ditus Day; CXpenseS.aS GX. COM... 2.6). s0cec sk oe te dg se: 4.00 Hep .:os Vitus Day ssallary as CreaSuUrery sac): sei ateiee lel aan otelee 25.00 So. Wyllan Elliot: salary as president... soe ease 25.00 ¢ 65. A. W. Latham, 4th quarter salary for 1891........... 125.00 ‘* 5. Wyman Elliot, rentof office for library from Dec. 1, ‘FORE io] Opal Ma SPe tn en reac iyemred Mme as Bid ound geen) 2 15.00 Jan. 22. Premiums awarded at the winter meeting of 1892, held at Owatonna, (See premium list as awarded).. 113.00 Feb. 16. Dewain Cook, expenses as vice-president at annual meeting held at‘Owatomnd. 5.8). ...0)s%.2 ss de. 00 Semloe 3.70 ‘ 16. E. H.S. Dartt, expenses as delegate to Wis. meeting. 14.00 “ 16. J. H. Savage. reporting annual meeting 42.5 >. cece. 76.00 fe16: Li. He Wilcox expenses-as'ex. Com. . 3: -f.) ise so helene 2.15 ‘* 16. J. M. Underwood, expenses as eX. COM............... 3.00 ‘*. 16.,3. S:, Harris,;-expenses as “eX? COM: ¥. 2... 05 Jee ee oe 8.15 165 ©. K. Brand: ex pensesias | © Xa C OMe. alesis) tote steia etetenerale 3.54 Apr. 19. A. W. Latham, Tstiquanbers salavys: sii javtoet ptaleters 125.00 July 19. Premiums awarded at summer meeting, held at Lake WLbys: Tul yO SISO ioe Seve cracvens Sete ilove cle he erste rene) al eee 76.50 ce 19; A.W. Latham, 2nd squarter siSalary fae. wacic\y\evreetere 125.00 Sept. 8. J. S. Harris, expenses aS eX. COM.........--2. 6. eee, Fs 19 85 218, Ditus’ Day, expenses as ex.) COMM i.)2) jp) sist cie ole Ue ial odeuons 8.11 « ')48,°O;.F. Brand, €xpenses| as ex. (COM. 55... 221. see es oben 3.32 Ch raat W. Latham, for MimeogTAp ls.) 2) 04a sees a 15.00 ‘* jl. Elliot & Metcalf, rent of room for library........... 15.00 Ans A. W. Latham, 3rd QUATbEL’S SALALYs « <\401s a2 ieielerelenaier 125.00 J : Jan. 10. Expenses of secretary’s office for 1892............-.+++ 328.05 pi Wo) ne steer icant reese Meta iMarn Cai cum ogtacnds Y cals clin ¢ $1,336.75 Balance Omang hacsiees cris heehee wise tnee + alee catenteenste at 143.55 $1,480.30 te segs + ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 91 The report of the Assistant Librarian, Mr. E. A. Cuzner, was read by Secretary A. W. Latham, in the absence of Mr. Cuzner (See index), Mr. Latham following it with his report as librarian of the society.” (See index). An interesting paper was then read by Professor S. B. Green of St. Anthony Park, entitled ‘‘What we know of the Effects of Electricity on Plant Growth.” (See index) The president then announced the following committees : Committees on awards—on apples, S. D. Richardson, and Clarence Wedge; on grapes, E. J. Cutts; on honey, Mrs. J. W. Blackwell; on flowering plants and cut fiowers, Mr. and Mrs. Williams; on vegetables, William Lyons; on pantry stores, Mrs. Jennie Stager and Mrs. E. Cross. Committee on suggestions for the good of the society, L. R. Moyer, Mrs. A. A. Kennedy and Alfred Terry. Committee on president’s address, C. L. Smith, Miss Sara M. Manning and Prcf. S. B. Green. Committee on obituaries, Col. J. H. Stevens, Dr. M. M. Fris- selle and J. S. Harris. Committee on final resolutions, plapenes Wedge, Mrs. Jennie Stager and O. F. Brand. The society then adjour ned until 9 o’clock the following morning. SECOND DAY. MORNING SESSION, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1893. The meeting was called to order by the president, and prayer was offered by Mr. Clarence Wedge of Albert Lea. This was followed by the report of Clarence Wedge, a mem- ber of the committee on apples (See index). A long discussion followed. ne Mr. R. C. Keel of Rochester also submitted his report as a member of the same committee, and.a prolonged discussion followed. (See index). Mr. J. S. Harris of La Crescent followed with his report of committee on seedling fruits (See index); and this was followed by-report of committee on general fruits, submitted by Mr. . Alfred Terry of Slayton (See index). Mr. S. D. Richardson of Winnebago City and Mr. B. C. Yancey of Edina Mills, members of the same committee, also submitted reports (See index) which provoked a lengthy dis- cussion. The society then adjourned until two o’clock. MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. AFTERNOON SESSION, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY, 11. In the absence of the president, Vice-President Clarence Wedge called the meeting to order. The first report submitted was that of C. W. H. Heideman of New Ulm, a member of the committee on plums and cherries (See index). This was followed by report of O. M. Lord of Minnesota City on the same subject, which was read by Secretary Latham in the absence of the writer (See index). Considerable discus- sion followed of an interesting character. Mr. R. C. Keel of Rochester here read his paper entitled ‘‘“Hardy Apples in the Northwest” (See index). This paper was followed by a long and interesting discussion, after which Mr. O. F. Brand read his paper entitled “The Leaves of our Hardy Trees” (See index), which also provoked considerable discussion. Mr. L. H. Wilcox then submitted his report as a member of the committee on fruit blossoms (See index), and Mr, C. W. H. Heideman tendered his report on the same subject. (See in- _ dex.) It was followed by a lengthy discussion. Mrs. Jennie Stager, one of the vice presidents of the society, then read her report (See index), after which the society ad- journed until 7:30 P. M. EVENING SESSION, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11. Meeting was called to order at 7:30 P. M. by Vice-Pres. J. H. Stevens, who addressed the society as follows: ‘‘Ladies and gentlemen: The exercises of the evening will be wholly upon the subject of forestry. I apprehend that you will agree with me that no one subject is fraught with so much benefit to the counrty as the subject of forestry. Without the trees, without the deep green woods, wé would soon become a blighted, barren wilderness, incapable of producing any vegetation whatever. We should soon be a burnt and barren waste. This society is attempting to encourage the growing of trees, They are tak- ing every precaution they can within their means to accom- plish this object.” ‘‘We have a very distinguished gentleman from abroad with us to-night, and I trust he will address you, and I have no doubt that you will be interested in what he says. The first thing ‘ . F ‘ ae As * "Ss oe tenner” PF 2, Y = re a m.. © | 4 Cas Be LN i oe oa eat i SE ee pyc Bed ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 93 upon the program will be the reading of letters and telegrams from absent members and others, whick have been received by the secretary.” Hon. J. O. Barrett, of Brown’s Valley, the secretary of the State Forestry Association, then read the following telegram: EAU CLAIRE, WIs., Jan. 11, 1893. To J. O. BARRETT, Secretary Forestry Association: Tilness prevents meeting with you. Would impress the importance to Minnesota and the adjoining prairie states of withdrawing five million * acres of non-agricultural forest land in northern Minnesota, under proper care for the sale of grown timber; thus holding values in the state, main- taining water supply, navigation, preventing forest fires; thus doing what Europe has been attempting through three hundred years. Don’t de lay till too late. Citizens of Minnesota will yet demand this. H. C. PUTNAM. A letter from Prof. W. J. Beal, Michigan Agricultural Col- lege, was also read (See indez. ) Col. J. H. Stevens then introduced the speaker of the even- ‘ing, Prof. B. E. Fernow, Chief of Forestry, Washington, D. C. Prof. Fernow received applause as he stepped forward and delivered a long and interesting address which will be found under the general head of ‘‘Forestry.” (See index.) A long’ and somewhat varied discussion followed, after which the so- ciety adjourned until Thursday morning. - THIRD DAY. MoRNING SESSION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1898. The meeting was called to order at 9 o’clock by President Underwood. The first paper submitted was that of Mr. De- wain Cook, of Windom, as superintendent of the Windom ex- periment station (See index), and this was followed by a simi- lar report from C. W. H. Heidman, of the New Ulm experiment station. (See index). Col. J. H. Stevens at this point called the attention of the societies to the articles in the morning papers in which the state horticultural society was made to appear as favoring the shooting of the robins when they interfered with their fruits. The Colonel stated that he was very much opposed to such matter going forth under the sanction of the society, and wound up by declaring himself a friend of the robin, and threatening to prosecute anyone he caught shooting them. This provoked 94 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. considerable discussion, which was finally ended by Mr. Heide- man declaring that he would introduce a resolution later in the session covering that point. The society then resumed the discussion of the above reports, and at the close of same, Mr. C. L. Smith moved the sending of the following telegram to the Nebraska State Horticultural Society, in session at Lincoln, Nebraska: ‘‘Nebraska State Hor- ticultural Society, Lincoln, Nebraska. Minnesota Horticultural Society sends greeting and ice for lemonade. (Signed) M.S.H.S.” Motion seconded and carried. President Underwood then read a letter of invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Dorilus Morrison, inviting the members of the society to Rose Villa on Friday evening, Jannary 13, 1892. The invitation was unanimously accepted by a rising vote. ‘ Mrs. J. W. Blackwell then submitted her report of com- mittee on apiculture (See index.) After the reading Mr. J. P. West of Hastings, president of the State Bee-Keepers’ Asso- ciation, was introduced to the society by Prof. S. B. Green, and made the following remarks: “Ladies and gentlemen: I supposed that this meeting was to be a meeting of the horticulturists and bee-keepers together, and that matters pertaining to both would be discussed. Iam not a horticulturist in the full sense of the term, but I am interested in the matter as much as any- body in the state. I have bought fifty acres of land near Hastings and I propose to set out some fruit, and the great question with me is what to set out. Jintended to be present at the horticultural meeting so as to hear all the discussion and decide what to do. I have decided among other things to raise some apples. There are some questions which interest the bee-keepers and the horti- culturists, and one that I would like to see discussed is this—the time and manner of spraying fruit trees. Now Isaw in the last American Agri- culturist, or in next to the last one, that bees were said to be injurious to fruit. A man in Virginia claimed that the bees ate up all his peaches. Now, I claim that every horticulturist should be interested in bee-keeping— that is, be interested so far to desire to have bees enough in his locality to fertilize his fruit. I was talking with a gentleman last November,— the county superintendent of Kittson county,—whois in a locality where he has to fertilize all his cucumbers and squashes by hand in order to get fruit. I suggested to him that he get a swarm of bees. He did so and it proved to be successful. Now this matter interests me, as well as the subject of spraying, the time of spraying trees; whether the trees should be sprayed before or after the blossoms fall off. I was reading that no apple trees should be sprayed until the blossoms have fallen off, and that fruit with stones, plums, etc., should not be sprayed until the stone is formed, and until the fruit is as big as a pea or something about that size. I hope these matters will be brought up at a proper time. Wk By Hint, At Distal aia! ait REY Hitec TES Beh aL As id Bi sare Ree ipl ites Hy saree Sed bt vite ag ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 95 My business is such that it has been impossible for me to prepare an ad- dress. I would like to have done so but my business is increasing all the time and the only time I have had to think about this address has been while I was riding on the train, but I am as much interested in horti- culture now as anybody. I saw in this morning’s paper a discussion of this disease, heart failure. Now if I were going to advise anyone where to go to escape that dread disease,it would be to get out of the office and go to work on the land. There is nO more prosperous business on earth nor more conducive to happiness cS than horticulture. I have been told that there are people in Minneapolis : who steal because they cannot get any work and they want to get into the = workhouse. A gentleman from Minneapolis,—a single-tax man by the Rr, way—claimed that there was no work for the young men in your city, that : there were so many of them in Minneapolis that they had to steal and ty get into the workhouse where they would be taken care of. My advice Be to them would be to get out and get a piece of land and cultivate it’ That business has never been overdone in this state. The tendency of to-day is for people to go into our large cities. ‘The last census shows 2 that to be a fact. {seein the morning’s paper that some of your mem- bers declared yesterday that a man with two acres of land will get more money out of it if he raises fruit than if he cultivates ten acres of wheat BPs That is very good. om There is another matter against which I wish to enter my protest, and x that is the shooting of the poor robins. I am a friend of the robin. ) Last summer I was in the habit of scaring away the birds who raided © my gardens, but one day I discovered a crippled robin—he had a broken Bs leg—and I let him alone (Applause). 5 I have been thinking lately it would be well, perhaps, to amalgamate q these two associations. I do not know that it can be done, but it seems ‘a to me that there isso much of common importance ‘to both that it would be well (Applause). a Mr. C. C. Aldrich of Morristown then read his paper ‘‘Sug- gestion to Beginners in Beekeeping.» This was followed by a ; general discussion on bees and bee-keeping, after which the : society adjourned to meet again at 2 o’clock. AFTERNOON SESSION, 2 P. M., THURSDAY, JANUARY 12. The meeting was called to order at 2 p.m. by President Underwood. Theopening report was that made by Col. J. H. Stevens, vice-president, fifth congressional district (See index). Mr. Dewain Cook then submitted a similar report from the second district (See index). Mr. O. F. Brand notified the society that he would propose an -amendment to article three of the constitution on the following day. The committee on award of premiums then submitted the following report (See index). Mr. J. S. Harris of La Crescent, of the committee on apples reported that the display was a most creditable one, not only for Minnesota but for any other northern state this year. 96 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘‘There is” he said, ‘‘a very large variety of fruit. The ex- hibit of seedlings is larger than we ever had before and more exceptionally fine varieties are shown than everbefore. There are, perhaps, a dozen seedlings here of exceptionally fine quality. They would compare favorably with our magnificent Wealthy apple. There is one variety on exhibition from Cot- tonwood county, which is a remarkably productive variety. The quality is good, and the wood exhibited with the fruit would show that itis hardy. It has one merit and that is that it will probably keep all winter. The committee are unanimous in commending the fruit exhibit and other exhibits upon this occasion as being a credit tothe society and the people of Min- nesota. There are sixty-eight plates and a number that are not on plates, and some plates have several varieties. There are enough apples exhibited to make about two hundred plates. Counting in the seedlings and all, I should think we have about fifty varieties inall represented. There are over twenty varieties of seedlings here. (Applause).” Secretary Latham then read the following letter from the president of the South Dakota Horticultural Society. FoRESTBURG, S. D., Jan. 9, 1893. A. W. LATHAM, Secretary Minn. State Horticultural Society, Excelsior, Minn. DEAR Sir: Let me, through you, thank the Minnesota society for the annual reports sent us, They are becoming a ‘‘standard text book” with us on horticultural matters. Let me also thank your society for sending Hon. C. W. H. Heideman as a delegate to our annual meeting. Heis a gentleman that we were all glad to meet and the longer we were with him the more we thought of him. Minnesota is doubly blest in such scientific horticulturists, and South Dakota will at all times have a warm welcome ready for him. lam sorry that we are unable to send a delegate to your society this winter: but as you know, we are so hampered for want of funds that it is impossible. We live in hopes that time and the legislature will change all this, and then we will endeavor to repay your society in a measure for their numerous favors. With best wishes for a pleasant and profitable meeting I remain Yours truly, H. C. WARNER, President. Mr. Clarence Wedge then submitted his report as a delegate to the Iowa State Horticultural Society. (See inde. ) Mr. C. L. Smith, chairman of the committee on president’s address, made the following report: Committee on president’s address report the following items that seem to call for special attention: We should emphasize the fact that drouth, rather than low tempera- ture, kills trees and plants. We endorse the suggestion that more attention be given to the general planting of seeds of all our fruits. =) w he Pi. be ‘ vA ps. hayiwete af? . -- Te, 122 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 8 esthetic taste, to our sense of beauty and sweetness, and I am often glad that God has put into the world such arichness of fiower to make us see that there is something worth having besides what we eat and what we wear and what we put over our heads. (Applause.) Take the cars and ride down towards the south of Minnesota, and see the fields pink with beauty; go even in the cars through that most deso- late and uninviting and miserable country, it seems to me, that I have ever seen—from here to the ‘‘Soo”—and see the everlasting expanse of pink flowers all the way. It is beautiful! It does not feed anybody, ex- cept those who are very «esthetic, but it does feed them, and it appeals to all that is best in their nature. I have never in my life seen such glory as resulted from the roses growing upon the least attractive kinds of houses,as in that valley in which Words- worth lived and loved and appreciated all the things that were beautiful in nature. The traveler who comes down that valley looks upon a view that we cannot find in this country, because this country is so large we have not yet had time to cultivate it down to so fine a point; but the time is coming when this great continent of ours will be as thickly settled, and that same closeness of culture will be necessary. The time is coming when the traveler as he goes through this continent of ours, not merely upon the great lines of our railroads, but by the side roads we so often travel, will see the flowers blossoming at every porch and over every window where the outside culture is possible, and where it is not you will find the roses blossoming in all the windows on the inside, and will meet the sweetness and fragrance of the flowers within. And, as showing how much there is in flowers, what one cf you traveling anywhere in a strange part of the country would feel afraid, even in the most wild and desoiate part of the country, to enter a house where flowers are loved and cul- tured and appreciated, and where they are blossoming in their beauty and sweetness, and who of us would be willing to be barbarian enough to have a house and live in it year after year and never have the voice of the flowers heard within it? (Applause.) President Underwood: I will ask Prof. Pendergast to res- pond to ‘‘The Rose as a Teacher.” Prof. W. W. Pendergast: There has been a mistake made here, in fact, there have been several of them. Yesterday I was given my subject, and when J came here this evening I found it had been assigned to somebody else. President Northrup has made my speech, and I will submit to you it has been a very good one, and I want to have the credit of it. (Laughter.) President Northrop: I was over to your place yesterday and got it. (Laughter. ) Professor Pendergast: Now I know why I felt the inspiration going out of me ever since you left. (Laughter.) Isuppose I have been assigned the subject,‘“The Rose asa Teacher,” because I have been a teacher myself, allmy days. Itseems strange to me that in a gathering of this character an old granger like Iam should be called upon to talk about the loveli- est flower in existence. In the part of the country where I live, it is always the eustom to put the little wheels forward and let the big ones bring up the rear. President Underwood: This is a bicycle arrangement where the little wheel steers the big one. —_ sf es ‘eer cant. 2 a a il ae ? be ry & j ae a ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 123 Professor Pendergast: Well, perhaps it is not so bad after all, because the admiration and love of flowers does not belong to anyone class. It is not governed by any age or class or previous condition of servitude (laughter), so perhaps an old fellow like I am can see something in flowers to admire, and can see some usefulness in a flower. My mind goes back to more than thirty-seven years, to the time when I first came to Minnesota, and after I had wallowed—that is the word— from Minneapolis through those big woods where there never was a rose, and got on to the great bleak prairie, climbed up on a little hill and looked away towards the sunset—it was about the time of sunset—to where it extended black as Erebus and as desolate as the Sahara and as measureless as the sea, I said to myself ‘‘what kind of acountry, what kind of a region 1s this that you have come into?” (Laughter.) But I was not inclined to put my hand to the plow and look back, so I stayed, and after a few weeks what a marvelous charge came over the face of the prairie! The green prairie grass sprung up, and ten thousand flowers sprinkled that valley and dotted the meadows. They decorated the hill side and adorned the prairie, and it seemed to me then that this was a goodly land. Well, the existence that had been so dull and dark and dreary had completely changed,and life seemed to pe all joy and happiness. The appearance of those lovely little flowers all around me changed the aspect of affairs completely. Those little fiowers were teaching the lesson and setting the example we should all learn and follow; they were living and doing good to others. I think of a story that I translated from the French years ago. It was of philosopher who made up his mind that all there was in this world was happiness, and so he set out in pursuit of it; it was always a little ahead of him, and it tantalized him to so often almost reach it, and then have it slip away through his fingers.- In his search for it he saw that the gov- ernment stood in his way, and plotting for its overthrow he was thrown into prison. While there, walking in the dusty court with its high per- ‘pendicular walls on each side, he saw between the tiles of the courtyard a green leaf. He went on, stopped, turned about, went back, got down on his knees and examined it, and went into.his little cell and took the case knife that he had to cut his bread with and picked away the tiling on each side to give it room to grow; then he went into his cell again and got his little cup and poured half of the water in it on to that plant. Every day he did the same. His first thought was of that little plant. Day after day he watched it, for two or three months, and it grew up and burst into full bloom the day he was pardoned out of the prison. He really regretted that he was a free man, because he had taken such an in- terest in that little beautiful flower. He said that he had found the happiness there that he had toiled for and struggled for in vain, for years, and the thought came over him that true happiness was living for somebody else, being something, thinking something, doing something that brought him outside of himself. That was the true secret of happiness. (Applause.) Now, that is what these flowers are doing, and the rose more than any other. It is the queen of flowers; there is no other that compares with itor that dares rival it. Take the esthetic sunflower, for instance, it stands stately, grand, rugged in its complaisance; it is the very picture of rugged 124 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. honesty. The poppy is a gorgeous flower at a distance, ‘‘but it is distance A that lends enchantment to the view.” The lily is the only one that can . at all compare with it, but what a chasm there is between them! Look at the lily fair. I recollect a verse from Bishop Heber’s hymn: ‘*By cool Siloam’s shady rill How fair the lily grows; How sweet the breath beneath the hill Of Sharon’s dewy rose!” ‘‘Lo, such the child whose early feet The paths of peace have trod, Whose secret heart with infiuence sweet Is upwards drawn to God.” There is nothing said about the fairness of the lily, but it is the sweet- ness of the rose. Matthew Arnold tells us that all there is in this world to strive for is Sweetness and light, and sweetness and light is just what the rose has, and what it is giving out all around—sweetness and light. The lily*is . beautiful and impassively fair, and is just as cold apparently as the mar- | ble. It is too geometrically perfect. Each leaf is just exactly on the same plan as every other. It seems tosay, ‘‘Everything else stand aside. I want this room; I must have just this place.” But the rose is just like the lovely woman that has been referred to here to-night, any place, any position, any shape of leaf, but like that lovely lady, no matter what you give her to make a dress of, she will throw it over her in such graceful folds that it will be becoming and beautiful. And, so, whatever shape the rose takes, it is becoming and it is beauti- ful. Of course, there are thorns with every rose. We must have the storm to enable us to appreciate the sunshine. I have not much sym- pathy with Longfellow’s man, who was always complaining: “The day is cold, and dark, and dreary, It rains and the wind is never weary, The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary. ‘‘My life is cold, and dark, and dreary, It rains and the wind is never weary, My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast, And the days are dark and dreary. ‘*Be still, sad heart, and cease repining, Behind the clouds is the sun still shining, Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.” President Underwood: I will ask Prof. Hall to respond to ‘‘Roses and the Weather”. (are a a ea ea Se ee ee ee : a LEIRer ea ; “ 136 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. been to provide a home at the exposition for the members and friends of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. An inspection of the plans will show the arrapgenients that have been made with this end in view. Some one will always be in attendance there, and our friends and mem- bers will always be more than welcome to the hospitalities of the Min- nesota fruit exhibit. The first five rows of shelves for the display of fruit, as they appear in this plan, are within refrigerator cases with double glazed covers, where it is intended to display the fruits that have been kept in cold storage over winter, as well assmall fruits of all kinds to be Shown fresh as they ripen. These refrigerators will be cooled either by an ice box extending the whole length behind them, or else by cooling pipes from a refrigerator plant outside the building. These cases will hold about 200 plates. Aside from the refrigerators, the shelves are planned to hold about 300 plates of fruit besides the 200 glass jars, which will, probably, be shown on the circular structures appearing at each end of the exhibit. Besides the fruit, a seed exhibit may be placed at one end of the plan, next the wall. ‘This is to be prepared by a local firm. It is decided further to adorn these shelves in some way with decora- tive plants and vines, either scattered about or suitably arranged in groups. No plan has been decided upon for this decorative portion of the exhibit, and suggestions will he gladly received from any one. It is in- tended as far as possible to make use of plants native to our state, although there is probably no objection to displaying those_ that are cultivated in Minnesota floral establishments and homes, the object being not so much to exhibit varieties of plants as to decorate the whole. Circulars have lately been sent out by the superintendent, very gener- ally enclosed with the program of this meeting, asking for full lists of fruit now growing and likely to bear the coming season. A Jarge number of these lists have already been returned, indicating an immense source from which to draw, but, in order to be sure of finding everything val- uable, it is necessary that a very full list should be secured from as many as possible of the growers of the state. In this, as in other matters where the friends of horticulture have been asked for assistance, the re- sponse has been prompt and hearty. As to an exhibit of vegetables, while they properly belong in the horti- cultural class, as it turns out that they must be shown in a separate part of the horticultural building, requiring the expense of an additional at- tendant, it appears to be a more economical plan to make this display in connection with the agricultural exhibit of the state. Besides, the amount set apart for horticulture is scarcely large enough to admit of a good exhibit in both vegetables and fruits, and of the two it is more for our interests that a first-class exhibit be made of the latter. This sub- ject is still under consideration. The method and order of exhibition during the continuance of the fair is to be something as follows: At the opening, May Ist, the fruit on ex- hibition will consist of the glass jars and the apples and grapes now in cold storage. These last two will continue on exhibition as long as they hold up, renewing as is necessary. Fresh small fruits in their season, be- ginning with strawberries, then raspberries, etc., will be exhibited in suf- ficient quantity to fill the refrigerator cases, to be renewed as often as is necessary during the fruiting season, extending the time of exhibition as far as possible by preserving a quantity in cold storage. a reeks ss COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. 137 The greatest exhibit will be in the fall months, when it is expected that the show of apples and grapes, intended to include every variety growing in the state, will cover all of the shelves provided for that purpose. Premiums will be offered by the exposition management for various kinds of fruit in their season. The list has not yet been sent out, and I have no idea what its character and scope will be. Probably, fruits en- tered for premiums will not be shown with the state exhibit, but will be placed with fruits from other localities, entered for similar purposes. Minnesota will try to capture some of these premiums, and I shall see that the members of this society are informed as to their opportunities in this direction as soon as they are known. A number of photographs, some of which you see on the walls of this room, have been prepared to adorn our exhibit. These that you see here very appropriately show our apple and grape resources, being taken at the time of the last state fair. The World’s Fair committee, which was appointed to act in connection with the superintendent, has been of much practical assistance and should certainly be continued with the same power as at present, although ina work in whjch the society at large takes so great an interest every mem- ber should be, by virtue of his membership, one of a committee to advise and assist, and be entitled, as well, to any credit that may come to the society or the state. A continuance of the spirit with which the labors of the superintendent have so far been met will make it easy for this work to proceed to a successful completion; and it is my earnest purpose to carry it forward in such a way as to secure to you and the state you represent in this interest the largest possible results. VEGETABLES AT THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. JOSHUA ALLYN, RED WING. To the members of the Horticultural Society: Your secretary, Mr. Latham, urged me to write a paper on the best method of an exhibit at the World’s Fair of the vegetables for Minnesota. J hope for yoursake some one better qualified will have a chance at this subject, but I will give my thought to help it along. I should think the most important part of this work would be to select a fine line of articles inorder to have the very best of all productions. Competent judges must make these selections. “Any man may grow a perfect article, but not every man may know it.” Minnesota need not take a back seat in the growing of vegetables. - Some men have special pride in growing extra fine articles of certain kinds; these should not be overlooked. Can we place an exhibit there at the opening of the fair, and keep it as it ought to be, is a question with me. The first of May allows mostly winter vegetables; of course, these. are ‘not expected to last perfect very long. The early spring ones, as lettuce, radishes, etc., need a fountain and much attention to keep in good shape even a few days. My idea is to make a fine exhibit the first of September, and with proper care given to selection this can be done to our credit—and I hope Minnesota’s best may be there. I intend to grow something for that object. : OST at Oe y ; \ ns ich eit j . ! PEA RON TS hat Vite Rn hy ape 138 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. My experience at small fairs has been that oddities, novelties, most Ye any thing queer or strange, attract the most attention, and even a statue, made entirely of vegetables, isa wonder. Even the best of an article will not attract attention unless arranged with proper taste and order. THE FORESTRY EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. J.O. BARRETT, SECRETARY MINNESOTA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. : Never in human history: was a public enterprise of so gigantic magni- tude and so far reaching and beneficent in its educative influences, work- ing international unity and peace, as the World’s Columbian Exposition. It is the work of the brain and heart of the American Republic, trans- formed into an invite for all races and nations to representatively assemble in Chicago this very year to view the wondrous mechanism and develop- ment of the age in which we live, and to council together how to bring humanity into closer fellowship and co-operative interest. In this grand illustration of a world’s common civilization, ‘and in the sisterhood of states, Minnesota has the position to which she is entitled to picture in practical form her immeasurable resources of wealth and her advance along the inventive and industrial lines. Conspicuous in her : exhibit, as a co-factor, is forestry. For its success theostate.commission- ers have been liberal to the best of their means. : A lively interest is manifested by lumbermen, horticulturists, pomolog- ists and lovers of sylvan culture generally. In accordance with the recommendation of our association, the writer was appointed superintendent with C. L Smith, assistant.. We shall ex- hibit in practical form all the principal species and varieties of our native and planted timber trees, both indigenous and non-indigenous, adapted by experimentation to the climate; also, 2 goodly display of shrubs, vines, flowers and mosses from different purts of the state. Our department, like the rest. will be educative as well as attractive in all its phases, and we can reasonably anticipate that it will be a credit to Minnesota. sellin ech iC i AE tL Alaa aR eon Aaa hae Yah aE pe ks ae ae Sa ah : fee Bela biases ’ REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 139 ‘ P REPORTS OF DELEGATES. “TS REPORT OF DELEGATE TO SOUTH DAKOTA HORTICUL- F TURAL SOCIETY. Cc. W. H. HEIDEMAN, NEW ULM. The South Dakota Horticultural Society held its fourth annual meet- ing at Yankton, South Dakota, Dec. 13, 14 and 15, 1892. Your delegate soon after his arrival met President Warner and others of the little band. Several times he lost his breath, and nearly fainted away listening to descriptions of the wonderful climate, soil, and fruits of South Dakota; ’ however, within a few hours he was on good terms with them, having been sworn into the service, renounced all allegiance to Minnesota as a state to live in, became a full-fledged Dakotian,and could tell as many 3 fish stories as any of them. a The exhibit of fruits and flowers was varied and very fine. Apples were ae there in great variety, also a large collection of canned fruits, native and s cultivated. A plate of Soulard crabs were as fine as I have ever seen. = Your delegate was made an honorary member and pressed into service, E being placed-on the committee on awards and president’s address. : The sessions, while not largely attended, were very interesting, and the he: papers read covered the general field of horticulture. ‘The discussions “ that followed brought out many points. The committee on revised fruit : lists made the following report: ; My. President and members of the South Dakota State Horticultural Society: Your committee on revision of list of recommended fruits for South Dakota beg leave to submit the following report, viz: That we have divided the state into three districts, in such manner as seems to us will best represent the different climatic conditions. For the north district, comprising all of that part of the state lying north of a line running east and west along the north line of Beadle coun- ty, we would recommend the following: Apples—For trial, Duchess, Hibernal, Wealthy and | Whitney’ s No. 20. Crabs—Harly Strawberry, Briar’s Sweet, Minnesota, Orange, Transcen- dent, Hyslop and Quaker Beauty. For trial, Snyder and White Arctic. Plums—Desota, Forest Garden, Rollingstone, Wolf and selected natives. Cherries—Dwartf Sand. Grapes—For trial, Clinton and Janesville, with winter protection. Currants— Victoria. Long Bunch Holland, Red Dutch, White Grape and Cherry. Gooseberries—A merican Seedling and Houghton. Raspberries—Reds; Turner and Philadelphia, with winter protection. t ae “ , ‘ Agee oN Sti: Sie bien * Bur hil + Ved abd 4 a Laas fist Ps A Sy ie 5 | “ ‘ 140 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Blackberries—For trial, Lucretia dewberry. Strawberries—Crescent, fertilized with Chas. Downing or Wilson. For trial, Warfield No. 2, Haveriand, Windsor Chief and Bubach, fertilized by Mount Vernon and Jessie. For the central district, comprising all counties north of the north line of Hutchinson and Turner counties, and south of the north district, which includes most of the Hills district: Apples—Duchess, Wealthy, Hibernal and Whitney’s No. 20. For trial, Pewaukee, Yellow Transparent, Scott’s Winter, Zoloteriff and Anis. Crabs—Early Strawberry, Briar’s Sweet, Minnesota Orange, Transcend- ent, Hyslop, Martha and Quaker Beauty. For trial, Snyder, White Arc- tic and Virginia. Plums—Desota, Forest Garden, Rollingstone, Wolf, Harrison’s Peach and Hawkeye. Cherries—Dwarf Sand. Fortrial, Wragg, Ostheim and Early Richmond. Grapes, with winter protection—Concord, Janesville, Moore’s Early, Worden, Clinton and Martha. : Currants—White Grape, Victoria, Long Bunch Holland, Red Dutch, Cherry and Black Naples. Gooseberries—Houghton and American Seedling. Raspberries—Blacks; Souhegan or Tyler, Ohio and Gregg. Reds; Turn- er, Philadelphia and Cuthbert. Blackberries—Lucretia dewberry. Strawberries—Same list as for north district. For the southern district, comprising all counties south of the north line of Turner and Hutchinson counties, we recommend the following: Apples—Duchess, Wealthy, Whitney’s No. 20, Hibernal, Scott’s Winter, Pewaukee, Haas, Walbridge, Yellow Transparent, Perry Russett, Fameuse and Price’s Sweet. For trial, Zoloteriff, R. Anis, Charlamoff, Anton- voka, Utter’s Red and Iowa Blush. Crabs—Early Strawberry, Briar’s Sweet, Minnesota, Orange, Hyslop and Quaker Beauty. For trial, Snyder, White Arctic and Virginia. Pears for trial—Bessamianka, Fiemish Beauty, Seckle and Keiffer. Cherries—Early and Late Richmond, Wragg and Ostheim. Plums—Desota, Forest Garden, Rollingstone, Wolf, Hawkeye, Miner, Harrison’s Peach, Egg, Early Red and Wild Goose. Grapes—Concord, Janesville, Worden, Moore’s Early, Agawam, Martha, Lady Clinton, Massasoit, Delaware and Wyoming Red. Currants—Same as recommended in central district. Gooseberries—Houghton, Downing, Smith’s Improved and American Seedling. For trial, Industry. : Raspberries and Blackberries—Same as recommended for central dis- trict. Strawberries—Same as north district. GEO. H. WHITING, Chairman. The committee on resolutions reported the following resolutions to which the attention of this society is called. Resolved, That the mixed nomenclature of various fruits now success- fully raised in South Dakota needs correcting, more especially in view of the coming flood of native plums. This work of identification should be done systematically and with a view to permanency, special reference being had to such varieties as are now of general or local reputation, and provision should be made for future additions to the list. et eee Ne Se * P a x . N Ws Sats. 8 3) Lhe 7 . , REPORTS OF DELEGATES. .- 141 Resolved, That we invite the state horticultural societies of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa to join in the perfection of plans tending to bring order out of chaos now existing, and which must necessarily continue and increase with the advent of new varieties. The officers and members of the Dakota society feel grateful to our society for our annual reports. Their society receiving no aid from the state have, heretofore, published noneof their proceedings. ‘‘The Dakota Farmer,” however, this year (issue of January, 1893) published in a special horticultural number their entire proceedings. The following officers were elected for 1893: H. C. Warner, president, Forestburg. D. Hinman, Ist vice president, Yankton. Chris. Thompson, 2nd vice president, Rapid City. E. D. Cowles, secretary, Vermillion. T. L. McCrea, treasurer, Tyndall. - DIRECTORS, Chris. Thompson, Ist district: Hon. Geo. B. Daly, 2d district. Col. A. B. Smedley, 3rd district. George C. Jones, 4th district. A. Norby, 5th district. J. J. Schumacher, 6th district. George H. Whiting, 7th district. Mr. Jones, 8th district. J. M. Miles, 9th district. The next annual meeting is fixed for the third Tuesday in December at Vermillion, S. D. REPORT OF THE DELEGATE TO THE SUMMER: MEETING OF 'THE WISCONSIN STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY HELD AT BARABOO, WIS., JUNE 29, AND 30, 1892. J. S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Mr. President: It has been my privilege to attend a considerable number of the meet- ings of our neighbor, the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. The meetings have always been good and instructive, and we havealways been most cordially received and royally entertained. We believe, too, that our Meetings with these Wisconsin friends have been of benefit to our own state and society, and that our intercourse with the old veterans of Wis- consin has given us opportunities to do more and better work for our own state. The trials they have to encounter and the obstacles to over- come are similar to ours in kind, but. not quite as great in degree, be- cause their state is older than ours, and one-third of it better situated than ours for the successful cultivation of the tree fruits, on account of the influence of that large body of water, Lake Michigan,upon theclimate. As you are, probably, aware, their winter meetings are usually held at the capital, and are made, partly, joint meetings with the State Agricult- ural Society; while the summer meetings are held at different points in the state, where it is thought the most good may be done. With each year the interest in these summer meetings has grown, until they have really become the best and most important gatherings of the society. Baraboo, being situated in the center of one of the best fruit districts of the state, was a very favorable place for holding this meeting, and success 142 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘ was assured from the start. In fact,no kind of a horticultural meeting held in such a beautiful place,and with so many such wide-awake, intelli- gent, enterprising horticulturists as Tuttle, Toole, Hirschinger, Fox, ‘Townsend and a dozen others, with the general, M. A. Thayer, to preside over their deliberations, could be anything but a success. The program was a timely one and the topics were well handled, while the attendance was good and deeply interested. The first session was devoted to papers on the best and most profitable methods of growing and marketing small fruits, and varieties for cultiva- tion. by Henry Tarrant and J. W. Loudon of Janesville and E. C. Tobey of Sparta; apples in Wisconsin, how to grow and market them, by Chas. Hirschinger of Baraboo; and experiments at the government station at Ithica for the preventing of fungus diseases of the tree, fruits &c.; and the extermination of insects, by Prof. Goffof Madison and A. L. Hatch of Ithica. According to their reports, by spraying at the proper times with the Bordeaux mixture, eau celeste and other fungicides, as recommended and formulated in the bulletion of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, apple, leaf and fruit scab, rust on strawberries and such like diseases can be pre- vented, thus causing the trees to grow more vigorous and healthy, and produce more and better fruit. The papers and discussions on small fruits elicited that for the North- west the matted row is the best method of growing strawberries; that rust and fungus diseases were much more prevalent this year than ever before, and that while we have a plenty of good pistillate varieties of straw- berries, we want more good, hardy, reliable pollenizers. Michel's Early, Sandoval, Crawford, Gandy, Bederwood, Jessie and Parker Earle weie sug- gested as among the best now known. But the Michel is not very valuable for fruit, the Sandoval and Crawford rust badly.and the Jessie is too weak in a seasor like the present. One of the greatest factors in profitable fruit growing is the marketing. All fruits should be picked carefully without bruising, should be of even ripeness and size, put up in new clean packages and be thrown upon the market in the most perfect and showy condition. If afew small knotty and inferior specimens are put in, the whole package must sell as if they all were of that grade. At the evening session considerable time was taken up on the question of Arbor Day in schools. ‘‘This day was first observed in Nebraska in 1872. In 20 years it has grown to be observed in 35 states, and in many other sections of the world. Its missionis not only to teach the planting of trees for their utility and protection, but for their beauty, and the lesson taught on the school grounds prompts the child to ornament and beautify the home.” At the previous winter meeting, President Thayer offered to donate 6,000 strawberry plants to school children who might organize and apply for them under certain rules, the result being that the children of 205 schools so organized associations and 8,358 plants were sent to 1,393 applicants, mostly by mail, free, and were planted in the homes of some twelve hundred children. It is proposed next year to offer 30,000 plants to 5,000 children on same conditions. This is giving the society an opportunity to get inte intimate communication with the families of the state that they could not otherwise have, and it is sowing the seeds from which will be gathered a magnificent crop of pratical horticulturists. A number of the reports from the recipients of these plants were read before the meeting and were intensely interesting. The remaining ad- Ohi Sabai elaine Mii RL ai aC Sunnie A eC MS a Ge eas ALI oa sai td Nt A 1h REPORTS OF DELEGATES. 143 dresses and acts of the meetings were equally interesting and important and fully occupied the time of the five sessions, and at the final adjourn- “he ment all expressed themselves satisfied with the meeting. The ; exhibition of fruits and fiowers in connection with the meeting was fine. It consisted of large and well arranged collections of blooming plants and splendid displays of roses, pansies and other cut flowers, and upon the fruit tables there were displayed over 100 varieties of strawberries; and the quantity, quality and appearance was an agreeable surprise to all, because . it had been very generally supposed the season had been generally impos- _ sible for the best development and ripening of this fruit. About forty varieties of new and unnamed seedlings were shown. Most of them were of large size and very attractive appearance, and, probably, some of them are booked for a boom in the near future. Two of the best varieties were named at the meeting, one, the Mead, the other, the Crosby. Another variety—fruit of large size, good appearance and having perfect flowers--which this year ripened its fruit earlier than any other known variety and brought the highest price in the Janesville market, will be known as Louden No. 2; for the present. The largest berries in the exhi- bition were a plate of Bubach No. 5; and this variety was generally highly commended by the fruit growers present. The highest prize for the best single variety was awarded to the Warfield; solidity, firmness, color, productiveness and shipping qualities combine to make it the most pop- ular variety for the market. The first premium on collection was awarded to J. G. Kellogg of Janes- . ville, and the second tothe Sparta Fruit Farms. Thesuccess of the Wis- consin summer meetings suggests to us of Minnesota that it ought to be to our advantage to rotate around a little more, and get better acquainted with the people, and have stronger programs and longer summer meet- ings. ‘ i REPORT OF DELEGATE TO IOWA. ; CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. The meeting of the Northern Iowa society at Humboldt was in every way successful, and one especially agreeable to your delegate, as orcharding, 4 his favorite hobby, was made by far the leading subject on the program. The proceedings were ably and gracefully presided over by H. W. Ash of West Union, and were throughout destitute of any acrimonious feeling or discussion, which is deserving of remark, as Iowa is the very center of the divergent Russian and seedling interests. Among the varieties of apples’ that were prominently mentioned were Harry Kaump, an extremely early . bearer of rather small yellow apples that keep better than Wealthy; tree not an iron clad, but perhaps hardier than Wealthy and very satisfactory with those fruiting it. Charlamoff was favorably mentioned by several, and the point brought out that two varieties are out under that name; one an upright grower with nearly worthless fruit, and the true Charla- moff, a spreading tree, of fruit and season similar to Duchess but of bet- ter dessert quality. Patten’s Greening received only words of praise, and in Northern Iowa, at least, it appears tu have come to stay. The Wealthy asa variety for com- mercial orchards provoked an interesting discussion; about half of those who spoke placed it by the side of the Duchess for profit, while as many, 144 © MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. . remembering the reverses of 1884-5, were unwilling to trust it. The Mc- Mahon was on the whole rather unfavorably considered, tendency to blight being reported. When the question came up ‘‘What two varieties for a commercial orchard of 1,000 trees?” quite a number answering, all placed Duchess first, and Wealthy and Hibernal, the only other varieties mentioned, were about equally divided for second place. Prof. Budd read a long and important paper on ‘‘Valuable Russian Fruits,” which, considering that it was prepared for Northern lowa and is a condensed description of the cream of the Russian apples by the highest authority of the day, should have a place in our report as a whole The value of top working the more tender varieties on extra hardy stocks seemed to be admitted, and some facts were given to show the need of experiment to determine what varieties were congenial. Two varieties, grown at Humboldt and in excellent keeping condition, were given to many members to test, by Prof. Budd. They were Veronish Rosy, 1277 and Rosy Repka, 200; both were certainly choice eating and were said by him to be hardy enough for Minnesota. OC. G. Patten gave a valuable talk on ‘‘Tests of Hardiness.” He is one of the most careful and most reliable experimenters in the Northwest, and his presence with us should prove one of the features of our meeting. Prof. Budd stated that a perfect test of hardiness has been discovered by Prof. Halsted, and that it consists in a thimble of starch formed .at the points of growth of all hardy varieties. He also . gave the results of experiments going to show that in order to origi- nate hardy varieties from seed we should use an iron-clad mother. Elmer Reeves in a valuable paper ‘on plums recommended propagation on their own roots of our native varieties; mentioning Desota, Hawk- eye, Forest Garden, Rollingstone, Speer, Weaver, Wolf, Wyant and Rock- ford as about the best varieties. J.C. Ferris showed a very interest- ing object lesson in the form of a section of native plum budded on sand cherry about ten years ago. The union was perfect; he also reported the tree somewhat dwarfed and free from sprouts. Grapes received consider- able attention. Prof. Budd spoke highly of Moore’s Early, which he said needed much longer pruning than most varieties. Worden seemed a prime favorite. Moore’s Diamond and Wyoming were mentioned among the promising sorts; as at our last Minnesota meeting, the mention of the Janesville made things liyely. The Shaeffer red raspberry and the Older black-cap seemed to be regarded the most productive of their classes. The most marked feature of the evergreen papers and discus- sion. was the high esteem in which the Picea Pungens was held for ornamental planting, the two leading growers of northern Iowa plac- ing it at the head of the list. The election of officers resulted in the re-election of all except treasurer, to which office Edson Gaylord was chosen. Charles City was made the place of next meeting. Itis the duty of your delegate to mention the marked courtesy shown him both by the members and by the citizens of Humbolt, and to recommend our people to secure the published report of the meeting of which the foregoing is but the merest: outline. CLARENCE WEDGE. ea EAN ie wa i LIBRARY. LIBRARY. REPORT OF LIBRARIAN. The report of the library, located at 427 Nicollet avenue, Minneapo- lis, shows the presence of at least one copy of all the volumes cited in last year’s report. The following volumes have been received during the current year: Name. Year. Indiana State Hort. Society Report. ..1889 U.S. Dept, Bulletin 3, Plant Dis..... No. 3 Kansas Hort. Society Report.... .....- 1883 Kansas Hort. Society Report.......... 1884 Kansas Hort. Society Report........ 1885-6 Kansas Hort. Society Report.......... 1889 Kansas Hort. Society Report.......... 1891 Kansas Experiment Station Rep....... 1890 Kansas Experiment Station Rep....... 1891 Kansas Experiment station Rep....... 1892 Colorado Hort. Society Report.......1887-8 Colorado Hort. Society Report......... 1890 Colorado Hort. Society Report....... 1891-2 Florida Hort. Society Report.......... 1892 Vermont Agricultural Report ....... 1887-8 Vermont Agricultura! Report...... 1889-90 Vermont Agricultural Report....... 1891-2 California Board of Hort. eport....1887-8 California Board of Hort. Report......1889 California Board of Hort. Report......1890 California Board of Hort. Report...... 1891 Minnesota State Agri. Society Rep....1891 Illinois Hort. Society Report. .. 1873 Illinois Hort. Society Report.... ...... 1875 Dlinois Hort. Society Report........... 1877 Illinois Hort. Society Report...........1878 Illinois Hort. Society Report...........1879 Illinois Hort. Society Report........... 1880 Illinois Hort. Society Report... 1881 Illinois Hort. Society Report. . 1882 Illinois Hort. Society Report. 1883 Wyoming Experiment Bulletin........ American Nurserymen’s Association.1892 American Florists’ Soeiety Report....1887 American Florists’ Society Report....1888 American Florists’ Society Report....1889 American Florists’ Society Report,...1890 American Florists’ Society Report....1891 Wisconsin State Hort. Report......... 1 Massachusetts Agri. Report.... See Minos Agri.! Report: ..2...:c.qaseleces mitinais, Agri. Report... . 606s cs sccnscse Eilineis' Agri, Report. 22... 04 wesc sieocen oe Illinois Agri. Report....... Pileiciee eo Biinois Agri Report... ..cocse sy ceaseee's Illinois Agri. Report............. aC see 1887 Dinos Agri. Report... .....0..2c06 cece 1888 Illinois Experiment Sta. Bulletin. . 1888-91 Illinois Hort. Society Report...........1890 Illinois Hort. Society Report......... .1891 American Nurserymen’s Association..1891 American Pomological Soc’y Report...1876 10h Name. Year. American Pomological Soe’y Report...1877 American Pomological Soc’y Report...1881 American Pomological Soc’y Report...1887 American Pomological Soc’y Report...1889 U.S. Dept. Agri ,23 Bulletins .............. U.S. Dept. Swine Plague............... 1891 Bushburg Grape Catalogue.......... é Minnesota Agri. Soc. Premium List...1889 Minnesota Agri. Soc. Premium List. ..1890 Minnesota Agri. Soc. Premium List. ..1891 Oregon Board of Hort. Report......... 1891 Montreal Hort. Society Report...... 1887-8 New Jersey Hort. Society Report...... 1889 New Jersey Hort. Society Report...... 1890 . Massachusetts Hort. Soc. Rep. Part 1.1887 Massachusetts Agri. College Report...1892 Wisconsin Hort. Society saietan adapta the hte 1889 Wisconsin Hort. Society......... ......1891 Wisconsin Hort. Society................ 1892 Wisconsin Agri. Experiment Station. .1890 Wisconsin Agri. Experiment Station..1888 Wisconsin Farmers’ Institute.......... 1889 Wisconsin Farmers’ Institute........ ; Wisconsin Agri. Society Report..... 1875-6 Wisconsin Agri. Society Report..... 1881-2 Wisconsin Agri. Society Report....... 1883 Wisconsin Agri. Society Report.......1884 Wisconsin Agri. Society Report...... Wisconsin Agri. Society Report... Wisconsin Agri. Society Report... Wisconsin Agri. Society Report... Wisconsin Agri. Society Report... California Board of Hort......... Ohio, Columbus, Hort. Society. Ohio Hort. Society Report.... . .1888-9 Ohio Hort. Society Report............ 1890-1 Ohio Hort. Society Report............ 1891-2 Mississippi Valley Hort. Society... ....1883 Missouri Hort. Society................ .. 1889 Missouri Hort.'Society: .- 22.52.25.) .0: >.1890 Missouri Board of Agri.............. 1889-90 Kansas State Hort. Society............ 1873 Kansas State Hort. Society............ 1875 Maine State Pomological Society...... 1890 Maine State Pomological Society...... 1891 Nebraska Board of Agri.....).......... 1885 Nebraska Board of Agri. .............. 1889 Nebraska State Agri. Society.......... 1892 Texas State Hort. Society.............. 1891 Minnesota Special Laws................ 1891 Minnesota General Laws............... 1891 Minnesota Agri. Society................ 1890 Minnesota Agri. Society................ 1891 Minnesota Statistics........... Arceteeee 1885 Minnesota Minneapolis Rep. P’rk Com.1890 Ontario Fruit Growers’ Ass’n..... ..,1891 Michigan State Hort. Society.......... 1889 146 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. - + Name. Year. Name. Year. Michigan Board of (Aeris. ..)222scce0.s 1877 Indiana Agri} Report. ...2..1.0. 0 =. esdSba 1:8. Department Agri. Report....... 1876). Indiana Agri? Report: @e.. ... 52. 3.22 .41800 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1878 Indiana Agri. Report..............2..+-1884 U.S, Department Agri. Report........ 1879 Indiana Agri. Report...................1885 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1884 Indiana Geological Survey............. 1875 - U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1885 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort,Soc. Vol 1 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1886 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 2 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1887 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 3 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1888 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 4 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 1889 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soec. Vol 5 U.S. Department Agri. Report........ 18909 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 6 U.S. Dept. Bureau of Animals, ete..1889-90 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 7 U.S. Congress, Reports to.............. 1873 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 8 U.S. Smithsonian Report.............. 1884 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soe. Vol 9 Iowa State Hort. Society...... ........1871 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 11 fowa State Hort. Society...............1872 | Pennsylyania Agri.and Hort.Soc. Vol 12 Iowa State Hort. Society...:........... 1873 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort. Soc..... 1878 Iowa State Hort. Society............... 1874 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort. Soc..... 1879 . Lowa State Hort, Society.....:........- 187. Pennsylvanfa Agri.and Hort. Soc..... 1880 Iowa State Hort. Society....:....... _. 1876 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort. Soc.....1881 Iowa State Hort. Society............. .1883 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort. Soc..... 1882 — Iowa State Hort. Society..............- 1890 Pennlylvania Agri.and Hort. Soc..... 1883 Iowa State Hort. Society.............. 1891 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort. Soe..... 1888 © Towa Agri. Report: «2 socesencoses neta colOL0 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort. Soc..... 1889 Iowa Agri. Report...................--..18%77 Pennsylvania Agri.and Hort. Soc.. ..1890 Towa Acri WReEpOre. sc. on teetotsacaneees 1878 Pennsylvania Agri. and Hort, Soc..... 1891 Towa Agri; Report: .s:. snes seareer es tee 1879 Conn.,Hartford Co., Hort. Prem. List.1891 Iowa Agri. Report.:..........-....+-----1884 | Conn., Hartford Co.. Hort. Prem. List.1892 Towa Agri; ROpOrt. <4 «sccesdesccnnssce= 1885 Minnesota Historical Society.......... 1891 lowarAeri, Report: :<..cecsees erie ejee cee 1886. Minnesota, Its Resources .............. -- Indiana State Hort. Society............ 1887 Ontario Fruit Growers’ Ass’n ......... 1888 Indiana State Hort. Society........... 1889 Ohio State Forestry Bureau............1888 Indiana State Hort. Society............1890 Montreal Hort. Society..............-+8 1889 Indiana State Hort. Society............1891 Total number of separate books, not including duplicates, 177. The present arrangement in regard to the location of a library for the society, while looked upon as only temporary, is perhaps as convenient as can be made at the present time. Our library should be made ultimately the repository of all the horticultural literature extant, and its current accessions should fully keep pace with the increase of such literature. An effort is being made with some success to secure the numbers miss- ing from the files of reports of the various horticultural and agricultural societies of the country, and, also, to get the bulletins of the various ex- periment stations as fast as published. Many of these reports and bulle- tins are in paper covers, and should as fast as possible, together with the various horticultural periodicals coming to the library, be bound substan- tially in cloth. There are many works on the various branches of horticulture that can be obtained only by purchase or by gift from the friends of the society. A small amount appropriated annually to this work, combined with a little industry on the part of the librarian and the library committee (which ought to consist of our whole membership), would result in time in get- ting together a large and valuable horticultural library. A blank book has been prepared in which the volumes of the library will be catalogued alphabetically as they come in and credit be given to the donor. An improvement imperatively needed in the library is some glazed doors to protect the books from dust, which is rapidly discoloring them. The past year systematic work has been done for the library, and it has not been practicable to do this to advantage before, being without a home for our books, such as is now provided. I trust the result will be found reasonably satisfactory. Respectfully submitted, A. W. LATHAM, Librarian. wees od “sft . > Pt. Ae er ee Miata ik ioe are Ne aS ~* +4 ee tig a a Ly has te i LIBRARY. _ REPORTS STORED AT PILLSBURY HALL,STATE UNIVERSITY, MINNEAPOLIS. E. A. CUZNER, ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN. . (This report does not include the “ Reserve.” See report of 1892, page 121.) Reports of 1876, 255 paper bound; 1877, 29 paper bound; 1881, 875 paper bound; 1882, 114 cloth bound and 503 paper bound; 1883, 350 cloth bound and 23] paper bound; 1884, 268 paper bound; 1885, 425 paper bound; 1886, -__—-«:189 paper bound; 1887, 43 paper bound; 1888, 42 paper bound; 1889, 125 a paper bound; 1890, 156 paper bound; 1891, 216 cloth, 50 paper; 1892, 572 _ cloth, 950 paper covers. The reserve has been drawn upon three times, i but not touching 1879. % > There have been sent out from the Pillsbury Hall the past year 111 wi ag packages, or 1444 copies of the Minnesota State Horticultural reports. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY. J. 8S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Ss During the year 1892 I have secured the following additions to the ° library of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, and have delivered nn the same at the society’s office on Nicollet ave., Minneapolis: - ¢ One copy Report of American Pomological Society, 1891, paper; 1 copy Report Secretary of Agriculture, 1891, cloth; 1 copy Report Bureau Animal Industry, 1890, cloth; 1 copy Report Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 1891, cloth; 1 copy Report Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, 1892, ° cloth; 1 copy Report Department Agriculture Wisconsin Experimental ___ Station, 1891, paper; 1 copy Report Agriculture of South America, (U. S. = Department Agriculture, 1891), paper; 1 copy Report Co-operative Credit Baa! Associations of Certain European nations,(U.S. Department Agriculture), . - 1892, paper; 2 copies Report Food Adulteration, Part 6 and 7, U.S. De- partment Agriculture, 1892, paper; 1 copy Farmers’ Bulletin No. 7, Spray- ing Fruits, paper; 1 copy Flax Culture for Fiber, paper; 1 copy Secretary of Agriculture, 1892, paper; 1 copy Experiments with Sugar Beets, 1891, paper; 1 copy Experiments with Sorghum, 1891, paper; 1 copy Damage by Destructive Locusts, 1891, paper; 1 copy Inoculation to Prevent Hog Cholera, 1892;1 copy Wages of Farm Labor 1886-1892; 1 copy Report of - Statistics, July and August, 1892; 1 copy Report of Statistics, September and October, 1892; 10 monthly reports Condition of Crops, 1892; 1 copy Ex- periments in Treatment of Plant Diseases; 1 copy U.S. Department Agri- cultural Reports, Crops of the Year, 1891; 1 copy Wisconsin Farmers’-In- - * stitute Bulletin, 1892. im. Your committee would recommend that the books in the library -___ be catalogued as soon as practicable, and that in the distribution of the -society’s published transactions, 200 or more copies of all back reports be held back for library exchanges and a bonus to those who may hereafter become life members of the society. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. PROF. HARRY SNYDER, ST. ANTHONY PARK. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: The subject assigned to me, agricultural chemistry, is such an exten- sive one that I shall take the liberty of limiting it to a general consider- ation of some of the present views in regard to the functions of the ash elements in plants. Whenever a plant is reduced to ashes by burning, there are always defi- nite building materials present, and whenever any of these elementary mineral substances are absent from the soil no plant can live. Not less than fifty years ago a prize was offered for a solution of the then vexed question, ‘‘are the ash constituents necessary to the plant econowy,or are they accidental,in as much as the plant takes up sucha large © quantity of water and so must of necessity take up what mineral mat- ters are in solution, as well?” So it will be seen that what little is known in regard to the mineral matter in our plants is of a comparatively re- cent date. 'To the labors of Liebig, Wolf, Knapp and many others, we are indebted for our limited knowledge of the functions of the plant ash. The methods employed by these men are familiar to many of you—how plants were fed on a carefully prepared mineral diet, in which one plant element was supplied in a meagre ‘allowance and then again in liberal ration. - When lime was withheld from the young and growing plant it was ob- served that no new organic matter was produced, when withheld from the more mature plants the effect was not so marked. Numerous experi- ments with this element soon indicated that lime was necessary to the plant in the early stages of its growth. In this regard plants are quite like animals, in as much as they require the larger portion of their lime while young. The mature animal or plant cannot assimilate the lime in its later stages, so that it will take the place of the lime that should ~ have been assimilated in its early stages. Of magnesium, an element quite like calcium (or lime), only a small amount is required, and in its absence the plant will grow, but the seeds from such plants possess but little vitality. The presence or absence of iron is extremely marked in the plant. When iron is withheld the color- ing or greening of the chloryphyle grains cannot take place. Just how the iron effects this change is not known. This mineral occurs in the smallest quantity of any one of the elements, and is seldom absent from any soil. Potassium, familiar to us as potash, is never found wanting in any plant, and, in general, it is quite equally and evenly distributed in all parts of the plant, and can readily: be removed from ashes by leaching. When the required amount of potash is withheld the plants are not vig- orous, if all of the potash is removed from the soil the plant soon dies of 149. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY. ‘potassium starvation. Potash apparently aids in the transportation of the starch grains through the cell walls. Itsmovements within the plant are in the same direction as the starch. When any plant is unable to ob- tain its normal amount of potassium, its growth is checked and the plant, in the course of a short time, passes into a decline. When the different elements that are found in the ashes of plants were first determined, it was supposed that a chemical analysis of the ash would show just what kind of mineral food different plants would require. This idea gave rise to all kinds of speculations, and chemists labored away making chemical analyses of the ashes of plants with the hope of finding just how much and what kinds of minerals should be used for the best results. Finally, these various speculations were put to trial, and then in many cases it was found that the plants grew no better than they did before, showing that there was yet another undetermined factor. \ It was shown by Liebig that when a manure pile was divided into two equal parts, and one part burned to ashes and the ashes applied, while, on the other hand, the manure was applied directly to the crop, that the ma- nure when applied directly was far more effectual than when only theashes were used. Why this difference when there was the same quantity of each available ash element in both cases, and all of the minerals necessary for plant development were the same in each, and yet the practical results were not the same? The reason for this difference was soon explained when nitrogen was shown to be a. necessary element for plant growth. When the manure was burned the nitrogen was liberated and escaped into the air in the form of gaseous combinations, and when the manure was applied directly the nitrogen was available as plant food. There has been more experi- menting done with the nitrogen supply of plants than in any other iine of similar work, and as the result of all of this labor many valuable results have been obtained. Only a limited number of plants are capable of tak- ing their nitrogen supply directly from the air, while the larger number must be supplied with this element from the soil. The nitrogen supplied for plants and crops is the most important factor, economically consid- ered, of all of the elements that are necessary for plant food. The com- mercial value of nitrogen is a little more than double that of phosphoric acid, and about four times that of potash. The necessity for concentrated fertilizers has not as yet made itself felt, and it is to be hoped will not for some time to come, and as long as the local demand for such materials as tankage and dried blood is no greater than it is at present, they will continue to supply us with all the concentrated nitrogen that we may desire for any special purposes. The draft of horticultural products upon the soil is not great,in fact, it is less than any other branch of husbandry. A hundred pounds of red raspberries take less than one-half a pound of mineral matters from the soil, potatoes less than a pound. The mineral matter that is lost in the weed crop of many gardens is frequently ten times greater than that removed in any ordinary horticultural crop. The beneficial results of systematic horticulture, especially forestry, aremany. A tree always improves a soil by enrichingit with the humus formed from the decaying leaves, and the humus then renders more plant food available than the tree has itself taken up; hence, trees cause soil to grow richer and richer. FORESTRY. =) REPORT ON FORESTRY. a cf MRS. J. H. BROWN, LAC QUI PARLE. The work of planting and caring for treesis a noble one. AsI look at : the noble trees, my heart goes from nature to nature’s God. Who does not Bk love the trees? I love them and love to work amungst them,and I wish more people took an interest in the work. The people of this country are doing quite well,having quite a good many a, nice groves. The trees around here are growing nicely this year; grew ig very well last year. There has been more rain the last two years, and the cottonwood bugs have not been as bad this year as they have been in , the past few years. Nr. The Scotch pine and white spruce and white pine are about the + oe best trees to plant. I think they grow about as fast as any if oe wel! cared for. Mulch them well and they will grow. I have half an acre of English poplar that was put out four years ago; they have had no care except to mulch them, and they have grown very ; 3 nicely; they are quite large trees and the cottonwood bugs does not trouble o) aa them as they do the cottonwood. I have elms and linden that are grow- y i ing nicely; also tamaracks. They have madea nice growth this year. i FORESTRY IN SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA. H. J. LUDLOW, WORTHINGTON. When I came here in 1875, the planting of tree claims was the every- ‘ spring business of about one-half our farmers, and this paper will be my s observations since then. First, our soil is a black loam with clay subsoii, ranging from two feet deep on the knolls to six feet in the sags and swales; our elevation is P 900 feet above St. Paul by railroad survey. > The first few years nearly every one planted cottonwoods, because they ‘ grew nicely from cuttings and when started good made a rapid growth; “a next) came soft maple, then box elder and white ash with white willow : Si for line fences. I will just say here that there ought to be a half-mile =, of white willow growing on every quarter-section, for it will furnish a e farmer with all his fuel, besides making a good fence and windbreak; and a if put upon low lands it is a rapid grower and just about as good as - drain tile to dry out the land; but never try to grow crops in the shade of a row of white willows, nor plant an orchard nearer than 150 feet of it. During the wet years cottonwoods did very finely where the fires were kept out of them, but the four years previous to 1892 were very dry here, and at least two-thirds of the cottonwood groves died. Where they stood alone or in single rows they are growing yet, but most of the oldest groves, where they averaged a foot in diameter and forty feet high, and were the pride of their owners, are now dead and being used for firewood. But the FORESTRY. few who put out white ash and black walnut are now happy, for groves of white ash which were put out on high rolling prairie seemed to make a better growth the dry seasons than they ever had before; and where the nuts of black walnuts were planted five years ago, just at the commence- ment of the dry seasons, the trees are now from two and one-half to three inches in diameter; and where they were planted fifteen years ago, they have been bearing nuts for ten years and are twelve inches in diameter. Every year increases the number of farmers who decide to have a black walnut grove, as well as a white ash; something that will not blow down, nor dry up. Elm trees also are doing finely here after they get started. I saw some last year that made a growth by actual measurement of seven feet and two inches, and yet those_same trees when three years old from the seed did not average more than knee high, which is the objection to them, for the average farmer will not keep trees clean three years, and the grass overruns them and he plants something else. NATIONAL FORESTRY. HON. ABBOTT KINNEY, LAMANDA PARK, CAL. [Tke following paper was prepared for the late annual meeting of the Minnesota : Forestry Association. ] ae National forestry is based upon two grounds: First, the advantage of Merc: maintaining forest production by the control of forests by an undying cor- poration, like the state. Under this head come the prevention of waste, oe: the prevention of fire, the regulationof ripe timber cutting and provision a for the reproduction of the most useful forest growths. (a The forest management, with this object alone, would also have to ar- es range for the exploitation of all the resources of forest lands other than + forest products themselves. These interests would comprise water devel- opments, reservoirs, mines, quarries, game, fish, travelers for health or pleasure, and, in places, pasture. The object of regulating the last uses ae. Mae *| Mee Pa. feet ee 4 a “ie! 4 © Gi prt ae Rex of forest lands ‘would not be to curtail or vex them, but to prevent useless a waste and destruction of the forests by carelessness and fire. The reason D2 that national forest management is advantageous to secure a continued “et supply of lumber and other forest products, is that private or even state management cannot give a uniform system or a uniform protection, nor consider the forests from any better point than a narrow and purely in- dividual or local one. Thus, in individual or state ownership a good sys- tem adjoining an indifferent or a bad one would be constantly subjected to the dangers of trespass, depredations and fire, growing out of the latter. So also a system in regard to some particular forest product, like tar, might be good policy, give returns and maintain product, if uniform and general, while it might and probably would be both costly and useless, if - individual or local. Besides this, a national system would necessarily consider the forest from a wide and general view as to locality, product and time. As to lo- cality, a national system would consider, for instance, the interests of Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, and all the states upon the water system heading in Dakota. An individual system would not consider such inter- ests atall. A Dakota system would only consider Dakota, and pay no heed to 152 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | the other states. As to product—an individual system could only consider individual interests, a state system could only consider state interests. In neither case could national and general interests be provided for. As ‘to time—the most important forest product, lumber, requires a long period of time to come to its highest economic value. One, two, and often three or more generations must be born and die before a forest comes to maturity. This fact makes it plain that no individual system can ever ~ adequately provide for the reproduction of the most valuable timber, re- quiring scientific management covering many years of intelligent and watchful care. That this care pays handsomely we know fromthe returns of national forest management in Europe; but individual interests, es- pecially in this country, even if capable of a uniform and broad policy can never be expected to expend care and money for rewards to be en- joyed only by generations yet unborn. While the first ground for a national forest management is important, the second is essential. The second ground is based, first, on the demonstrated necessity for the maintenance of a certain forest area — to secure the highest agricultural product from any given territory, and, second, on the demonstrated necessity for a certain forest coy- ering on watersheds. The first case is due to the influence of forests on winds, frosts, climatic extremes and on their probable effect on the character and distribution, if not on the quantity of the rainfall. The second case is due to the influence of forests on the delivery of rainfall into springs and streams. As any watershed is forested so is the delivery of its rainfall affected. If it be adequately forested the rain- fall will be detained and seep into the ground to appear in the springs and streams in a perennial and even delivery; if it be denuded and bare the delivery of the rainfall will be short in time and flood-like in char- acter. The water courses in such districts always are of torrential character. The rainfall tends to become diluvial in character and its delivery is so in fact. The water delivery isalternately dangerous in its excess, in its detritus carrying and detritus dumping, and in its erosive power, while the sudden flood-flow of the rains precludes the possibility of a perennial supply; the water is gone and the stream bed is now a raging torrent, and now a dry and arid waste. Irrigation, domestic water and the value of streams for navigation are all diminished or des- troyed by an undue denudation of watersheds. Iteration has worn through the shell of prejudice and indifference, and reinforced by actual recent and recurring experience, has made California a community demanding immediate forest protection for its watershed. We favor the Paddock forest bill. At the same time we would have pre- ferred our own bill introduced long years ago, which provided for the withdrawal of all government lands in forest, and for a system of man- agement of the same. The Paddock bill is probably a more practicable measure. It providesfor the management and care of forest reservations made and to be made. It consequently looks to a policy of initiation and growth and avoids the difficulty of creating suddenly a large forest force and changing all at once tMe entire neglect of and freedom from depredation and waste in the government forest lands. On the other hand, every day that passes reduces the government’s forest holdings and increases the waste due to carelessness and fire. The situation reminds one FORESTRY.» 153 of the Roman legend of the sibylline books. Whatever defects the Pad- is dock bill may have it is good, doubtless the best we can now expect, and should be heartily supported. mee, Lhe work your Minnesota Forestry Association is doing deserves high --—s commendation. I beg to express my appreciation of it. DESTRUCTIVE AGENCIES ALIKE APPLICABLE TO MINNE- oe SOTA. COL. E. T. ENSIGN, COLORADO SPRINGS, COL. 1. Fire.—In nearly all operations for the utilization of forest products a mass of combustible material is left behind, and then the careless use of fire in a dry period kindles a disastrous conflagration. All ordinary demands upon the forest, even with the wasteful methods in vogue, might be met if destruction by fire could be avoided. 2. Railway Construction.—Railway building in the Rocky Mountain region, especially in Colorado, is increasing in such rapid proportion as to offer a most serious menace to the existence of the forests. After the tie- chopping legion come settlers, miners, lumbermen, charcoal burners and others, all of whom in addition to the havoc wrought by themselves pre- pare the way for that most dreaded of all enemies, fire. The demand of the railways for cross-ties, timber and dimension lumber causes the most - serious drain upon the forest. For ties, only the young, partly grown and “most vigorous trees are used; the consumption for that purpose alone is- enormous. The timber so obtained, as compared with other available material, is inferior in quality. Cedar and oak ties from the southern lake and Pacific forests can be delivered in Colorado at a cost not exceed- ing one-third more than the native pine ties; the former are in every way superior, and their period of usefulness is at least double that of the lat- ter. Therefore,no hardship would be imposed in requiring railways to draw upon others than the mountain region for their timber supplies. 3. Lumbering.—The erection and operation of saw mills to supply local and ordinary demands for lumber would not be specially objection- able if the business could be conducted under proper regulations and restrictions. Under existing laws, however, most flagrant abuses are per- petrated, and the forests suffer great and unnecessary loss. 4. Mining Operations.—The requirements of the mining industries {including coal mining) are great and rapidly increasing. The timbering of mines, construction of shaft-houses, smelters, dwellings and other necessary buildings call-for a liberal use of timber. In some of the older mining districts the timber supply has been exhausted, and such material is brought from a distance at undue cost to the consumer. 5. Charcoal Manufacture. — This, in certain localities, is a very de- structive agency. The charcoal burner is as merciless as the hand of fate, he spares not the smallest and most insignificant forest growth, if noth- ing better is within his reach. The industry is fostered by the require- ments of smelters, which consume great quantities of charcoal in the reduction of ores. The useof charcoal for this purpose is not imperative. Under certain processes charcoal is a cheaper fuel than mineral cual or coke. At some of the principal works but little, if any, charcoal is used. ' 154 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS. - oa J. B. HARRISON, SECRETARY OF N. H, FOREST COMMISSIONERS, All the forest lands in New Hampshire are private property, and the eh owners have the same right under our laws as the owners of any other property, to do as they please with their own possessions. The forestry commission has no more power of supervision, direction or control over the forests in this state than we have over the conditions of life on the ~~ moons of Mars. We can talk and write about the forests, the value of our scenery and all the rest of it, as we might about the little moons, and S the sawmill holds its fateful course, just the same. The people of the state can, of course, do nothing collectively for the < preservation of our forests and scenery, except in a legal and constitu- im tional way, that is, by legislative enactment. Anactof thelegislature | would be required, establishing some method or system of administration 3 and providing for the necessary supervision. But, while the forests ae remain private property, the state appears to have no power to exercise __ 4 such contro] or supervision over them as would be adequate for their ae preservation. The state can enact laws for defence against forest fires, oe and if the people would enforce and obey them it would often have a good ae effect; but it would not save our,scenery. The sawmill would still gnaw its relentless way up one sice of every valley and down the other. The individual owners can, of course, treat their wooded lands wisely, if they choose and knowhow. ‘They could utilize in time the entire growth and produce of the forests without destroying or impairing forest conditions, but apparently they, in general, neither choose to nor know how. To bring about such conditions of general enlightenment and co-oper- ation as would lead to the preservation of the forests by the action and 7 management of the individual owners, is practically impossible. We . cannot command the means and conditions which would be necessary for « Such educational work. It appears to me that the only plan by which we can reasonably hope to accomplish anything vital for the preservation of ey our forests and scenery is that of state ownership of our mountain lands. ; Any considerable or adequate interference by the state with the man- agement of forests which are private property is out of the question. There is no provision in our system of government for anything of the kind, and no disposition on the part of the people to attempt the intro- duction of anything so foreign to our usages. So far as I can see or judge, it is certain that while our mountain forests remain private property, nothing effective will be done for their preservation or for their rational management. The White Mountain forests are-:more valuable as scenery, as the indis- pensable enviroment and theatre of our summer resort business, than for the production of lumber, aud in all our thought of these matters the lumber interest should be subordinated to the scenery interest. But there is no necessary antagonism between the two interests when they are intelligently managed. Until 1867 the state owned vast tracts of forests in the regions which are now being desolated. The transaction by which these lands were transferred to private ownership was wholly in- defensible, if not inexplicable. The price paid for them was palpably nominal and unreal. I think the people of New Hampshire should now resume possession of these lands by the exercise of the right of eminent ms Le. ae fs x" " A Ss Pe aa ‘ FORESTRY. 155 : domain, with just compensation to those who now hold the title. The cost to the state should not be very great, when all the facts in the case . are considered. Our principal difficulties and obstacles are psychological; that is, they are in the thought and feeling, habits and character of our people. We are going on in the old paths because we have always followed them, and it is easier to go on thus than to change our course. We do not readily adapt ourselves to new conditions or even recognize their existence. We are busy with our individual aftairs and interests; and we are not think- _ ing much about any effect on the prosperity of the state, or even on the _ welfare of our own children. There is not much popular interest in the value of our forest and scenery. Even those of us who have our money invested in mountain hotels and boarding houses and in the factories using water power from the mountain streams, are mostly apathetic, while the sawmill steadily cuts the ground from under our feet. We are inclined to rest content with the comfortable reflection that “things will last out our time,” and to leave this problem, with many others, to our children. We need the aid of the press of the country. in awakening public attention to the destruction of our scenery and water sources, ard the consequent impoverishment of the people of the state. I shall be glad to receive suggestions from any source, and they will be carefully considered by our commission. N. B. (Read theabove with care,and apply it to Minnesota. Weof the far west are coming into the same leaky boat.as New Hampshire and other eastern states. The determination of the greed mongers is to so fixGod’s - bounties to his children, that no man can have anything by and by out- side of the individualistic and monopolistic ring.) Secy. Minn. Forestry Association. SOUTH DAKOTA FORESTRY. 4 J.C. JONES, WATERTOWN, S. D. I had looked forward with a great deal of pleasure to the 1893 meeting of the Minnesota Horticultural Society, especially such sessions as might be devoted to forestry. I had fully intended being present, but matters beyond setting aside prevent... ~ I desire to say at the outset, that I am no scientist, am not posted in any way in forestry matters, but am an enthusiast and yield to no human being in my love and appreciation of trees. During my residence in South Dakota of fourteen years Ihave seen and felt the necessity of groves and shelter belts. Thesecond year after com- ing tothe state (then a territory), 1 planted in the untamed soil a lot of box elders, cottonwoods and willows, likewise some small fruits. Be- fore I left the claim a miniature grove had sprung up—thanks to my watchful care, but one day a passing locomotive kindly fired the prairie, and my pretty little grove was destroyed. When I took up my residence in Sioux Falls, I planted out some trees around my first home with excellent success. Selling that home and buy- ing another, again my love for the beautiful dominated, and more trees were planted. Business interests calling me to Watertown, compelled me to.give up my Sioux Falls residence. History repeated itself and my MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. work was destroyed, the tenant using the grounds around the residence eee for pasturage purposes, the trees, of course, suffering. Ina fitofdespair . Beg the place was sold at a sacrifice. / But it is during the last year or two that I have become an enthu- siast, rivalling in my enthusiasm even that of the crusaders. They hada - ~ purpose, so have I. It is toaid both by voice and pen to the best of my < ability the planting of trees on our bleak prairies. Here in Watertown, with at present only limited ground-room, I have planted trees and shrubs in goodly number. While knowing nothing scientific, fair success at- tends my efforts. The trees are watched;if a worm makes its appear- ance, it is quickly ushered out of existence; if there isanything I don’tun- — derstand, I write and find out if a possible thing. Of course, watchful care is given everything growing under my supervision and habits studied as time a affords. Mr. J. O. Barrett, the secretary of Minnesota Forestry Association, is responsible-to a large extent for the zeal I display in forestry matters. ae Almost the first thing lask a new farmer acquaintance is, ‘Have you any trees on your farm?” If he says ‘‘no,” my heart sinks. He is urged to plant. If no interest is shown by him, if he is careless or says, “I don’t _ care for trees, they are too much trouble and cost more than they j are worth,” or if he says, ‘‘I have planted trees but they won’t grow,” I : feel ugly and ask myself, ‘‘why is it that such are allowed toshare in the benefits this prairie affords?” I can’t believe this state of ours was intend- ed to be left treeless. In my opinion it was the intention of the great Gardener that we should make of ita wonderland, which we can with per- severance, intelligence and energy. The soil is here, subdue it we must; but thousands of acres in prime condition for tree planting are yearly 3 plowed by men too stingy or too lazy to indulge in the pleasures of mak- 4 ing a home in the truest sense of the term. Winds sweep across our a prairies, in the summer hot and blighting at times, in the winter they p chill one to the marrow. It isin our power to say to the winds (except ; when they come in their resistless fury, which is rare indeed), ‘‘peace, be still.” Groves and shelter belts will do the work. Trees planted as they should be in sufficient numbers will give our state a new and improved appear- ance and will put wealth into the pockets of their owners. Our state can be made beautiful beyond the power of pen to describe or brush portray. 4 Suppose each brook or creek was bordered with trees, would not the BS) waters sing more merrily? Would not their laughter be sweeter for it? 9 As the waters of the creeks joyously rush to form more noble streams, would it not be an inspiration for usto do more? Let the careless dweller a in South Dakota picture to himseif the rivers of our state, skirted with . generous plantings of timber, forming ribbons of silver as they find 3 their way into the fickle Missouri. Take our lakes, surround them a with timber; what a change there would be, each lake a jewel beyond $e price in settings of choicest emerald; the waters flashing back to the @ caressing sun their thankfulness, would well repay any efforts expended. . Trees would help our streams—of that we are certain—and shelter us from tea the winds, with equal certainty. We are told forests are great protections against hail storms. There are other benefits, also. There have been many failures among tree planters in our state, and I am inclined to believe it is toacertain extent because we have not a planted the right sorts. The Russian poplar and willows are highly ‘y Ae % cr : ? rap ee sn em -' FORESTRY. _ spoken of; cottonwoods seem to die, perhaps from an unsatisfied, inor- dinate thirst; box elder and soft maple are not, in my opinion, just __ * what we want for shelter belts. But Iam not going to attempt to give any advice, that must be left for wiser if not older heads. In closing -—- my rather uninteresting paper, permit me to say that I hope the work of Ke the Minnesota Horticultural Society and the Minnesota Forestry Associ- ation will be pushed, and that through them we of South Dakota may / _ gain large chunks of wisdom, and have our souls filled with a longing for and a determination to secure a fair proportion of what we so much need es a. trees. me THE GERMAN SYSTEM OF FORESTRY. aa ao E. MEYER, ST. PETER, MINN. ae x. I am very sorry that my health prevents mefrom traveling in the win- s ; ter, and, therefore, cannot be with you at your interesting meeting, but I 7 if cannot let it pass without saying a few words to help and encourage our cause. I was once, many years ago, a forester in a country where forestry is a science, where schools and colleges are established for the special pur- — pose of educating young men in the science of forestry and all the natural _ sciences pertaining to it; where these students have to pass severe examin- ations before they can be entrusted with the care and management of a forest. If any one of the members of this association has traveled in Ger many, and not merely gone there to see the big cities but visited the’ country, he must have noticed the fine forests scattered all over the coun- ' try in every part of the empire,which, by the care and will of the forester, f have been in many instances brought to a point of perfection. The mag- nificent beech forests there are an ornament to the empire, and cannot be found to such an extent in any other country. If you go among these beautiful trees with their white smooth bark, you will find the ground ° as cleanas a floor. There are no underbrush, weeds or grass to be found, neither dry sticks, the cleaning of the trees being always picked up by the - poorer class of people and carried to their homes. _ Germany has been very fortunate, more so than any other country in Europe, in having preserved a large part of the original forests which covered the whole country at the time of the first settlements by the Ger- man tribes. dating back several centuries before Christ. In regard to this __. timber there has always been the idea more or less prevailing among the _ German people that, having received these forests from their forefathers, they had no right to appropriate the same for selfish purposes, to waste or _ destroy them for one cause or another, but that this inheritance was to be considered a capital, the same as a loan of money of which they might use the interest but were in duty bound to hand over the principal in the same or better condition to their next generation; and, in this way, many forests have through hundreds of years descended to the present genera- “na tion. What I.mean by the interest which a forest yields, is the yearly growth, demonstrated in the number of cubic feet, which amount, ina regulated forest where within the lines of each piece of timber the trees are all of one age, can easily be ascertained by an educated forester; said amount serving considerably asa guide in his forest operations. saat ¢ "a en i eo tan » Y : seg’ Sie, : i : ‘ ‘ 08 , 158 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. _ I just happen to remember an incident of history told about one of their great emperors of the middle age, Frederic Barbarossa; or ‘‘ Blue Beard,’ who went to Italy on a war expedition. After an absence of three years, "_ finding on his return a large forest rubbed out and turned into farming land, and in a locality where, according to his judgment, the timber should have remained for the general benefit of the people, he became very much enraged, punished severely the perpetrators, who were persons of high-rank, and ordered the forests to be replanted, which can be found there to day. This occurred in the year 1150, A. D. And now in the 19th century, after many hundred years of progress in civilization, science and increase of general knowledge, I ask, what are we doing with our forests in this glorious country, where we are told in every 4th of July speech, that it is the best government in the world? Supposing the old Emperor ‘‘Blue Beard” should come back here now. In imagination we will let him rule over us in his despotic way. Looking . after his new empire we see him coming up here to inspect the famous pine forests of Minnesota, taking the road that leads through the pin- eries to the great city of Duluth. Looking out on both sides of the road © for the beautiful trees that never appear, and then discovering nothing but pine stumps, burnt poles and poplar brush, would not there be a terrible reckoning up with the parties that are responsible for this frivol- ous and unpardonable treatment of our forests? I passed over that coun- try myself some time ago, and must say that I was ashamed to live under a government that would allow such an outrageous work to go on. There are millions in this country who never think of or pay any at- tention to this all-important subject of forestry. A question was put to me yesterday in conversation with a man of high education: ‘‘Why in common sense,” he asked, ‘‘do not the people or their rulers break up those millions of acres of woodland, and make farms there on which they can raise wheat, corn and potatoes to feed the poor, instead of letting them lie wild as dead property, bringing in nothing, just for some rich man to enjoy the pleasure of hunting?”, and he added, ‘I cannot help thinking that the people there are ignorant and foolish to allow those lands to remain unoccupied,” Such silly remarks coming from a promin- ent business man,above the average man in education, are very discourag- ing to our noble effort. As just such kind of men compose our legisla- ture, L can see the difficulties before us. With the hope that we will win at last and have a forest reserve Germanized in management, and my best wishes for all the members of our association, I remain, yours truly. ADDRESS ON FORESTRY. PROF. B. E. FERNOW, CHIEF OF FORESTRY, WASHINGTON, D. C, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen:—I believe it was Miss Frances E. Willard, the celebrated temperance orator, who was once twitted upon her efforts, that they did not seem to lead to any results. But she coolly answered that she was in the same condition as the farmer working the churn—it was necessary to agitate and agitate, and finally the butter would come. (Laughter.) And so we are here again to churn and agitate in the hope of producing some butter. I confess Iam afraid we have been agitating a long time without having succeeded in producing much in sd o “a? — < ~ 2 4. +2 Vere Ey IS 7 2oe ag Ce aS v, See le Ss: eee Loe a ins ty seca eeaaetian £ i v ’ % FORESTRY. ; 159 in forestry reform, and I propose to-night to open up the tub and look into it, and see what the condition of the cream may be, if there is any --eream. Perhaps there is only milk in it, and all our churning will come — to nothing, but we want at least to see what hopes there are of getting butter. One objection I have to turning the crank any longer is that we do not seem to get at those men who ought to be made to turn the crank, namely, the lumbermen. At all the meetings at which I am usually called upon to talk upon this subject they are absent, these very men -_ who ought to be most interested in this subject, and who ought to be put into the tub and churned or placed at the crank to do the churning. (Laughter and applause.) ~ Perhaps, it would be more appropriate in speaking before a horticul- tural society to choose as a subject some phase of forestry that has more connection with horticultural pursuits, but I choose in preference another phase of the forestry movement which I believe at the present time to be of very much more importance than the one in which your society has been so successfully engaged, since Mr. Leonard B. Hodges gave life to the question of timber-planting in Minnesota and pushed it with so much ; zeal. This other question concerns the existing forest resources and a proper policy regarding them, which can be instituted only through asso- ciated effort. < % I address you, therefore, not as horticulturists, but rather as associated ee citizens, as a society which has an interest not only in horticultural pur- ay __ suits and the raising of fruit trees and fruits, but also in the advance- ment and development of all cultural conditions—and one of those cul-_ tural conditions is a properly managed forest area—a society which may be active in bringing about reform in the care and utilization of forest resources and forest conditions. I wish to call your attention to my use of the amie forest conditions and forest resources. They are not used for oratorical effect. but for a distinct and very significant purpose. As far as the forest produces ma- terial it is a forest resource, but the forest is also a condition of the soil a Be: which exerts peculiar influences upon our climatic and other cultural con- i ditions. Both forest resource and forest conditions are most important Be. and essential features of our civilization; both are endangered on account of the carelessness, ignoranceand greed of men, and to change the attitude ; of our people towards these two factors of our prosperity is the object of _ the so-called forestry movement. So far the forestry reformers have not _._ been very successful. a The policy that existed ten years ago, when the American Forestry Congress was first called to order in* 1882, was to slash ___ the virgin timber, to allow fires to destroy. what was left, to let the denuded areas grow up to useless brush, and to turn them into waste barrens without any regard as to what the future would make of the land, = or what would be the future of our lumber industry. The lumbermen of eo to-day are doing the sime thing that they did ten years ago; there is no change noticeable in their methods. Now and then at the mill there is some regard paid to getting more lumber out of the logs, but taking it ail over the country the methods of lumbering and the methods of treating the forest areas after they are logged remain the same as they were ten years ago, with but very little, if any, change. » 160 MINNESOTA STATE ‘HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘ject. They are indignant at seeing the havoc and destruction that is ‘denounce the lumbermen, instead of suggesting to them practical methods is ak aa What is the reason that we have made so little progress in our attempts at reform? Why should this important subject not ~~ have found more attention, and why is there not more effort in bringing it to an issue? There are many reasons for it. The first reason is that the men who are engaged in bringing about this reform have been and often stillare at fault. There are many of them who are simply enthusiasts without sufficient practical knowledge of the sub-_ wrought by improper practices of the lumbermen, and all they do is to of overcoming the difficulty. Now these friends ought to understand that the lumbermen are not alone to blame and that their case has some reason- able background. These same enthusiasts have talked about forest in- fluence on climate and waterflow ina loose way. As to the existence of that influence there can be no doubt, but as to exactly how far that influence is felt and in what directions it is all powerful, there are a great many varying opinions, all based upon good reasons. Therefore, we must not generalize on this matter too fast. Whenever there was a flooding of the country, our enthusiasts urged that the destruction of the forests is the cause. That is not necessarily so. Very likely, nay, assuredly, there is some such influence upon waterflow exerted by the forest areas, which tends to lessen the dangers of fluods, but there are many floods that would occur, forest or no forest. So I say our forestry friends are to be blamed somewhat for represent- Ss ing things not in their true light, and for not addressing themselves to u 7 those men who ought to be most interested in the subject, the lumber- : men, with arguments and demonstrations of the advantage to be derived from changed methods, Forestry statistics are among the most difficult to get, as ev ae lumber- man who has timber-lookers under him very well knows. Even the tim- ber-looker, who makes it his business to go out and determine how much wood there is per acre, will often make a mistake of fifty to one hundred Re per cent one way or the other. If that is'the case when referring to small areas, how much more difficult is it to get an answer to a question as to the forest resources of the United States, as to the supply compared with ¥ the consumption. The lumbermen say we have more timber than we aK need, that our timber resources are inexhaustible; that is, they used to Say it. There are a good many lumbermen now who will agree with me, fe that, as far as the supply of one kind of lumber at least is concerned, the white pine, we begin to see the end. Not necessarily within ten or twenty-five years, because that depends upon many contingencies which nobody can feretell—the substitution of other woods for white pine, and therefore less consumption; the substitution of iron, which will lessen the consumption, etc. But comparing our present consumption of white pine with the areas we have, it will be but a few years comparatively before we reach the end. * Some of you perhaps do not know that it takes from one hundred 3 to two hundred years to grow those fine trees which we cut every day; in fact, we are cutting mostly trees that are older. In the South any pine that is below two hundred years of age was until lately not con- sidered worth bringing to the saw-mill; it was not worth the cutting. FORESTRY. Speaking of our total supply and demand of forest material, as near as I can figure it the situation in regard to the lumber supply is about this: The amount of wood of all sorts and shapes, for lumber in the arts and buildings, railroad building, fence material, for fuel—which is the largest requirement for wood in the United States, curious as it may appear to those who use coal—amounts to from twenty to twenty-five billion cubic feet per year. It is an almost inconceivable quantity, and it is almost ten times as much as any other nation uses. Our whole civiliza- tion, in fact, rests upon our lumber, and, therefore, it is an important subject to look after. In addition, we burn up wantonly many million cubic feet in our yearly conflagrations. According to a canvass which J made several years ago, we have a forest area of less-than five hundred million acres. Now, we know from the experience of other nations, and especially Germany and France, how much wood can be grown per acre per year under good man- agement. These nations treat their woodlands like a crop: as you know how many bushels of oats per acre you can grow, or of wheat or of corn, or at least a certain range within which your crops move, so they know what their wood crop is likely to be under given conditions. We know from them that fifty cubic feet per acre per year is a good average crop of wood over a large country and if we apply this figure to the acreage of the United States we find that we are now using just twice as much wood material as can possibly grow on the acreage we have under wood. Weare now, to be sure, using the wood that has grown up for centuries before— our surplus, our capital—but we use twice as much as our interest, our - yearly growth. Thatis the position we are in regarding our forest resources. Regarding our forest conditions, I think those of you who have travelled will bear me out in the statement that in many parts of the country, along all the railroads almost, they are in a deplorable condition. Whole mountain sides are being burned over in the West. They do not count fires there by acres but by square miles, and a thousand square miles, more or less, a year is a matter about which nobody has much con- cern I tried to ascertain the loss by fires the last year, a very unsatis- factory piece of statistical work,and found that the small percentage of which reports could be obtained represented a loss of at least twenty- five million dollars during that period. The presumption is that these figures may be easily doubled in actual value of timber. To this we must add the loss—in prospective value—which the destruction by forest fires always brings with it. It is very difficult to ascertain-such facts as we need to present, and we must refer to this difficulty as an excuse for the failure of our forestry friends, who are forced to make general state- ments which they cannot bear out by specific facts. Another difficulty they meet is one that all educational effort brings with it. You know how long it takes to get an education. While it is difficult to get an education for our children and ourselves, it is much more difficult to educate a nation. Now, as a nation we have been edu- cated to wastefulness. Our pioneer life here, the hewing out of our civiliza- tion from the woods, has created a feeling that timber is an obstruction, is not worth anything only to be removed, no matter what the conse- quence is. To eradicate this sentiment, which is quite natural, and to inculcate a new spirit, which will teach our people to look upon our Lith 162 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. forest resources just as we look upon our agricultural resources, as some- thing that ought to be kept in good producing condition, takes time: To be sure, there has been some progress made in the sentiment of the people, and it is growing; there are more people interested in the subject to-day than ever, who see that there ought to be something done incon- servative use of our forest resource and in care of our forest conditions. Another difficulty in our path is that, on one side we have personal in- terests, the personal pocket interest of the lumbermen, and on the other side we have only the community interests, the ones which seem always to lag a little behind, Selfish interests find ready means to accomplish their end, while communal interests suffer. We will have to struggle in that direction and endeavor to establish a more general interest in communi- ties regarding the conditions that surround them. The people of this state should look around them and see what this policy of neglect leads to. You Minnesotans should look over the coun- try between Brainerd and Gull Lake, and see‘what the result is of the methods that are now being pursued in your states, in the use of the for- est cover. You should see what becomes of the country that is denuded in the manner in which it is now done, and then you will wake up to your. citizen’s duty and consider what can be done to prevent a large area of your commonwealth from being converted into the same uncivilized, use- less condition. Now I come to the main difficulty in forestry reform, which is one we can hardly control, and which lies in the peculiar economic conditions under which we live. We have an enormous country with enormous re- sources, with three times as much land to raise crops as any of the European nations. I wonder whether you have ever realized that the difference social, political and economical between Europe and the United States, resolves itself into a difference of density of population? While each one of us has fifteen acres in cultivation to draw upon, in Germany there are but two and two-thirds acres of field and forest and brush and waste land, all told, to one person. That is tosay, we haveseven times as much to draw from as the Germans have, with plenty to spare whep we need it. Our population is very scanty, comparatively speak- ing, and this is one reason why it is so difficult for us to progress in our forestry reform. The population is not dense enough to make a close utilization of the wood material possible, or its necessity apparent; it is not dense enough to render protection against the spread of fire readily attainable and in the absence of a dense and evenly distributed popula- tion virgin timber lands are opened to markets in regions where even the men to cut the timber have to be brought from a distance. The tran- sportation to market costs so much that it pays only to take the best tim- ber, necessitating the wasteful manner of using the forest, and after the cream is taken the balance is left without any attention to the future of the property, there being still large areas of virgin land left to draw from. This policy the lumbermen in many regions are bound to follow for the reason that, like other men, they carry on their business for their profit. Now, the question is whether they can change their method and yet make the business profitable; whether they can spend money on superintendents who can direct more rational cutting; whether they can afford to spend money on keeping out fires and taking care of the ‘ ist ial “ oe FORESTRY. 163 property after they have culled the timber. In many instances it is very questionable whether that could be done. Of course, these men want the dollar and they want it now. They do not care for the dollar a hundred years hence, and, as I have stated before, it will take a hundred years to grow a white pine tree that will be tit for lumber. Therefore, the man who now begins to plant and preserve white pine will have to wait for his money return a hundred years. That is not a matter of interest to the lumbermen, but it is a matter of interest to the community, forthe community has an interest in the future condition of our forest areas. While it may not be expected from the lumbermen that they will curtail their present profits for the benefit of the future community, we canin some degree makecommon cause. Perhaps, we can help the lumbermen to make their business more profitable and at the Same time guard the interests of the community in forest conditions: and thisis a point that I want you as an association especially to take to. heart—that it is for you to interest the lumbermen of your state in this subject. They are the owners mostly of this forest property and have the right to do with it what they please, as far as its utilization goes, yet you as citizens have an interest in seeing that their mismanagement does not reflect disastrously upon other conditions, and you ought to interefere, but ai only indirectly, by making it possible for the lumbermen to transact their : ___ business better, and also by showing them how they can do it as profitably ia while doing it better. E Now, the greatest trouble we have arises from forest fires. Until : Stage s er aa ae r . roe | Stage we can get rid of this scourge, there is no use of talking of better © ‘ methods of lumbering. You may carry on lumbering operations as carefully as you please, yet when fire gets into the camp again and is not checked, it is bound sooner or later to make a wasteof the forest, preventing useful reproduction. “Therefore, the first care we should take is to find means to prevent the spread of fires. As I stated, the loss by fire of logged timber and other property—valuable property—amounts to be- tween twenty-five and fifty million dollars per year Is it not worth while a, to spend a few million dollars to prevent this annual loss? I believe it would be. Now the question has been often discussed and everybody has _ agreed that this is a thing that ought to be done. Can it be done? We have the example of the stateof Maine and the province of Ontario, of successful beginnings in this direction. The Maine law was enacted in 1891 and has been in operation for one year very satisfactorily. The fire com- missioner now reports the results and also the necessary amendments to the law. There is one feature that is most necessary in fire legislation, ---—s hamely, to provide the machinery for the enforcement of the law. We ____— have more laws on the statute book that are not obeyed than we have laws that are in force. This was, at least to some extent, recognized in the Maine law, and a responsible officer, whose duty it is to organize a service and enforce the regulations of the law, is one of its best features. In addition to that law of the state of Maine, we might take a lesson from the Canadians in the province of Ontario. Upon the advice of the American Forestry Associa- tion some years ago, while holding a session in Montreal, they enacted a _ fire law by which the government employed fire patrols during the dan- gerous Season, the men béing recommended for the position by the lum- bermen, the lumbermen paying one-half of the expense and the govern- (it SC ie i Re ah SR fii ai ic \ 164 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ment the other half. This plan, 1am informed, has worked admirably for the last two or three years, and the lumbermen have urged the govern- ment to increase the number of fire patrols. This is a feature which you should also include in your forestry laws. If you can devise practicable and effective forest fire legislation you will have the lumbermen on your e side. That is the beginning of forestry—to stop destruction, and not to y stop lumber cutting. If nothing more were done than to stop the un- a necessary waste, it would be sufficient for the present. Now I wish to speak about the general government. I think, of all the foolish, unbusiness-like methods in which our government abounds, there are none that will compare with the management of the public timber land. These lands represented one of the most valuable of public properties, but 4 they have dwindled away until now there is only asmall partleft, and this : part is being robbed right and left; and the government has never had any ae .equivalent for the value destroyed. 'Thisis your timber land and you are i Q the owners that are being robbed by lack of proper legislation. To get “ rid of the timber, to let it be stolen or be burned up, has been the policy. Within the last two years we have been successful—and that is, perhaps, “ey the only success that tie forestry people can boast of—in changing this f° , policy, by the introduction of a clause ina bad law—this clause is the good part—allowing the president to reserve public timber-lands for forest res- a ervations whenever he sees fit. This law will stand in the history of the — United States as one of the wisest laws ever made regarding economic legislation. Most of the forest property of the United States lies west of the Rocky Mountains, where in order to carry on agriculture it is necessary to have irrigating ditches, and the people there have begun to wake up to the fact that the forest is a storehouse for water that is better than any arti- ficial one they can construct. Therefore, this law was enacted, in addition to all other irrigation laws, to help the farming interests of the West. Under this law, the president has made now some thirteen reservations 3 in various parts of the country,comprising all together some eleven million acres of land. In addition to that, there are various national parks, as you know, and to those there have been others added. In addition to that, you have now in this state a donation of forty thousand acres to the i state of Minnesota by the United States, the Itasca Park, which was 4 ceded to you for park purposes. ; * Now, I want to have you keep in mind that these parks are not what the Forestry Association is after. These parks are not the same thing as the forest reservations we are asking for. They are something entirely : different, and the people in Minnesota have been mixing up these two van things, greatly to the detriment of both. A park is set aside for the ; purpose of preserving the scenery and the natural objects of interest, ny the game and fish and other things, for the recreation of tourists or visitors, or for health-giving conditions or purposes of similar nature. The forest reservations have an entire different object in view. They are to be made for the purpose of utilizing the timber and any other c resources in the same in a rational manner, instead of the irrational use to which these lands at present are subjected. If it were only known to the people in your state, that when we ask in Minnesota for a reserve of five million acres in the northern part of the-state for forest purposes 165. FORESTRY. itis not the intention to withdraw this land from use, but, on the con- trary, it is to insure and regulate its rational use, I am sure that the request would be favored by all well-disposed citizens. The object of these reservations is to devote such land as is fit only for timber growth to timber growth, and whatever land is fitted for agriculture is to be open for agricultural use. The minerals that are on such reservations are to be mined under regulations, and the timber is to be cut under’ regulations, such as have been embodied in _ the bill known as the Paddock Bill, introduced in the Senate, in which the methods and management for these reserves are outlined. Under this bill a settler by paying a nominal license fee can supply himself with the timber he wants, and a prospector by paying a nominal fee can supply his wants underregulations. A lumberman can supply himself with the stumpage, not in the illegal way in which it is now done, but ina perfectly straightforward, legal manner; not in a small way either, be- cause it permits him to enter the stumpage of twenty-five sections of land, that will make it worth his while to put up a sawmill, by paying a small license and stumpage fee, such as may be determined upon by bids in open market or otherwise. With such a beginning the gradual devel- opment of proper, more refined forestry management would be assured. These then are the two directions in which associated effort is needed by those who recognize the necessity of a change in our forest policy: First.—For the states to secure reasonable protection of forest property against destruction by fire. Secondly.—For the general government to establish the policy of reserving all remaining public timber lands and- placing them under proper administration. Let the churning be done, the butter must come finally! DISCUSSION ON PROF. FERNOW’S ADDRESS. ; Mr. C. L. Smith: I think that what Prof. Fernow has said should prove of great value to us here. We who have had to do with this matter have always come across a snag before we got very far, and it has been one we could not get around. When we tried to pass certain legislation in the interests of the people of this state we were opposed by many who supposed they ought to be opposed to any legislation in this direction, and they were backed up by a personal interest with plenty of money. Fourteen years ago a law was passed in this state against the setting of fires, providing penalties for so doing, providing for the appointment and salary of an officer to execute that law. That salary has been paid for the last four teen years, and the man who drew it has been a clerk in the State Auditor’s office. There has never been a man punished under that law in the state of Minnesota. Now, what we need is education. We have made some progress during the last two years, and there is a greater interest taken in this matter now than there was in the past. 166 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. As the professor said, our lumbermen are not with us to- night. These men, many of them, have grown rich off of these lands, and have their millions to spend, if they wish, for philanthropic purposes, yet they are not here to-night to take any part in this movement, or to help to restore to the general public a part, at least, of what has been taken from the general public. The lesson has been learned by experience in other localities, and some of us have learned it here, but the general public still seem to misunderstand these matters. We need to discriminate between the ‘‘Na- tional Park’ and the ‘‘National Forest Reserve.” Now, I have looked up this Maine law, and I think it is a good-one. One of the best provisions of it is that it provides for the salary of a fire guard, and provides for the punishment of that fire guard if he neglects to do his duty. We have suffered terribly from fire in this state. Millions of our pine trees have been destroyed ina single’night. I believe that the destruction of timber from forest fires in Minnesota every year amounts to more than all the timber cut by the lumbermen, and I believe that a one-hundredth part of the cash value of the timber de- stroyed by fire in Minnesota every year, if properly expended in fire protection, would save that timber. If we can convince a few of the leading lumbermen that there are a few dollars to be saved by doing that, then I think we shall accomplish our purpose. Secretary Barrett: I always like to hear Mr. Smith talk, as he talks right to the point and hits the nail upon the head. I fear, however, that the idea might have been conveyed by the general tenor of his remarks that the lumbermen did not care anything particularly about forest fires. I do not suppose Mr. Smith means that. I have had occasion to talk with a large number of lumbermen, and also with cruisers who go out over the country to ascertain the best places for lumbering, and so on, and I have found that to a man they are deeply interested in the suppression and prevention of forest fires, if it is possible to suppress them. They do not see the practicability of the thing, however, and they do not understand how it can be done. Now, the general impression seems to be, that the lumbermen are responsible for the forest fires. This isnot the case. There are more fires spread by the hunters and poachers than by any other class in the woods. VST ISM UOT ee ihe TRueen AT RA es ta ee MSS ORATOR TOA RMT RNR NER PTI Na GP AEE Nee MANE PROP Se BI AN Regt We FORESTRY. 167 The sparks from the railroad trains sometimes do set fire to the woodlands. In conversation with some of the lead- ing directors and managers of different railway companies, +I learned that it is the rule with our railroad companies in Minnesota to have the fire arresters---the machinery that arrests the fires—always ready so as to forestall as much as possible the fires in the woodlands. They also use coal, and I learned that they used it largely because it was less liable to set fire to the forests. Shs Well, when I spoke with these different lumbermen, they listened to my views of the situation, and when I” told them what could be done, they seemed to be : surprised. They were not aware that any such a move- mént was on foot. The competition is so severe that they are obliged to calculate very finely, and they have not any time to consider this question. In the meantime, our forests are going with incalculable rapidity, as Prof. Fernow has - . shown. I think our hope is that we shall be able to enlist the | lumbermen on our side. I think, still further, that the lumber. men will work heart and soul for anything that they think is practicable in this direction. I know by experience that they are all good fellows, courteous and wide awake, and interested in public affairs and improvements, and I believe that if we ex- hibit the spirit that now animates the friends of forestry, that from the start we will win the co-operation of the lumbermen. (Applause.) Our representative in the farmers’ institute is _ present, and he teaches forestry. I hope he will say a word or oe Gwo. Mr. William Somerville: I do not wish to do too much talking, but this is something Iam much interested in. Wherever I lecture upon horticulture, [have forestry as one of my topics. I want to make this an individual enterprise, believing we can spread it through the country quicker that way than any other. When I came to Minnesota there was not wood enough Z in the township I lived in to get dinner for the people who are now in the town a-half-dozen times. We went to work and kept the fire out, and we have now a thousand cords of wood 4 where there was not an armload thirteen years ago. (Applause. ) " Fe ae © aga pe ~—*- Ott: de I want to get the people of this state to set out evergreens. I mean our evergreen trees. I was the first one to set out evergreens f in that part of the country, and I have kept an evergreen i nursery, and make a business of almost giving them away to ‘the people, so there is scarcely a farm in the neighborhood i iy vee ota Or Skeet Sy ae af. Mops aeray hee ) 168 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. _ that has not a pretty good windbreak. Now, in my lectures, ‘I tell the people how to grow them, so they will have a pro- tection for their stock and buildings and beautify their homes. , I do not wish to occupy your time, and will therefore say no A S more on the subject. - ae Mr. Smith: I think it would be proper that we should return Be to Prof. Fernow the thanks of the Minnesota State Horticul- wid tural Society and the State Forestry Association, for his able : : address delivered to us this evening. I make that as a motion. Motion carried unanmiously. Mr. Alfred Terry: Ido not believe it ought to appear upon | the records of the society that evergreens are the only trees , to be planted in the state, and not have anything said about or the incalculable value of the deciduous trees. . - Mr. Somerville: I did not mean that you should think for a single moment I was opposed to those trees. However, we prefer the evergreen for its beauty and ornamental purposes, | and one of them will give more shade and break the wind better than half a dozen common trees, as Mr. Harris knows. Prof. Fernow: I certainly did not wish to be considered as discouraging anybody's tree planting, but I would discourage the planting of too many trees, because they are a discourage- ment in the end. I want to encourage the planting of ever- green trees on the prairies, for the reason that no other trees will stand the climatic changes as well as the evergreens. They are the most difficult to start, but when started they are started forever, while your deciduous trees will die of summer or winter drouths in these western countries, when they are ten or twelve or fifteen years old. President Underwood: Professor, what deciduous trees will stand the drouth the best?. Prof. Fernow: I have a fund from the Prussian govern- ment for the purpose of securing them some American trees. They asked me to suggest what they might experiment with that they did not already have, and I proposed the green ash and the bull pine for drouthy situations. -They replied they had tried both and could not use either. (Laughter.) You are well aware that the green ash is the only tree that will stand the dry condition that exists here. The bull pine grows in the very driest situations we can imagine, next to the cedar, but in Germany it would not do. It is very difficult to speak of such thing in a general way. I believe the most profitable _ water. i ‘ ay NTE ee Aug ss SNA ee Ne he ey ee : Gis iain " ms iain * jue 44 Wed i ee oa heist WEN vie me pits , pS Ce an Liat dha ) shal: ei} vee LER A ioe , he. r MA fet f. : \ ae FORESTRY. 169 of the deciduous trees to grow is the locust. The black locust seems to have succeeded in more exposed places than any I - have seen. Mr. Smith: Generally the black locust has failed through- out the state. Prof. Fernow: Well, that is why I said it was difficult to make a general statement. There are certain things not yet understood, and one of them is the acclimation of trees. Mr. Smith: My observation in traveling over the country has been that the box elder has stood where everything else has failed. I sent four’ hundred letters to correspondents in this state and Dakota, and I received back three hundred and sixteen answers, two hundred and forty of them giving the box elder as the tree that had done the best with them. Mr. Somerville: Iwill tell you my experience with Mr. Hodges in 18738, 1874 and 1875. I was with him when he was setting out timber for the Northern Pacific railroad. He set over half a million evergreens of different kinds. We set out the Norway spruce, the white spruce, arbor vitae, Scotch pine —about equal numbers.of each kind. They were all cultivated and all set about the same time and in the same manner. Two years ago this summer I was out to Willmar, Benson, Morris, Kandiyohi, and along that line of road; I found that wherever we hadset a Scotch pine, it is there yet and is a fine tree, and wherever we set a Norway spruce, itis gone. There areavery few of the arbor vitae, but our Scotch pine appears to be all right and in as good shape as when we set them. That proves to me conclusively that the Scotch pine will stand more drouth than any other evergreen we have, and will live where almost any of the deciduous trees will starve to death for want of Mr. O. F. Brand: Did you plant the European larch? Mr. Somerville: Yes, and a good many of them have lived and done very well, likewise. I helped to plant those groves around Willmar, Morris, Benson, and through there. Iwas with Mr. Hodges during all of that time. President Underwood; Do you know anything about the Balm of Gilead tree? . Mr. Somerville: We set out some of those, but they did not do. We also planted groves of oak timber, of jack oak, and ' white and bur oak, and those groves grew up, and are fine trees to-day. Some of them are large enough for fence posts. Judge Moyer: How about the white spruce? ‘ re 170 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. oy i, Mr. Somerville: Some of them are living. They do better i than the Norway, but none are as good as the Scotch pine. I Di have some of the jack pine at home, but have never tried them ( away from my farm. I think they are about the same as the “s Scotch pine. 8 Prof. Fernow: Iwas going to speak of the jack pine as a ua native. I have not recommended the Scotch pine, because it is | a foreigner. ; Mr. Barrett: Would you recommend the jack pine for a windbreak in this latitude? Prof. Fernow: I have given hardly any thought to this tree in connection with windbreaks. In fact, I do not consider windbreaks exactly in the realm of forestry. I thinkI should prefer a spruce, because of its lower branches. Judge Moyer: I would like to ask Mr. Somerville if many of those spruce trees he planted on that line of railroad were not black spruce? Mr. Somerville: I do not think we got any black spruce. The dry weather was too much for the spruces generally. Of ’ course, I would not set out a Scotch pine where I could geta white spruce to grow, because the white spruce will retain its foliage to the ground, while the Scotch pine will shed its under limbs as it grows, and you have a tree only at the top. Mr. Patten: Was the red pine tried in the experiment? Mr. Somerville: I don’t think it was. President Underwood: Is it not true that the Austrian pine generally sunburns so you cannot do anything with it? Mr. Harris: I do not think it has been tried enough to say that is the case. I do not think it is as hardy as the Scotch pine, because I have seen trees that sunburn in the winter. That is to say, the frost and sun in the winter hurt them. Mr. Wedge: I would like to ask Prof. Fernow about the variety of Scotch pine called the Riga. Prof. Fernow: That is simply the pine grownin Riga. It is exactly the same in every other respect. Judge Moyer: The only spruce that is doing anything in our part of the state, is the white spruce. The only pines that are growing there are the Scotch pine, pinus sylvestris and the dwarf mountain pine that came from the top of the Alps. That pine is doing first-rate in western Minnesota. Mr. Smith: Out in the dry mountains of Montana, I have seen the red cedar growing very thriftily. I had the privilege of stopping the other night with a farmer who had a grove of sop Ce ee er, : rs 7 . feo “ PRL ee ee FORESTRY. 171 ; red cedars around his house. The trees were pulled up along _ the banks of the Mississippi river fifteen years ago, varying -_ from fifteen inches to two feet in height. Oneof the trees that I saw was twenty-eight inches in diameter a foot from the ground, and thirty-two feet high. I measured it. I have some branches from that tree that will go to the World’s Fair. Those trees now make a solid wall almost as impervious to _ wind as a board fence. I would like to have Prof. Fernow say a word about the red cedar, so it can go into our reports. Prof. Fernow: It is the tree that has a wider distribution in the United States than most trees, growing all over the coun- try and even in both extremes. It hasa greater range than any other tree we have, except perhaps the box elder. If you want a tree that will stand anything and anywhere, take the red cedar. I would not recommend anybody, however, to plant the red cedar for economic purposes in-the North. It is the tree, however, for the Southwest and the South. You know the great value of the cedar tree is its timber, which can be © used for posts or pencils. Mr. Patten: I want to say a good word for our native red pine. I believe it will endure perfectly the extreme conditions of this climate, better than any other evergreen I can name. It is decidedly preferable to the Austrian pine. - rv MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. EVERGREENS. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON EVERGREENS. - CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. Until given this subject to write upon, it had never occurred to me how important were the uses of the class of trees commonly called evergreens. As I look over my own farm premises, I discover that if all that was furnished by evergreens were removed there would be little left but the nakedland. The dwelling, barns, sheds, yards, windmill and fence posts all came from the grand old pines and cedars of the North. Andif to this were added the needed and proper use of the living trees for windbreak and ornament, we may easily place them at the head of the list of valu- able trees. Nature has furnished boundless forests to our ready use for constructive purposes, but it is left for our effort to plant and nourish the banks of living green that should shelter and beautify our homes. A light and cheerful task to those who have learned the arts that do assist tree-nature, but to many a hard and doubtful one, ending in failure and disgust. Evergreens for shelter may be planted in groves or, as we prefer, in belts of double rows, with space between the belts of several rods to admit of air and light. If planted in groves, the lower limbs die in time for want of light and give opportunity for the wind to blow through underneath the tops; while, if planted in belts, the lower outside limbs will always receive light enough to maintain their life. If several belts are planted they should each be of a different variety. The Scotch pine being of a rapid growth and obtainable at the lowest price will make the quickest and cheapest windbreak, but it is inclined to become thin in the foliage of its lower branches. The white spruce is of slow growth but of unequalled density of foliage, especially in its lower branches, thus making it one of the best varieties to alternate with the belts of pine. In growing an evergreen shelter the greatest care should be used to give the young trees clean culture. With the exception of the red cedar, there is no tree that in its youth is more likely to succumb to weeds and especially blue grass, than the evergreen. On the other hand, there is no tree that responds more surely to intelligent care and clean culture. Planted with taste the evergreen is indispensable for ornamental plant- ing, but its use therefor has been generally abused. The answer made by Professor Budd at the Humboldt meeting, when called upon for his choice of the five best varieties for ornamental planting, was to this point: “Tf IT had to choose for planting, as evergreens are usually planted, directly in front of the house, I should choose just as few and just as dwarf varieties as possible.” The habit of making the front yard the catch-all of every tree and bush that comes to hand is simply abominable, RS al RE a Ne PS = ee ee EVERGREENS. ie 178 and the evergreen is the very last tree that should be set there. Asa background and screen and asgroups and specimens, flanking the dwelling on either side, they should be planted in variety. The Scotch and red pine and red cedar, with their sombre shades, in the background; the white pine, white spruce and arbor vit, as broken groups, come next, and in front of all the sparkling gem of the mountains, the Colorado silver spruce in solitary magnificence. This latter tree is doubtless peculiarly adapted to our Minnesota climate in the most exposed situations and dryest seasons, and no one who has once feasted his eyes upon its peerless beauty will be satisfied until he is the proud possessor of one of the true blood. Care is necessary in planting this variety that the trees have been grown from seed secured from the eastern slope of the Rockies, as those from the western slope will be tender in our state. In ornamental planting it is a problem how to give the trees such care as will secure their thrift. Unlike the shelter belt, a horse cultivator is out of the question. In order to avoid making tou many breaks in the lawn, it has been our practice to plant mostly in groups of from three to six trees, and treat the ground occupied by the group as a little garden patch, allowing no grass within four feet of the trees. ' In the greater portion of the state the need of keeping the ever-encroaching _ blue grass away from our trees is a matter of prime importance; neglect of this largely explains the difference between the bright green of the nursery tree and the sickly brown of the lawn tree. DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. REPORT OF COMMITTEE. LYCURGUS R. MOYER, MONTEVIDEO. The ranteenie is a list of trees and shrubs that will succeed for timber and ornamental planting in western Minnesota: NATIVES. Bur Oak. . Green Ash. White Elm. Red Elm. Rock Elm, or Cork Elm. White, or Silver Maple. Basswood. - Hackberry. Cottonwood. Balsam Poplar. American Aspen. Ironwood. Wild Red Cherry. Sweet Viburnum. Common Elder. Juneberry. Cornel. Wild Black Currant. Wild Grape. Burning Bush. Moodseed. Wolfberry. Choke Cherry. Red-berried Elder. Minnesota Honeysuckle. Wild Thorn. Missouri Gooseberry. Sumac. Virginia Creeper. Climbing Bittersweet. Virgin’s Bower. Green Brier. The following is a list of trees not native to western Minnesota, that promise to do well on the prairies: White Willow. Laurel-leaf Willow. Populus Certinensis. Pyramid Poplar. Mountain Ash. White Lilac. Persian Lilac. Bush Honeysuckle (several species). Mock Orange. Pea Tree (several species). Barberry (several species). Snowball. Red Willow. Rosemary-leaf Willow. Laurel-leaf Poplar. Cut-leaf Birch. Purple Lilac. Chas X Lilac. Japanese Tree Lilac. Kentucky Coffee Tree. Ninebark. Buffalo Berry. Clematis Jackmanii. Rosa Rugosa. EV ERGREENS. Native Juniper. Colorado Blue Spruce. Arbor Vitae. White Spruce. Balsam Fir. Dwarf Mountain Pine. DISCUSSION. President Underwood: about the aspen poplar. Judge Moyer: I would like to ask Judge Moyer What is your estimate of it? I don’t think it is a very valuable tree. a 3 \ DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. President Underwood: In our part of the state the tree be- comes of considerable value on account of its furnishing a great quantity of wood and being valuable for some kinds of building _purposes. Mr. Harris: My opinion is that it is worth more than the cottonwood. It is a very valuable tree to put out when you are going to put out some other variety and want the tree to protect them. Dr. Frisselle: How many kinds of poplar are there in this part of the country that are native to Minnesota? I know of the cottonwood and the white poplar and the Lombardy poplar. Mr. Harris: The Lombardy poplar is not a native. There is a balm of gilead that is a native in some parts of the state and the quaking aspen, and there are two kinds of cottonwood here. I could not tell you off-hand how many species there are, but there are at least four or five of that poplar family. Judge Moyer: The cottonwood that grows native in our part of the state and the yellow cottonwood that comes from the Missouri river, are called the same by the botanists, but, as it is grown in different localities and under different circum- stances, it makes a difference in its hardiness, perhaps. REPORT ON DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. WM. WACHLIN, FARIBAULT. Mr. President and members of the Association: I am not a paper writer, nor aspeech maker; I told Mr. Latham so when he notified me last spring that I had been put on a committee to write or say something about trees and shrubs, but as Iam in it, I suppose I will have to do as the other fellow did when he was in Rome. I am aware that the subject assigned us is a large and very important one, and as the rest of the committee is composed of gentlemen whoare no doubt better qualified than I am to write or say something both interesting and instructive, I have no fear that our subject will suffer. Now, as I will occupy only a few minutes of your valuable time (time which could no doubt be used to better advantage by some one else), I will direct my remarks in one direction of tree planting. TREE PLANTING IN STREETS OF CITIES AND VILLAGES. There is nothing more beautiful and refreshing, than to see in city or village (through the residence portion at least) fine rows of trees along the streets, well cared for, It makes a place look comfortable and home- like. In regard to success in planting, you will pardon me in referring to and quoting from Mr. W. M. Berry’s paper of last year, as I know of no better method of planting than he has described. LP LN ak Aa ait 2 Oat AWS eet Sl! Te ef t'3 th EMC a thet i (sid \ | . Vy 2) ya x 176 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. It is important, as Mr. Berry says, to put the ground in proper condi- tion. Of course, in street planting there is not much ground to work on, so we must do the best we can; we must dig a pretty large hole, a hole larger than would seem necessary for the small tree we are planting, but it loosens up the ground, and gives the tree a fair chance to grow. A tree : for street planting should be selected with some care, all forked trees should be avoided, as high winds and storms are liable to split and ruin them. A tree should he selected with a goodstraight stem, witha single leader, so that, as the tree grows it can be trimmed up to at least eight or ten feet from the ground, though, of course, the trimming must be done gradually. It will take a number of years to get a tree to the proper height, but make a proper selection at the start; there is no trouble to get a fine tree in time. Now let us return to planting after the right kind of tree has been selected. The ends of the large roots should be smoothly trimmed on the under side, the top should be cut back to balance the roots; the tree is now ready for planting. As above stated, the hole should be quite large, to give ample room for the roots. The hole should now be filled with good rich soil, well worked in among the roots and packed quite firmly, (stable manure should not be used in tree planting); after the tree is planted the ground should be mulched with hay, wet straw or some other coarse litter. Watering should be attended to as the season may require. The distance in street planting should not be less than twenty to twen- ty-five feet, as many fine rows of trees are ruined by too close planting. Of course, trees could be planted closer if every other one were cut out as they attain some size, but as few people like to cut down trees of their own planting, it is safer to not plant too close; to grow fine trees they need room to spread themselves. If a tree has the proper amount of rocm, there will be very little need of top pruning. Some varieties need abso- lutely no top pruning. There is nothing that makes me so out of patience as to see a fine row of trees, or a Single specimen, spoiled by top trimming. Of course, very often trees are planted too closely, and as they grow they crowd each other, then, to get out of the difficulty, instead of cutting some of them down a ‘‘tree butcher” is employed to remedy the trouble. The tree butchers are always professionals, at least ours are. The tree butcher comes along with his long ladder, saw, ax and other paraphernalia, and goes to work, no matter what the season of the year may be. It is all the same to him; his business is to cut and slash. Down come the tops of the trees one after the other, and when he is through a sorry sight it is; a lot of bare poles standing with hardly a leaf or branch on them, where a little while before a fine lot of trees were waving their branches in the air; and he, standing and viewing his job with the greatest satisfaction, all unconscious of the mischief he has done. By all means, when trees stand so close that they crowd cock other, cut some of them down and give the rest a chance. In regard to varieties, there are nite a good many to select from. Hard or sugar maple is one of the best on good soils; in very light soils it is not very reliable, a rather slow grower, but a beautiful tree after it has attained some size. Basswood is one of my favorites; it makes a close my remarks, wishing the society a glorious future. Zi : = a "¢ & ; : cna Wie Pe iaty Hackberry is a good tree; it is not planted as much as it ought to be. Box elder is a good fast-growing tree, and if good trees are selected in the start, it makes a good tree. White and green ash are good trees. The different varieties of elms are always standard trees. * L _ Soft maple is a good tree, if the right kind of tree is selected in the first 7 a “place. Hard maple, basswood, hackberry and box elder need no top hy pruning after planting, if they have ample room to grow in. Elm and \ 3 ; soft maple need to be watched, as they have a tendency to grow a little Be _ wild at times. here are other lines of tree planting, such as ornamental planting, _ planting for wind breaks and groves and forestry planting, all differ- ing more or less; but, as I have already traspassed on your time, I will 12h ‘s 178 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. _ BY . | HORTICULTURE ON NEW PRAIRIE FARMS. PROF. W. M. HAYS, FARGO, N. D. %, On no general farm is a knowledge of horticulture of more value than ; on the new farm in the great prairies of the west. The average settler TAO has failed to grasp the few main elementary facts needed to guide him in planning one of these farms, so that it may be conveniently arranged - when developed, and be well sheltered by trees. Most of the farmers at DION Tot ery Rea who have passed the pioneer struggles and have become financially able to erect buildings, are at a disadvantage in carrying out plans for build- ings, stock lots, gardens and lawns, because their pioneer work at laying out groves and building spot was cramped and poorly calculated. On the other hand, many well arranged and thoroughly sheltered places are to be found, which nature along her wooded streams can hardly surpass. How many of us knew no better than to plant our shelter belt only a few rods north from an east and west road, and parallel to it, with too little sheltered room between the trees and the road. The south ex- ¥ ree Poee eie ae | posure is all right, but the buildings, especially the barn, need be back _ far enough that some yards can be made in the shelter also. Itis not ~ uncommon to see such unhappy arrangements as a narrow row or belt of trees with only the east end coming up to the buildings, which face _ the road and the winds to the northward. Frequently the buildings are . placed so close to and fronting on the road to the north or west, that if a grove is planted so as to protect against the northwest winds it must be placed across the public road, or if the land is owned by others, the . buildings must be moved or, worst of all, remain unprotected. Doubtless ¥ the most common and most difficult to remedy of first plans is that of 7 making the grove, which may be likened to the sills in the plan of the as vi * HIGHWAY. tot ’ - ee NORTH FRONT. place, too short and not well placed. With pencil and rule severa] provisional plans should be made and the most practical one preserved to be modified as future conditions shall demand. Nowhere is the pencil a greater machine than in laying out the farm plan. In order to fully emphasize the value of the shelter belt of trees and to aid in making plans for getting it in the best place, it seems wise to discuss in detail a few plans of farms. It pays to look ahead and set theaim too high rather than too low in deciding upon the size of enclosure to par- tially surround with a grove. If larger than is at once needed, part of the land can be used for field crops or grass lands to as good advantage as if outside the grove. Ten acres is usually none too much on the farm of a HORTICULTURE ON NEW PRAIRIE FARMS. 179 27 Ob pes ED Sutera 180 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. few hundred acres, while half that number would better suit a farm of less than a hundred acres, unless it is to be enlarged. Where the land is not rough, a square or nearing that form is desirable, but where hills occur they will often cause a modification of form. Ten acres laid out square, as in the sketches shown herewith, give outside dimensions of 40x40 rods; or 32x50 rods, if a rectangular shape is decided upon. The house may be located 100 to 200 feet from the road, the barn, 200 feet, more or less, from the house, and, if possible, where spacious stock yards may be placed south or east of it. A simple lane around two or more sides of the barn, and leading, as an artery from the heart, to all the barn lots and out to the center of the farm, communicating with all the HIGHWAY WEST -FRONT- future fields, is a rarely found but most convenient thing. Future barn buildings, hennery not near the garden, and other future possibilities should be in mind. The sketches are meant to show the general features, rather than minor details of the landscape plans. They represent the a, b, es of farm planning, but as we have little literature along this line we need elements first. Several things are provided in each sketch. First and most important is the shelter to the north and west. Desirable distances between road and house, house and barn; ample room for barn lots; con- veniently located lanes alongside the barn, leading to all yards, fields and other buildings; convenient locations for future buildings; and easy if HORTICULTURE ON NEW PRAIRIE FARMS. 181 access from highway to house, barn and flelds beyond are all provided. ‘Ample space for a garden is given and a medium Sized lawn is made. Some fruit trees can be planted inside the windbreak, and there is room tn the north or to the west of the grove on each plan for trees ‘‘planted where nature plants them.” A good front is provided on the road in each of these sketches. Where a grove must be placed between the house and the road, the trees should be so chosen and planted that the view of pass- ers-by is *not entirely cut off, but good wind protection secured. With some such plan as this, modified, of course to suit the lay of the land, the future details can be worked in as time and means allow. | | | | | r Fe a Mges oF OST eT ck ed eg | Sy 2S Wifey cB aan © WS a Tree planting should by no means be confined to the L-shaped shelter ‘belt. Clumps of trees inside the enclosure, or even well placed rows to further break up the wind or to serve as ‘“‘close by” shelter for the house or other building, should also be early planted, and belts to the east and south often pay. Ornamental trees and shrubbery can hardly be regarded too highly. The main shelter-belt should be five to ten rods wide, and is easiest planted and cultivated if placed in rows. Where practicable the first land broken should be for a shelter-belt. It is necessary on new lands to grow one or more crops before planting trees; for this purpose millet is even better than small grains, as it can be planted late in the spring and harvested early, thus allowing the grass to be plowed under late in spring and early in fall, the millet in the meantime smothering all the vegeta- tion by its rank growth. i a ee. APN da ee Oar Mw Ww a a PS Oo ee! Beet 0 ae ta Pe a Bo vy, "1 \ aA | iP SA Te THRE ty gb tT A BISWA MARTI eta NeW leah DP : “a REET COT wen eng ae ce ee Dies hehe Pas ‘ ss ~ r ¥ * , Y \ 182 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Cheap kinds of trees which will rapidly grow into good pioneer wind- breaks are, fortunately, best at first, for the most part. Some hardwooded, ~ long-lived trees, however, should be mixed with them. The soft maples in my father’s old homestead grove in Iowa have been dead for ten years, but the black walnuts and ash, which hastened their death by being deeper rooted in dry years, now stand as monuments to the man who planted them thirty-five years ago. White willow, cottonwood, box elder, soft maple, white ash and white elm stand as the old favorites and have done an immense amount of ser- vice as windbreaks all over the prairie regions. A few of the Russian willows and poplars are becoming prominent pioneer trees. Scotch and white pines and some other evergreens may be planted with profit, even far to the northwest, after enough of a grove has been produced to make a snow gatherer and to show where these trees may be planted that the snow will not break them down too badly. Farther south, they may be planted at first. Trees in belts should be planted thickly, especially farther west where . the forest conditions must be early reached that snow and rain may be held to mitigate the effects of drouth. As close as six or eight feet apart is often desirable. The custom of placing a single or double hedge-row of willows along the west and north sides of these shelter belts seems as wise in the far northwest as in the great corn belt, where this plan is so generally popular. Different species can be placed in separate rows. Cultivation should be complete for a few to several years, and should con- tinue after harvest. Mulching heavily with straw or coarse barn litter, where there is little danger from fire, often helps the trees to get the start of quack grass and other strong-sodded grasses. Barbed wire fences, costing twelve to twenty cents per rod, are a cheap protection from stock. THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN. Ample protected space should be provided inside the grove for gardens and orchards. Not that they shall all be developed at once, but that there shall be room for orchards, rotation of garden crops with millet and clover and for any ordinary requirements for fruit trees or gardens in the future, and a little extra space to serve for calf pastures, soiling crops or other special crop. A study of the economies, the use of time or labor, the health and enjoymentof the family on farms in pioneer sections convinces one that no farmer can afford to fail to spend the time in winter to read and learn how to grow vegetables and small fruits, the money for seeds and plants or the labor of raising all of these that the family wants. It is meansand energies better spent than in raising the small amount more of 50 to 75 cent wheat that could be cared for, instead of a small garden. The farmer gets a large part of his remuneration out of having the farm as a home, having his food produced cheaply and of good quality, and from the enjoyments of possessing with undisputed right a property Which he can build up and develop into a pleasant place tolive. The non-resident, arms-length farmer who gets few of these things and only expects sur- plus cash, often fails in competition with the bona fide resident farmer. Farmers as a rule work far harder to get the renumeration which comes from outside in the form of a balance in cash account than they do for the living they take at once from the farm without the help of the middleman or manufacturer. Our wheat farmers do not spend one-third ! Te Ne es ey ON Tk AY SEN NOME ey RERE Ney yi } iy HORTICULTURE ON NEW PRAIRIE FARMS. 183 the attention to home grown foods and shelter, that would pay them to do. Work devoted to producing food for the family in the garden is re- j warded without any regard to high or low prices. * Every farmer should raise not only the most important classes of vege- a tables and small fruits, but plenty of nearly all that can be successfully bi grown. Canning and other ways of preserving makes possible having a e supply of fruits and vegetables all winter as well as‘allsummer. Variety P of food is not too expensive for our trotting horses or our thoroughbred d cattle, and to keep our boys and girls and wives as well as ourselves % in the flower of condition. physically, mentally and morally, we need this variety. DISCUSSION. Mr. Barrett: I understood Professor Hays to say that the best way to plant trees is to have them about six feet apart. I prefer to have them much thicker in the outset, so they will protect each other, cutting them out subsequently as they develop. I think we should have windbreaks very Hy thick on account of the great winds we have in this part of the i country. I differ from Prof. Hays in regard to cultivating until after the harvest. My reasons are based upon my own ex- perience as well as the testimony of others who have experi- mented in this line, and my opinion is that we had better stop ‘ cultivating our trees about the middle of July, certainly not - extending it beyond the end of that month, and for this reason —the trees must have time to ripen up. They are in the full tide of their development about the middle of July, and I i think it is better to stop then. Let the weeds grow, even if ‘ad they go toseed. The weeds are a protection to a great extent both in the summer and winter seasons for these trees. If we cultivate in that way from season to season, stopping about the middle of July, we will have our trees in better shape for the winter campaign than otherwise; whereas, if we extend it up to harvest time we are quickening the leaf properties of the tree and it will not recuperate, but will be tender and not prepared for the winter season. _ Prof. Hays: I have learned since coming to the Northwest how rapidly the weeds grow. In our country the quack grass will constantly get in and destroy our trees, if it is not con- stantly cultivated out. I have seen a great many tree-claims : and plantations in our state of North Dakota this last summer that have been very seriously injured by not receiving careful cultivation until they were four or five years old. I believe in a good deal of cultivation, but I would not go very deep in this late cultivation or in any cultivation. Pe ea ee EP SN OSA pe ee Rp OT ke RO 184 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Wilcox: Can you destroy quack grass by cultivation? Prof. Hays: You can keepitdown. If you break it up and ie: grow a couple of crops and get your land ready for trees,so there is practically no quack grass on it, by cultivating it care- fully for a few years you will get your trees started before the quack grass amounts to much. BS 3 Mr. Wilcox: I have had some little experience and I would like to throw a little light upon this subject if Ican. The ground that I planted, commencing in the season of 1883, was broken in the season of 1874. My system of planting is to plant in perfectly straight rows, an air line, so to speak. I hardly ever cultivate more than two years with a team and cultivator. After that I allow my hogs to do the cultivation. My system of cultivation the first year is with a common corn cultivator, and if hoed both ways they can be kept reasonably clean. I stop before harvest, and if any weeds start then it is cultivated the next year in a different way altogether. My rows being perfectly straight, I allow the weeds to get up about six inches high and then take a sharp plow with a very sharp coulter, plowing just as shallow as possible. The plow should be perfectly bright and scoured so it will notclogatall. I turn a little furrow as close to the tree as possible—and that is one place where straight rows come in handy, you can get closer than when they vary from a straight line. Then I take a hoe and brush these out, and as soon as the weeds have had time to die I turn the soil again, which is just the same as summer fal- lowing. My trees have been remarked upon by the county aud- itor as being the best trees of their age in our county, yet that is all the cultivation that they have had. I plant my rows of trees as I plant corn, seven feet one way by three and a half the other. Iwillsay right here that they have long since passed the time when they had to be thinned out. Mr. Barrett: I think the society will makea serious mistake if it entertains the idea of cultivating so late in the season. I wish that Mr. Smith would give us a few ideas upon it. ; Mr. Smith: I simply endorse the plan that the gentleman who spoke last outlined. Pres. Underwood: As I understand it, both systems have been thoroughly advocated here. Prof. Hays: Yes. When I made the statement regarding late cultivation it was intended for those western sections where the quack grass grows all over the prairie. When land is broken up this grass takes possession of it, if it is not looked vats ~, - 7 ' ae << Fae a ee SP Py en, 7 i] ‘*: . — — > c Th ¢ SF ee ee Se ene IN ig ae eS Ram tay ee Bere eee ee See ‘4 : ‘ef ’ = = tee ay Pe Maa aa _ HORTICULTURE ON NEW PRAIRIE FARMS. 185 after very closely. I would not urge late cultivation under other conditions at all. I have had considerable experience in : - this matter and I think the plan outlined is a good one. Mr. Johnson: I have traveled some in South Dakota and made some observations that I think are right in line with this matter. I heard the statement made that it was impossible to raise trees there on account of its being so dry, and I went there partially to see about it. I have seen trees that it was almost impossible to make grow, because they were almost smothered in quack grass. In many cases I would not have taken the plantation and resurrected it from the dead, if it was given to me. [would rather take a piece of land near it and commence new. I think this state of affairs was partially due to the fact that the land was put out to trees too soon after be- ing broken up. When this is the case it is very liable to go back to grass if neglected. Dr. Wentworth: I have had quite a little experience in grow- ing forest trees, and I have had to contend with all the diff- culties which have been mentioned. I have succeeded in get- ting away with the weeds and at the same time avoided the ' evil of very late cultivation. I would recommend this plan: Continue your ordinary cultivation until perhaps the middle of July, and then change to surface cultivation, just cutting the the weeds and not developing the trees at all. This can be done. «a ELECTRICITY, NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO PLANT GROWTH. PROF. SAMUEL B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK. We hear much about electricity, in fact, it has come to the front where we must profess to know something about this strange form of energy in order to keep up with the times. Our knowing ones prophesy that all sorts of things will be done with it, and talk about converting the energy of the tides, the Falls of Niagara and the winds into electricity for warm- ing our houses, cooking our food and running our factories, when the sup- ply of.coal shall be exhausted; and even now it is said to be the intention ofthe Niagara Falls Power Co. to transmit electric power to Chicago within a year or two. As to what electricity is and whence it comes, we know but little more than the motoneer who calls to his companion to ‘turn on the juice” to start the eiectric cars; or the poor woman who is said to have likened the electric car to a witch riding a broomstick. Electricity is fast coming into universal use in the various occupations of life, and, of course, a few of us wiseacres in horticulture have begun to talk about its use in our line; but, really,we are talking about nothing new, for ever since electricity becamea science there have been many efforts made by scientists to find its relation to both plant and animal life. It is well known that currents of electricity exist in the atmosphere. There is a constant change of electricity from earth to air and from air to earth, the latter being the great reservoir for all electricity. ‘‘Hills, mountain peaks, trees, chimneys, spires, in fact, all points elevated above the earth’s surface, assist greatly in charging and discharging the atmos- phere. If two iron rods are driven into the ground and connected by a copper wire it is found that there is a current of electricity passing through the wire, showing that there are such currents passing through the ground.” Again, Sachs has shown that each movement of water in the tissues of the plant induces feeble electric currents. ‘In fact, this mysterous something, this energy we call electricity, pervades almost every form of matter. But I do not mean to take up your time with a lot of rambling ab- stractions, but wish to call your attention to the experiments that have been made in using this force in a practical way in horticulture. There are at: least two ways of using electrical energy to influence plant growth; one is where the current is brought in direct contact with the plant itself, and the other where it is used: in its form as light. Let us consider the former method first. The early investigations to determine the effect of electricity on plant growth gave in many cases contradictory results, and it was not until after 1845 that practical electro-culture was undertaken. Williamson — wii ald ila hal eae eau: aR RA AN kat ai M 1. stud Naaa Be ene eee \¥ " AN ele ay } ype De \ font ays * ‘ ELECTRICITY. x 187 suggested the use of gigantic electro-static machines, but the attempts were fruitless. The method most generally adopted in experiments con- sisted of two metallic plates, one of copper and one of zinc, placed in the soil and connected by wires. Shepard employed this method, and his experiments showed that elec- tricty increased the returns from root crops, while grass perished near the fe electrodes, and plants developed without the use of electricity were infer-- o ior to those grown under its influence. Hubeck in 1847 came to the con- clusion that seeds germinated more rapidly and buckwheat gave larger ic? returns when electrified; in all other cases the electric current produced Bs no result. After some years had elapsed Fichtner, in the same direction, employed a battery, the two wires of which were placed in the soil, parallel to each other. Between the wires were planted peas, grass and ; Ps barley, and in every case the crop showed an increase of from thirteen to é twenty-seven per cent., when compared with ordinary methods of culti- M vation. Fischer of Waldheim, believing atmospheric electricity to aid mvch in the growth and development of plants, made the following tests: He placed metallic supports to the number of about sixty around each ‘‘hektare (2.47 Ot acres)of loam;” these supports were provided at their summit with electrical accumulators in the form of crowns surmounted with teeth; the collect- ors were united by metallic connection. The result of this culture ap- plied to cereals was to increase the crop by half. et: The following experiment was also tried: Metallic plates, sixty-five centimeters (25.6 inches) by forty centimeters (15.7 inches) were placed in. ‘ the soil. These plates were alternately of zinc and copper, and placed Bs about 100 feet apart, connected two and two by a wire. The result was to increase from twofold to fourfold the production of certain garden plants. Mr. Fischer says that it is evidently proved that electricity aids 5 in the most complete breaking up of the soil constituents. There can be as no doubt of the truth of this statement, but he goes on to say that plants % treated with electricity mature more quickly, are almost always perfectly healthy and are not susceptible to injury by fungous diseases, which seems to show that the electric current acts directly on the sprout itself, aside from its action on the plant food in the soil. Some years later N. Specnew was led to investigate the influence of elec- tricity on plants in every stage of their development; the results of his experiments were most satisfactory. He began by submitting different seeds to the action of an electric current and found that their devel- opment was rendered more rapid and complete. The following tabl shows his results: : et - es : Peas. Beans. Barley. Sunflowers, Electrified seeds developed in........... 2.5 days. 3 days. 2 days. 8.5 days Non-electrified seeds developed in..... 4 days. 6 days. 5 days. 15 days, It wasalso observed that the plants coming from electrified seeds were better developed, their leaves were much larger and their colors brighter than those plants growing from non-electrified seeds; but the yield was -_ not affected. .. At the botanical garden at Kew, England, the following experiment was Bs tried: Wires were so arranged in the soil that an electric current passed rn through the ground. This method was applied to pot herbs and flower- ing plants and also to the growing of garden produce; in the latter case the result was a large crop and the vegetables grown were of enormous size. i or ae low ee ie + tie a) M : 6. cote OS - t ieee Px Y nk ee 2) oe Be ie i ee oP pe ‘ey le i iB ks P’ 4 we ty tal" : ae + hak i, Wits PN, et Tie . Les » be e er tere 188 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. (Extract from Mass. Ag]. College bulletin by Prof. C. D. Warner.) “Extensive experiments in electro-culture were also made at Pskoo, Russia. Plots of earth were sown to rye, corn, oats, barley, peas, clover and flax; around these respective plots were placed insnlating rods, on the top of which were crown-shaped collectors, the latter connected by means of wires. Atmospheric electricity was thus collected about the seeds and the latter matured in a highly electrified atmosphere. The plots were submitted to identical conditions, and the experiments were carried on for five years. The results showed a considerable increase in the yield of seed and straw, the ripening was more rapid, and the barley ripened nearly two weeks earlier with electro-culture. Potatoes grown by the latter method were seldom diseased, only 0 to 5 per cent. against 10 to 40 per cent. by ordinary culture.” Macagno, also, believing that the passage of electricity from air through the vines to the earth would stimulate growth, selected a certain number of vines, all of the same variety and all in the same condition of health and development. Sixteen vines were submitted to the experi- ment and sixteen were left to natural influences. In the ends of the vines under treatment, pointed platinum wires were inserted, to which were attached copper wires leading to the tops of tall poles near the vines; at the base of these same vines other platinum wires were inserted and connected by copper wires with the soil. At the close of the experi- ment, which began April 15and lasted till September 16, the wood, leaves and fruit of both sets of vines were submitted to a careful analysis, which showed that the percentage of moisture and sugar was greater and the un- desirable acid lower in those vines subject to electrical influences than in those left to natural conditions. The following experiments were made in 1891 at the Massachusetts ex- periment station: Several plots were prepared in the greenhouse, all of which had the same kind of soil and were subjected to like influences and conditions. A large number of the copper wires were strung through each of two plots and covered with soil to a little depth, so the roots would come in contact with them. Two electric gardens were thus pre- pared and each furnished with two common battery cells, so arranged as to allow continuous currents to pass through each series of wires. Near each electric garden was a plot prepared in the same manner, save the electric apparatus. The place chosen for the experiments was in a part of the faunas which was given up largely to the raising of lettuce, and the gardens were located where much trouble from mildew had been experienced. The reason for this choice of location was to notice the effect, if any, of elec- tricity upon mildew, this disease being, as is well known, asource of much trouble to those who grow early lettuce. The largest heads were over the greatest number of wires and nearest the electrodes. It was further noticed that the healthiest and largest plants, as soon as the current became feeble or ceased altogether, began to be affected with mildew. On examining the roots of the plants it was found that they had grown about the wires, as if there they found their greatest amount of nourish- ment; the roots were healthy and in no way appeared to have been in- jured by the current, but, rather, much benefited by the electrical influ- ences. ~ 189 ELECTRICITY. Beside garden A was prepared another plot of the same dimensions, having the same kind of soil and treated in like manner as the first, but the electrical apparatus and wires were wanting. At the close of the ex- periments only three plants had partially developed and two of these were nearly destroyed by mildew, one only was free from disease. The results, therefore, show that the healthiest and largest plants grew in the electric plot. The experiment was repeated with like results. Everything considered, the results in these two trials were in favor of electricity. Those plants subjected to the greatest electrical influence were hardier, healthier, larger, had better coior and were much less af- fected by mildew than the others. Experiments were made with various grasses but no marked results were obtained. ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTS AT THE MINNESOTA EXPERIMENT STATION IN 1892. These were commenced Feb. 15th and concluded April 14th. Two plots side by side, each 3x3 feet, were selected in the greenhouse. One was treated with electricity, the other without. The electricity was ap plied under the rows of plants by a wire covered one inch deep. Sow- ings were made of lettuce, radish, wheat, oats, corn and beans on Feb. 15th. At the end of each row for a space of six inches the seed was sown directly on the wire, but this contact with the electric wire did not pro- duce any apparent effect in lessening the time required for the seed to germinate, nor did the plants grow any stronger where brought in con- tact with the wire. Seeds of same kinds germinated at practically the same time in each plot, except corn and beans, which were about three © days behind in that not treated. Radishes.—There was no difference in the growth of this crop in the two plots. Lettuce.—No difference—if anything, that not electrified did the best. Wheat and oats.—In this case the results were largely in favor of the electrified row, it being 30 inches high, which was six inches higher than the other, and rather more healthy. Beans.—Those electrified matured edible pods, while the others only got into blossom when the experiment was finished. Corn.—That electrified grew very healthy and strong and 52 inches high, the other only 32 inches high. Temperature of the different plots varied from 2 to 5 degrees during the experiment, sometimes in favor of one and again in favor of the other, but the average was about 2 degrees higher for the electrified than for the other. ? Two cells were used for each wire and 36 pounds of sulphate of copper was used up during the two months the experiment was in progress. The roots seemed to run regardless of the copper wires. Results were not conclusive and may be attributed to the difference in temperature, although a very slight increase in growth of a few kinds seemed due to electricity. In February, seed of corn, beans, barley, wheat, oats, radish and lettuce were moistened over night and were then treated with six Bunson cells through an inductive coil and sown along side of part of the same lot of seed not treated. No results could be seen which could be attributed to the use of electricity. wa ete die oe Ras alc! tx ak le an | ws au hae Siac ts . ‘ sar i) 190 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. df In February, seed of corn, beans, barley, wheat, oats, radish and lettuce was treated with an inductive coil and sown alongside of seed not so — treated, but subjected in every other way to the same conditions. It was — 4 noticed that the electrified wheat germinated about twelve hours ahead “eh of that not electrified, but other than this no difference was noted. 7 a) ELECTRIC LIGHT EXPERIMENT OF C. W. SIEMENS, ENGLAND. ty (Condensed from the first Cornell bulletin on electro-horticulture.) § In the winter of 1880-81 experiments were conducted in which a lamp a: of 4,000 candle power was used, and it was placed inside a house of 2,318 ” cubic feet capacity. The light was run all night, and the arc was at first not protected by.a globe. The “results were anything but satisfactory,” the plants soon becoming withered. At this point a globe of clear glass g was placed upon the lamp, and thereafter the most satisfactory results were obtained. Peas, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, melons and ba- nanas fruited early and abundantly under continuous light, solar light by q day and electric light by night. The strawberries are said to have been te ‘“‘of excellent flavors and color” and the ‘‘grapes of stronger flavor than usual.” The bananas were ‘‘pronounced by competent judges unsurpassed % in flavor,” and the melons were ‘‘remarkable for size and aromatic flavor.” Wheat, barley and oats grew so rapidly that they fell to the ground of their own weight. The beneficial! influence of the clear glass globe was, therefore, most marked. ‘‘ The effect of interposing a mere sheet of thin glass between the plants and the source of electric light was most strik- _ ing. On placing sucha sheet of clear glass so as to intercept the rays of the electriclight from a portion only of a plant, for instance, a tomato plant, it was most distinctly shown upon the leaves. The portion of the plant under the direct influence of the naked electric light, though a distance from it of nine to ten feet, was shriveled, whereas, that portion under cover of the clear glass continued to show a healthy appearance, and this line of de- = markation was distinctly visible on individual leaves. Not only the leaves but the young stems of the plants soon showed signs of destruction when exposed to the naked electric light, and these destructive infiuences were : perceptible, though in a less marked degree, at a distance of twenty feet ‘ from the source of light.” In another series of experiments, Siemens placed an electric lamp of 1,400 candle power about seven feet above a sunken melon pit which was covered with glass. The light was modified by a clear glass globe. In the pit seeds and plants of mustard. carrots, turnips, beans, cucumbers and melons were placed. The light ran six hours each night, and the plants had sunlight during the day. Inall cases those plants ‘‘exposed to both sources of light showed a decided superiority in vigor over all the others, and the green of the leaf was of a dark rich hue.” Heliotropism, i. e., the turning of the piants towards the light, was observed in the young mustard plants. Electric light appeared to be about half as effective as daylight. Flowering was hastened in melons and other plants under the glass. Strawberries which were just setting fruit were put in one of the pits, and part of them were kept dark at night, while the others were exposed to the light. After fourteen days, the light having burned twelve nights, most of the fruits on the lighted plants “had at- ELECTRICITY. mas 1°) | tained to ripeness and presented a rich coloring, while the fruit on those plants that had been exposed to sunlight only had by this time scarcely begun to show even a sign of redness.” At the close of his experiments Siemens was veiy Sanguine that the electric light could be profitably employed in horticulture, and he used the term ‘‘electro-horticulture” to designate this new application of electric energy. He anticipated that in the future ‘“‘the horticulturist will have _ the means of making himself practically independent of solar light for producing a high quality of fruit at all seasons of the year.” He thought that the addition of electric light enabled plants to bear at a higher tem- perature in greenhouses than they otherwise could. Nature made the following comments upon Dr. Siemens’ experiments: ‘‘But the scientific interest of its present application must rest mainly on the fact that the cycle of transformation of energy engaged in plant life is now complete, and that, starting from the energy stored up in vegetable fuel, wecan run through the changes from heat to electricity, and thence to light, which we now know we‘can store up in vegetable fuel again.” EXPERIMENTS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY. The most complete and practical experiments made with the electric light are’ those now being carried on at Cornell University by Prof. L. H. Bailey, and on which there have been two bulletins issued. In his last bulletin he summarizes his observations as follows: 1. The infiuence of the electric arc light upon greenhouse plants is greatly modified by the use of a clear glass globeor the interposition of a . glass roof. Plants which are much injured by a naked light may be bene- fitted by a protected light. 2. Asarule plants are earlier under the electric light than when grown in ordinary conditions. 3. The light can be suspended above the house with good effect. 4. Lettuce is greatly benefited by the electric light. An average of five hours of light per night at a distance of ten and twelve feet hastened maturity from a week to ten days. Even at forty feet in only diffused light the effect was marked. The light appeared to injure young, newly transplanted plants. 5 Radishes were also benefited by the light, but not to a great ex- tent. When thelight was hung in the house, however, whether naked or protected by a globe, radishes were injured. 6. Beets and spinach appeared to be slightly benefited by the light. 7. Cauliflowers under the light tended to grow taller than in ordinary conditions, and to make fewer and smaller heads. 8. Violets and daisies bloomed earlier in the light house. This cor- roborates results obtained with other flowers in previous experiments. 9. The electric light does not appear to determine or modify the hours of growth of lettuce and some other plants which have been studied in this particular. Plants which are benefited simply grow more rapidly during the customary periods. 10. Iam corvinced that the electric light can be used to advantage in the forcing of some plants. The experiments carried on by W. W. Rawson at Arlington, Mass.,have at- tracted wide attention from the magnitude of the undertaking and from and the results: Thirteen houses are devoted to lettuce and one of them covers nearly one-third of an acre. This great house was built last year at an expense of $5,000; it is so large that the ground inside is plowed with steam, it is 33 by 370 feet in outside dimensions, 15 feet to the ridge, 3+ feet high on the south or lower side and 12 feet on the north side. From this house ~ Mr. Rawson takes at one crop 2,000 dozen heads of lettuce, and the heads’ are twice the size of those which we ordinarily see on the market. He was, probably, the first to use the electric light for the commercial grow- ing of plants. His attention was called to the subject by observing the beneficial effects of street lamps which hung near his houses. He now runs three 2,000 candle-power arc lights all night throughout the winter for the sole purpose of hastening the growth of lettuce. Mr. Rawson de- clares that these lights hasten the maturity of lettuce by 10 per cent.; and says that the gain produced upon one crop pays for the running of the lamps for the entire winter. He calculates that there is an average gain of five days for each crop, or a total saving of fifteen days for the entire’ winter. He also says that the plants head up better under the light and that the quality is superior. The effect of the light is marked at a dis- tance of 100 feet from the lamp. their being the first successful applications of the electricity to a >) cial plant growing. The following is a description of his methods of wonky, B Pee én% ie ‘2h si, Se = > > io 7 Pres ~ < 1 4 “ bs - pO A OE ee Ape LEAVES OF OUR HARDY TREES. : 193 THE LEAVES OF OUR HARDY TREES. O. F. BRAND, FARIBAULT. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: The subject assigned to me is one fit for a book of 500 pages by a Darwin, Gray or Goodall, and I am com- pelled to say that the best thing about this articleas written by me will be its brevity. , Primarily, the lease of life of any given plant is fixed by the inherited character; secondarily, the lease of life is modified by external in- fiuences. Everything that has life must feed upon food, either organic or inorganic, or both. Plants feed largely on inorganic material, al- though the ways by which certain granules under the influence of cer- tain rays of light can cause the dissociation of carbon from oxygen, with which it is combined in carbonic acid, and bring about the formation of an organic substance from materials wholly inorganic, are processes to me entirely unknown. That such processes are being carried on in the leaves of trees during the growing season, there can be no doubt. The Great Author of all life gave to such plants as trees, leaf, stem and root, as three general organs, each having its own peculiarfunction, and although the leaf is a minute thing when compared to the tons of solid matter contained in the stem of one of our large giants of the forest, yet there could never have been a giant treeor tree of any size, whatever, had it not been for the little industrious leaf. I have, heretofore, com- . -pared the leaves of a tree to so many laboratories, or workshops, having certain well defined kinds of work each year and each month during the growing season. We understand that the living parts of a tree of the exogenous kind are the rootlets, the buds and leaves and a zone of the newest wood and newest bark. These parts are renewed each year. This annual work of renewal is mainly done by the leaves, and among our very hardy forest trees, such as pine, is mostly accomplished out of inorganic material. We know that in burning a pine tree the ash left is very in- considerable, but represents nearly all that has been taken from the soil; the rest has returned to the atmosphere, from whence it nearly all came. The leaves of our maples, and some other leaves, store up in the tree a good supply of substances easily converted into sugar. Leaves of apple trees have a similar work to do to that done by the maples; they have to make the annual zone of new wood and bark, form buds for the next spring, ripen a crop of apples, and then store up in the tree enough re- serve food material to carry the tree safely through our most trying win- ters. This reserve food is largely starch or sugar, and it seems to me that with a tree of proper cell structure the question of its hardiness or adaptation, then, lies in the ability of the leaf to store up in the tree a proper amount of this reserve food during any and all climatic changes which will environ it in any given country during a long term of years. During the past forty years we find that among foreign and American apple trees introduced here from other parts, there has not been another one with a leaf capable of doing the work that has been done by the leaves of the Duchess of Oldenburg. At no time during my ex" 13h 194 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ? perience has that fact been made so evident as during the past summer. | I know of but one variety that stood the trying test of last June so well. That one variety is the Peerless. It is a matter of easy. proof that among tens of thousands of Peerless trees there was no injury to its leaves; while such varieties as Whitney, McMahon and Transcendent crab were so badly injured that they did not make the growth of asingle bud after the 15th day of June. This leaf injury was not blight, but ex- tended over a wide area. ‘Testimony as to the perfect condition of the Peerless leaves was received from parties in Maine, Ohio, Colorado, and from central Illinois to Manitoba. I may here remark that it was evidently owing to a desire on the part of our President Underwood and Secretary Latham that a waiting and anxious world should know about thesuperior merits of this Peerless apple tree, that this subject was assigned to me. If they were of the other sex I would say that their keen discernment of that which is right and appropriate was only exceeded by their good looks and their wianing ways. To return to the subject matter of hardy leaves. I remarked in the be- ginning that, secondarily, the lease of the life of a given plant is modified by external influences. One of these external influences may easily be shown in the great and widespread injury to the leaves of nearly all trees last ~ June. The variety which entirely escaped injury, when scattered in large numbers over a wide area, must possess the best leaf. This is natural selec- tion. The fittest has survived. Nature does not select every year, or every ten years, but sooner or later she makes the selection, and we must then be content with her choice. There is no apple tree on this continent, tested for thirty years, that approaches anywhere near the perfection of its leaf to the Duchess of Oldenburg. It does well on the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude, and does equally well 800 miles further south, in Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina. You will ask, what is there uncommon about the leaf? Among other things characteristic of it is its great size, its form, its thickness, its glossy upper surface and lastly its superior cell structure. The first four are visible to all who have the disposition to examine, the last is simply my opinion. There is one other feature I will mention, and that is the great size of the terminal leaves. All of these important characteristics have been retained and some of them im- proved on in that celebrated child of the Duchess, namely, the Peerless. Leaves also serve other important missions in the economy of nature. They help to purify the atmosphere of poisonous gases and make this earth a better home forman. They also play an important part in the formation of vegetable mould. We have it on the authority of Darwin and others that leaves go on accumulating lime as long as they remain on the trees. During their decay they generate an abundance of various acids grouped together under the term humus acids. And now as I have briefly mentioned a few of the prominent character- istics of leaves, I will ‘‘leave” the subject in your hands and extend to zach and all of you the wish that as you turn the leaves of life each one turned may prove more bright and interesting than the one last passed. = a es nr a rm een NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. 195 Ds NOMENCLATURE AND CATALOGUE. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE AND bye CATALOGUE. J. S. HARRIS. Mr. President and members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: There is no,subject that comes within the scope of the work of this society of more importance than that of nomenclature and catalogue, and no committee whose duties are more arduous than those to whom these subjects have been assigned. We have on former occasions spoken of the importance of having a correct nomenclature for the fruits grown in this state, and it seems to us one of the first duties of this society is to establish correct names for all of the many varieties of fruit which come before us for discussion, examination, adoption or rejection. With- out a correct nomenclature, uniform in every particular, with that in use in other states and other societies, we cannot possibly guard our plant- ers from being continuously imposed upon or misled. The reputation of fine and worthy varieties is liable to be seriously damaged, their success- ful introduction and culture retarded, and the business of the propagator and planter result in confusion and loss. So little knowledge of the merits of fruits by their names have a large per cent. of the purchasers and planters of trees, that a sharp agent has a great advantage over them; and it is one of the first duties of this society to disseminate knowledge that shall prove a protection against either fraud or mistakes. (As a rule we believe the agents of legitimate nurseries are honest well-mean- ing men, but frequently woefully ignorant or deficient in their knowledge of varieties; and, unfortunately, we occasionally hear of some most villianous association, who do not grow a tree and have no use for an if honest agent.) We have found through our attendance at fruit exhibitions and visits among fruit growers that there exists very great confusion in the names \ of varieties, even among those who ought to be reasonably well posted, and with the newer Russian varieties it is almost chaotic. The evil is with us, it is too late to prevent it, but we should as fast as possible take steps to correct it, or disasters will continue to follow. In no place is this condition of things more annoying than in competitors’ exhibits, where to save money and encourage honest competition every variety for which prizes are offered should be correctly described, that the judges may be able to make just awards. At some county fairs scarcely one-half of the varieties are correctly named, and it is not unusual to see the same variety shown under several names by the individuals exhibiting them; and as a result the educational influence of the exhibition is lost to both exhibitor and visitor. At one fair last season we saw the Wealthy apple shown as Duchess, Walbridge and unknown; the Utter as Wealthy, Wal- bridge and Plumb Cider; the Plumb Cider as Ben Davis and Walbridge; ry: preps ho Tie4 ad a Le ‘aa " AS sy (arn ya \ y fo bea iN rap diet alias aah: Toe RAED aN ee TT ok hs Me alge oO ta 196 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Talman Sweet as Golden Russet and so on, several others after the same style. Doubtless, there was no intention of wrong in this, they have at : sometime planted trees under those names and are generally glad to x be set right. : fo Many people who are not familiar with fruits take advantage of the opportunities afforded at the fairs to make out lists of varieties for the next spring’s planting, and to them it is doubly important that all good varieties should be shown under their correct names, for the reason that the nurseryman with whom they place the order will be more than likely to fill with just the varieties called for, and if they live to bear ’ fruit other disapointments have come and an honest nurseryman is blamed for them. In view of the above reasons and many others that your time will not permit us to discuss, we recommend that hereafter every variety and species of fruit that comes before the society for recommendation for trial or general cultivation in any section of this state, shall be catalogued and plainly described under its true name, or, if an unnamed seedling, that it shall be named according to the rules of the American Pomological Society. Also, that all other varieties now being or having | been grown in this state, including all of the Russian varieties as fast as the true name can be ascertained, and all new seedlings hereafter pro- duced that give any promise of value shall be catalogued and described; giving name and P. O. address of the originator, wherever known, giving size, form, color, and season of the fruit, the uses and value of the fruit for dessert, cooking and market, and the comparative hardiness of the tree, taking the Oldenburg as the highest standard, using numbers as far as practicable from one to ten, ten to denote perfection; asa means for education and protection in the future. The observations of the past season have confirmed us in the opinion that there area number of varieties of the newer Russians that are des- \ tined to play a conspicuous part in the future pomology of the North- west,and that no timeshould be wasted before sifting out the best and most valuable sorts and ascertaining their correct names. If there are nota half-dozen varieties made out of the Oldenburg, there are that number going by different names that are so nearly alike in tree, quality of fruit and season, that no one planter will want more than one, or at most two of them. We would suggest saving the best two that differ the most and discarding the remainder, or throwing them all into one batch ana having ; them known only by the name Oldenburg. The man who wants only six will then be protected from planting thirty more of the same kind under other names. The same isalso true of some others of them. The Hibernal, Lieby, Recumbent and Ostrekoff Glass are so nearly identical, if not posi- tively one variety, that only one of them should be retained. A slight mistake was made in printing the form of scale for determin- ing the size of apples by numbers, presented with our last report, the square, No. 1, being one-fourth of an inch too large. No. 1 should be 4 exactly two inches square and the outside line of each additional number, i one-fourth of an inch larger. This scale is being received with favor and we recommend that it appear as corrected in the forthcoming volume of ; transactions. We also submit for your approval a form of catalogue. ‘ 2 Sal : : COLOR. movudinn, . g. Greenish. r.c. Roundish concave. y. Yellow. f.c. Flat concave. g. Mas Grocniel yellow. 4 Concave. Red. Ob. Flatish round. y. r. Yellow and red. ov. Round ovate. ry. s. Red striped. rus. Russeted. ae “as this form for determining the size of apples, No. 1 should be exactly es inches square and each additional number or square exactly one-fourth 55 of an inch larger, so that the outside lines of No. 10 will form an exact ; square of four and one-fourth inches. 198 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘EMOT ULIGIIOU UI [JOM ATATVJ Suro |g |¢ ‘99M F I [IAqowtog Aq poulse4se YON] 6 |° “G88 T19UN “WUT “A'S UL UMOIs Tony 9 ‘aervoq AYs ATTRIEU |», |g *‘SULIvOq ioe) 8 6 0 84, 9 19 [[QJ OJUT Surmoo MOTs ynq ‘poos very lore |6 |+ ‘VU SI[q Woy VoIy {SurstuoId A19 A |G |g |OTIC *s[TOs Yovlq MOT UO SzIYSI[G 9019 {4rmajy oUt I/6 |9 |" |) *a4e4S Ul UMOIS 9] dde rawUINs IB[Ndod 4SO] | OL/OL/OTF ‘UUIW ‘W'S UL UMOIS !poxioM do} 4s0q]4 |8 JOP ‘peyton ; doy ysoq !SUlIvEq OF SUIMIOD MOIS 9A17,19 |9 |G |F *poat[-gaoys aaoid ABUL soa} ‘sunod sqyindy ‘4rmajy snowso0ugq]9 |y |6 |!9 ‘SUrTyooo 10j 4Soq ‘1oTveq [VnuUT Vodj ‘APIVALIOLIS |OT/Z ‘ssodand Aue 1OJ O[QBATSAP JON|9 |L 18 |Z ‘UUI, Ul UMOIS YON 40U 4Indj ou WIP |8 |9 |g "(BOS 09 ‘QNS Scggt 07 SNOTAZId BIOS -OUUTW ‘G'S Ul UMOIS ATOATSUGYXO SBAAIS |OTI9 |6 *AJYUNOD L9AIvO ‘U0SIOIOg ‘y Aq UMOIS SB 4INIJ pUB 99I4 OUTTIOT|, |9 |), *109990q SpUIM 4SISOI OF PTVS !StequUep{TO OAT GONWIOLI6 |6 |9 ‘u0sd9}0g "VY WII 10990q qinay puv oad} ‘Sinquep[O OAT YONP|OTOTS |, ‘SOI¥UNOD B1OUT[L puv uojJsnOH UI UMOIS ‘poal[-J1OYS 9917,]9 |OTI9 |g 9A4,podd ATs, Wa10G9:4Inay [NWN .q LIV A} **|OTI9 12, ‘Ssunod OTIGA tarveq AYS ‘poos vai7,/OT!9 |9 |G ‘S[JOS 9UOJSOTUTT YSTY WO 4SO|6 |k |8 | ‘IYSTTq 09 goolqns pure qcarveq AUS }8 |6 [6 |Z BIEIaIS tlm Bel S| % B/Siols ‘SyIvUO yy o|S|5| + & GOIVA aNV aSf) se eee eens ‘qo “o0q ea ploe-qus wee eens qossna MOTION “pissny| ot AON] oo 7 plow-qng|"*aMorq 3 ‘Ted YSTU,I5 UISUOOSTM |" 90O] ** plow’-qng| pds pera Ystu,.1 teeter eee “daa “00q eee eeee ploe-qug ee wee wees qossna1 udo19 eee eee eee eeeee ‘Sny steer e ww ee ewes ploy seresesees* MOTIOA 4USIT UISMODST A | "99d “AON eile queseald Sie ye MOT aT AS “"-eIssny| Ue “90q|" “** prloe-qng}7,049 UM,q* [aA StU ,19| * “-RIssny|* “Sn y]'** plow yunseve[d]****pedid}s pos ‘Molo A UISUOODSI AA |" **** ‘AON |*'* plow Juesvetd| qsn{q ‘Mojjesé Ysta.449 “qguowd9,A | IB “uee}**""gooMs ATIVAN | GsnTq ‘MOT[eA YSTU,9 “-"BISsny| AON ‘90O]"* proev-qus AT}, IS} Usn[q pue ‘Tos yysVT - RISsny ood “190 teens DOSS G)/ “pedis pea “Tak ‘Taio eee eee AON “490 ee ey ploy *pedras por “TOA ‘Uday “"BIssny| dep “oo(y|*’ °°" “o1yVmMoIe ‘VOOMS ‘ploB-qng|ped pue MOTIVA YSIU,1H “BpeuRo| Ue “AON ‘poOs ‘plow-qng]*********"" pedis poy “""*BISsnyy|" 1312) Gl Rabon eae proe-qng|p,d149s pet “[oA4 YStu,15 “""BISSNyy|* qadag|*** plow quesve[q|pedi14s UMOIq ‘pero xX poe BISSTINT roe VOOR ns eo prov-qny|podra4s por “Tes‘ue019 Ayonquey)| «ey “oeq|* “"** proe-qng|*'* pedt4qs pod ‘MOT[OA “***BISSny aryal “190 eee eee proe-qnus sae SMOTG USIQry ‘poy ***°BTSSNY| “AON 9dag] *" "°°" "° ploe-qng|p,d9s pary [oA GSIU,.15 “**"BISSNY|'00q “ AON] plow qns ATI,19]"°°"** MOT[OA YSTuaaIyH “ BISSNY “AON “990 se eece rece esces ploy sees ewe *-*nedrajs pey ‘UISIIO ‘aosvog *1OAV[ Be) (eye) ‘NOILdT HOSA oe Meneses "= DUNOY |p ysrpunoy|9 ** [BOTUOD ‘punoy|s “[.WO0o ‘put “QR aq|s --a9BA0 ‘punoy|F OC ea yorlg poy Teese" TODO quin{[d seeeeess nossny Aled SPEC COEOORE Gk) ee ed . punoyyy9 “* (¢ ‘ON ssoeqonqg) sulueoly 8,0099eg Seteehatsiete punoy|s ogc Tp YOHOISO teeeee punoa ‘Qe ,9 sees *(Sanqueplo jo ' sseyqond) sanquepl[o “* [BOIUOD ‘punoy|oL OUI AA S,UOUR WOW AnUoodRAIOe eormog|e 09 Fle BpurlR yy *=\TeOUOO PUNO pt] wees oe ee pleysuoT eet [TBoruod “RI T/9 Aqory puv [eusreqry 0BAS [eVoluoo “qupqigoq eles SRE of “**punod Qe g eee twee queseed pooy “*punod ‘Ystq1e LaF “**"*(MOUG) OSNOWB sreseeseeeermormog|p [ree +s SBUIysIayQ -*7 00 ‘pu ela 9 ee wees yOuVpeyD wee punoi a 2} {a 9 04 G eee e te ee eee eyulaolog ** TBOTUOO ‘punoyy|), ts ssosre= "STAG UGG . )G:79)89 Coy9) ‘punoy f "ee eee ere ee eee UIIstay “P.qid "[, WOO “Bl A|F ‘poy LO MOT[9 XA ‘sIuy ** [BOTUOD *punoyy|g pisces) BEA OUOUMY: ‘* 7Boruoo ‘punoyl|or |r tt* (lopuvxoLV 1o1ed wg) LapuBxd, Vy iy ere mM = iw “10, ‘ALAIUV A JO ANVYN ‘SQIVW SHYAG—SH Idd V 199 e =) ie) 3 | ‘SUIYIOM dO OJ YOO9S SB OTGVNIVA |OLOLIOLIF |°"*” BVISSNY}*"*** “*qdag}""**""**poos A190 A|p,dtays pod puev MOTO A] *punor YSI94R[T 9821/7 ers rtsr ss) BTOTsaT A a *BOTITTUDOT Peo LOF O[Quntva LILIA |S (01 G |g [°° *stourqiy *rrrrtadeg]*: poe "ttt poos AIOA "rot" ped pue MOTO’ peers punow pats eee ee Acuama Mm <_< ‘aeindod ynq ‘4qst1q neh enieorene OT/OL/OL|F | Boltoury 4dag|° poop por pue MOT[OA|**"p YST44 2 W/O0L,'T quep iL = tes a : Sere Oe eee an eww o eq [IM sjonpoad ‘remors SNOLOSTA |OTIOT/OLIF |RJOSoUUTPT|******- NGOS |S aie DOO ms AMOI ject een pa ** poy] punor YstHe[ YA!" 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President Underwood: The subject is now before you for discussion. This paper have been very interesting, and IL hope the members will discuss it thoroughly. Mr. Allyn: It has bothered me a good deal of late to know why we have such a bountiful bloom in plums, apples, etc., and such a scarcity of fruit. This last year I noticed that the trees bore this bloom very bountifully, and, yet, a great many of them were very barren. I suppose the pollen is destroyed by. the wet weather. I would like to learn whether that is the real reason. My. Brackett: The wet weather washes the pollen on to the ground so that the wind does not carry it. Mr. Heideman: I believe, as I stated in my paper, that the conditions were these: We had a few very bright days in April that started the plum blossoms until they were almost ready to open. Cold weather then set in. It was cold, chilly and damp and, while the plums should have been in bloom ordinarily as early as the 15th of May, the blossoms were held back by lack of warmth and sunshine and did not bloom until the 1st of June. Now, the bloom is a very delicate institution. ‘Of course, in winter it is wrapped up in the bud and lies in a dormant state, and can thus endure a great deal of hardship and change of climate, bit when it has been started and the processes of assimilation have set in and the real chemical work has begun, it is very easily injured. The weather this spring was cloudy and rainy for a long time, and, of course, if it continues cloudy and rainy for along while the organs of reproduction will be so weakened that it will be entirely out of the question for them to perform their functions. Mr. Murray: My own observation was that on account of the cold weather there was not as good a pollenization as there should have been. The pollen that did form was largely washed out by the enormous rainfall. Mr. Urie: Being a bee-keeper, I have observed that when we have a good crop of fruit the weather is generally such that the bees can visit the blossoms. When we have such a year as last year, with such weather as we had, the bees can- not visit the blooms. The result is generally a poor crop of fruit. I believe that bees are the finest things that the horti- culturists can have near their orchards. I have observed that for the last thirty or forty years. In Illinois, where I came 208 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. from ten years ago, we had around us a large number of pear orchards, and when the weather was such that the bees could not get out of their hives, we raised scarcely any pears, but when the weather was fine, we always got a good crop. I think that is one reason why our fruits failed this year. FRUIT BLOSSOMS. L. H. WILCOX, HASTINGS, In reporting upon fruit blossoms, allow me to depart from the usual formula and call attention to the possibilities of beneficient results clearly within our reach. While thousands of experimental tyros,with no proper conception of the Creator’s plan of life are working by crude and unscientific methods to attain useful improvements in our various fruits, how few are taking advantage of the ascertained facts of botanical knowledge to develop the desirable and eliminate the undesirable characteristics of fruit by proper selection and treatment of the blossoms, the reproductive organs of plant life! That like produces like is a generally recognized law of © nature, but this is usually varied in individual forms by the composite character of their ancestry, and variations are most readily produced in form, quality and all the distinguishing attributes of plant lifein kip- dred species by proper use of pollen from the blossoms. If close bred, the variations will be within comparatively narrow limits, and by judicious selection of parents good qualities may be fixed and retained in their progeny. If cross-fertilized by other varieties possessing different habits’ of growth and quality of fruit, we can always safely assume that the pro- geny will closely follow the female plant in constitution and vigor, while the influence of the male will predominate in form, size and character- istics of fruit. If fruit blossoms are pollenized from kindred species of the same family of plants, true hybrids may be produced of great constitutional vigor, but the lines of variation with these are quite uncertain and have not been well established, except in one or two sub-orders. God provides against unlimited multiplication of species in a state of nature by rendering the blossoms of most hybrids impotent, so we may encounter greater difficul- ties with those in the second than the first generation. Fixity in reproduc- tion may be secured by repeated crosses with the better established par- ent varieties, when it can be done, and thus artificial species created of possible utility to mankind. Nature provides by most beautiful adjusted and elaborate arrangements for the cross-fertilization of flowers, and each species has its own peculiar adaptation of blossoms for this purpose. Some float large quantities of pollen grains upon the air, while others use the bees and insects to carry their love to distant flowers; and what is still more essential in the at- tainment of this object, most bi-sexual fruit blossoms discharge their pollen either before or after the stigma of that particular blossom is in acondition to receive it. Grey says there must be some essential advan- tage in cross-fertilization, or cross-breeding, otherwise all these various FRUIT BLOSSOMS. 209 elaborate and exquisitely adjusted adaptations would be aimless. Doubt- less the advantage is the same as that which.is realized in all the higher animals by the distinction of sexes. Man by intelligent study of its pro- cesses may so modify the workings of nature as to secure results adapted to his own use. While nature provides for the survival of the fittest to perpetuate the species, man may provide for the survival of those best fitted to contribute to his own wants and enjoyment. By utilizing our knowledge of the various attributes of the blossoms and the most com- mon lines of variation, we may breed with a certainty of success to almost any desirable degree of excellence of fruit or hardiness of plants, as has been done with our improved breeds of horses and cattle. Thesame funda- . mental laws of heredity govern all plant, animal and human life, and when I see plants assisting nature’s designs by voluntary action of their own, I cannot help but feel that those attributes of existence, or quali- ties of mind, called reason in man and instinct in animals, may be found extending in less- degree throughout all forms of vegetable or plant life. The soul sleeps in plants, dreams in animals and awakes to life in man. The great success attending the work of Von Mons shows what may be done in the development of fine quality by selection and close breed- ing alone. but his trecs and others produced in a like manner were gener- ally lacking in hardiness, and as they displaced the poorer natives they have given the peara reputation for tenderness, which it should not pos- sess. If he had understood the art of hybridizing and crossing, as we do to- day, he would have, undoubtedly, improved their hardiness as well as qual- ity of fruit. But their hardiness is not necessary in France, while it. is the first requisite here. Without alluding to the details of many individual experiments, we have established by means of the blossoms two fundamental principles of variation, by means of whieh we may secure what we need for the great Northwest, viz: Theconstitutional vigor, hardiness and climate- proof properties of inferior varieties, combined with the useful qualities of superior fruits. These two basic principles are: First.—The ability to secure by cross-breeding varieties more hardy than the female parent combined with the useful qualities of the male. Second.—The ability to fix desirable characteristics by close crosses with like bred varieties pos- sessing Similar attributes. The female parent variety should always pos- sess to a marked degree healthy, hardy habits of growth, and with small fruits, especially, alarge well-developed root system. The pistillate are usually more liberally endowed with these qualities as well as more pro- ductive than their bi-sexual kindred; the staminate parent should not be deficient in these, while excelling in size and quality of fruit. We should use careful observation in the selection of individual blossoms and plants, or our efforts for improvement may result in perpetuating defects, which sometimes seem more easy to transmit than the virtues which we seek to secure. It is not the true fruit, the seed, that we need to de- velop, but its fleshy surroundings, the thickened corolla, the enlarged torus of the selected blossom and the size and length of the fruit stem: These should receive careful attention, as they all serve to modify results. In conclusion, let me say, from my own experience with small fruit, I fully believe the time has come when the blossoms will act as a compass to our apple growers and point the way to the production of those hardy, long-keeping varieties of winter apples, which we all desire. 14h EXPERIMENT STATIONS. REPORT OF CENTRAL STATION. PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK, It is a little too early tolook for the best results from the reorganization © of our experiment stations. I think the work doneand being done shows, however, the wisdom of your action of two years ago, by which the pres- ent superintendents of the experiment stations were selected. The work. already accomplished here is all that could be expected in so short a time Considerable material for experiment purposes was sent out to the dif- ferent stations last spring. and I think all of them received the material asked for by the superintendents as nearly as it was practicable to furnish it. In bulletin No. 25 of this station, published in December last, was- included reports on small fruits from those sub-stations especially work- ing on these lines. It is my intention to increase the representation of the work of the sub-stations in the bulletins of the central station, as their work increases in value and as opportunity may offer. Reports from these stations are submitted herewith and they speak for themselves of the great value of the work they are all doing. PUBLICATIONS. The publications of this division for the time covered by this report are as follows: Bulletin No. 24, issued in October, 1892, consists of 64 pages, and is a report on the behavior of the ornamental and timber trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants offered by the most progressive nurserymen that have been tried in this state. This bulletin contains a table of hardiness in which the different plants mentioned are, as far as possible, criticised by reliable observers in various parts of thestate. It is designed, especially, as a guide to planters in this state, and furnishes a satisfactory answer to the many requests this division has received for information of this character. Bulletin No. 25, issued in December, 1892, consists of a report on varieties of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, dewberries and grapes fruited at the station the past year; a report on a preliminary ex- periment in shading strawberry plants to increase their fruitfulness; on renewing old strawberry béds; on the details of a very successful experi- ment in thespraying of grape vines to prevent downy mildew, and of re- ports from our sub-stations on small fruit. APPLES. The experiment orchards at the station are in excellent condition and produced a small amount of very excellent fruit the past season for the first time, but they are not yet eld enough to warrant me in drawing conclu- sions from the results. The number of varieties on trial has been in- creased by the addition of promising seedlings and Russian, Swedish and % nt a MN 7 * ay. cf ee te Bee Pe 8 oe Mae Wels OF ie 7 _ ce ee s 2 : E ¥ . EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 211 North German apples, until now we have about 300 varieties. It is my object to thin out this large list and reduce it to reasonable pruportions as soon as may be. There was considerable root-killing in some locations last winter, and last summer blight was very severe and thinned out some va- rieties very severely; but I look upon its apearance as a positive benefit to experimental horticulture, for it has indicated the great resistant qualities . of a few varieties while it has shown the absolute worthlessness of many kinds. A few varieties have stood up fresh and green allsummer, while close to them other varieties, perhaps, blighted to death. A few of the kinds that have most successfully resisted the work of the blight are Duchess, Anisim, Lieby, Red Wine, Breskovka (152 m) and Borovinka, The Lieby had a very little blight on the ends of a few twigs, the others mentioned were not at all affected. The variety referred to as Anisim is the same as that formerly exhibited here as Good Peasant. It is an early winter apple of extra fine quality. I regard it as one of the most promising kinds that has been tried in this state. The tree is one of the hardiest. Breskovka (152 m) is very much like the Yellow Transparent in season, size, color and productiveness, but while the Yellow Transpar- ent is killed by blight the Breskovka seems to be proof against it. I re- gard it as a very valuable kind. TOP-WORKING APPLES. The subject of top-working somewhat tender varieties of apples on hardy stocks is one that is exciting among orchardists much interest in this state, and some results already achieved in this line seem to indicate that by this plan varieties of no greater hardiness than the Wealthy may be grown much farther north than at present seems practicable. One of the best stocks for top-working is the Virginia crab, and last spring I planted fifty of them for this purpose. : ; SEEDLING APPLES. In my report last year I referred to the importance of experimenting with seedlings from some of the best varieties of apples. I have grown the season just past 900 plants from seed of the most hardy desirable known varieties of apples. While this is a promising field for experiment, yet with these seedlings we know only the maternal parent, and, of course, the work is made more a matter of chance than it would be did we know both parents. With the objectof doing better work, 1 last spring made hand crosses of the follcwing hardy kinds of apples with the Lieby, using the latter as the mother plant: Duchess of Oldenburgh, Christmas, Good Peasant, Borovinka and Charlamoff. This work may be compared to the systematic, intelligent breeding of domestic animals, and from these crossed seeds I expect much better results than from ordinary seedlings. : PLUMS. The outlook for improvement in this fruit is very encouraging. We have now forty-seven named varieties on trial, and are making a spec- ialty of raising seedlings from the best kinds, and have now over four thousand plum seedlings, from which we expect to select at least two hundred promising plants for fruiting. The large trees in the orchard have borne regularly very heavy crops of fruit until this year, when they blossomed profusely but the pollen was washed away by heavy rains and the crop was a total failure. 212 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | * ' REPORT ON STRAWBERRIES. . The strawberry crop was a fair one and prices were higher than for several years. The young plantations are in the best of condition for a good crop next year. The leaf blight was very destructive to some varieties, notably to the well known Captain Jack, which has been very generally a failure from this disease. Our experience at the experiment station - goes to show that while it is possible to keep most varieties healthy by, the use of Bordeaux mixture and other fungicides, yet it is much better to plant varieties that resist this disease. However, the increasing difficul- ty of getting satisfactory pollen producers may soon force us toeuse the Bordeaux mixture on these kinds. It is very certain that only healthy varieties can produce paying crops of fruit, and while the health and pro- ductiveness of varieties of the strawberry varies much in different loca- tions, yet some varieties do remarkably well over a large area and in almost any location or soil. The strawberries at the experiment station are on open clay land having a gentle slope to the south, and are grown in the matted row system. The runners are allowed to root until the row is well filled, and any that start afterward are cut off. It is our practice to fruit .strawberry beds a second time, if they are in good condition when the first crop is gathered, and this year most varieties have proved more prolific on the old beds than on the new. In renewing old strawberry beds the following plan is pursued: RENEWING OLD STRAWBERRY BEDS. As soon as may be after the crop is gathered, the bed is closely mowed and all the weeds and strawberry leaves are burned. A plow is then run on each side of a matted row, and all but about one foot in width of it is turned under. The furrows thus made are filled with fine rotted manure and the cultivator set going.* The plants remaining are then thinned out with a hoe, and special pains taken to cut out all weeds and old or weak plants. This leaves the old bed clean, with plenty of manure close by, in which the old plants can make new roots. The plants soon send up new leaves which are much healthier than they would be were the old foliage allowed to remain; and if we have an ordinary season an abund- ance of runners will be sent out, and by winter the old bed will look nearly as vigorous as a new one. At the time of this writing we have an old bed of various kinds that has borne two crops, which we cleaned up in July for a third, and it is very difficult to find on it a single diseased leaf among the several varieties with which it is planted, and the rows are full of green, vigorous plants and runners. : SHADING STRAWBERRY BEDS. Many complaints have reached us of the difficulty of securing a good crop of strawberries in exposed places on the prairies, even when the plants had grown well and both staminate and pistillate kinds were planted. This troubie is probably due to the pollen being too much dissipated by the wind, and, perhaps, also, to the drying up of the fruit after it isset by the hot sun and winds. With the object of finding a remedy for this trouble some preliminary experiments have been undertaken, in one of *We sometimes find it necessary totake out all but the two outside cultivator teeth if the mulch is very thick. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 213 which a part of the strawberry bed, including mostly plants of a late variety, named Parker Harle, was shaded with a brush screen such as we use for protecting evergreen seedlings. The result was the plants under the screen matured all the fruit, while on those not thus shaded many berries were sun-scalded and many others failed to ripen. In the first case, we had a full crop: in the second, perhaps, one-half. This is con- firmatory though not by any means conclusive data, on which to recom- mend this practice to those wishing to grow strawberries in very ex- posed places. But it would seem, however, a very rational suggestion, when we remember that, generally, the best fruit and, certainly, the best late fruit of strawberries is found in the wild state in locations somewhat protected and shaded, and that in such places the foliage is seldom _ affected with fungous diseases. The past season was in point of moisture an exceptional one and not the best in which to make this trial. A good screen for this purpose is made by setting posts with natural Crotches at one end, connected together by poles and covered with willow or other brush sufficient to give a play of light and shadow on the bed, but not enough to keep out more than half the sunlight. I think it would be well to have such a bed in a somewhat protected location. Such treat- ment might not be practicable on a large scale, but it isso very inexpen- . sive and simple that it is well worth trying in a small way in the home garden. Weshall report further on the matter when we have more fully investigated it, and make this simply as a report of progress and as asug- gestion to fruit growers. SEEDLING STRAWBERRIES. For fruiting next year we have a finelot of about seven hundred seed- ling plants from which we have kept the runners off, and they are very promising indeed; they areseedlings of Warfield and Haverland, fertilized with Michel’s Harly. From seed sown this year we have over two thousand plants pricked out in frames, which we expect will be in excellent condition to plant out nextspring. These are the result of carefully made crosses between our most prolific kinds. NOTES ON NEW VARIETIES OF STRAWBERRIES. Especially desirable kinds are starred. Bederwood. (b)** A very promising new berry that has done remarkably well with us this season. It is bi-sexual, has lots of pollen, and I think it _ well worth trying as a pollenizer and for market. Its foliage is only slight- ly affected with rust. Bubach. (p) Gave us a few magnificent berries, but not enough to makea profitable crop. Boynton. (p) Isared berry of about the size and with much the ap- pearance of the Crescent, but apparently no better. Crescent. (p)** This old standard variety has done very well this season. In our old bed it produced a far larger crop than in the new bed, but it did not do nearly as well as the Warfield, which I think is generally su- perseding it. Captain Jack. (b)* Was nearly ruined by rust. 214 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY i Great Pacific.(b) Iam somewhat disappointed in this variety. Some | of the fruit is large, but much of it is small and irregular in shape and rather inclined to rust. Haverland. (p)*** Has done much better than last year, and was in 5 many ways our best berry. The foliage is healthy and the berries are ele- gant. It produced rather more fruit this year than the Warfield. Jessie. (b) Was nearly a failure with us this year, as well as at some of our trial stations. I regard it asa very uncertain kind and think there is a weakness in the blossoms that makes it peculiarly susceptible to in- jury from winds, frosts and heavy rains. Michel’s Eurly. (b)* I think well of this variety as a pollen producer, but it does not produce much fruit and has not been as productive this year as last. Yet its fruit this year was rather larger and better in qual- ity than last. I mean to continue using it as a pollen producer. Itisa vigorous grower and free from rust. Little's No. 7.(b) From John Little, Granton, Ont. Is one of the most striking in foliage and fruit of all that have come to my notice for several years. The foiiage is tall, dark green and very healthy. The fruit is long, large and firm, on long peduncles. Very productive and a promising late fruit. Litile’s No. 9. (p) Also from John Little. Is a very productive and promising variety of large size. Little’s Seedling No. 37. (p) Resembles the Warfield very much, but it is not quite as early and is somewhat sweeter. Very productive and prom- ising. Lovett’s Early. (b) Is a berry of good color, form and substance, but not sufficiently productive to be profitable. Enhance. (b) Has produced some very good fruit on August set plants, but. needs another season’s trial to thoroughly test it. Promising. Oregon Everbearing. Whatever everbearing qualities it may once have had, it does not show them here, and I rather doubt whether it ever bore over any number of consecutive seasons more than one cropa year. Not desirable. ; Parker Earle. (b) Is about ten days behind the Warfield. It has a great lot of green fruit, but during the hot weather much of it fails to ripen sat- isfactorily. This year a part of the space devoted to it was shaded, with the result that the portion so treated produced a fine crop of fruit while the rest gave a very light crop after the first picking. Plant very healthy and vigorous, but it does not make many runners. Princess. (p) Seems to be doing better in the hands of its originators and elsewhere, than with us. I regard it as generally a profitable berry for the near market. It is of large size and fine color but rather soft. Pearl.(b) A beautiful bright red berry that did poorly with us last year, but this year is very productive. Schuster’s Gem. (p) Did remarkably well with us last year, but not so well this. It is of good size and worthy of further trial. Saunders. (b) Did very well with us last year, but this season seems much inclined to rust. Warfield. (p)*** The most popular berry grown, and it is fast supplant- ing the Crescent in this state. It is a better shipping and selling berry than the Haverland. Our customers especially like it for canuing pur- poses. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. List of new varieties planted the spring of 1892: Accomack. Beverly. | _ Swindle. Edgar Queen. Waldron. Southard. Standard. ‘ Putnam. Stevens. Gillespie. Westlawn. Williams. Muskingum. Auburn. Dayton. Noble. E. P. Roe. Mark. Leader. Gem. Waupon. Ona. Oscar. Sandova. RASPBERRIES. The raspberry crop has been a very profitable one this season. Almost every variety has given good returns. Many plantations of red raspber- ries are affected with the disease commonly called ‘‘leaf curl,’ and it is becoming a very serious matter in many places, where it is spreading slowly but surely. No remedy is known for the disease, but the best treatment for it seems to be the digging out and burning of all affected plants. In starting a new bed, it should be only on new land, and great care should be taken to use only healthy plants. SEEDLING RASPBERRIES. About five hundred seedlings of Schaffer’s Colossal fruited this year for the firsttime. The fruit resembles very closely that of the parent plant, and a number of seedlings appeared fully as valuable as that of the Schaf- fer. Fifty of these were selected as being worthy of further trial. It is a point of special interest that the seedlings of this variety, which is gen- erally termed a hybrid, should be so uniform and show so much of a fixed type. Three hundred seedlings of Souhegan and Cuthbert were raised the past year. NOTES ON SOME OF THE NEW RASPBERRIES. Gladstone. Grows vigorously and produces a little fruit until frost, but what little fruit it does produce is so small and soft as to make it almost worthless either for home use or for market. Golden Queen.** Continues to be the favorite yellow kind. Its fruit is ‘large and firm. With the exception of color, practically indentical with Cuthbert. Hansell.* A very early kind that is becoming quite a favorite. Itisa rather weak grower except on rich soils, and until well established it needs high cultivation. Superlative. A new variety sent out by Ellwanger & Barry of Rochester, New York, at six dollars ($6) per dozen in 1892. Fruit on spring set plants very large but crumbly and of poor quality. Foliage and cane of the Ant- werp type. Champlain. Similar to the above in foliage and cane, but has not fruited here. BLACK CAP RASPBRRIES.—( Rubus Occidentalis.) Kansas. A very vigorous and productive variety from Kansas, Fruit large, of fine appearance and very promising. Lovett, or ($1000). Will probably prove to be a desirable addition to our list of second early kinds. The fruit is as large as the Gregg, and it is several days earlier. Foliage and cane quite distinct. MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL pig aoe Mystery. Sent out from Kentucky as an everbearing kind. It bears but one crop here. Nemaha.*** Is without doubt somewhat hardier than the Gregg and — so much like it in fruit as to be practically the same thing for market- ing purposes. Older. We have not fruited this variety, but reports on its behavior elsewhere convince me that it is well worthy of trial by berry growers. Season about with the Ohio. JAPAN RASPBERRIES.—(Rubus Japonica.) Japan Wineberry. This berry has been greatly misrepresented and is giving very general disappointment where tried. It is interesting to botanists and may be useful in hybridization, but for fruit production it is practically worthless. The berry is small, of poor color and enclosed in a husk like a ground tomato. Varieties of raspberries planted at experiment station in 1892: Thompson’s Early Prolific. Superlative. Brackett’s Seedling, 101. Champlain. Older. Ada. NOTES ON NEW VARIETIES OF BLACKBERRIES. Jewett is a new blackberry received from the J. C. Lovett & Co., Little Silver, N. J., in 1890. It killed with us the first year, although well pro-. tected with soil. El Dorado is a new blackberry that we received from Greenville, Ohio, in 1891. It was quite prolific this season, of good large fruit. A promis- ing kind. NOTES ON NEW VARIETIES OF GRAPES. ~ Centennial. A very productive white variety of moderate or poor growth. Bunches are of fair size and very compact. The berry is white, small; seeds large; of good quality; skin tough. There are several more satisfac- tory white varieties. Ripens with Concord. Green Mountain. A new grape that we fruited this year for the first time. ‘The vine is vigorous, healthy, apparently hardy enough for our conditions, and I think very prolific. The bunches are of good size; the berry is pale green, medium in size, very Sweet and melting, with thin skin. It ripens earlier than any other variety of as good quality that we have. It drops from the bunch as soon as well ripened, which, with its green color, will prevent its being largely planted as a market variety. I think highly of it for the home garden in this state, and recommend it for trial. Moore’s Diamond. A very distinct new white grape that is very promis- ing. The vine is vigorous, healthy and productive. Bunches compact, shouldered, large; berries large; skin thick; flesh tender, juicy and melt- ing. We have fruited it two years and consider it especially desirable for a standard white grape. Its season is from four to eight days earlier than the Concord. Moyer. Vine resembles the Delaware in foliage, growth and hardiness, but its bunch and berry are much smaller; berry sweet and melting. We fruited it this season for the first time. It ripens about a week before the Delaware, and this quality will make it desirable, if it proves to be suffic- iently vigorous and productive. ; EXPERIMENT STATIONS 217 \ ———s- Woodruff Red. A new red grape. Vine vigorous, healthy and hardy; has bunches small; berries large, bright red, with a beautiful bloom; flesh foxy, pulpy and sweet. We have fruited it but one season, I think it of too poor quality to pay for planting. Wyoming Red. Vine vigorous, hardy and healthy, but only moderately -__-productive with us; bunches small to medium in size, compact; berries _. “medium size, bright red; flesh sweet, pulpy, quite foxy, but it is very good for such an early variety. Itis said to be growing in favor in the Hast as a very early red grape, and is well worthy of trial by vineyardists here. - Varieties planted at the experiment station that have not yet fruited: Eaton. Dracut Amber. Poughkeepsie Red. Herman Jaeger. Rommel. Peter Wylie. G. W. Campbell. Brilliant. Ebony. Atavite. Red Bird. Monitor. Solin Crup. Tbheophile. _ Marie Louise. Illinois City. Bertha. Dr. Warder. Emma. Witt. Nectar. Rockford. Mills. Triumph. Colerain. Early Ohio. Geneva. EVERGREEN SEEDLINGS. . ; The work of raising coniferous evergreen seedlings, referred to a year _ago, has been continued the past season. Further work shows the great superiority of a sun screen, that is high above the bed and allows for a good circulation of air underneath it, over a low screen. This was one of the worst of seasons for ‘‘damping off” in the seed bed, yet under screens six feet above the bed, such as I have recommended for shading straw- berties, there has been almost no loss at all. ROCKY MOUNTAIN EVERGREENS. After a careful study of these very beautiful and useful evergreens, I _have commenced raising the following kinds from seed obtained from high altitudes on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains: Heavy-wooded or Bull Pine (Pinus ponderous), Colorado Blue Spruce (Pica pungens), Engleman’s Spruce (Picea Engelmanii), Abies concolor Douglas Spruce, (Pseudosaga taxifolia) and Mountain Balsam (Abies sub- alpina.) Experiments of minor importance which have been completed or are in progress are: Variety tests with 21 kinds of tomatoes; variety tests with 50 kinds of potatoes; variety tests with 26 kinds of sweet corn; variety tests with 20 kinds of garden peas; experiments in grafting grapes; experi- ments to demonstrate the effect, if any, of electricity on plant growth when applied to the soil; experiments in shading of strawberry beds to increase the certainty and amount of the crop; experiments with rais- ing sand cherries from seed with the object of producing improved fruit. (In conducting this work over 4000 sand cherry seedlings have been raised, - and I consider the work of great promise.) Experiments with raspberry, strawberry, grape and gooseberry seedlings, the object being to produce kinds of these fruits that are better adapted to our conditions than any we now have. In conducting this work over 5,000 seedlings of these fruits have been raised. 218 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I have been called upon during the past year to investigate the work of the downy mildew in vineyards around Lake Minnetonka, where the treat- ment of fungicides has given nearly entire immunity from the disease, and this at a cost snfficiently low to permit of its being used on a large scale. By request an investigation has also been made into the adapta- bility for cranberry raising of some large marshes in Otter Tail county. DISCUSSION. Mr. Sampson: I would like to ask if the Professor noticed whether the perfect blossoming varieties of the grapes were able to pollenize in good shape; for instance, the Moore’s Early, if he noticed that it was a shy bearer. President Underwood: I think Mr. Sampson’s idea is with re- gard to the fertility of the blossom. I believe I called atten- tion to the report of one of the eastern horticultural experiment stations—I think it was that at Geneva—in which there was a great deal of importance attached to the fact that most varieties of grapes have not perfect blossoms. It gives the names of those varieties, of those kinds that have been tested, and the Moore’s Early is one of them. Mr. Heideman: I have observed the grape blossoms this spring, and my experience is that the Moore’s Harly has as perfect a flower and you can gét as good fruit from it as you can from the Concord or the Lady. Mr. Wedge: It seems to me that it is very clear that the Moore’s Early does not fruit as freely asitshould. The bunches are perfect; they are good solid bunches—but the difficulty is to get it to form bunches at all. We can overcome that by longer pruning, by allowing it a good deal of wood. President Underwood: If Prof. Green, as superintendent of our experiment station, had made careful investigations and experiments in regard to this matter of fertilization of grapes, and had found that they were imperfect in fertilization them- selves, or that it was owing to that lack of fertilization that they had not produced fruit, and had reported it in detail as has been done by the eastern experiment station, we would have a great deal of confidence in that report and would think we ought to look into the matter. The report from the eastern station is very carefully and minutely given, and I think this is a question we ought to look into this coming year, re me = es d een = 3 — tt gts (eke ee EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 219 REPORT AT SUMMER MEETING. PROF. S. B. GREEN. St. ANTHONY PARK, July 8, 1892. Mr. President and fellow members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: It is my earnest wish that the summer meeting of our society shall prove an enjoyable and profitable affair, and I have no doubt that it will, for I have myself been several times most agreeably entertained by our worthy president and his charming wife, who are to be your hosts. I _ know you will enjoy the time spent with them and in the nursery. I would like to be with you, but various circumstances seem to make it necessary for me to go Kast a few weeks at this time and so to be absent from the meeting. If I were to be with you 1 should, undoubtedly, talk some of the station’s strawberry crop, which is just now at its best, and I think perhaps a few preliminary notes on it may not come amiss at this time. . We have two strawberry beds; from one,we are taking the first crop and from the other, the second. Taken as a whole, the old bed is rather more productive than the uew one, but please bear in mind that the old bed was well thinned, cleaned and manured after the crop was gathered last July and is now much like a new bed. NOTES ON A FEW VARIETIES. Among the varieties that are freely advertised and have, undoubtedly, come to your notice are the following: Michel’s Early. (b). I think well of this variety as a pollen producer, but it does not produce much fruit and has not been as productive this year as last. Yet the fruit this year was rather larger and better in quality. I mean to continue using it asa pollen producer. It is a vigorous grower and free from rust. Haverland. (p). This variety has done much better this year than last and is in many ways our best berry and most productive. The foliage is healthy and the berries are elegant. I think it will produce rather more fruit this year than the Warfield. Warfield. (p). ‘This berry holds its own and is very productive. Itisa better keeping and selling berry than Haverland. It is quite acid and our customers especially like it for canning purposes. Parker Earle. (b). We have not had aripe berry yet from this variety. It is at least ten days behind Warfield, and will ripen with us about July 13th. It is well loaded with green fruit and promises a good crop. It is very healthy and blossoms late. I think it a safe berry so far as late spring frosts are concerned,but coming so late and in such warm weather, I am afraid it will be very apt to fail to mature its full crop. Bederwood. (b). This is a very promising new berry and has done re- markably well with us this season. It is bi-sexual, has lots of pollen, and I think it well worth trying. Its foliage is only slightly affected with rust. Great Pacific. (b). iam somewhat disappointed in this variety. Some of the fruit is large but much of it is small and irregular in shape. 220 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Saunders. This new much-praised seedling has done almost nothing in fruit production, though it produced a good lot of plants. Pearl. (b) Isa beautiful, bright red berry that did poorly with us last year, but this season is very productive. Van Deman. (b) Did very well with us last year, but this season it seems inclined to rust. The much praised Lady Rusk was a failure in 1890 and 1891, and again this year. Bubach.(p) Will give us a few magnificent berries, but not enough to make a profitable crop. Jessie. (b) Isa failure with us. Perhaps, it had too indulgent a guard- ian when young, for I hear many reports against it. Captain Jack. (b) Has rusted so badly that it will not mature a tenth part of the fruit set. Crescent. (p) Is doing well, but is not nearly as productive as Warfield and a few others, though it is still worth holding on to. Mrs. Cleveldnd. Has done very well. _ Park Beauty. Will yield a fair crop of medium-sized berries, but its foliage is badly rusted. Wilson. (b) Is not worth growing on our grounds. Enhance. (b) Has produced some very good fruit from August set plants, but needs another season’s trial to thoroughly test it. Seedling No. 7. (6) From John Little; is one of the most striking in foliage and fruit of all that have come to my notice for several years. The foliage is tall and dark green. The fruit is large, fine and forms on long peduncles. Very productive aud a promising late kind. Seedling No. 9.(p) Also from John Little; is very productive, anda promising variety of large size. Lovett’s Early. (b) This is a berry of good color, form and substance, but not sufficiently productive to be profitable. Osaola. Is thesame as Michel’s Early. Olive. Isa berry sent us from F. Strubler, of Napierville, Ill. This is the second year we have had it on our grounds. It is a vey strong grower, but is a total failure so far as fruit is concerned. Tippecanoe. Is ruined by rust. Boynton.(p) Isared berry, about the size and with much the appear- ance of the Crescent, but no better. Oregon Everbearing. Whatever everbearing qualities it may once have had, it does not show them here, and I rather doubt whether it ever boreover any number of consecutive seasons more than one crop a year. Not desirable. Schuster’s Gem. (p) This variety did remarkably well with us last year, but not so well this. It is of good size and promising. Mammoth, Great American, Middlefield, Wolverton, Farnsworth, Gov. Hoard and Atlantic are none of them possessed of any striking merit this year. vot Ss nite ee iS st is oe aa led 3 ey af oer vd De hoe 2 ‘ : ert ae i], ry (Nee date EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 291 FERGUS FALLS STATION. F. H. FIEDLER, SUPERINTENDENT. Mr. President and members of the State Horticultural Society:-In making my report as superintendent of the experiment station at Fergus Falls, I must first say that on account of damage, done by cattle to the experimental plants, shrubs and vines in October, 1891, the crop the past season was to quite an extent diminished, and in some cases entirely destroyed. All plants at the station that were planted in 1891 were perfectly hardy except the Thompson’s Prolific and Golden Queen raspberries, and the © Erie and Crystal White blackberries. All the raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries were covered with earth, strawberries with old straw. a Received from the central experiment station, St. Anthony Park, es Minn., on May 13, 1892, the following experimental stock, by American Ms Express: oe 3 Lieby apples. 1 Hartford grape. 2 Cheney plums. . 3 P. Greening apples. Pkg of Kansas raspb’ry. 3 Pres.. Hayes apples. sy 3 Early Strawb’ry apples. 12 Oider blackberries. 4 pears (no name). a 3 Sw’t Russ. crab apples. 3 Martha apples. 2 Thaler F apples. 25° 3 Sweet Russet apples. 1 Rockford plum. 2 Desota plums. it: 1 Lindley grape. 24M apples. 2 Gypsy Girl apples. 1 Lady grape. 3 Pride of Mpls apples. 2 Silken Leaf apples. Ww 1 Brighton grape. 3 Virginia crab apples. 3 Cross apples. a 3 Charlamoff apples. 3 Romna apples. 3 Hibernal apples. F 3 Good Peasant apples. Romensko apple. ‘All the above named stock was in very good condition when received, me ts. and all grew very well except three pears, whichdied in July—I put a lot . of unleached ashes around the fourth and it lived, but I cannot yet say Teer whether on aceount of the ashes being mixed with the ground, or whether 4 - {t would have lived anyhow: ‘This tree grew very stocky and healthy Bs leaves, something I have never seen before on a pear tree in this county. = Will try ashes again to find out if it has any influence. Apple trees look ¥ as very well but did not shed their leaves this fall—they are still on the trees. Wood seems hard and well ripened. ; Received from central experiment station on June 3, 1892, by express: 4 10 Sandoval strawberries. : 10 Schuster’s Gem strawberries. 10 Great Pacific strawberries. 11 Michel’s Early strawberries. 10 Bederwood strawberries. 10 Warfield strawberries. Plants good and very stocky; grew well. az REPORT OF STRAWBERRIES FRUITED IN 1892. aR Bubach No 2(P.) The largest berry on the ground. Light colored, A firm enough for home market. Plant very vigorous. One of the best va berries for this part of the state, if not the best. Cloud (P.) Did not fruit much. Fruit as large as the Crescent. Berry is firm but of very poor quality. Daisy (P.) Notso productive as the Crescent nor as large. Jessie (B.) A fine berry. The largest yielder here this year. Firm and of fair quality, fruit large. 4 Oliver (P.) Did not bear. = Warfield No.2 (P.) This variety beats Crescent in productiveness. Not quite as souras Crescent. Makes more runners than any other va- riety I ever observed. Color darker than Crescent. Wilson (B.) Too small to be of value. 229 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ° Crescent (P.) As good as many new varieties, but I think the Bubach and Warfield will knock it out. Haverland (P.) Did not bear. Red Jacket(P.) Does not bear enough fruit to be of value. Manchester (P.) Yielded as much fruit as the Crescent, but the fruit is not as large. Very good fiavor. Have ¥ acre planted to Crescent, Wilson, Jessie, Warfield No. 2, Bubach No. 5, Red Jacket, Manchester, Daisy, Cloud, Haverland, Coun- - tess, Great Pacific, Shuster’s Gem, Michel’s Early, and Bederwood, all of which I hope to fruit next year, CURRANTS FRUITED IN 1892. Crandall. Did not bear; growth very stocky; foliage distinct. Stewart. A good yielder; fine large berries; growth slow. Fay. Berries larger than any other variety on the ground except the Lee’s Prolific, but not productive enough for either home use or market. Victoria. Not productive. La Versailles. Only had one or two bunches of berries to a plant. Cherry. Berries not quite as large as the Stewart, but yields as many bushels as that variety to a given piece of ground. A standard variety here, every farmer grows it. Lee’s Prolific. Large berries of a flavor pecuiiar to the wild black cur- rant (ribes floridum.) Quite productive. Houghton gooseberry. Berries large, ripening about August 10th to 15th; very productive and of good quailty. Mildewed somewhat but not much. RASPBERRIES FRUITED IN 1892. Philadelphia. A shy bearer here. Does well at Perham. Turner. Berries were too small this summer. Good bearer most years. Caroline. Berries soft and of poor flavor, but very productive. Canes are lying down and berries will get dirty, unless well mulched. Very hardy. Cuthbert. This grand berry stands at the head of all raspberries for productiveness, size and quality. As hardy as any, when covered in win- ter. Have grown it seven years. : Golden Cap. Not productive enough this year. Gregg. The best blackcap I know of; large size; good flavor and very productive. Canes break easy when bent above the ground in laying down. Growth very stocky. Gladstone. An everbearing variety. Berries commenced ripening July 25th, and continued to do so in succession until to-day, Oct. 26th. Berries small, of no value for market. Dull purple color with whitish bloom. Golden Queen. Did not fruit with me this season. Canes broken off by cattle in 1891. Wineberry. Did not fruit. Thompson’s Prolific. Did not fruit; damaged by cattle. Progress. An early blackcap; berries too small and not very productive; good flavor; soft. Kansas. Nearly the same as the Progress, bearing a week longer. Ber- ries too small. Cromwell. Did not bear. Ada. Blackcap. Productive, but berries very small. er 4 EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 223 The following varieties will be fruited next season: Philadelphia, Tur- ner, Caroline, Cuthbert, Gregg, Gladstone, Golden Queen, Wineberry, Thompson’s Prolific, Progress, Kansas, Cromwell, Ada, and Older; all very stocky and healthy. All laid down and covered except 14 rows of Caroline. BLACKBERRIES FRUITED IN 1822. Lucretia (dewberry.) Quite productive, but of very poor quality and flavor. The berries are mostly small, and three-fourths of them are im- perfect as if the stigmas were not all pollenized; and while some ovules grow into seeds and the surrounding pericarp ripens, others remain in an immature state. Ifa variety of dewberriescan be found or originated that does not have this defect, and which will be of better flavor, it will be a great success, ripening as it does just before the blackberries. Vines grew 4 to 10 feet this season. Erie. About the same in flavor as the Lucretia dewberry. Ripens very late. Size about the same as the wild blackberry. Ancient Briton. Did not bear much. damaged by cattle. Berries most- ly large and of good quality. All blackberries were covered with earth this fall. The Crystal White I think will prove too tender for this climate even when so covered. Was frozen to the ground this spring when uncovered, although it was in good condition when covered in 1891. In fact, it was the best looking plant on the ground the first year. Have no new blackberries that will fruit next year. . Russian Poplars. Received in 1891; all are doing very well. Russian Willow. Received in 1891; grow slower than the former; the poplars made three to four feet of new wood and the willows two. Russian Pears. Received in 1891; are all dead; all died during the~ summer of 1892; cause, unknown; stems shrivel up, leaves look as if they had been too near a fire, and finally the whole tree dries up. GRAPES. I have one-half acre of grapes at the station; part planted in 1891, and part in 1892, on sandy soil underlaid with stiff clay mixed with lime- stone; slopes, west, on east bank of a lake. None fruited except the Drakut Amber, which is rather too late a grape for this part of our planet. I am afraid I did not get a chance to test the fruit, as others were quicker. This variety is the stockiest grower on the grounds. Hope to fruit some other varieties next year. Names of varieties planted are: Lady, Bright- on, Green Mountain, Telegraph, Woodruff Red, Drakut Amber, Moyer, Hartford, Lindley, Victor, Martha, Moore’s Early, Worden, Barry, Concord and Delaware. All grapes are covered with earth for protection. I tried to raise peanuts this year, but they did not get ripe; will tryagain. Rec’t. 57 black sand cherries from Perham this May, all seedlings of the best selected plants; would like to get some yellow sand cherry seedlings, Buffalo berry. Looks well; grew one and one-half to two feet: rec’t. 1891. 224 ‘MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * 5 f= irae (es - or wi ' ol S oS a o > o es Saae a | sl2eelee | le a=) 5 5; foe - 5) 2/2 |= |% |. (sls lesigsi2 ia jase 2 So 12 - a4 /s) 8 |s8's8l $ j2@-aslee. VARIETIES. ® ro) 6&5 | Go | Sa 1B] a les Bel a |wsleolae |B cs oles Bhs, HS Ties A a A A < Cle i> fF | > It la |b Strawberries. Crescent.... ..... { |June 5) June 22]........ 1to1%} 8} 9] 9} 9|10)10] 8 9 Wilsont si) chicas 3 |June. 5 June20|........ Oe Sener 5) 10 |, 5) S| - 16 10a 7 U@)3s) 12 stodansesecn: 5, (June 6)June28)........ Lito 4 Tl 8 | 9 2 950s ON tO Bubach, No. 5.... 2 |June 5|)June25]........ 14%°'1%| 8} 8}10] 9] 10} 10} 9) 10 Warfield No. 2.... Ss |June 6|June24|........ 1 to14%} 9} 10; 10 | 10) 10)10} 9} 10° Manchester ...... ra June 7|June27|........ B4to 1.2] Tah Gal, 471.985) FSi ORG 8 Red Jacket.... .. ® |June 7|June25}........ T4bO 1 | Gai 57.4 6), (84) 2 te MON aes 8 Green Prolific.... Fea MUM ROI sencilla meee BA cers til eiatare | ities 0.5) 0. }! 283) S6neae Haverland....... Pr Ue nO sche) bl eet ee are altace illest lesa 99) TOM) eae ClOUdHe keene 8 |June 9)June27]........ ¥to1.:| 8 | 9.) 6] 5} 10) sony 8 [OBISVc1ee tee osaeen q@ |June 14] June 25}........ ¥%to1.;| 8] 8} 4 0.5 | 105/100 osteo BG) Wie prclone oatee ee > |June13|July 10|........ Mivcee'ee Qu 2 BUSA SOM ee 8 OVERS. Re aee ee IO TE Kose oral aia niente ere lese | sata er | adoee 10, | 10hs0 8 Raspberries. Philadelphia, Aree f Junel7|July 18|)July 241%......; 4/ 5] 7| 9] 8 5) 16 Turner.. Bre Sates x [June 15)July 13)July 20/4... ..| 6] 8] 8} 8] 7 iff 9 Caroline.......... me |Junel?|July 14)July 20/%...... Bb Bo] bo) 20 | 10 i eats ea Cuthbert:........ > |June 16|July 29)Aug. 5 iy to14|/ 10] 8/10/10; 7] 9] LO 8 Golden Cap. & June 20|July J8|July 24/%...... C1 8. 4 10 104 On | aaa 5 Gress eetvesle = |June17 July 24|July 30)1....... 10°} 10: | 10 | 10). 9) 6) eSiieao Gladstone........ ro |June23| July 26|\July 30/%...... 65) 5 6B 9) 1) 6H eG 6 Golden Queen.. AIT eee Se Saale soets sof as@oade lSasaisued| eves! pens 5.1510" |e ce aa Wineberry ....... SESS Uaoee|| beacuse aeaeS4ers|bodbnaG - = |/boool baal Sorta (beh POE AAR S|) O°, Thompson’s Prol. 5 need) sone soee| a saoear CdinelSelee [gneiss ects] 22) Stil VON] eee mane Progress.... « Fsieate > |June li} July 15)July 24/%...... 84] 10}, ef 9 LON Saas Kansas . 8 | June19|July 19) July 24/%...... Mo Al Gi 10 -O) ial ete Cromwell.. » aeSeo0| | dave aie acaces ollhoebooe nono! Iron | inode kane 8.) 10") iG Cae aa L June 18|July 17|July 24 stsctssaiste LOO GN Oe aes ee 9 Blackberries. zs OL Stal Wiha bess. |) Lapeer sl cts ictscetctall ort eyeye Ne cle ee seeretl | Re, eS Of grapes I fruited 17 varieties, and in spite of the unusually wet season we had a fine crop; the Delawares especially were extra fine, as also were the Moore’s Early and some other varieties. The Wordens were disa- pointing; they set for a big crop, but did not ripen evenly; there seemed to be two sets of fruit on the same stem. I consider the Moore’s Early the best black grape. 15h awe BLACKBERRIES. Blackberries have done finely; the Stone’s Hardy is the hardiest on my list, but the Snyder and Ancient Briton are ot better quality; Agawam and Waschutt rank with the Snyder for hardiness and are not so difficult to lay down for winter, but they lack the quality. All varieties must have winter protection in order to bear well. DEWBERRIES. Dewberries also produced well, the Windom being mostly grown. We are also growing the Bartell and the Lucretia, and think very highly of them. They have never failed to bear abundantly of fine fruit where the canes had not been winter-killed. CHERRIES. We have several varieties of Russian cherries that are doing fairly well, having fruited some of them for three years. The birdsand children usu- ally take the fruit about as fastasit gets ripe. The Early Richmond is reasonably hardy and a good cropper, but like the other varieties gave little fruit the past season. My most promising cherries are some Russian seedlings. Iam trying the sand cherry; have not fruited it yet;it is easily propagated by cuttings. We fruited nine (9) varieties of cherries besides our seedlings. PLUMS. Plums were practically a failure, although about all varieties produced some fruit. The plum gouger did an unusual amount of damage. Of the known kinds the Forest Garden is considered the most reliable and valuable. The Desota set.consideradle fruit,but it was of inferior size and was badly stung. I would call attention to the Wolf plum. It is nota freestone, as it is sometimes called. Iam not sure but it is the most valuable plum in my collection. it should be more generally planted. Mr. A. Norby of Madison, South Dakota, sent me specimens of a plum that he calls the Iowa; it is a good plum, and on account of its extreme earliness it may prove valuable. I would recommend it for trial at our experiment stations. — ; RUSSIAN PLUMS. We fruited six varieties of the Russian plums. Like the natives, they produced very sparingly. The fruit is larger than our natives, and most of the varieties appear hardy. Iam convinced that we can grow these plums all right, but they are inferior in quality to our best natives. It is proba- ble that the Early Red is the best of its class. These plums are all blue or- black, even to the Early Red Russian right from the: Iowa Agricultural College grounds. I don’t understand it. The Russian No.3 and Arab are © also promising varieties. It seems to me that the crossing of these plums with our best natives should be undertaken by our experiment stations. PEARS. My only varieties are Russians. They were mostly set the spring of 1886 and seem perfectly hardy, but as yet none of them have fruited. I have five varieties that promise to fruit next season; 392 is the only variety that showed any blight the past season. My most promising varieties are: Tonkeveithka, Lemon, Gaskovka, Bessamanka and 518. I have hopes that we can grow these pears here. fg cd eee : : ; ey tes » 4 vee ta + on f = f - . EXPERIMENT STATIONS. } APPLES AND CRABS. Of these I have something over one hundred varieties; my orchard is young and but few varieties have borne any fruit. There was less blight at this station than usual, although there was more than usual in this part of the country; we had leaf disease or leaf scab on many varieties during July and August. The Russian varieties were comparatively free from leaf fungus or curl. The varieties that blighted the most were: Transcendent, Hysiop, Lake Winter, Green Streaked, Whitney’s No. 20 and Gipsy Girl. I have about fifteen hundred trees in my apple orchard and the most of them are looking fine. I at- tribute my success to liberal fertilizing and root protection. One of my neighbors practices girdling to induce fruitfulness with good success; this may-be a useful field to experiment in. Several parties in this coun- ty were induced to box their trees according to Mr. Brand’s plan, but each case heard from was attended with disastrous results. I would say go slow on boxing your apple trees. I expect to fruit some seventy-five va- rieties of apples and crabs this coming season, in which case I hope to be able to make a more complete report on this class of fruit. RUSSIAN POPLARS, I have been testing some fifteen or twenty varieties of the Russian poplars and willows, and in most cases I have been disappointed in them, especially in the poplars; they seemed to lack hardiness or adaptability. The populus Siberea may be of some value; I would recommend it for trial. RUSSIAN WILLOWS. As to willows—the willow worms have been so bad here for a few years past that we have about given up the willow; but there are two varieties of these Russian willows that I would call attention of this society to, they are the laurel-leaf willow (salix laurifolia) and salix acentifolia; they are both free growers, are not injured by the willow worm and are ornamental. The Russian golden willow (salix aurea) I consider valuable; it is ornamental in winter and is an upright and rapid grower. RUSSIAN OLIVE. lam highly pleased with the Russian olive (Elegnus angustifolia) or as the Mennonites here call it, the oil-berry; it is hardy and thorny, a rapid - grower, ornamental, and I am of the opinion that it will be valuable for hedging. CONIFERS. The spruce, pine and cedar do very well here; juniper savin is prom- _ising. I received last spring trom Wisconsin some 12,000 forest-pulled evergreens: they gave good satisfaction. ALBERT LEA EXPERIMENT STATION. CLARENCE WEDGE, SUPT. APpPplLEs—For four or five years prior to the past season this station has enjoyed a perfect exemption from fire blight. During that period there . has not been a twig touched upon even the varieties known to be most subject to its attack. About the middle of last June, however, the disease made its appearance both at the station and in neighboring orchards in severity about as great as I have ever observed in this section of the state. 228 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. a My i The Duchess planted for comparison, as it should be atall stations, in — various ages and positions, sustained its reputation for resisting blight. Its seedlings, Patten’s Greening and Peerless, planted two or three years ago, were also very perfect. A nursery row of two year-old Peerless did not show a blighted twig, while Whitney in an adjoining row showed blight in about every tenth tree. White Transparent, Long Arcade, and Kurskaga pear blighted almost beyond recovery. Ostrekoff 4 m, Cza’s Thorn, and Charlamoff blighted quite severely, Other varieties blighted to a less degree as indicated in the table annexed, which also shows num- bers and ages of trees. The leaf fungus or scab, so ruinous among the American varieties in Iowa, reached to thisstation. All varieties of Siberian crab were affected. The Briar Sweet losing most of its foliage. The Maiden Blush, Early Strawberry and Minnesota were affected. The Martha crab was perfect in leaf and fruit, which indicates its reputed parentage, the Duchess apple. All varieties of Russian, with the Duchess and its seedlings, were also perfect. Several Russian varieties, which showed fruit for the first time, proved . to have been received at this station under false names. Veronish Rein- ette proved to be an Anis. Fruit of Barloff and Vargul, submitted to Prof. Budd, proved to be respectively No. 579 and 321. Cross, 15m, proved to be some other unidentified variety. All varieties now reported as fruiting I believe to be true to name. REPORT ON APPLES, 1892, g : ~ a) Ss a |S tes a 2 Sie | oO ; 7 | Present | 3 VARIETY. Als Who from. =| 5 Blight, 1892. | 3 | condi- | & ae aie g | “tion. "| S : a n ajo 3] o 4 A BZ Z| Nn fe. IDM GHESS) ccceukeicseesren 1874] 1 5/85 BSc Very little. ....|No.|Perfect..!.... WIGAN Yieicceic cs seh 1880|15| Home nursery. 5)’85-85.|Considerable ..|No.|Fair.....}.... Briar Sweet.:........ 1883] 2}E. Wilcox........ Siesta INO settee eee tes No.|Good....|1890 Wid lineGl< pestsqaa Anos 8c 1883] 2)/E. Wilcox........ A anene Very little. ....|No.|Good....|1890 Charlamoff..-<.\.<.+< 1885] 1/C. Luedloff.......]..}...... Quite seriously na Fair ....|1890 PATNIGE io ae ene eotiace 1885} 3)Prof. Budd... -...1).|:.-... Nnttle: eae nseeee No.|/Good..../1890 AGtONOVIKE. . 2s.) s ee 1885; 3)Prof. Budd.......{ 2/1888. | Little. ..|No.]Good....|1892 Recumbent.... ...... 1889} 5|C. G, Patten......}..]...... Ibittle; és.92 24 No.!Good....}1892 O7ar SUP HOLM... cc 1885|"2| Prof. Budd: aes. ||.-|-02-- Seriously. . .|No.|Injured./1890 Ostrekoff 4 M......... 1886) iBroft Budde. e..p |<<) ss. ~- Seriously . BRS Not Bair eae. 1892 Martha... 2.2... ..(1889|-2/C)'G..Patten.....- Seen No ....|No.|Perfect..|.... MOtOTSIKY.. cos se.ces hep 1880} 2}; Home nursery...|..|...... Very Tittle. Sooahe No.|Good....|1889 Elgin Beauty........ 1881} 1}Cook, Rochester.}..|...... Very little...... No.|Good....|1890 Maiden Blush.. ./1883} 2)H. Wilcox......... Oral Bete. hittle 3.24. s tee No |Fair..... 1890 White Tr ansparent.. 1887) 5|A. G. Tuttle...... 3}1888..;/Very seriously.|No.|Bad..... 1890 UGH HOI «\..-1clajsele|siceles 1887/10/A. G. Tuttle...... 6|1888..|Considerable.. .|No.|Good..../1890 18 bil oven 06 Me aenrparsy cis 1887) 3)|A. G. Tuttle...... Hel acess G1ttlo sec neces No./Good..../|1890 Patten’s Greening...}1890| 5|C. G. Patten...... seloeesee| VELY little...... No.|Fine..... 1892 Long Arcade ....:... 1887) 1|A.G. Tuttle...... Be (ele tes Very cap) No.| Bad. ....|1892 Bite HAmdSsc. sla 1887) 2)A. G. Tuttle...... fall tote cate Little ..--|No.|Fair ..../1892 ING ee Pers cates a oe 1887| 2)A. G. Tuttle...... Be Sn Very little..:..: No.|Good.,..|1892 IN OTT Or a taaisleciciate's 0 1387) OPAL. Greta Omere nel ool maectce Little.. .|No.|Good....|1892 Repka Malenka...... 1887|10/A. G. Tuttle......| 2|1888..|Considerable...|No.|Fair ....|1892 Richland punter .|1890} 2;A. G. Patten...... Bol paease Little... ........|No.|Good....) 22. Striped Anis.. . {1890} 1/C, G. Patten...... b..| sess ei MUL bul. sem eee aise No.|Good....]|.... Good Peasant.......- 1890) 2|C.G. Patten...... ail sein ee Very little...... No.|Fine Wall thiyiemserects eto 1890} 3/0. G. Patten......|..]...... NOt eee ne eee 0.| Hines sates Roman Stem........ 1890} 1/C. G. Patten..... SINO.22< esc een wae | NO.| WING. Jace eee POCLIGSS) cot etewiw ctens sine 1891} 5|0. F. Brand..... so NOssnon tiles ste No. Finesi ieee re Se: Roe OO MPSS -< EXPERIMENT STATIONS. .. 229 - Dates of ripening of crops of Apples as noted at this station the present season:—Tetofsky, Aug. 15th; No. 579, Aug. 26th; No. 321, Aug. 27; White Transparent, Aug. 29; Czar’s Thorn, Aug. 31; Charlamoff, Sept. 3rd; Duchess, Sept. 3rd; Anis, Sept. 14th; Whitney, Sept, 16: Briar Sweet, Sept. 17. Varieties set in 1891:—Arabian, Newell’s Winter, Haas, Romenshoe, Antonovka, Arthur, Wolf River, Howard’s Best, Peter, Muscatel Rainet, Talman Sweet, Melinda, Juicy Burr, Red Transparent, Romna. Varieties set in 1892:—202, 4 Orel, 56 Vor, 22 M, 190, 4M, Boydanoff, 3M, Striped Winter, 277, 28 M, Red Sport, Skalanka Bog, 169, 152, 245, 20 M, 424, Persian Bog, Bog White, 12M, Cross Vor, 1277, Charlamoff, 185, Iowa Beauty, Duchess, Wealthy, 30 M, 980, 379, 252, 469, 167, Pro- - lific Sweeting, Duchess No. 6, Virginia Crab. PrLums.—On account of overbearing the preceding season, the Desota failed to set a crep for the first time in five years. Forest Garden bore a few quarts. The Cheney, Rockford, and Wolf, set in 1891, made surpris- ing growths. The following varieties were set in spring of 1892:—Richland; Mazerka, Beer Plum, Vor Yellow, Moldavka, 20 Orel, Early Red, Hawkeye, White "Nicholas, 19 Orel, Orel Green, 21 Orel, Blue Communia, Wolf, Black- hawk, Rolling Stone. CHERRIES.—The Minnesota Osthiem, set in 1885, although yet healthy and thrifty, has failed to set a pint of fruit, and the few specimens that ALBERT LEA TRIAL STATION. Bearing. Size of fruit. Quality. Season Remarks’ Heavy. ...|Large.. =e ead LOOdE te... a2 Sept...) Var. gen’ ypf’cti in this sect’n Heavy. ...|Large. Sa geeee Ee OSDocs, hae sass ‘/Jan....|/Bore Vv’ ry heavily this season Goods: .... Of H yslop.. onan s Secon good........|/Sept...|/Lost all fruit and much fo- Good......|Larg’r thanHyslop Pleasant dessert.. Hep. |E Noses e oe {liage from scab. Se: ese Size of Duchess....|Dessert.. . . ......|Sept.../Rip’nd exactly with Duchess Shy.. somal to medium. GOOUt fs: sok, oe Noy. ../One of the Anis family. meaner eraitetee| | lista ic Oe ce tee ..../Only a specimen of fruit. eee eo Lar ‘|Excellent™ culinary Dec. ..|Can discover no diff’nce bet. Good... Thwadiata: to large.. .|Sweet, good........ Sept. 1.|Very slow grower. [Hibernal. “Sigh aan Mediums... cock ones | WALBocs.0 sous case gecalaseee ce.| Will Pecoverzif 16;blizhts ne acidic. oo! eRe haber Sse eieoiid, ome SEEP CRI iG SCRA isan iy | Aha ge Ren ag ap od a fmore. Moderate Mediuimyrs ss. Knee ee Pleasant dessert. . fe: Ba ltaatlc ortho’ orasTalctorn ae sane hte = ols ase Good >. ...: Small to medium..|Poor to aga Sie sist SU earie se settee tes Scie eee soe aeata ea ws ce LOE Of Transcendent..|Delicious. . .....|Dec....|Leaf and fruit Sicko mean Fair.. Medium . Bee vetcrts & good.. Nettie wats Aug... Very hivy Small to medium.. Dessert, good...... Dec....JA ‘profitable variety. Heavy. .:.|Large to very l’rge|Excellent culinary|Dec....|Very vigorous and healthy. oe Large to very l’rge|Choice culinary....|Dec....|Also a good dessert fruit. Be Mic oda sists phy i a, ea Pa Meee Hot ind seo SEP Up nye, bra cereal stenaturelela citi annie a's « te » ciate Shy pecans Vavts ola terete eis GOUGER Ooi. ve cakes INS Veeten ittrte iat ok ae tincet cienicexs Ooo scealaes eee eet TE. ..........-..|9 weet, cChoice.......|Sept...|A very attractive tree. Moderate. Medio: Bitte Sine cintel Sak Sub-acid, * ie sens Pere il Ae J Re ee Oh Geet Gen ee caeresc GOds.2: 34 SEPT hs ea RE ie Verh ae ae .|Seems to be a late keeper, Sp eee Se erate Gal alae sian coin v.he.eu)| see seakieciaiat ce ois -eeee[--- «-..] Very upright grower. ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee Probably Longfield. Put in for comparison. Top wor ked on Virginia. Very vigor’s,large,thick leaf. 230 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY have reached maturity have been of small size and low quality. The fol. lowing varieties were set in orchard in 1892: Double Natte, 6 Rui, 23 Orel, Late Morello, Wagner, Lutovka, Koper, George Glass, Strauss Wiechel, Koper, Grirotte du Nord, 24 Orel, King’s Amarelle, Brussaler Braun, Fraundofer Wiechel, 109 Riga, Skalanka, Junat Amarelle, Girotte de Osthiem, Bessarabian, Bender, 27 Orel. TREES AND SHRUBS.—The following were set in 1892: Prunus Maacki, Strawberry Tree, Dwarf Juneberry (Dartt), Bearberry, Persian Lilac. White Tartarian H., Viburnum Opulus, Alnus Incana, Lonicera Cutea, Ribes Alpinum, Caragana Redowsky, Spiraea Hypericofolia, Josikea Li- lac, Lonicera Media, Lonicera Grandifiora, Russian Snowball, Acer Gin- nala, Caragana Pygmae, Spiraea Douglassi, Rosa Rugosa, 88 Riga, Phil- adelphus Grandifilora, Philadelphus Speciosa, 144 Vor, Berberis Amuren- - sis. More than 95 per cent of the trees and shrubs, both fruit and orna- mental, set in the past two seasons, have lived and made satisfactory growth. EXPERIMENT STATION, MINNESOTA CITY. oO. M. LORD. The specialties named for this station are cherries and native plums. A part of the grounds are occupied with other fruits, such as apples, strawberries, raspberries, black and red, blackberries and grapes, the growth, habits and adaptability of which are carefully observed from year to year, though not considered wholly experimental. A list of the varieties grown here may be desirable for reference for those who would plant under similar climatic conditions. The apples consist of Wealthy, Walbridge, Fameuse, Shockley, Golden Russet, Peach, a few Russians and a few Wealthy seedlings, and several varieties of crab apples. The plums number 50 varieties, covering nearly all that have attracted special notice under cultivation. The bearing trees of cherries are the German Ostheim. There are 27 varieties of Russian cherries that have made a fine growth but have not yet fruited. The strawberries are, Crescent, Capt. Jack, Manchester, Bubach, Warfield, Princess, Downers, and Jessie. Red raspberries. Turner, Cuthbert. Black raspberries, ' Gregg, Tyler, Nemaha and Palmer, also a fine growth of the Shaeffer. Of blackberries the Ancient Briton, Snyder, Taylor and Early Harvest. Of grapes the Concord, Delaware, Agawam, Moore’s Early, Worden, Ilona, Massasoit and Lindley. Several varieties of all the fruits named above except of blackberries, have either died out or have been discarded as worthless or as not adapted to soil, climate or conditions. For the pur- poses of the society a record of the failures is as necessary as that of suc- cess: Wealthy and Duchess apples were plenty. There was no fruit of plums nor of cherries in this vicinity the past year. The excessive wet and cold weather at blossoming time prevented the formation of fruit. Strawberries, blackberries and grapes bore abundantly. ; The habits and blossoms of the cherry and plum were more particularly observed last spring than those of other fruits. The cherry trees blossomed profusely and set considerable fruit, which turned yellow and dropped to the ground when about the size of field peas. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 231 I had a good opportunity to observe the bees gathering pollen from ‘cherry blossoms. When the pollen was in the right condition, which oc- cured in some cases before the stigmas were receptive, the bees were very active in gathering it. While it was easily seen that the pollen was stripped from the anthers by the mouth, it was very difficult to see the method of transferring it to the legs for carrying. They did not gather it continuously but cropped and re-cropped the stigmas several times, gathering from side to side instead of continuing around the circle, and they invariably took all the pollen the blossom contained. Their move- oN ments were remarkably quick, usually occupying less time upon one blossom than it would take to read one line of this paragraph. In their work upon the plum and apple blossoms they did not ‘take all the pollen as from the cherries, the reason of which, I suppose, was because it was ‘s . not all ripe enough for their purpose. Whatever the climatic conditions A necessary to pollenizing may be, the bees certainly perform an important a part. Nearly all native plums produce an abundance of pollen, but some vari- eties are more or less deficient in stigmas every year, and some years are entirely deficient. This habit is, I believe, peculiar to some varieties, not only when indigenous or growing wild, but when transferred to other localities the habit is intensified, so as to produce imperfect stigmas or, \ perhaps, none at all. While this habit will account for the non-bearing of _ some kinds, whether isolated or in groups, and whether well cultivated or otherwise, it does not afford a reason why they are without stigmas nor : suggest a method by which they may be produced. rt From the fact that the trees do not all blossom at the same time or mature their pollen at the same time, it is well known that by planting different kinds near together they are more apt to be fruitful; hence, it has been supposed that this would be sufficient in all cases to secure fruitfulness. I have a group of trees that blossom profusely every year ' that has never produced any fruit; growing within a few rods, another group that has borne nearly every year for 40 years. The blossoms of the first named group bear no stigmas, many of the blossoms having not even ‘the rudiments of one. ButI was greatly surprised this year to find no stigmas in the blossoms of some kinds that have borne fruit for several o years in succession‘till this year, from which I conclude that there isa wide field in this direction for experiment and investigation. NEW ULM STATION. i C. W. H. HEIDEMAN, SUPT. Samuel B. Green, Lsq., Supt. Central Experiment Station. . DEAR Sir: I hand you herewith my third annual report as superin- a tendent of station for experiment with plums and native fruits. | Piums,—Generally speakiny, the plum crop was a complete failure; the only fruit obtained was by hand fertilizing and protecting the blossoms. 2 In this manner we secured first fruits of the following: Early Red ‘Y Moldovka, Hungarian, White Nicholas, Russian Bohemian Nos. 5 and 6. Only a few specimens were secured and they were small. Abundance Bu Japan is very distinct in foliage, a very strong grower but not quite 232 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. — . hardy. The past two winters the tips were badly frozen. Abundance makes a very late terminal growth. Sheuse apricot winter kills even more so than the above. The past two winters have been unusually mild © and it is fair to presume that the Abundance plum and Sheuse spies are beyond their latitude anywhere in Minnesota. SEEDLING SAND CHERRIES.—From a promiscuous lot of sand cherry pits received from South Dakota and northern Minnesota, planted in 1890, at least twenty distinct variations (better than the type) in fruit, size, color and quality were produced. As no attempt was made towards selection in this first lot of pits planted, it demonstrates the great variability of the sand cherry under culture, and as we have in some of our seedlings many desir- able qualities, it gives us hopes that in a few years varieties will be pro- duced which will in many respects equal our best cultivated varieties of cherries. Budded on native plum our plants were loaded with fruit, while those on their own roots fruited sparingly. BuDDED RosxEs.—It may not be generally known, but our native wild rose, Rosa blanda, is one of the best stocks obtainable in the Northwest as a stock upon which to bud any or all of the Hybrid Remontant, Hybrid Tea, Hybrid Noisette, Tea, Bourbon and Noisette classes. For the past five or six years we have been experimenting with roses on their own roots, budded low on Manetti, and worked as tree roses on native stock. The difference in favor of the native stock was observed by hundreds of visitors who saw our roses last summer. We have plants so ’ worked, that are six years old, and they are just as healthy as can be. The union in nearly all cases is smooth and perfect. Dwarf and weak growing varieties are stronger and healthier than on own roots. From a row con- taining Hermosa, Madame Pierre Oger, La France, Madame Andre Duron, Queen of Queens, Reme Marie Henrietta, Bouquet D’Or, Celine Forestier, Madame Celeste, Etoilie De Lyon, L’Abundance and Madame Georges Bruant we were able to cut roses every day from June 12th to Nov. Ist without a single exception, with here and there a magnificent bloom of Hybrid Remontants during the entire season. Asaruleall roses of less than a very vigorous growth do better, blos- som more freely and stand the winter better when worked our native’ stock than when budded on Manetti or on own roots. Such varieties as Hermosa (bourbon), La France (hybrid tea), Reine Marie Henriette (climbing tea), are wonderfully improved in size, color and freedom of bloom. We find no trouble from suckers after the first year, and know of no reason why roses so worked should not be long lived. CROSSING AND HYBRIDIZING. There are about fifty very promising seedlings of vites riparia fertilized by Lindley and Moore’s Early, and as many more rose seedlings. Rosa blanda fertilized by various remontants and bourbons, demonstrate that as far as constitutiona] vigor and beauty of foliage is concerned the union is a beneficial one. At least two hundred apparently successful crosses and hybrid crosses were made and well developed seeds procured of the following record: Ribes Floridum crossed with Danish black currant. Prunus pumula i . Miner plum. Ostheim cherry rs Prunus pumula. New Ulm plum Be Hungarian plum. Ss eS il 6 Ok Hew Ra Py Te t~ hig ling Ca ai as ahh - eS .. pwr iP EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 233 New Ulm plum crossed with Bohemian No. 6. Rosa blanca &s Various remontants. Rosa blanda re Various bourbons. Rosa blanda SS La France. Mad. George’s Bruant 4 Mad. Gabriel Luizet. Gen’! Jacqueminot s Alfred Colomb. Ulrich Brunner ss Alfred Colomb. Moore’s Early ie Vitis riparia. Tris versicolor ie Iris Germanica. SEEDLING GRAPES. Several years ago we planted quite a number of seeds of selected grapes, in each case selecting the largest and plumpest seeds. . Two of them bloomed last year and proved staminate. Three seedlings fruited this year, but, alas, we had evidently carried our selec- tion in the wrong direction. Our grapes showed wonderful improvement in size of—seeds. Two or three generations more of such selection ought to develop grapes with edible seeds. EXCELSIOR STATION. H. M. LYMAN, SUPT. My report from this section will be brief. The apple trees I received _ last spring from the central station have done finely; those received one year ago last spring have not done as well. The Antinovka, Dartt’s Hybrid, and No. 164 are dead from blight, also a variety labeled Kretshor, consist- ing of three trees, have all blighted to the ground. The blight about here has been worse than for several years past, though on part of my orchard even the Hyslop and Transcendent showed no signs of it. Last spring I planted a number of trees, seedlings and Duchess and Wealthy; I had dis- carded the latter from my list, but it is such a valuable apple, I think it will pay to continue planting even if does kill every ten or a dozen years; I also set out about three hundred root grafts from hardy seedlings. I know but little regarding the quality of the Peerless, but I know it is as near blight proof as any other variety we have. I have several seedlings which bore for the first time this year. The fruit was of medium size and fair quality and from hardy stock; but time alone will tell whether they will stand our climate. Apples about here for the past season were a medium crop, but the fruit was smaller sized than usual. LA CRESCENT STATION. J. S. HARRIS, SUPT.: Samuel B. Green, Professor of Horticulture of Minnesota State. Farm School and Experiment Station. Srr:—I am directed by the secretary of the Minnesota State Horticul- tural Society to report the progress of the experimental work being done on the sub-station located at La Crescent, Minn. : THE ORCHARD. The orchard devoted to the testing of varieties now contains about two hundred trees of apple in about 75 varieties, besides some numbered seed- lings. About one-half of the varieties are of the newer Russians. We 234 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * added to the number this season, two trees of Malinda, two of Patten’s. Greening, two of Iowa Beauty, two of Longfield, donated to us by C. G. Patten of Iowa. Not any fire blight has shown on the trees this season except upon Antonovka, Ostrekoff, 4 M, Gipsy Girl and Varzulek, and on those not to a damaging extent, although in our older orchard con- siderable blight appeared on a number of varieties. A few seedlings of American parentage were quite badly affected with mildew and leaf scab, which struck them about the first week in June, and we supposed was caused by unfavorable weather conditions, viz: excessive wet and warm cloudy weather. None of the trees have fruited this season except the Lieby, or Hibernal, and the Ostrekoff, 4 M, although a considerable number of the varieties carried some bloom. Not any of the new Rus- sian varieties, or seedlings that can be tracel direct to them, showed any of the scab, mildew or leaf blight above alluded to, either in the exper- imental or our older bearing orchard, although in the latter the Tran- scendent and nearly all other crabs,and the Haas, Walbridge, Fameuse and most of the other older American varieties were quite severely injured, so that the fruit produced was small, poor and of but little account; and many of the trees were so badly affected that they dropped much of their foliage in June, and made but little growth until towards fall. We have six trees of the Peerless; they all look very promising, have large healthy foliage and have made a vigorous growth. In addition to the apples we have a small orchard of native plums on their own roots, chiefly Desota, Rolling Stone, Cheney, 6 Pifer’s Peach, of bearing age, and the Ocheeda, Knudson Peach and several others not yet fruited. The plums bloomed very heavily last spring but the crop of fruit was a total failure, as it was generally throughout the Northwest. The foliage upon most of the trees appears to be affected much in the same way as the apples, and the trees failed to make their usual vigorous growth, and later in the season were much infested,with aphis. We at- tribute the failure of the fruit crop to the prevalence of cold cloudy weather during the blooming season, and the almost entire absence of in- sects that at that time work on the bloom and affect pollenization, and the continued prevalence of weather that was favorable for the propaga- tion of mildew and other fungus. Of Russian pears we have planted six received from the central lowa experiment station, six from the Minnesota station and one seedling. They have all madea vigorous wood growth, and none of them have shown any fire blight, but the foliage was somewhat spotted. We re- ceived from Prof. Green last spring two trees of Russian cherry, six of dwarf Juneberry and one of quince, the latter failing to grow, others looking well; also a few plants of raspberries and strawberries. Of older varieties, the Japanese wineberry is too tender for this climate and the fruit has no value for commercial purposes. We do not esteem the Michel’s Early strawberry very highly for a market fruit, but it seems to answer a good purpose as a pollenizer. Parker Earle did not meet our ex- pectation; one trouble appeared to be setting more fruit than could be brought to perfection. We shall give it further trial. The Gladstone raspberry continued to produce fruit most of the season, and late in Oc- tober the plants were fairly well laden, but the fruit is under size, of a dull unpopular color and very poor quality, and not worthy of cultivation. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 235 SUPLEMENTARY.—In connection with the station we have a small nursery for the propagation for trial of all such desirable varieties as can be secured and all the seedlings of promise,usually from 10 to 25 root grafts of each variety. Priority rights of originators and introducers will in all cases be respected, and scions are solicited from all parties who have valu- able new seedlings. We added to the list last spring Boydonoff, Golden Bernette, Sklonka, Zuzoff’s Winter and a dozen or more new seedlings. They were root-grafted last spring, have made a good growth and the surplus varieties not under restriction will be exchanged or sold at about cost of propagation. MONTEVIDEO EXPERIMENT STATION. LYCURGUS R. MOYER. The Montevideo experiment station was. established for the trial of ornamental trees and shrubs. It is located near the 45th parallel, 35 miles from the western boundary of the state. The trial grounds are located on a dry bluff, sloping to the west and northwest. The soil is ayellow loam, originally prairie. The situation is very bleak and exposed. It is be- lieved that trees and shrubs that will succeed here can be grown through- out the prairie portion of the state. The following list of trees and shrubs, native to this locality, are grow- ing on the station grounds or in its immediate vicinity: Bur oak, (Quercus macrocarpa); Green ash, (Fraxinus viridis); White elm, (Ulmus Americana); Red elm, (Ulmus fulva); Cork or rock elm, (Ulmus racemosa); White or silver maple, (Acer dasycarpum); Box elder, (Negungo aceroides); Hackberry, (Celtis occidentalis); Basswood, (Tilia Americana); Cottonwood, (Populus monilifera); Balsam poplar, (Populus balsamifera); American aspen, (Populus tremuloides); Ironwood, (Ostrya Virginica); Wild plum, (Prunus Americana); Wild red cherry, (Prunus Pennsylvanica); Choke cherry, (Prunus Virginiana and perhaps P- demissa); Sweet viburnum, (Viburnum Lentago); Red-berried elder, (Sambucus racemosa); Common elder, (Sambucus Canadensis); Minnesota honeysuekle, (Lonicera Suillivantii); Wolfberry, (Symphoricarpos occi- dentalis); Wild rose, (Rosa Arkansana); Juneberry, (Amelanchier Cana- densis var. oblongifolia and Amelanchier alnifolia); Wild thorn, (Cratzeegus tomentosa); Meadow sweet, (Spiraea salicifolia); Missouri gooseberry, (Ribes gracile); Wild black currant, (Ribes floridum); Red osier dogwood, (Cornus stolonifera or C. sericea); Downy arrow-wood, (Viburnum dentatum); Prairie willow, (Salix humilis); Heart-leaf willow, (Salix cordata); Red cedar, (Juniperus Virginiana); Smooth sumach, (Rhus glabra); Wild grape, (Vitis riparia); Virginia creeper, (Ampelopsis quinquefolia); Burning bush or Wahoo, (Euomymus atropur- pureus); Climbing bittersweet, (Celastrus scandens); Prickly ash, (Xanthoxylum Americanum); Moonseed, (Menispermum Canadense); Virgin’s bower, (Clematis Virginiana); Green briar, (Smilax rotundifolia. These trees and shrubs are all native to the extreme western part of Minnesota, and it is, perhaps, needless to say that they all succeed in cul- tivation. It ought not to need the report of an experiment station to show that these trees will succeed, for they are growing there already; and yet if a stranger should travel over our prairies and see the endless ‘>? yy 236 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: repetition of cottonwood and box elder groves he might come away with the impression that these were the only trees that could be raised there- There is also planted on the station grounds the following trees and shrubs not native to this locality: Red willow (Salix fragilis); Pointed-leaf willow (Salix acutifolia); Golden osier (Salix vitellina); Napolean’s willow (Salix Napoleonensis); Laurel-leaf willow (Salix laurifolia); Rosemary-leaf willow (Salix rosmarinefolia); Golden willow (Salix aurea); Goat willow (Salix caprea); Wisconsin weeping willow; Asiatic poplar (Populus certinensis); Dudley’s poplar (Populus Dudleyi); Poplar, 28 Riga; Laurel-leaf poplar (Populus laurifolia); Bolle’s poplar (Populus boleana); Pyramid poplar (Populus Siberica pyramidalis); Birch-leaf poplar (Populus betulifolia); White ash (Fraxinus Americana); Black walnut (Juglans nigra); Butternut (Jugians cinerea); Red oak (Quercus rubra); White oak (Quercus alba). White spruce (Picea alba); Norway spruce (Picea excelsa); Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens); Balsam fir (Abies balsamea); Arbor vitae (Thuya occidentalis); Arbor vite, Hovey’s golden; Scotch pine (Pinus Sylvestris); Austrian pine (Pinus Austriacea); Dwarf monntain pine (Pinus pumilio and Pinus mughus); Cut-leaf birch; European white birch; European mountain ash; American mountain ash; Bird cherry (Prunus padus). Plum, 19 orel (Prof. Budd); Plum, 20 orel (Prof. Budd); Plums, Nyant, Cheney; Apricot, Suda, Shensi, Alexander; Cherries, Bessarabian, Ostheim; Sand cherry (Prunus pumila); Prunus Maacki. Common lilac, (Syringa vulgaris); White lilac (Syringa vulgaris alba); Charles X lilac (Syringa vulgaris var.); Persian lilac (Syringa Persica); Japanese tree lilac (Syringa Japonica); Lady Josika’s lilac (Syringa Josi- kaea); Honeysuckle, (lonicera elegans) (Prof. Budd); Honeysuckle, (lonicera media) (Prof. Budd); Honeysuckle, (lonicera Tartarica); Honeysuckle, (loni- cera Tartarica alba); Honeysuckle, (lonicera Belgica); Honeysuckle, (loni- cera splendens) (Prof. Budd); Honeysuckle, (lonicera gracilis) (Prof. Budd); Honeysuckle, (lonicera Alberti); Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocla- dus Canadensis); Mock orange (Philadelphus cordifolius); Mock orange (Philadelphus cordatus); Mock orange (Philadelphus grandifiorus); Mock orange (Philadelphus gracelis) (Prof. Budd); Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius); Mock orange (Philadelphus speciosa) (Prof. Budd); Mock orange (Philadelphus 144 vor.) (Prof. Budd); Spiraea Douglasii; Spiraea hypericifolia; Spiraea Thunbergii; Spiraea Billiardii; Spiraea collosa; Spiraea nobleana: Spiraea prunifolia (Bridal wreath); Nine-bark (Physo- carpus opulifolius); Pea tree Caragana arborescens); Pea tree (Caragana mollis) (Prof. Budd); Pea tree (Caragana mollis glabra) (Prof. Budd); Pea tree (Caragana frutescens) (Prof. Budd); Pea tree (Caragana Redowski) (Prof. Budd); Pea tree (Caragana pygmae) (Prof. Budd); Pea tree (Caragana, dwarf) (Prof. Budd); Ribes 48 vor. (Prof. Budd); Ribes degusha (Prof. Buda); Ribes aureum (Yellow flowering currant); Red-twigged dogwood (Cornus sanguinea); Cornelian cherry(cornus mascula); Wild olive (EKiaeagnus angustifolia); Laburnum; Juneberry, Lovett’s success; Juneberry, dwarf Mr. Dartt); Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea);Burning bush (Eunonymus Europeus); Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) Purple barberry, (Barberis vulgaris var. purpurea); Amur barberry (Berberis amurensis); Cut-leaf weep-— ing birch; European white birch; Shrubby cinque-foil (Potentilla fruticosa); Clematis Jackmanii;} Clematis viticella; Clematis violacea; EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 237 snowball (Viburnum opulis sterilis); Russian Snowball (Viburnum opulis sterilis) (Prof. Budd); High bush cranberry (Viburnum opulus); Rosa rugosa; Golden elder (Sambucus nigra var. aurea); Cut-leaf elder * (Sambucus nigra var. lacinata); Russian mulberry (Morus alba var. Moretti); Buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus); Polish privet (Ligustrum... Be er ) Prof. Green and Mr. Dartt; Snowberry (Symphoricarpos..........) Prof. Budd; Alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina) (Mr. Dartt.) It is proper to say that, as the station was but recently established, most of the trees and shrubs planted are very young, and more time will be needed to test their hardiness. Enough, however, is already proved to. show that there are many trees and shrubs that may be safely planted on the prairies in all parts of the state up to at least the 45th parallel. Most of the Russian willows and poplars are doing well. Populus Cer- tinensis is particularly promising. Goat Willow is hardy. Wisconsin Weeping Willow freezes back some, Salix Vitellina wintered without in- jury last winter, although when younger it killed back to the ground each year. Its bright orange-red limbs in winter make it very desirable to brighten up winter shrubbery. Salix 14 Vor. seems to be the same as Salix Vitellina. Populus 23 Riga seems to agree with Prof. Green’s description of Populus Wabski, and it, perhaps, is the same. . Populus Bolleana is a fine tree quite distinct from the ordinary Silver-leaf Poplar. Young trees of the Laurel-leaved willow were injured some last winter, but they will doubtless do better as they get older. Salix Napoleonensis freezes back every winter and does not seem to increase in hardiness with age. Colorado Blue Spruce, White Spruce and Balsam Fir are all doing well. I have been unable to make White Pine grow here, and I doubt that any one has succeeded with Norway Spruce here. Those who have planted Black Spruce brought in by teams from theswamps to the northeast of us have all been disappointed. European Larch after growing for six or eight years appears to fail. Dwarf Mountain Pine is extremely hardy and one of our most promising evergreens. Our native Juniper is extremely hardy too. All the lilacs that I have tried succeed and make themselves at home. The new Japanese Tree Lilac seems to be as hardy as the others. All of the bush honeysuckles do well. Our native Lonicera Sullivantiiis one of the best. Lonicera Gracilis and Lonicera Splendens from Prof. Budd are doing finely. The Philadelphi are all good. 144 Vor. of Prof. Budd is doing exceedingly well. The spiraeas need more moisture than we are apt to get in western Minnesota. Spiraea Hypericifolia and _ Spiraea Nobleana from Prof. Budd seem to be doing the best. The car- aganas are all doing well. The common Yellow Flowering Currant is an excellent shrub. Cornus Sanguinea from the nurseries seems to be the Same as our native cornel. Both do well. lLovett’s Success Juneberry promises well. Prof. Budd’s Russian Snowball seems to be an improve- ment on our common one. Golden Elder and OCut-leaf Elder freeze back some but are doing pretty well. I become year by year more con- vinced of the desirability of our native Viburnum (Virbunum Lentago) for ornamental planting. It is, as it grows here, one of the finest shrubs we have, but I do not find it in any of the nurserymen’s lists. Na ie as) aeons “ Poy Ce eee he » i ta ‘ iy. Were ota: 7 ¥en Aa ’ A i 2 , < i 238 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY i OWATONNA STATION. E. H. S. DARTT, OWATONNA. SANTA BARBARA, OAL., Jan. 15th, 1893. Mr. President and members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society:— Gentlemen, I hail you this time from wonderland—a land made doubly attractive to me by contrast. In passing through Montana, Washington, Oregon and California I have noticed that a very large proportion of the _land is unsuited to cultivation. And’as scarcity creates demand, the good land is very high-priced, sometimes running up to $300, $500 and even $1,000 per acre for choice locations with water rights in southern California. High-priced, land means high-priced production, and herein we under- stand why it costs much more to live in California than in Minnesota. These beauty spots of creation are often reached by traversing some of ‘the most God-forsaken regions on earth. Let us imagine the utter deso- lation of some of the mountains and the stifling heat and dust of the des- ert in summer—then enter one of these beautiful valleys and speed down amid ever increasing attractions until we meet the cooling and refreshing sea breeze, and finally enter some haven of rest, like Santa Barbara. We may liken the trip to a passage through purgatory to reach heaven. Here our joys should be complete,and probably will be,if our stock of gold is abundant and we dispense it freely, for the rich are way up, with a disposi- tion to stay, whilst the poor are way down, with seemingly no power to rise. Riverside is the prettiest town I ever saw. The orange tree, bending down under its load of golden fruit and evergreen foliage, is the prettiest tree I ever saw, and Riverside is among the orange groves. Its streets are lined for miles and miles with artistically trained cypress hedges, and its street trees of magnolia, fan palm, pepper treeand others of rare beauty, interspersed with century plants and flowering shrubs, make up a picture that fills us with pleasurable amazement beyond description. Bewitching California! She has gold, but no coal; she dazzles our eyes with her show of wealth and refinement, and she fascinates us with her delightful climate, her luscious fruits, and ever-blooming flowers; yet, through this glitter and glare we think we see that in those elements which go to make up happy, intelligent, prosperous and populous com- munities, the solid foundation of great states, she is not in advance of some of her less pretentious neighbors. The most equable and delightful climate is found on the sea coast in © southern California, interior sections suffering more from oppressive heat and dust, and sometimes from destructive frosts. Persons of substantial wealth should visit California as they would at- tend ashow. ‘To such persons the show is worth the admission fee, and they may safely tarry to their hearts’ content. But the poor should understand that people seldom make money by attending shows, and, further, that it is impossible to enter into the full appreciation and per- fect enjoyment of the beauties of creation on an empty stomach. The work on the Owatonna tree station for the past year has been but . a repetition of other years, consisting of the planting of choice seeds and the gathering in of promising varieties grown by others, and grafting all promising new seedling apples, and testing as many as possible in orchard. 239 EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Preparations have been made for making ‘2,000 root grafts of about seventy-five varieties, among which are a goodly number of seedlings from the best Russian varieties, also seedlings of the Wealthy and other Amer- ican apples. Mr. Gideon’s noted Minnesota seedlings are all on trial, and when King Cold comes around again as he did in 1884 and 1885 and knocks out all the varieties that he did then and others of like ilk, we may rea- sonably hope that by noting the survival of the fittest a few varieties may be found of real permanent value. The orchard now contains 600 trees, and 120 more will be added in the spring. All trees have done fairly well, none being injured by cold and few by blight. As I intimated in my last report, the work of the stations has out- grown the appropriation for expenses. Those of your members who are or have been nurserymen,and have kept fifty varieties from getting mixed, as our Russian varieties are now mixed, may realize how much care and attention is necessary to keep six or seven hundred varieties so that any one can be readily found. And again, if they will survey the whole field and note the fact that there are no recorded precedents or books showing how best to do these things, and consider the further necessity of finding some method by which three or four hundred dollars’ worth of work can be done for $200, they will extend sympathy at last. As it is likely that nine-tenths or more of all the varieties of apples and - crab apples we have on trial] will fail in some of the essential points, we will economize by not reporting failures, except as regards well known varieties. Persons desiring information in regard to those not reported should ask for it. Surplus stock can be disposed of much more cheaply by way of the brush pile than by packing and shipping, which requires preparation, makes much trouble, and will not pay when done ona very small scale. The ultimate benefits are likely to be just as great by the former method, for by the latter method many things would be sent out not having been fully tried. GENERAL FRUITS. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. M. W. COOK, ROCHESTER. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: - It is said that one-half of the world does not know how the other half lives, put for various reasons the most would like to know. Some, that they might have a broader field for carrying out their low, sensual, devil- ish purposes; others, with a feeling of selfish jealousy and pride, hoping to learn that no others were more prosperous or blest than they, and with the continual uprising in their hearts of the spirit which the make-be- lieve religious man had, who always offered the blessing at the table, ask- ing thesame thing: ‘Oh Lord, blessmeand my wife, my son Johnand his — wife, us four and no more. Amen.” Others with true missionary spirit even leave home and friends, take their lives in their hands, cross the mighty ocean and penetrate the dark places of the earth, if necessary, to carry life and joy to those who are in need. It is this spirit of good-will and desire to benefit others that has lead you to ask for reports from different parts of the country as to the amount of fruit grown, knowing that no country home is what it should be without a bountiful supply, grown by themselves. It is no longer a question whether large and small fruits can be success- fully grown in this state to well supply home markets oreven for ship- ment. In fact, the time has already come when some of us who are grow- ing small fruits as a specialty, with our thirty to fifty acres already in full bearing, question whether, possibly, we are not overdoing the market. The results of the past few years’ experiments ought to encourage the heretofore faithless owners of land to set both large and small fruits, suffi - cient to supply themselves with an abundance. There is no reason why this should not be done. There seems to be a growing interest in the matter. The fact that our local markets are well supplied with home grown fruits in their seasons gives encouragement to others to plant. It is estimated that over five thousand bushels of apples were grown in and about Rochester this season. ‘Three thousand five hundred bushels by R. C. Keel, the next largest amount by the Hon. Wm. Somerville, whose specialty is Russian varieties, the balance by different ones, mainly farmers. The small fruit crop amounting to over seventy thousand boxes, was not all we hoped for in yield, but considering prices obtained was very sat- isfactory. Owing to the incessant rains in the spring, strawberries bore a light crop,the blossoms being injured by hot sun and showers,and the fruit failing to mature. GENERAL FRUITS. 241 From my own thirty acres of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries I marketed forty thousand boxes; average price obtained, eleven cents per box. I began picking strawberries for market June 27th, and continued picking and marketing strawberries, raspberries or blackberries up to Sept. 24th, with a few cases each day to Oct. 6. The strawberries I grow for general crop are Crescent, Warfield, Bu- bach, Haverland, Jessie, Capt. Jack, Crawford and Bederwood, with a few acres of newer varieties that I have faith in, some of which are very promising, such as Lovett’s Early, Gillespie, Enhance, Parker Earle, Wolverton, Saunders, Great Pacific, Princess and Pearl. Red raspberries—Turner, Cuthbert and Marlborough. Black raspberries—Souhegan, Tyler, Ohio and Nemaha. Blackberries—Snyder, Ancient Briton and Stone’s Hardy. I lay down everything and cover with dirt and mulch, hauling in mulch between the rows in winter. After the bushes are lifted in the spring, I put mulch on under the bushes deep enough to keep weeds down and guard against drought, cultivating but a narrow strip between the rows. Results, big berries and lots of them. I will not at this time trouble you with a detailed account of the modes of training and culture, as good instructions to the inexperienced can be found in your reports. I had hoped and expected to make my report to you in person, but now fear I shall not be able to meet you at this time. Nevertheless, remember that I would be extremely pleased and gratified to see every individual - member at my home in Rochester. You will always find the latchstring out, and if you come at the right season I can give you fruit to eat or plenty of weeds to pull. Hopirg that you will all have a pleasant, profitable and enjoyable meeting, I am, as ever, your well-wisher. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. . 8s. D. RICHARDSON, WINNEBAGO CITY. To the members of the State Horticultural Society: The open winter injured some raspberries that were not covered, but not all, and the cold wet weather of the spring seemed to have a bad ef- fect on the leaves and fruitof the crahapple. Plums, both tame and wild, were almost a total failure. With the exceptions noted, fruits of all kinds bore a heavy crop. The Snyder blackberry came through all right even when uncovered, and the crop was unusually large; also strawberries and currants bore a fair crop, but not so large and nice as in 1891. Gooseberries were good. Grapes were very late, but the warm, late dry fall caused them to ripen fairly well. For the first time in the history of the county Wealthy apples were shipped from Winnebago City by the car load, and many Duchess went to waste because the supply was greater than the demand. The Minnesota is doing well and bears heavily when the tree attains sufficient age. 16h 242 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. - The Malinda is attracting considerable attention on account of its good keeping qualities. Tbe tree seems to be healthy, but does not look any better than Haas of the same age. ; I saw one tree of the Roman Stem fifteen or twenty yearsold,thathung __ very full and was apparently healthy and sound. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. ALFRED TERRY, SLAYTON. Mr. President and members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: Being myself but an amateur in fruit raising, I was surprised to find myself appointed on the committee on general fruits; the fault is yours, not mine. Feeble as it is, I obey, and make the following report: Late frosts and immense rains almost destroyed the strawberries in my section of the state, and we must decidedly put it down as an off year for this desirable small fruit. Raspberries did very well and may be called an average crop. Souhegan and Ohio, I think, did the best among the black-caps. These we have to cover, using slough hay, if we can get it, on account of its being free from weed-seeds and its adaptability to hold down the canes. We realized twenty cents per quart and were unable to supply the demand. Currants were a lighter crop. They blossomed well, but a late frost destroyed half the bloom. I sold all I had to spare at fourteen cents per quart, and there was a demand for more. Russian mulberries were almost a failure. Grapes did well; not being uncovered till after our last frost and being planted on high land, they escaped the misfortunes of the other fruits. Worden, Concord and Moore’s Early were, I think, the best. Apples were not a full crop, yet it was a paying one, Duchess of Olden- burg and Wealthy being the best standards and Whitney No. 20 the best hybrid. 1 had two Russian apricot trees which blossomed well, but the bearing branches afterwards died, from what cause I do not know. I wrote to many fruit growers in my part of the country for reports, but the replies were so few and feeble that I have had to make ss report from my own observation. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL ‘ DISTRICT. G. W. FULLER, LITCHFIELD. The past year has been an excellent one for fruit of all varieties; and yet, owing to the previous years of drouth and the consequent weakness of the plants in the fall and the superabundant cold rains of the spring, the strawberries—my own at least—were nearly a failure. We had a hail storm when apples were about half-grown, and currants were ripe, which injured these crops in some places. Yet, there were some very fine apples, Hibernals, Ostrekoffs and some Wealthys, exhibited at our PAA } GENERAL FRUITS. 243 county fair. It was a bad season for blight, especially on the Transend- ents. Raspberries, both red and black, yielded medium crops. Currants and gooseberry bushes hung full. A few blackberries were raised, but they are an expensive luxury for me to grow. There are a few places where some fine grapes were grown. I think for a year or two the people have been a little more encouraged about growing fruit, at least they are disposed to try again. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. SETH H. KENNEY, MORRISTOWN. On account of press of business it will be impossible for me to be -present at the annual meeting. {[ here mention some of the fruits that have done well the past seasonin Rice county. First on the list is the Duchess of Oldenberg, as far as my observation goes. The trees were all loaded and the fruit generally brought good prices. I had several trees about twelve years old that averaged $4 per tree. All over the county this apple was the most promising of allon the list. Whitney’s No. 20 also paid well and generally bore a good crop. 'Tetofsky bore better than usual. Wealthy—from two trees that survived the winter of 1885 and 1886, I picked one barrel. The last-named trees have had their trunks boxed several years, and have in a large measure recovered their vigor from the above-named winter. Meaders Red Winter bore heavily and are valuable © for their keeping qualities. The Transcendents. that in the past have paid so well were a complete failure, as far as my observation extends. A blight or mildew attacked the leaf and fruit. Some Snyder blackberries received from Mr. Cutler of Sumter bore a fine crop. The Windom dewberry has been with me a complete failure each year. Strawberries were a short crop. Grapes generally yielded well. The orchard of 300 Wealthy and 100 Duchess has been set, with the present winter, three winters. The trunks were boxed and filled to the top, two and one-half feet high and eight inches square, with earth; many of the trunks are over one inch in diameter and eight feet high. Iam well satisfied with this experiment, and many of the farmersof Rice county have adopted this plan, after looking over this orchard. It is a safe insurance against seven winters. Hach fall I mulch about the boxes with coarse manure. I found the trees that were heavily mulched did not leave out. as early as some that were not much mulched. I shall look for some fruit next season. Some have thought the earth left in the boxes would injure the trees, but the results are convincing proof. My past experience in fruit growing in Minnesota has not been a success, but present prospects look better. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS. FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. J. F. ZATTERSTROM, SPENCER BROOK. I regret very much that I shall not be able to attend your next annual meeting, and I doubt if I shall have anything of interest to report to such an intelligent body, that will warrant the encroaching upon its equally valuable time. MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. a We had at our county fair this year some fruit on exhibition of the following varieties of apples and crabs: Duchess of Oldenburg, Minnesota, Transcendent, Hyslop and some smalJer crabs. The Duchess of Olden- burg in this section, where the soil is sandy, have without fail died after 3 bearing a good crop; Transcendents and other crabs have blighted and partly died after a heavy crop, started from the roots again and com- menced anew. Of the grapes, Janesville, Champion and Moore’s Early ripened their fruit and bore a good crop, Janesville taking the lead in growth of fruitand vine on my farm. Farmers who wish to secure other small fruits, such as currants and gooseberties, should observe the follow- ingrules without fail: Plant no more than you can keep clean from weeds the whole season, and give as much manure as you would an ordinary garden crop, and you will be surprised at the result when your shrubs get to be four years old. My wish and hope is that the society may be able to make itself more known to the majority of farmers. A more liberal support from the state would assist in this! first, by having its reports more liberally dis- ~~ tributed; second, by a closer connection with the experiment farm. Be it remembered that neither the work of the experiment farm or the horticultural society is known to only one or two ina hundred of the farmers. If our county fairs could be so regulated that part of their © fees paid in by members could go into your treasury, the state in return therefor to guarantee a report (bound) from the experimental station and from your society, we could, I believe, awaken more interest in agricultural and horticultura] education. I also believe that the county agricultural societies should be the medium through which seedlings and new fruits should be distributed. Our county fairs, I fear, have served their time of usefulness if we caunot introduce some new educationa features in their programs, first, by giving them the benefit of the knowledge already obtained, and, second, by requiring part of the state donations to be expended for essays and practical reports on practical results arrived at. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DIS- TRICT. B. C. YANCEY, EDINA MILLS. Apples were not very good in this section of the country. They blos- somed very full in the spring but were struck with a blight, and the result was that the apples were small and knotty. The Duchess was the best. The raspberries were a light crop. ‘They were considerably winter- killed. The Cuthbert generally brought the best results. Strawberries were very good this year. The currants yielded very abundantly and were eyeentionative fine in quality. The blackberry crop was very heavy and the berries very large and fine. The Ancient Briton yielded the heaviest. The grapes were injured considerably by mildew. The Janesville and Moore’s Early ripened well. The Concord ripened only fairly and the Delaware did not ripen at all. GENERAL FRUITS. ; 245 REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. D. T. WHEATON, MORRIS. Mr. President and fellow members: My observations in the line of general fruits have been much less and _ thorough than I desired to have them. WhatI have toreport will be chiefly concerning Stevens and adjoining counties. You are well aware that this section of the state grows but little fruit. The all important question is, can fruits be successfully grown in this section with ordinary care? If the experience of a majority of those who have tried to raise apples should be taken, the answer would be in the negative, but the majority are not always in the right. There are probably fewer apple trees growing in this county to-day than ten years ago. This unpleasant fact is, doubtless, owing in a large degree to the planting of tender varieties, the fruits of which look well in the agent’s plate-book and which promised to be hardy. Doubtless, many died from lack of proper care and some from blight and other good ‘causes; but experience proved the sad fact that most of the trees went to the brush pile and that only a few of the hardiest and best cared for survive. The survival of the few show that apple trees will grow and that apples can be raised here. The past season was favorable for the growth of trees. ‘There was littleor no tree blight. The apple crop was good, and although the number of trees was limited, the crop in the aggre- gate was’ considerable. The varieties grown were chiefly Duchess, Wealthy, Whitney’s No.20, Transcendent, Hyslop, Beecher’s Sweet, Power’s Red and other varieties. A few seedlings promise well and bore some this season. Some Russian trées are making a healthy growth and blos- somed for the first time. The raising of plums seems to give the best promise of success of all the larger fruits. All of the leading varieties of native plums are grown without any trouble. Some seedlings and some growing wild in the groves are not much, if any, inferior to the better known varieties. The plum crop was nearly a failure, but few trees or groves having any fruit. The trees blossomed full and the fruit set, but soon turned into puff-balls. What the cause was I should like to have you tell. There are a few Lombard plums grafted on native stock, that are thrifty and seem to be hardy and have been in bearing for several years. ° There are some tame cherry trees that are thrifty and appear hardy-and are commencing to bear. Russian mulberries are growing, but the fruit is of little account. Should think it would make a good hedge. Grapes grow with protection, and the fruit ripens before hard frosts. The Concord, Delaware, Janes- vilie and Worden are the chief varieties and all do well. Currants flourish well with good care and do well even with neglect... There was an abundant crop. The Houghton, Downing and Smith’s Improved gooseberries all grow with no protection and yield an immense crop. The Turner raspberry proves itself to be a good bearer and very hardy, with or without protection. Blackberries grow and yield a good crop with winter protection. Strawberries were an abundantcrop, with half a chance. Yet, with all the success that is had with growing small fruits, there are com- 246 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. = = paratively few gardens where any fruit, whatever,isgrown. There are a4 few gardens where fruits are grown for the market. Mostof the fruit consumed is grown abroad. ee A good garden among the farmers is the exception and not the rule, as it should be. With the success attending the few who are raising small fruits in abundance for their own use and to spare and who are raising apples in a limited scale, the question is often asked: ‘‘Why cannot I grow them?” I believe that there is an increasing interest in general fruits, and that each year will show a decided advance. REPORT ON GENERAL FRUITS, SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. REV O. A TH. SOLEM, HALSTAD. I would be glad to give an encouraging report from this part of our state, but I am sorry to say I cannot. WhenI came here ten years ago I was told we could raise no fruits here, our summer was too short and the climate too cold. Some of our old settlers had bought trees for $20.00 and $30.00, but had none left, etc. I found lots of small fruits in our woods, and a few years ago I made up my mind I would start on a small scale. The first mistake I made © was to order from a traveling agert. Now I order direct, and always have success with exception of strawberries. We generally have a dry spell at the time the strawberries are ripening, hence the result is not encourag- ing. Last fall was very dry, and my strawberries hud a hard time. I went through them with my hand cultivator about twice a week. My experience is that we can raise several kinds of raspberries and, probably, more blackberries, if we cover in winter. My mistake is that I have been trying to raise fruit without winter protection. My raspberries gave a fair crop last year. ! Victoria currant, aS usual a heavy crop. Cherry currant, poor crop. (The Cherry currant is shy bearer with me.) Prince Albert currant, a very good crop. Red and White Dutch, a good crop. White Grape, a light crop. Downing’s gooseberry, a good crop. . Siberian crab, a very good crop. Whitney’s No. 20, a fair crop. Mr. Pearce of Chowen sent me 12 Tonkas last spring. They all made a fine growth and stand O. K. awe ny, A = ¥ a < ipa 2S ¥ ApS a tty dee a re we PIA = Oe 2 x ps foi : edie ee de aD a i Pes .- J J - wh , A 4: , tM REPORT OF VICE-PRESIDENT OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL vil DISTRICT. } fe ahs CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. Your vice- president, having reported to the secretary both as super- intendent of experiment station and. as a member of the committee on apples, finds little to add by way of report as vice-president. i; GENERAL FRUITS. i “Oa The general condition of fruit raising in our part of the first congres- sional district has so far been far below the needs of the market. The only surplus that has ever been shipped from our section has been of that much maligned fruit, the Minnesota apple. The crop of small fruits, even in our best seasons, has not been sufficient for the home demand. The burn- ing drouths have discouraged many growers, and it may be true that there is now a Smaller acreage devoted to berries than there was five years ago. The Crescent, Wilson and Glendale, in about the order named, furnish the bulk of the strawberry crop. Prices received by the grower the past season were about 10 cts., which, considering the excellent crop, must have yielded a fair profit. Raspberries were very profitable, the crop and prices being of the best. Scarcely any blackberries are raised and no cherries. Plums were a complete failure on account of wet weather at blossoming time and general overbearing the previous season. Is it not strange that no one stepsin to supply the demand for a high grade native plum? There is no fruit raised at my place that is so eagerly called for as my small surplus of Desota plums. Grapes were not a full crop. It proved to be one of the fewseasons that ripen the Concord to perfection: we received five and six cents for them and eight cents for Delawares, the latter being mostin demand. If we can ever persuade the Moore’s Early to yield heavily, it will be the variety for the market, as it can be marketed before the New York fruit comes on, and its fine large berries please the eye and disappoint not the palate of the buyer. The feature of our fruit crop this year was a phenomenal crop of apples, ‘and the glory of it lay in the fact that several carloads of our beautiful | Duchess were shipped to the south, where for once they had the privilege of eating apples free from worm or scab. Price paid for Duchess at Albert Lea was 50 cents per bushel. The Wealthy for the first time appeared on our market in quantity; it was well appreciated and brought from $1.00 _ to $1.50 per bushel. All varieties of Siberian blood were so badly affected in foliage and fruit by scab that they were nearly a failure. A great loss to raisers and consumers results from the careless hand- ling of summer apples. Our merchants were quite enterprising in at- tempting a reform in this particular. Bushel baskets were sent out to the orchards to be filled there, and one or two car loads were shipped in baskets, thus avoiding any handling of the fruit from the orchard to the consumer. But even by this method there was such rough handling and dropping of fruit, and fast driving without springs, as resulted in very serious lossin value. As usual, also, a largeshare were brought to market in that most abominable of all packages, the common grain sack. This ignorant and careless handling diminished the value of our apple crop by at least 25 per cent. At the Freeborn county fair there was one of the finest lot of apples ever brought together in the West. The total bulk of fruit shown, amounting to nearly thirty bushels, included fifty-four varieties. The entries numbered 121, and were made by thirty-nine exhibitors. It was made in a separate pavilion and attracted as much or more attention than any other feature of the very successful fair. As was stated at the beginning of this report, our fruit raisers are not measuring up to the needs of the market or their own opportunities; but it is hoped that the past favorable season, the fine exhibits at the fairs and the influence of- horticuitural meetings will give an impetus in the direction of more and better home-grown fruits. 248 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. List of varieties of apples shown at the Freeborn county fair, 1892: Wealthy. Long Arcad. Duchess. Blue Anis. Utters. Summer Lowland. Haas. Repka Malenka and 15 seedling and ~ Talman Sweet. unknown varieties. Walbridge. Varieties of crabs: Malinda. Maiden Blush. Plumb Cider. Minnesota. Whitney. Hyslop. Charlamoft. « Sweet Crab. Anis. Malikoff. Antonovka. Palmer Sweet. Lieby. Orange. Czar’s Thorn. Early Red. Ostrekoff 4 M. Briar’s Sweet. McMahon. Martha. Elgin Beauty. Beacher’s Sweet. Cross. Virginia. Patten’s Greening. Sylvan Sweet. Longfield. Soulard. Hibernal. . REPORT OF VICE-PRESIDENT, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. L. E. DAY. FARMINGTON. Mr. President, secretary and members of the Minnesota Horticultural Society: —The past season has been a peculiar one. First, the spring was cold and wet; on this account grapes, currants and strawberries were injured; and later the advent of the apple scab and the great numbers of insects on apple and other foliage. Ye, in this district we have been quite suc- cessful in the raising of different varieties of fruit. Of standard apples there was a good crop, principally Duchess, although Wealthy, Haas and other varieties, where alive, were loaded with fruit. Apples did not keep as well as usual. Hybrids and crabs bore heavily; yet they seemed to be affected by the scab more than the standards. The worst affected on my grounds were the Power’s Red, Transcendent and Minnesota. Maiden’s Blush, Meader’s Winter, Montreal Wax, Beacher’s Sweet, Orange, Briar’s Sweet, Quaker Beauty and Greenwood all gave good crops. Plums. Although the trees were full of bloom in the spring, fruit was a failure. ' \ Grapes, currants, raspberries and blackberries bore a large crop of nice fruit. J never raised as nice blackberries before. They were the Snyder, Stone’s Hardy and Taylor’s Prolific. The blight has been very bad the past season; few trees escaped its ravages. Even Briar’s Sweet and Maiden Blush were touched by it, and also other trees that heretofore were quite free from it have been affected. I think that the interest in fruit raising in this part of the state is in- creasing. Many are planting the newer varieties of apples, also Russian and some of the older sort. es 2 ay) ol a ing rho ee Pa ps s ‘ oe 4 M4 f 7 x hen HE ee ee. th oe Sas Pad : az ant. es GENERAL FRUITS, 249 cA “VICE- PRESIDENT’S REPORT, SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. DEWAIN COOK, WINDOM. The past has been a season of successes and of failures. Thestrawberry was not up the expectations, through a good many were grown, mostly in the eastern part of the district. The Crescents are mostly grown. The Cumberland has given the best of satisfaction wherever tried. The prices have ranged from eight to fifteen cents per auart. The strawberry is one of our reliable fruits and is destined to be more largely grown. The raspberry crop was light and of poor quality, in many cases the crop was an entire failure, the cause appearing to bea plant disease, that is sometimes called ‘‘the curl.” Where the plants were badly affected the fruit had a bitter taste. I believe the Turner and Brandywine to be the two best varieties: they are hardy and not as liable to overbear as SOme other varieties. : The blackcaps were but little affected by the prevailing disease, and the same may be said of the redcaps. They are but little grown here, not as much as they should be; they bore well and the fruit was of good quality. The Gregg and Souhegan are good varieties to grow. The outlook for the raspberry is not particularly bright. We will have to grow less of the sucker varieties and more of the caps. What we most need is a hardy vigorous redcap that is of good size and color and firm enough to ship. The currant crop was very poor; perhaps, they were only taking a rest after producing the heavy crop of the previous year. It seems to be a ‘misfortune for the currant, the raspberry and varieties of other small fruit to bear an extraordinarily heavy crop; I have doubts about their ever fully recovering from it. The Downing gooseberry has done finely; other varieties had more or less mildew. Although the season was extraordinarily wet up to about the first of August, we had a very good crop of grapes. Of black grapes, the Moore’s Early I consider the most valuable. The Delaware is a reliable aud val- uable grape and will bring the most money in our market. As grapes are shipped in in great quantities from southern Iowa and western New York. aud sold so cheap, I do not consider the growing of them for market a paying industry; but every farmer and lot owner ‘can and should have an abundance of home-grown grapes. There are not many blackberries grown in this district, but what we had that were given winter protection did finely. If we could only have moisture enough at the right time, the growing of the blackberry could be made a paying in- dustry. The dwarf Juneberry is at home here and should be grown in every garden. The plum crop was light and inferior in most respects to the preced- ing year. The people have not yet learned the value of the best varieties of natives. I expect the time will come, and in the near future, when the native plum will be considered a vajuable fruit to grow. I would recom- mend the Wolf and the Forest Garden as being among the most profit- able varieties to grow. As to apples, as our county is new, that is, most of it, we are not yet shipping apples to Iowa and Missouri by the car load, but we had a good crop and they are coming into some of our markets by the wagon load, and there is a feeling among our citizens that we can grow the apple. 250 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘ There seems to be an impression among some of the horticulturists of this state that but little fruit can be grownin thearid section west of the © big woods, but this is erroneous. We can grow as fine fruit here as can be grown anywhere in the state, and we shall soon demonstrate it. The Duchess and Wealthy have been our best paying apples and should be ‘planted largely. REPORT OF VICE-PRESIDENT, FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. R. S. MACKINTOSH, LANGDON. Members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: The strawberry crop in most parts of this district was rather light. At Afton, Washington Co., some fine berries were raised, but the yield was not large. Raspberries and blackberries were about the average, if not below. Plums an entire failure here, and reports seem to indicate that it was general. Our plums are young. They grew well and, as the weather was favorable, ripened the wood well. I measured a few sprouts that were six © feet long. We have planted the Desota, Weaver and Forest Garden, all doing well. te The Duchess apple yielded heavily this season. There are more of the kind planted here than any other, I think, and everywhere the trees were loaded. The market was good, so none were wasted. Other varieties gave various returns, some with fruit, but J think principally with blight. When we have secured a few varieties of apples that will stand every- thing when properly cared for, then we shall find Minnesota one of the leading fruit states. Grapes are not grown very much in this locality, but what few vines there are yielded quite well. The weather in the fall was very favorable for ripening. I visited one vineyard of several hundred vines that was very promising. (This was at the time when a few were just turning.) I hope ere long we shall find more fruits and vegetables grown by our farmers; also more shade trees and windbreaks for protection from the fierce winds of winter and the sun of summer. Among the trees around our houses and in our gardens, let us find more flowers that are for enjoyment and pleasure, if not to appease hunger or fill the pocket book! These things will help solve the problem of makiug farm life better and pleasanter. REPORT OF VICE-PRESIDENT, SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DIS- TRICT. MRS. JENNIE STAGER, SAUK RAPIDS. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: In the last. few years the planting of trees, vines and small fruits has largely increased. As for apples, I, for myself, am quite discouraged. Out of over one hundred trees, I have only about five that are perfect, two of those being Russians. One of my Transcendents I was very proud of: about eighteen feet high and sixteen inches in circumference; or ee, Pee eS "phage What ON SIE pe Ck aa aN hal a a oe eed SMI vk Oe : Gt tN 4 ay f , » iT. ¥ At wrt i Yr GENERAL FRUITS. 251 handsome shape; bark smooth and clean. It bore fruit almost every sum- mer; but after doing well eleven years it was struck with blight last summer and I had to sacrifice some of its beautiful limbs. Last season one of my Russians bore just one apple, as large as a Spitzenberg, which I refrained from gathering so as to have it fully ripened to bring to this meeting. But while at church one Sunday a neighbor’s boy passed everything else by and gathered that cherished fruit. To my sorrow two limbs of that tree were struck with blight. I have burned all blighted wood but that does not save the remainder. As for small fruits the yield in our section was quite encouraging. Ow- ing to plentiful rains, strawberries wherever proper attention was given -them produced a fine crop of very large berries. The currants promised an extra yield the first of the season, but later a great many dropped off, thereby giving a medium crop, the Cherry and the common Red Dutch bearing best. . Gooseberries gave large crops, but were badly mildewed on many places I visited. The Industry has been planted by many, but has given lit- tle fruit yet and that not as large as was expected. On my place and many others the red raspberry bore enormously and brought fifteen cents a quart the season through, notwithstanding quantities of wild ones were brought into market. I had about made up my mind to exterminate the Snyder blackberries upon my grounds, so last fall did not lay them down, and this spring let them grow at their own sweet will. But, as it is the unexpected that happens, to my unbounded surprise they yielded a large ‘crop of delicious berries. Most varieties of plums bore well. One large, wine-colored plum, nicely flavored, has blighted the last three years. It begins to turn brown in spots, which soon spread Over the whole plum, eating through and drying up the pulp. Asit is widely grown, we would ° like to know of any remedy other than cutting down. The Gregg is the best black raspberry we have, and generally gives a good crop. Several of us, three or four years ago, planted a dewberry sold us as the Lucretia. It has been very thrifty as to leaves and vines, but has never shown a blossom. Grapes bore nicely wherever I found them planted, and ripened earlier than usual. At Mr. John Dunewold’s, Duelm, I found a beautiful orchard of young apple trees, most of them bearing, and, wonderful to relate, not one blighted. His place is bounded on one side by a forty-acre lake and on the other sides by heavy timber, and is a mile or more from any other apple trees. Perhaps, that is how he escapes the blight. Several years ago Peter M. Gideon of Excelsior sent me a hundred seedling apple trees. As my land was not in order, I gave them to Mr. H. Cross of Sauk Rapids. Most of,them have done well. Seven of them bore apples of good fiavor and about the size of a Hyslop, one, especially, tasting like a pear when ripe and keeping until May; another was almost as large as a Duchess, but a poor keeper. I believe Mrs. Cross has some specimens here with her. Twenty-five are budded for fruit. Ten years ago I found very little fruit around the country except cur- rants, a few gooseberries, crab apples and wild plums. Now, one can hardly pass a farm without finding several varieties of cultivated fruit, and we have quite a number of enthusiastic fruit growers, including Messrs KE. Cross, Dunewold, Myers, Fogg, Clifton and several others, not excluding your humble servant. Mend Cy Ay fae ~s tee ee Os: IRS ler Se cots Bi ig ; Se Settee U 4 - F * we 252 © MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. FRUITS IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY. E. W. HASELTINE, GRAND FORKS, N. D.- Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: Being requested by your worthy secretary, Mr. A. W. Latham, to write an article on ‘‘ Fruits in the Red River Valley,” I hope the society will not expect too much from an inexperienced writer, although I have had a few years experience in hardy fruit culture in this climate. Coming here in 1879, when there was nothing to be seen but a vast prairie, dotted here and there with a small board or log cabin, it looked very discouraging to a new beginner to enter the vocation of a nursery- man, and raise forest and fruit stock for a country so near the 49th parallel. First, I concluded to make a thorough investigation as to the kinds of wild fruit to be found, there being no tame varieties within 100 miles or more in any direction. On the prairie was found in abundance the wild strawberry of fine quality and size; season, about two weeks later than in southern Minnesota, In the timber along the Red River and its tributaries red raspberries, gooseberries, black currants, Juneberries and two varieties of plums were growing in abundance, constituting some of the best wild fruits of this section. These fruits were also found on the prairies in some localities, where they had escaped the prairie fires. There were other varieties of less importance, such as grapes, bearing perhaps once in three or four years, depending on the season, and high bush cranberries, used more or less for jellies. This investigation soon convinced me that I could succeed with small fruit with proper care on the prairie. By planting a windbreak ‘around the plot intended for nursery or garden, there would be no trouble in raising all the hardy fruits that flourish in timbered sections of this latitude, other things being equal. ; So we are able by our experience to give a. short list of fruits that have been growing here in the valley during the past thirteen years, that have © proved a complete success. CURRANTS.—There need not be any discrimination as to variety to plant as all do well, only some seem to bear better than others, namely: Cherry, Victoria, Fay’s Prolific and White Grape. There is one pleasure in raising currants here, we have not been troubled with insects as are sections further south. GOOSEBERRIES.—The Houghton Seedling does well: the Downing and some other varieties tried need covering or they will winter kill to some extent. There is no complaint in this climate as to mildew. RASPBERRIES.—We have tried a number of varieties and find the Philadelphia and Turner in red, and Mammoth Cluster in black, succeed the best. If covered in the fall with earth or coarse litter, we are quite sure of a good crop the following year. BLACKBERRIES.—The Ancient Briton do best, but canes need covering with earth in the fall to save winter-killing. STRAWBERRIES.—Many varieties have been tried; none so successful as the Wilson and Crescent Seedling. The Crescent is much the hardiest and best bearer, where pianted along side of the Wilson. On plots from one to three acres I have found the strawberry the most profitable of all of the small fruits. GENERAL FRUITS. 253 GRAPES.—Grapes have not as yet been*a success, owing to continued growth of the vines in the fall and shortness of the season. Puiums.—If the trees are mulched in the fall and headed low, the Desota and Weaver will do well. CrABs.—The Transcendent has done the best of the many varieties that _ have been tried, being free from blight in this locality. Next in hardi- ness comes the Hyslop. Apples and cherries we do not consider profitable or a success, although I have seen good samples of Duchess, Wealthy and Tetofsky apples and Kentish cherry, in four or five counties in the valley. I am confident as the country grows older and with proper care (heading the tree low, mulching and cultivating), the hardy apples and cherries will be grown here with moderate success. Our advice to farmers located on the prairie has been to first planta good forest protection around the plot intended for the building and garden, then the small fruit and hardy crabs and plums will do well. As yet, the wheat industry of the valley overshadows all other interests; but year by year the farmers are taking more pride in putting up good buildings and in starting groves and fruit gardens, as they become able. So it will be but a few years before the Red River Valley will compare favorably with many of the older settlements of southern Minnesota, as there are hundreds of good farm homes and small ‘fruit gardens now in every county bordering on the Red River. ? THE CROSSING AND HYBRIDIZING OF FRUITS. PROF. N. E. HANSEN, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, AMES, IOWA. This subject has of late years attracted much attention from western horticulturists, as being one of great practical importance. It is the key to the solution of many of our horticultural problems. The limits of this paper will not admit of an exhaustive treatment of the subject, but only of the brief discussion of some of the general principles and the most promising lines for future work. History.—The history of hortlculture shows the wonderful results ob- tained by this method in improving flowers, grapes and some of the small fruits. Crossing and hybridizing may be regarded as a method of hasten- ing the process of evolution by introducing new elements of variation: and it shortens very materially the time required for the development of improved varieties. With flowers, grapes and small fruits, results are speedy, and, hence, the workers numerous. But with the orchard fruits longer time is required, so accidental seedlings, with pedigree determined by insects and the wind, have satisfied the wants of the orchardist. But these varieties of the old list have proven worthless for the Northwest, so we need to breed new varieties for our peculiar soil and climate. And, as breeders of animals choose the parents, why should not breeders of plants do the same? The indiscriminate sowing of seeds is an expensive lottery. Let the example of the florists be followed, and results in devel- oping fruits will be equally wonderful. SELECTION OF PARENTS.—Over fifty years ago Lindley wrote: ‘‘ Hy- bridizing is a game of chance played between man and plants.” But the records now show that it is more a game of skill than chance. Workers TON ees eng, ee 2 eee Tu Ye, BON 254 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. in improving flowers have found that in many cases all the seedlings re- sulting from crossing two distinct varieties or species were nearly or quite identical; and that new varieties identical in all respects could be pro- duced at will by using the same parents. This explains the curious fact” of the production of practically identical varieties by two or more experi- menters working independently at different times and places. The underlying principle in all these cases appears to be that each parent has its fixed degree of prepotency, and that the most prepotent parent controls the characteristics of the offspring. If both parents are of mongrel pedigree, and hence not prepotent, the progeny will be very variable, because the latent tendencies to reversion in both parents be- come united in the offspring. Hence, for best results we should use, if possible, a prepotent type for one of the parents, which has the most essential characteristic, viz: hardiness. There are some interesting examples of this on the college grounds at _ Ames. Many of the east Huropean apples run in families that come nearly true from seed, and the prepotency of such varieties has been evi- dent when crossed with American varieties of mongrel parentage. The seedlings of Russian apples pollenized with American varieties are very uniform, looking much more like a row of root-grafts than a row of seedlings. They are Russian in leaf, bud, and habit, showing the -prepo- tency of that race. The seedlings of American apples pollenized with Russian varieties are less uniform; while the seedlings of crosses of American with American varieties, both parents being of the west Euro- pean type, are a scrubby, very irregular and unpromising lot of trees, both parents being mongrels with no fixity of type. The evidence up to date in crossing fruits leads us always to select the female parent to impart hardiness and the male parent to impart quality and season of fruit. The histories of Rogers’ Hybrid grapes and Hovey’s Seedling straw-— berry are good examples of hardiness being inherited from the female, and desirable characteristics of fruit from the male parent. SELECT THE HARDIEST TYPE. In selecting the female parent, the hardiest form of the species should be used. The boxelder of Virginia is as tender as a peach in Lowa, while the same species from northern grown seed is perfectly hardy. The race of apples from west Europe is tender here in the Northwest, while the “race from east Europe has proved its vastly greater degree of hardiness. The silver spruce from the west slope of the Rocky Mountains is tender on our prairies, while the same species from the east slope is a model of beauty and hardiness. Hastern grown seed of our common forest trees is much inferior in hardiness to seeds of the same species from our nearest river bottoms. All these are examples indicating that care must be taken to choose the type of the species that is best adapted to our climate. Rogers’ Hybrid grapes are not fully adapted to the Northwest, because neither parent is fully adapted to prairie conditions. So Rogers’ work should be done over again for the far Northwest, using, if possible, the indigenous species for the female parent. The same is tle case with the wild strawberry of the Eastern states. Progress in strawberry culture in tne West was slow until Downer of Kentucky and others began to use the western type, from which to develop varieties better adapted to Western eee ene SI ee » oe Fee on Ee et he heen fe £ i >) hse PO eS? ee ae ‘ f - i \y % GENERAL FRUITS. 255 conditions of soil and climate. Since that time progress has been rapid, and the new varieties, such as Parker Earle, Warfield and Bubach No. 5, illustrate the great advantage and importance of applying this principle. So for the far Northwest we should begin with the local type of the wild strawberry and improve it by ucing the pollen of our largest and best flavored cultivated strawberries. INTERMEDIATE WORK.—In crossing species it may be that there is too great diversity in character between the parents; if in hardiness, the resulting seedlings will lack in that essential point; if too diverse botanically, the cross will be too violent, and the hybrids will lack in fertility. In either case, these first hybrids may be useful as intermediate steps in the work of development. By pollenizing the hardy species with these hybrids, the offspring will be of three-fourths hardy, and one-fourth tender pedigree. These secondary hybrids will probably be superior to those of the first generation, because of the nearer relationship of the parents. As work in this line, we have pollenized Worden and other hardy grapes, not with European grapes as did Rogers, but with Agawam, Salem and other Rogers’ Hybrids, thereby securing a smaller infusion of tender blood. We thus hope to combine hardiness and high quality. Meruops.—The above is but a glance at some of the leading thoughts underlying the extensive series of experiments in breeding fruits, inaugu- rated at the Iowa Agricultural College in 1866 by Prof. J. L. Budd, and - continued up to the present time. In this connection it may be of interest to describe briefly the methods of doing the work. About twenty-four hours before the flower opens the stamens are carefully removed with a pair of fine forceps or pinchers, such as are used in botanical laboratory work. Part or all of the petals are removed to give easier access to the stamens. In practice, only the anthers are removed, leaving most of the filaments. For convenience, only two flowers in each cluster of apple, pear, cherry or plum blossoms are operated upon; the others are removed. Blossoms on a strong spur are preferred to those on the end of a limb. The blossoms are at once pro- tected from insects and foreign pollen by means of a one-pound manilla paper sack, with bottom squared so it will stand on a level surface. Fine wire, such as is used for tree labels, is best for fastening the sacks. As soon as the stigmas are receptive, so that the pollen will adhere, which is usually the next day, the sack is removed, pollén applied with a camel’s hair brush and the sack replaced. Ina few days the paper sacks are re- placed by sacks made of mosquito netting, so as to give access to sunshine and air. Paper sacks afe not fully satisfactory. We have found fine muslin sacks more reliable, especially in wet seasons. In case of wet or windy weather the paper sacks are liable to be torn, and, if not torn, they hold the mois- ture too long. To save pollen the blossoms are gathered as soon as open, before the anthers have burst and discharged the pollen. The anthers are picked off with the pinchers, and thoroughly dried before putting in a small vial or cup or even in an envelope open at one end. A small vial is best. When thoroughly dried, pollen may be sent across the continent in an envelope. Keep in a dry, warm place. The same brush should not be used for more than one kind of pollen. Ro yan ’ hs Mba ao “ , * We - s 6 “4 vy : 1 5 rs shes SB 256 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. * In crossing grapes I have found that the caps and stamens can be re- f y moved with much facility by using the tips of the fingers, also the pinch- ers. Also, that with the grape pollenizing can be done by taking clusters of bloom just opened and fastening them with string and fine wire in close proximity to the emasculated clusters. This is easier than gather- ing the pollen and applying with a camel’s hair brush. Paper sacks are used at first and replaced later by mosquito netting. ’ PROMISING LINES OF WORK. Some of the leading lines of work have already been mentioned. In crossing Russian and American apples the aim has been to secure iron- / clad varieties of the highest quality for all seasons. The native wild crab — is not as promising as was ounce thought, because it is much subject to attacks of the fungus diseases, scab and roestelia, from which the Rus- sians are exempt; it is not hardy at the far North; and it sun-scalds when removed from the native thickets and planted on the open prairie. In crossing pears our object has been to cross the hardiest of the east European varieties with those of the highest quality of west European parentage. A good beginning in this line was made the past season. In crossing cherries the aim has been to pollenize the hardiest sour cherries from east Europe with the best sweet varieties; also to improve our native sand cherry (prunus pumila) and wild red cherry (p. penn- sylvanica). In the past cherryless year we failed in our work with the latter two species, but the experiment is not abandoned. - In improving our native plums the object has been to obtain high qual- ity by using as the male parents the best European and Japan plums. If the cross proves so violent as to affect injuriously the productiveness and hardiness, the same method will be followed as with the grape, viz., to use the pollen of these hybrid varieties on our wild plums, thus secur- ing a smaller infusion of foreign blood. Some seedlings on the college grounds of Desota, crossed with a large blue Japan plum grown in Oregon, show important modifications in foliage and fruit and are very promising. i The Northwest greatly needs a grape of good quality that is early enough to ripen even in North Dakota and Minnesota, and is perfectly hardy without winter protection. The past season we have crossed our wild grape with Empire State to determine the effect of using a variety of purely native parentage. Next season we will try to cross it with some of Rogers’ Hybrids. The gooseberry merits attention. The past season we crossed a hardy gooseberry from the Amur Valley in Asia with the Industry. The object is to obtain a hardy mildew-proof variety with fruit rivaling in size and quality the best English varieties. ‘ The Northwest needs a good variety of raspberry hardy enough to bear well at the north without winter protection. With this end in view, we have the past season crossed a wild red raspberry from the Black Hills” with the Shaeffer raspberry. Our native hazel nuts, walnuts, and hickory nuts all merit our careful attention, as they are, no doubt, capable of vast improvements by crossing and selection. Especially promising is our wild hazel nut, as it would probably soon rival the best filberts. Similar work remains to be done with our indigenous currants, June- berries, blackberries, dewberries, strawberries and other fruits. Re ae ee ne ~ oe Sings MAR ie ’ - SY PPAR A rn 3 ¥ y od on = RAL FRUITS. __ 257 ROSES. ae 3 While not properly coming within the scope of this paper, it may be of _ interest to note that we are endeavoring to originate a new race of hardy double roses for the Northwest. All the varieties of Rosa rugose impor ted by Prof. Budd from Russia have proven perfectly hardy without winter protection; have large fragrant flowers and bloom all summer, but the fiowers are single. It is a fixed species coming nearly true from seed. The past season we crossed them with a number of choice double roses, such as Gen. Jacqueminot, American Beauty, Magna Charta, Madam Masson and Triumph de Exposition, and we now have fully twenty thousand seeds put away for spring planting. Some work has also been done with other primitive species including our native Rosa blanda. — In conclusion, we may state that the systematic origination of new var- ieties may well be termed fundamental work in horticulture, and deserves our most careful consideration. Many workers are needed in this line, and we hope that many of the members of this society will aid in the work of developing hardy fruits and flowers for the Northwest. 17h Oe ONY ae Phang” Py weed Mak Aken), Webs SED OP a NON Pe OT ea ie eee Re sya SL HR We heck TAMIR i Se nL Bo dy ie li 7 - ‘ “ 3 ' / i 3 lam i vi 258 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SEEDLING FRUITS. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SEEDLING FRUITS. J. 8. HARRIS. Mr. President and friends of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: There is no one question in which the pomologists of Minnesota and the entire Northwest are at this time so deeply interested as that of find- ing varieties of fruit of the very best quality and covering every season of the year, that are sufficiently hardy to endure the rigors of the climate, and areadapted to general cultivation by our people. Every choice var- iety of fruit grown in the orchards and gardens of the temperate zone has been brought up to its present degree of excellence from very inferior types of wild crabs, pears, grapes, &c., through a long process of propa- gating and cultivating seedlings. By placing the plants under the best possible circumstances suggested by his intelligence, and by carefully selecting seed from the fruit produced in this way, and continual planting and cultivating, saving only the best, the ameliorating and improving of varieties has kept pace with civilization, and man has ina long series of ages obtained the many improved forms that are now so universally cultivated. By slow degrees the sour and bitter crab has expanded into the beautiful red-cheeked Pippin; the wild, thorny and scarcely edible pear into the mellow Bergamot or Beurre Diel; and the bitter almond into the delicious juicy peach. Many other species have improved in about the same ratio, and the greatest improvement has invariably taken ‘place in the face of the greatest obstacles and in places where nature was not prodigal of perfections. In the whole range of the field occupied by the horticulturist there is nothing more important and interesting than the originating of new varieties, and it is doubly interesting to the horticulturist of our state from the fact that varieties originated in acertain soil and climate are nearly always found best adapted to that locality. Repeated trials of the varieties of apples and their seedling descendants from the west of Europe and the older states have convinced us that they will not succeed here. Owing to the confusion of names and the uncertain quality of many of the varieties recently introduced from Russia, they have been but imperfectly tested and have not advanced very rapidly in public favor; and our main hope now seems to lie in the originating of new varieties from seed and creating a pomology of our own. I am glad to be able to report that we seem to be making considerable progress, and that the outlook is very promising. During the months of August, September and October, as a field agent of the Division of Pomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, I was offered an opportunity to explore about a dozen counties of the state and visit several fairs. The result is that I have found in every county a deep and growing interest in fruit culture, and discovered a considerable number of seedlings not heretofore gets SA NS alk Us al St aN hire eat as cad Ue Si RAE Ni Mit aa a om ” tr ee v AOA bid . 7. : x ¥, — ‘ SEEDLING FRUITS. ; 259 brought to public notice, several of them comparing well in size, quality and appearance to the Wealthy, Duchess and the best new Russians. Their comparative hardiness can only be ascertained through propagation and through trial in different localities. In order that they may be placed on record for future reference, 1 append brief descriptions of a few of the most promising: they will necessarily be imperfect,as in some cases - the fruit was picked before fully mature, and in others I had only asingle specimen for examination; besides, the season may vary considerably. Winter apples seem to have ripened prematurely this year. P. D. ANDERSON, SEEDLING, CARVER Co: - Size 5; form flattish round; color yellow, mostly covered with bright red and thickly sprinkled with fine gray dots; stem medium short, elastic, set in a broad regular greenish- yellow cavity; calyx half open in a broad, medium deep, corrugated basin; flesh yellowish-white, fine-grained, firm; flavor subacid, sweet; core small, closed; season, winter.. The tree was found growing in a hedge row near Waconia, is thrifty and shows marks of hardiness. ANDREW PETERSON, No. 5:—Size 5; form round, slightly angular; color yellowish green, striped with red; stem short,in a rather small cavity; calyx small, partly open, set in a broad, shallow, much wrinkled basin; flesh yellow; flavor subacid; core medium; season, October, December. Origi- nated from seed of Lieby. O. M. LORD’s SEEDLINGS OF THE WEALTHY, No. 1 (Longfield):—Size 3; form, round; color greenish-yellow; shaded light blush and striped with red on sun side; flesh white, shading red on sun side, fine grained, juicy tender; flavor pleasant acid; stem long and slender; cavity narrow; calyx small, closed in a medium deeply wrinkled basin. Season, November and December. Lorp’s No. 2:—Size 4; form round conical; color yellow, striped and splashed with red; stem long, medium, stout, set in a narrow, deep rus- setted cavity; calyx closed in a narrow corrugated basin; flesh white, fine- grained, juicy; flavor sweet. Season, October and November. Lorp’s No. 3, (B):—Size 5; form roundish, flattened at the ends; color green, lightly striped with dull red; flesh yellowish, firm; flavor subacid; stem long; cavity broad; medium deep calyx, small, half open in a broad slightly wrinkled basin; core small and closed. Season, apparently De- cember to February. Norway or T. JOHNSON, No. 1:—Size 5 to 6; form round conic; color, yellow and deep red striped, thickly sprinkled with large white or gray dots; flesh medium fine-grained yellowish-white, often stained red; flavor pleasant aromatic acid; stem, medium long in a deep angular russeted cavity; calyx closed basin, shallow, wrinkled; core small and close Season, December. Originated in Houston Co. from seed from a Norway tree about 28 years old; broad spreading habit. T. JOHNSON, No. 2: Size 6; form smooth, round; color greenish-yellow, Striped red; stem medium; cavity broad and russeted at the bottom; calyx partly open; basin medium broad, slightly wrinkled; flesh yellowish- white, fine grained, crisp, pleasant acid; season, October and November; as fair in appearance and better in quality than a well grown Oldenburg; tree, 16 years old. AMES SEEDLING, MOWER Co: Size 4; form conical; green and red striped, becoming mostly red when fully matured; stem short, in a rather 260 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. broad, shallow cavity; calyx closed in a small, shallow basin; flesh green, a little coarse; flavor acid; use kitchen; season, late winter; tree annual, a profuse bearer. HuME’s SEEDLING, FARIBAULT Co: Size 5; form round; color light yellow when fully ripe and showing many whitish dots under the skin; short stem, in a slightly irregular greenish cavity; calyx partly open; basin deep, angular, the angles extending well out into the sides of the fruit; flesh yellow, fine-grained, juicy, rich, subacid flavor; season, November. We should estimate the hardiness about same as Wealthy, while the quality is better; may prove valuable topworked on hardy stocks. CAMPBELL’S SEEDLING, No. 2: Size 4 to 5; form round conic; color clear yellow, striped with light red; stem medium in a broad, deep, striped cavity; calyx open; basin small, wrinkled; flesh nearly white, a little coarse-grained, juicy, subacid, sweet fiavor; use dessert; season, October; tree 17 years old, strong upright grower. CAMPBELL’S No.6: Size 4 to 5; form roundish; color straw yellow; flesh, yellowish-white, fine-grained; flavor sprightly, subacid, good; stem medium, set in a rather broad. medium deep, greenish cavity; calyx small, closed, set in a broad, rather shallow, wrinkled basin; core, medium, closed; season, September; use, table and market. CAMPBELL’s No. 8: Size 4; form round, oval; color yellow, striped light red; stem short in narrow cavity, calyx closed in a shallow basin; core medium; fiesh yellowish, tender, juicy subacid; season, October. CAMPBELL’s No. 9: Size 5 to 6; form roundish; color yellow, thickly studded with greenish dots; stem long and slender, in a deep russeted cav- ity, rays of russet often extending out on the sides of the fruit; calyx partly open in a broad wrinkled basin; flesh yellowish-white, fine-grained, juicy subacid; season, October. CAMPBELL’s No. 11: Size 4 to 5; form round somewhat flattened at the ends; color light yellow and red striped; stem short; cavity, small; calyx open on a nearly flush corrugated Fasin; flesh nearly white, shading red, fine grained; flavor pleasant acid; season, October. LAcQUA SEEDLING, WABASHA. Co: Size 5; form flattish round; color greenish-yellow, mostly covered with red stripes and splashes and thickly covered with fine gray dots; stem stout, medium long in a broad medium deep cavity, green at the base of stem; calyx small, partly open in a medium corugated basin; flesh greenish-white; flavor subacid, only fair; season, December; from seed of Oldenburg. SELEE SEEDLING, FILLMORE Co: Size 5; form round; color pale yel- low, splashed light red and striped deeper red; stem short, in a narrow deep green cavity; calyxclosed in an abrupt corrugated medium deep basin; flesh nearly white, fine-grained, fine subacid flavor; season, No- vember and December. Tree 25 years old produced three barrels of fruit in 1892. I have not been able to visit and examine it yet. WALKER’S SEEDLING, SPRING VALLEY: From sample received by mail. Size 6; form flattish round; color greenish-yellow, nearly covered with stripes and splashes of red; flesh yellow; flavor subacid; stem short; cavity broad and shallow; calyx open; basin deep; season, September; from seed of Oldenburg. ee Ae iw a Sn See Ne Ft ee oobi # 4 i Ho de aaa ee ae i ia ‘ ‘ s SEEDLING FRUITS. 261 4 In addition to the varieties described above we have found numbers of - seedlings in about every county visited. In Houston county there are some eight or ten more showing some considerable merit. In Fillmore, besides the Kruyels, some half dozen; in Freeborn three; in Faribault seven or eight; in Martin about three; in Winona three or four; in Wa- basha four; Rice a’dozen or more; Hennepin six or eight; McLeod two. Besides these we have heard of one in Nobles county, several in Blue Earth county, one in Renville county, one in Kandiyohi county, and a few in Goodhue county. Some of these are likely to prove as good or better than those already described. We have noticed that seedlings known to be of the Oldenburg very generally show large healthy foliage and com- parative freedom from blight, and that a considerable proportion of them produce fruit of average size and fine appearance; that the season varies from August to December, and that the flavor of some of them is finer than the Oldenburg, those supposed to be crossed with the Haas being the poorest. These facts are encouraging; and may we not have reasonable grounds to expect that seedlings from these and from the longest keeping, most hardy varieties of the newer Russians will at no distant day give us hardy varieties adapted to our climate that will meet our every want? Among older varieties mentioned in former reports the Peerless, Patten’s Greening, Okobena, some of the Krugels, and the Catherine are appar- ently doing well. . Har alta ait Gy Bl i 262 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY APPLES. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON APPLES. CLARENCE WEDGE, ALBERT LEA. A year ago in a conversation with Prof. Green, he surprised me by re- marking that he supposed that I was rather discouraged about raising ry apples, but that he hoped I would not give it up. I had supposed that’ - S my horticultural acquaintances all understood that I was considerable of <5 an enthusiast on the subject of orcharding. I think I will make my po- 4 sition understood when I state that were I given the choice of my loca- if tion in America to plant an orchard for ‘profit I should choose southern 2 Minnesota. I should choose it, not because the location promises fewer : difficulties or discouragements than others, but mainly because to the average planter, and especially to the planter of the old school, it does : offer discouragements of the most forbidding type. For the very reason 2 that apples do not grow spontaneously with us and that we are at the threshold of a region that can never raise them, we are assured of that “it most important adjunct of an orchard, a market, and that best of all v markets, a home market. And, moreover, those who plant orchards 4 now will have a monopoly of the home market, for there are no orchards, a and none are being planted in that section. True, there are little fruit ° gardens of an eighth to half an acre planted and being planted to an Ee ill-assorted mixture of varieties; but in the modern market they can never Roy, compete with the grower who has twenty or ten or even one acre of one variety and knows how to handle it. ke But I would scarcely think it safe to attempt orcharding by the old ah methods. I should place little dependence on twenty-year-old trees or, indeed, altogether on my trees alone. 1 should plant varieties that are St known to make good returns before the trees are set ten years, and should ; plant in such a manner that my crops of potatoes, corn, beans and clover on the land would be about as large and as conveniently produced . as if the trees were not there. The two ideas of early bearing va- rieties and supplementary crops are, in my humble judgment, to be the first principles of successful orcharding in Minnesota. In order to ,ac- he: complish this, the old fashion of planting in hills must give place to the new of plantingin drills. From forty to sixty feet is not too far to place the rows apart, and from eight to twelve feet will not be too near to set the trees. Wealthys have been set in Freeborn county for twenty years, but the largest now living would not be crowded if set in such rows eight feet apart, and yet I am inclined to class the Wealthy as one of our profitable varieties. The Duchess and Hibernal, being longer lived trees, will re- quire about twelve feet.. The rows must run north and south, and the trees set leaning to the one o’clock sun; if three or four-year-old trees are set, the inclination will be permanent, and, probably, a little time gained ike So a a Rea Cee ae cL ROME NE gy PP ane APPLES. 268 over two-year-old trees. As to length of stem,I am not an advocate of the no stem theory, but am open to conyiction, It may be necessary to grow the Wealtby asa bush, but topworked three feet high on Virginia. I be- : lieve it would be equally hardy and much more conveniently protected ie from rabbits and less likely to be broken down by drifting snows. B: The choice of varieties is a matter of prime importance, but, unfor- ie tunately, one upon which the doctors must cordially disagree. In the past mY the Duchess has been the most profitable, and with the general adoption r of cold storage seems likely to be one of the best for the future. In 4 southern Minnesota it is reliable in hardiness,as is witnessed by thousands of old trees standing in perfect health. I am under the impression that severe thinning of fruit to change the year of bearing from that of the common orchards, thus securing fruit in the off years, would be a very advantageous policy. . The Hibernal (I mean the entire family, including Recumbent, Juicy Burr, Pendant Ear, and Silken Leaf) is, probably, the next most reliable variety. At the late northern Iowa meeting it was repeatedly declared to be twenty per cent. hardier than Duchess, and no one was heard to io dispute. It is noticeable for its early and heavy bearing. Trees in my orchard, five years set, have already paid first cost and all expenses, indeed, have brought in about as much money as Duchess nine years planted. Careful investigation and observation among the orchards from Minneapolis to central Iowa lead me to the belief that I can serve the fruit interests of the country no better than by urging the merits of this variety. J. C. Ferris aptly calls it ‘“The Ben Davis of the North.” While it does not monopolize all the pomological virtues, it will, if given the : opportunity, afford our people an abundance of apples up to the first of oi January, and will extend the region of profitable orcharding a hundred miles or more to the north-and west. It is, fortunately, a variety com- wat monly found in the nurseries, and I am advertising.no monopoly in publishing its virtues. The Longfield is not a variety of great hardiness, but it is to-day perhaps the safest variety to plant for sale as a dessert apple. It will bear a bushel of apples a little quicker than any variety I know of, and although a little undersized is quite handsome and about as good in quality as Wealthy. The Wealthy is commonly considered an early bearing variety. With me it has borne a few specimens about as soon as any, but it has taken double the time to carry a crop that it has the Longfield. There has been so much evidence brought to show the advantage of topworking that I should favor setting the Virginia crab and Hibernal, and topworking them with either Wealthy or Longfield, with a strong leaning in favor of the latter. Asan all winter variety the Malinda is attracting much attention. Were it an early bearing kind I would think it valuable in spite of its half-hardiness, but life is too short and our climate too uncertain to admit such a variety into the com- mercial orchard. Whatever varieties are planted or methods employed we must expect a larger loss of trees than the Eastern orchardist. Periods of wide-spread disaster, as in ’84-5, will doubtless again overtake us;,but if to the com- pensating advantages of exemption from insect pests, superior beauty, quality of fruit and nearness of market we add the use of early bearing 264 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. varieties and supplementary crops, we can with good heart hastily fill up our vacant ranks of trees, knowing that the disasters that overwhelm the many will bring to faithfulness and courage the richer reward. DISCUSSION. Mr. J. S. Harris. I coincide with Mr. Wedge on the varieties named, but I should go very slowly with the Malinda except as a topworked tree, and then put in only a few for the young children to teeth on. (Laughter.) I hope that in the future we may get a good long-keeping apple. Mr. Murray. There is one point he mentioned, and that i is in regard to the distance he said he would set the trees from each other. It struck me that the distance he named between the rows was surprisingly wide, as was the distance in the rows. Mr. Wedge. Of course, there are many other good orchards in that part of the state, but they do not supply the markets of the state by any means. I think the distance named in my paper is a good distance, as my idea is to get a good crop of corn and potatoes off the land anykow, and then I propose that those rows of trees shall bring me in something besides, Mr. Harris. Apple trees are not a success if they are placed too close together. Of course, when they are small it is all right, but when they grow larger the difficulty appears. Mr. Wedge and I talked that matter over last fall, and my advice to him was to set the trees at least forty feet apart—and I guess sixty would have been better—letting the rows run north and south or a little northeast and southwest, and then plant the trees closely in the rows, according to the varieties. I know that some trees starve to death in Minnesota because they are set too close together and, consequently, have no vitality to re- sist severe climatic influences. Now, these wide rows give the trees an opportunity to draw more nutriment from the soil, and also allow us to go between them with our teams in the winter and unload manure. Mr. O. F. Brand. I would like to ask Mr. Wedge how many varieties he has in his own orchard, and if he noticed much injury to the foliage last summer? Mr. Wedge. I have probably about twenty-five varieties. I remember there was considerable injury to the leaves in July or about that time. I do not know what it was—the leaves curled; or something of that kind. I could not place the injury. Mr, Brand. Were there spots on the leaves? Mr. Wedge. Oh yes, there were scabs in my orchards a good deal, too. < ri ie © ey Mia a5 om bY s se al ee ta Shah a oo - APPLES. Mr. Brand. Can you name any one variety that passed through in better condition than the others? Mr. Wedge, Well, almost anything Russian was all right so far as the scab was concerned. The Peerless was the only one in my whole orchard that was absolutely perfect as regards blight. In other respects I don’t know that it fared any better than the Russians did. REPORT ON APPLES. R. C., KEEL, ROCHESTER. Mr. President and members of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:—The year of 1892 has been one of great encouragement and also of some disappointment to the fruit growers of Minnesota. The trees came through the previous winter in good condi- tion, and in the spring it looked as though we would have an abundant crop of all kinds of apples and crab apples, but the wet and cold spring and then a couple of very hot days, June 10 and 11,1 think it was, did some damage to the blossoms and caused the crab apple trees to blight; also some of the Russian trees were hurt, more so in the middle and western part of the state than in the southeastern part. But after all, we had a large crop, the largest that was ever grown in Minnesota, and the farmers in our part of the state who have orchards are bound to have some more trees in the spring; they have found out that one acre of orchard pays better than 20 acres of wheat. The cry we — used to hear, ‘* Will Minnesota-ever raise her own apples?” was solved in 1892, and is now a question of the past. The commission merchants in this city and in St. Paul have also com- menced to notice the importance of the fruit industry in Minnesota. The bulk of apples raised in our state is, of course, Duchess, but the day is not far distant when we shall raise as many winter apples as we do of Duchess now. It will. probably, astonish the members of this society when I say that in two townships, namely, Haverhill and Viola, were raised 15,000 bushels of apples in 1892. They were shipped to Chicago, St. Louis and a great many to Dakota, and, when handled as they ought to be, brought a good price. It is my honest belief that there is not a farm in Minnesota but what a small place could be found on it that would grow apple trees of some kind, but forcommercial purposes the best locality should be looked up. Last. year I raised 3,500 bushels of apples. I do not deny that I havea good location, but in our county we have thousands of acres that are as well adapted to fruit trees as my place is, anda great deal of it is even better; some of my land is of so poor quality that it will not even raise weeds, and yet it raises good crops of apples. Now, I do not wish it understood that I advise people to plant their apple trees on the poorest soil, for it is a well known fact that the better the land is the better the crops will be. I had one-quarter of an acre planted with Wealthy trees that I mulched very heavily a year ago this fall;the result was that I picked from that orchard 65 barrels of apples. If 266 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. they could all have been hand-picked they would have brought me nearly $300; but we had a quite heavy wind storm just when we were picking them and when they were quite rip2; consequently, a great many of them dropped, but I sold none of them for less than $3.75 per barrel. With such a crop and prices, an acre of land would turn out about $1000.00. This statement, big as it may seem, is true, and can be proved by my pickers; and the orchard was seen by several members of this society, namely, Prof. Green, Sec. A. W. Latham and Mr. Somerville. We have a few new varieties of apples which I think are worthy of notice, for instance, the Gilbert. I like this variety better, the more I get acquainted with it. It is onlya fall apple, but keeps quite along time and is not ripe till after the Duchess are gone. It is an annualand heavy bearer, good size and of excellent quality. The trees seem hardy and make a good growth although they bear so heavily. The seedling that Mr. Somerville has on exhibition is also one of great promise as a winter apple. The tree Mr. Somerville sold me is about 10 or 12 years vld and hardy. Last summer it bore a heavy crop of fine apples: do not know as it ever bore before. These are about the only new varieties that I know of in our county that are of any value; we still stick to the older varieties, such as Olden- burg, Wealthy, Longfield, Malinda and a number of Russians which seem to be doing well. DISCUSSION. Mr. Harris. This apple which Mr. Keel calls the Gilbert and another apple a good deal like it, that he called the Ostrekoff, he sent for to the Departmentat Washington. He sent most of the specimens to Professor Budd, and he said that either of them were splendid fruits to come in and succeed the Duchess. You know there are a great many mistakes made in sending out those Russian apples by the Superintendent of Agriculture, and, probably, nine out of ten of them are improperly named to- day, hindering us greatly when we get a good variety by mak- ing it almost impossible for us to find out the name, so that we can order more of the same kind. Mr. Clarence Wedge. We are fortunate to-day in having with us a representative from our sister state, one who is able to instruct us on the subject of orcharding and apples, a gen- tleman whom it has been my pleasure to know for a number of years and whose friendship I especially value. He has been many years engaged in very careful painstaking experiments, and I want him while he is here to tell us something of those experiments. He is the originator of an apple which I think is going to prove a blessing to Minnesota. In northern lowa there is nothing in the apple line more thoroughly endorsed than Patten’s Greening, and I hope Mr. Patten, its originator, will step forward and favor us with a little talk on it and on the subject in general. 1 Ss > au one eo, a nm Fe¥ sw i Oe ee ie ae ee a Pie Re Ribak kt ce APPLES. 267 Mr. Patten. Ido not believe that I have very much to offer at this time. Your discussion of the apple question interests me yery much, of course, as I have loig been engaged in this branch of horticulture, as Mr. Wedge has stated. There is one criticism I would like to make on Mr. Wedge’s suggestion about setting out trees eight feet apart. I think twelve feet for a Wealthy even should be near enough, and I will give you my reasons. If your trees are planted anything like eight feet apart, and there should come on two or three dry seasons in succession or the summer should be succeeded by an exceed- ingly dry falland an early cold winter, the trees planted so closely together would soon exhaust the moisture from the earth, and then they would suffer and perish, unless extra effort was made to supply them with the needed moisture. They would have to be watered or very heavily mulched, and, in any event, trees planted as thickly as that would suffer. I would consider that twelve feet would be a reasonable distance, and then if a dry season or a dry fall should come they would have to be watered and heavily mulched in order to carry them through the winter successfully. , From my own experience I would recommend that the Duchess of Oldenburg be not planted nearer together than six- teen or eighteen feet in the row. They live so long and bear so abundantly and require so much nourishment and sunlight, that they do not succeed as they would if they had a little more room. These are observations I have made during my efforts in this line, and I think they are important. I heartily concur in the distance named by Mr. Wedge between the rows. It gives thorough drainage, and to varieties subject to blight it would be of incalculable benefit; it also gives an opportunity to scatter the manure through the orchard. In reference tothe different varieties that suffered during the past year I would name the Longfield and Charlamoff, both of which suffered a great deal; and quite a number of Russians suffered tosome extent. They scabbed some,and the Charlamoft bore very little, the Longfield bearing more but scabbing con- siderably. Now, here is a good opportunity to say a good word for our own native productions. As is well known to my friends, Mr. Wedge and Mr. Harris, I have a greatnumber of seedlings on my grounds of varieties that are especially valuable for their . hardiness in this western country. Very many of these seed- lings have proved themselves of value this year, and without desiring to boom the Greening apple, for that has gone beyond ea Me RT TT hPa Y ge So aR) ner SC SO PRS ne a ae 268. § MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ib. anything I might say for it, having fruited in four states now, I will say that tree was more perfect than any other tree I had ; on my grounds, without any exception—that is of the old bear- : ing trees. ie Mr. Wedge. Allow me to say that Mr. Patten’s grounds are : very trying in many respects. é Mr. Patten. I was about to say that the Greening bore a : heavier crop this year—the old tree is now twenty-three years old—than any Duchess of Oldenburg on my grounds of any- ‘a where near the same age, and carried its crop to maturity in ‘9 perfection. There is another feature about the Greening that | | will interest all horticulturists, and that is, that even when it bears a heavy crop of fruit it has the vigor to make at the same time a large growth. Professor Green: I would not like to see Mr. Keel’s paper passed by without more discussion. I visited his place last summer. It was in September, at the time of the state fair, and he then was picking his Duchess, and it was avery encour- aging sight. iI never saw trees so heavily laden with apples as ns, his trees were there. He had the Duchess, the Wealthy, the Longfield and the Gilbert, and they were very heavily laden. His orchard of Duchess apples is planted in rows twelve feet apart each way, and the trees have now grown close together, so that they form a complete canopy over the ground, bearing an immense crop of apples. His Wealthys were in perfect shape. I thought the best ones were those that were top grafted on the Beacher’s Sweet crab and other crabs. The apples on the Long- field hung in great profusion on the branches all through the - rows, and the trees themselves had also made a good growth of wood. They also were top grafted on the Beacher’s Sweets. The location of his orchard is high, and the land is somewhat clayey, but it is no better than thousands of acres of land, I think, in that immediate vicinity. President Underwood: We would be very glad to hear from Mr. Mitchell of Cresco, Iowa, who is with us to-day as a visitor from the Iowa society, and have him participate in our discus- sions. We hope that all of our visitors from outside the state, as well as in it, will consider themselves perfectly at home with us. Mr. J. B. Mitchell, Cresco, Iowa: I was with you at the meet- ing held at Owatonna, and I made a few remarks in relation to seedlings there. I did not say what I intended to, nor what I wanted to say. Iam not much of a speaker, and at that time I ye ae se ont Sam Mes: Amaia b a Pate SA ee ie Te et eee eC re. i! Rar ™ yh : Tile Be ta i x See Ye eh S fs ‘ “J fs ‘ve . 1s “7 . ' e . APPLES. 269 ee had been sick, and, in fact, was sick when I was at your meet- ing, and, therefore, probably, did not make my meaning clear. I wish to correct the remarks that are credited to me in last year’s report, and I have put that correction in the form of a short paper, but I did not intend to read it at the present. time, if I did at all, as I did not expect to be called on to speak here. ’ Itis true I have had a good deal of experience in apple culture. I have been cultivating these Russian apples a long while, and if it were not for them I should be out of the business. I have tried all the more hardy varieties of the American apple, and I have had such bad luck with them in killing off, that I gave it up and fell back on the Russian apples, which I have been trying for some years. They have been a great success with us. Of course, there are many varieties among them that are entirely worthless, but I think one of them, the Lieby, is worth more to our state many times over, as I said a few years ago at our state meeting, than the Duchess, from the fact that the Lieby is a better keeper. I have also considered the tree twenty per | cent. hardier than the Duchess, and it has borne as heavily with me as the Duchess, and is free from blight. This year, while the crab apples and the American varieties scabbed very much, the Lieby bore heavy crops of smooth apples, free from blight or scabs, either in leaf or apples. I can see no difference between the Lieby and the Hiberna!, either of the trees or fruit. All my trees are grown from root grafts. I have always con- tended that in our part of lowa we want trees hardy from the ground up. Professor Green: What other apples besides the Lieby do . you think highly of? Have you the Longfield? Mr. Mitchell: I have not the Longfield. I have some- thing over a hundred varieties. The Bergamont is a fine apple, and the 444 is a good market apple. Professor Green:. I would like to ask Mr. Patten in regard to the Good Peasant, as to its health? Mr. Patten: It is a good tree and I think very highly of it. It does not blight at all. The apple will keep, if properly handled, until December. Mr. Patten followed with an interesting talk upon a number of imported varieties. President Underwood: We have with us to-day Mr. William Somerville who is an authority on tree planting, and we would like to hear from him. 270 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. - © p Mr. Somerville: I came here more to take notes and to lis- ten than to talk myself. I will say that in 1862 I set out fifty Duchess apple trees sixteen feet apart each way, and if I were to set out fifty thousand more that is the distance at which I — would set them. I want the whole ground occupied and I want it shaded, when the trees get large. A great many of us set our trees here in Minnesota with the expectation that one out of ten of them may live, and the balance of the ground will be cutivated for other purposes. I think that is wrong. We can afford to take better care of a small piece of ground, and thus insure our trees living, than we can of a larger one, if they are scattered too far apart. Of the fifty trees that I set out in 1862 there are forty-nine of them living to-day. Ihave not failed to get a crop of fruit for twenty-five years. The fiftieth tree overbore itself and broke down. My orchard occupies a space of ground about nine by thirteen rods, and it is the most profit- able piece of ground that I have on my farm. I believe it is necessary to feed our trees as much as it is to feed our stock. In the first place, we put on the mulch in the win- ter,and that retains the moisture in the ground. Inthe next.place, the ground never freezes so hard when it is mulched. There are more trees starved to death than killed by severe winters. The roots are kept cool and moistened by this mulch, and our trees are not subject to blight as they are when the sun has licked up the last particle of food in the way of moisture that the trees can get at. I believe it is an advantage to do this, and I have found by doing it that I have very little blight in my orchard. I have a number of Russian apple trees that have done well. There are a number of our seedlings that are good fruit trees. There is no doubt that we have taken a step in the right direction in this matter of seedlings, afd when we get two or three generations of these seedlings we will be right at home in raising apples in Minnesota. I am satisfied that we are increasing our yearly crop of apples in this state quite rapidly, and I believe that we shall continue to do so. Of course, whenever we leave the corn belt we do not talk about raising apples. but wherever we can raise corn we may be sure of success in raising apples. Now. there has been a great deal of talk made in regard to locations for orchards, but I do not think that either Mr. Keel or myself has any better location than other people. It is largely a matter of care and good judgment. (Applause. ) * . : ; i : & OF 4 » APPLES. 281 Freeborn County Fairs; also the State Experiment Station at St. Anthony ; Park and the substation at Owatonna, and besides to visit and inspect Ag orchards in twelve counties of this state. RussIAN APPLES.—I am becoming strongly of the opinion that some of the varieties of apples recently introduced into this country from Russia are destined to become important factors in the future pomology M of Minnesota and the Northwest generally, for the reason that they are in : certain respects extremely hardy, have large and thick foliage that is able é to resist heat, drouth, rust and fungus diseases, and are not sensitive to . sudden changes of the weather. The trees ripen up their season’s growth naturally, and when they have gone into rest for the winter are not excited into a new flow of sap by changes of weather from dry to wet, and. cold to heat, as are some of our American varieties. At the blooming period last spring,the prospect seemed favorable for the largest crop of fruit ever known in this region, and especially so of apples. Never before had all varieties been known to bloom so profusely. About that period consider- able rain fell, and for a considerable time afterward we had but little sunshine, and the atmosphere was what we generally term close and over- charged with moisture, and some pretty warm days occured. Between the first and tenth of June we discovered that something was wrong with the apple trees. First, a grayish mildew appeared on the stalks and undersides of the leaves, and on the stems of the newly form- ing fruit, soon turning them yellow and brown; and soon after a consid- erable portion of the foliage and frrit had dropped to the ground, leay- ing the trees with a sorry appearance. On looking about we found that. all varieties did not.suffer alike, and that a considerable number of the Russian varieties were not perceptibly affected, and, generally, where old enough to bear, matured a good crop of very fine fruit; and in localities where some of the older American varieties were a total failure, or the little fruit produced was more or less scabby, and inferior in size or quality. : The trouble extended over the entire state of Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and, I presume, over other sections of the country. It appeared to be the worst in eastern and southern Wisconsin and on the valley lands along the Mississppi river and its tributaries, and growing gradually less as we advanced westward upon the high prairie and table lands. The fruit shown at the Wisconsin State Fair was very largely produced upon the high lands about Baraboo and in Vernon county; fully one-half of the varieties shown were Russians, and without them the exhibition would have been very ordinary in appearance. In our own state the difference was not so marked, but a great number of the finest apples were Russians and their seedlings. © The American varieties were affected in about the following order, viz: Haas, Walbridge, Talman Sweet, Fameuse,Golden Russett, Plumb Cider, Ben Davis, Willow Twig, St. Lawrence, Bailey Sweet, Utter, Malinda, Price’s Sweet. The McMahon White, Wealthy and Wolf River were nearly exempt, except in very low and protected places. The Russian va- rieties and some that have originated from seed of them, as the Peerless, Patten’s Greening, five varieties of Rugby seedlings and several others, were nearly or entirely exempt from the malady, and matured satisfactory crops of fine, perfect fruit. LT AMT Nite Sen RPE RENE 7.0 { a 282 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. pe Tuer SIBERIAN SPECIES.—Many of them suffered in the same manner, — and the crop of crabs was nearly a total failure. ORCHARDS.—We were led to the conclusion that the best sites for orchards are on the highest and dryest land available; that some pro- tection is beneficial; that it should be most dense on the south and at some considerable distance away on the west and north; that the shelter on the north and west should not be so dense as to stop the wind or cir- culation of air, but rather break 1t up. We have seen some very fair or- chards where quite closely sheltered, but think the trees in such are more subject to blight, sun-scald and frost. In many orchards the largest and best trees are found in the two rows nearest the south windbreak, pro- vided they are far enough distant to prevent being drawn by shade or re- ceive injury from the roots of the windbreak robbing the soil of moisture - and fertility. The trees on the west side, also, when not less than 60 to 100 feet from the windbreak, are not usually seriously injured by the shelter, and we think are better than where fully exposed, The rows nearest to a north windbreak, especially where the land declines into a ravine or valley, are usually the poorest and the most are lost in them; but it will require further investigation to satisfy us that the presence of the wind- break is the prime cause of it. On level ground or ground facing to the south, such a shelter would tend to confine heat and stimulate the trees to start earlier in the spring, and cause frozen-sap blight; and the heated air when charged with excessive moisture might force rapid and imma- ture growth, predisposed to blight. The best fruit of last season was invariably found on high clay or sandy loam or limestone soils, sufficiently undulating to give good air and soil drainage; and where either cultivation was given or the ground was kept mulched sufficiently about the trees to prevent the excessive evapor- ation of moisture and keep the grass down; or where the whole surface of the ground received an annual dressing of manure. An orchard will not thrive long when sodded down to timothy and blue grass. I have not yet discovered an orchard where horses or cattle are allowed to pasture in it at any season of the year, that is proving satisfactory, and the owners of such orchards generally give up in disgust, join the army of croakers and proclaim to the world that fruit will not grow in Minnesota. 'The tramp- ing of the ground is injurious to the roots of the trees, and even staking out the cow to keep down the grass, though she do not browse the trees, and the turning in of calves to wean, is sure to prove disastrous in the end. Browsing and horn pruning is the worst of all pruning, and beef and good apples cannot be gathered from the same tree. The only stock that should be allowed to run in the orchard is young swine, and they should be kept out whenever the ground is so wet that it would not do to plow or cultivate. V ARIETIES.-Of all the varieties planted in the early years, the Oldenburg is the only one of which any considerable number of the first planting of trees still remain, aside from the Trancendent crab and a few others of the Siberian species. We frequently come across those that have been planted out from twenty-five to thirty years, that are the only survivors of that age, except a few Siberians. Many of these old trees, perhaps all, received some injury in the winter of 1884-85, but have very generally recovered to such an extent as to continue to bear profitable crops of fruit. Mr. APPLES. | 283 Somerville of Viola has one of them supposed to be 33 or 34 years old, that © has borne fruit for 27 years, a plate of the first crop being exhibited at - the state fair held in Rochester in 1866. The tree stands perpendicular, and the’ trunk is about 44 feet to lowest branches; has never shown sun-scald, and looks to be in excellent condition. In some seasons as high as 20 bushels of fruit have been picked from it, nor has it ever ap- peared to be injuriously affected from the protection of dense windbreaks, with which the orchards of Mr. Somerville are very closely surrounded. The impression has gone out that Steele county, and especially that portion of it adjacent to Owatonna, is not well adapted to orcharding. G. W. Buffum, who resides some two miles west of the city, has an orch- ard chiefly of Oldenburg and Transcendent crab trees, that has been planted 27 years and, thus, has passed through the severest tests known to this climate. The trees are generally looking well, and last fall the Olden- burg were carrying all the fruit they could stand under and looking much more vigorous and healthy than the Transcendants, which were bearing nothing. The orchard is planted upon elevated ground and has shelter belts of deciduous trees On the south and west sides. He reports that he has lost but few trees of these varieties, while the American vari- eties, including the Wealthy, have suffered severely. At D. K. Michenor’s in Fillmore county are a considerable number of the Oldenburg trees set out about the same time, that have survived through all trying ordeals incident to this climate, except cattle browsing and horn pruning, and have proved a profitable investment. They are still vigorous and pro- ductive, and have prompted Mr. M. to plant freely of that and afew other varieties, until he now has some ten acres of bearing orchard, fully one- half of this one variety, that brings him an income each alternate year of from one to two thousand dollars; and his success has encouraged others to plant orchards, so that Fillmore county is gaining an enviable notoriety for her apple products. In Houston, Winona, Rice, Wabasha and other counties are found other like instances, which serve to prove that the Oldenburg is hardy enough to be reasonably safe to plant, and as some of its seedlings are apparently equally hardy and produce fruit of better quality, the inference is that we should look to the Russians and their seedling descendents for our future supply of apples. There are other varieties of Russians equally hardy, that if freely planted will prolong the season of apples until winter or spring. It-is very generally believed that apple trees, as a rule, will not be long-lived in this country. If that shonld prove to be the case, it will not prove any serious disadvantage, providing varieties are planted that commence bearing at an early age and bear liberal crops, for the reason that the trees may be planted more closely together, and also that the fruit of young orchards is of much better quality. More barrels of apples can be gathered from an orchard of Wealthys, Hibernals, Longfields and Good Peasants in the first ten years after planting than from Fameuse, - St. Lawrence, Northern Spy and some others in the first twenty years. ‘Some of our most successful orchardists practice keeping up the orchard by setting a few trees every spring. Some of the best and most fruitful orchards we found in our explorations have been managed on this plan. BE. H. S. Dartt of Owatonna has a two and one-half acre orchard set with four-year-old Oldenburg trees in the spring 1885, that had been dug and 284 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. a buried the fall previous, from which he last fall gathered one hundred and five barrels of first-class fruit, netting him more than $100 per acre. C. Morgan of Fillmore county had over a thousand trees of about the same age, bearing from a half to three bushels per tree, and R. C.’Keel of Rochester realized the best results from young orchards of Wealthy and Longfield. Had the farmers of Minnesota re-planted their dead orchards. at once after they were killed out, even with the best of the old varieties, the last year’s crop would have proved a bonanza. BOXING TREES.—A TALK. O. F. BRAND, FARIBAULT. One of the gentlemen has asked me to tell the society what little IL know about boxing trees. The protection I have given to trees has de- monstrated to me that the plan is a success. 1 boxed quite a number of trees a year ago last fall, as well as the previous fall, and had good luck with all of them. I think it isan advantage even during a mild winter, although a protection of two or three thicknesses of manilla paper might have been just as efficient during the last three or four winters. But during those winters which occasionally come upon us without much warning, those severe winters such as we had in "72and 73, "79 and ’84, we appreciate the great gain, which is to behad by using this protection. Those are the winters in which trees need protection in order to prevent the wood from being killed. I think I might say a word in regard to setting trees too close to- gether, as this also has much to do with their hardiness, in my opinion. Trees that stand twenty-five or thirty feet apart have plenty of room to gather material from which to build up a crop of apples. Apples cannot be entirely formed from the atmosphere, but, as you know, some- thing must be taken from the soil. The roots must have room to spread out and gather this material. I have always noticed that the trees that bore the most fruit were those which stand long distances apart. I think the two trees in this state that have produced more fruit than any other two trees, stand at least fifty feet apart from the surrounding trees. One of them. I think, stood at least one hundred feet from any other tree. To return to the subject of boxing, I have boxed up a good many trees this last fall with earth, and have also used a good deal of paper in protecting trees. I shall continue this pian, although I nave thought some people injured their trees last winter by boxing. If do not know ex- actly why, as there was no injury to mine. I boxed with clean earth. Of course, I can understand how trees might be injured during such a winter as last winter, when there were frequent showers of rain to soak the earth. If there were ashes in the soil or, perhaps, some other kind of fertilizing material, it might injure the bark of the tree, if the earth was saturated with water. I always take away the boxes ir the spring, as. there is no neceesity for protection after the frost is out of the ground. DISCUSSION. President Underwood: Is there any objection to the prac- tice that some people have of putting the boxes on, filling them eS APPLES. 285 up with earth, and never apa them away until they fall away themselves? Mr. Brand: I should say there was. Mr. Smith: This protection is to the body of the tree only? Mr. Brand: Yes, to the trunk. Mr. Murray: I would like to hear from Mr. Somerville on » the subject. Mr. Somerville: It would bea rather tedious job with as many trees as I have, to box them in that way. But this gen- tleman’s idea is right in line with the true principles of raising apples in Minnesota. Try and get the head as low as you can get it and start the limbs low. I have a method of boxing trees, that I think a good deal of, which simply consists in taking about seven common plasterer’s laths, sawing them the height you want them, and then take some fine light wire and weave it arouud those laths back and forth until you have a web made of it, and then simply tie that around the tree. That makes all the box I want, and gives a free circulation of air, and keeps the rabbits and mice away from the bark, and keeps the whiffletree of the wagon from taking the bark off the tree when you are cultivating it. You can leave this around your tree for a number of years, as it will stay there as long as that wire will hold it on. Itis a pretty tedious job, however, to go over fifteen hundred trees in that shape, and I would rather have trees that would stand without boxing. Mr. Connor. I believe if we grow trees with low heads, that we won’t need to box them. We shall derive a great deal of benefit from following this system of growing our trees with low heads. We have found it very successful in northern Iowa. Very few varieties will stand the freezing and thawing and hot sun of early spring time without becoming injured, and if we grow our trees low, we will avoid all that trouble. Col. Stevens: I would like to ask, if boxing trees does not protect them from the heat of the sun in the early spring, when the trees are apt to suffer from a disease which I should call sun-scald. I have always found it very desirable to pro- tect the trunks of trees, not only from the sun but from the cold. Hence, itis desirable that the branches should come down as near to the surface of the ground as possible, for the purpose of protecting the trunks of the trees. In that event, ‘Ido not know that it would be necessary to box them, but, otherwise, I think they should be protected. 286 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | Mr. Brackett: May I ask if anybody who has had experi- ence in boxing apple trees would consider that the same rule should apply to plum trees? Mr. Heideman: Ido not consider it necessary. If you go to work and box them up and fill with soil, it is the same as if you plant them down lower in the ground. I-should think that the protection of lath, which keeps the trunk shaded, would be amply sufficient. President Underwood: This matter was brought up last year and also two years ago by Mr. Brand and Mr. Kinney. You will find in the report that it is very highly recommended and very fully described. You know the theory has been introduced of slanting the trees somewhat, so that the rays of the sun would not have so direct an effect on the body of the tree. I think that is a good idea. I think that lath is a help, especi- ally on a young tree. The boxing, no doubt, is good, but I think none of them are perfect. Prof. Connelly, North Dakota: This question of protection to trees is very interesting to me. We have gone over the same ground a good many times in our state. The protection has been given solely with the object of preventing the rays of the sun from striking the trunk of the tree. I do not know whether the boxing that has been spoken of here means pro- tection from the rays of the sun or from rabbits, or what it is. We have protected from the rays of the sun with wire screen- ing, which makes a good protection also from the rabbits. It is a very lasting thing and very simple to make. It admits the air and forms a partial protection from the sun, excluding mice and rabbits. This boxing is wholly new to me, and I would like to hear it brought out more fully. President Underwood: Mr. Brand, will you tell Mr. Con- nelly something about this boxing, as you have had a good deal of experience in it. Mr. Brand: My idea for boxing trees was gathered from the fact that there were several trees in our county banked with earth when they were young trees, and then hay ropes made and the tops wound with them, not so much with the idea of protecting them from the cold as from the rabbits. That prac- tice was continued for five years, and since that time—it is twenty-seven or twenty-eight years now—those trees have only had ordinary care. They have had no protection, whatever, but they have proved to be the best trees in our part of the state, the most productive trees. There has never been a year aly 5 it Wi eat Yeaigety ‘ APPLES. 287 in my recollection when the owners of those trees did not have apples to sell. This year they sold from six trees, the storm having broken down the seventh, 85 bushels, which would be -an average of a little more than 14 bushels toa tree. NowI figure it out that the protection given to those trees when they were young prevented them from being injured, and enabled them to get a good start in life, to form better roots and more of them. After they had reached a certain age,' there was no liability of their being injured. I think they are better trees to-day for having had that protection while young. Now, I think there is no person here who will dispute the fact that there is no tree in Minnesota but what may be bene- fitted by having good care taken of itin its youth. It can be made to live longer and grow larger and bea better tree when it is a hundred or two hundred years old for having had good care for the first four or five years of its life. Now, in boxing the trees with earth, I think there will be a difference in the degree of cold it is called upon to sustain, but I do not think that amounts to so much as the manner in which the frost is taken out of the tree, or as the prevention of the re- serve food supply, that is stored up in the trunk of the tree by the leaves, being taken out of the tree by our extreme cold dry winds. I think the trees suffer more from a loss of food material by reason of these dry winds, than they do in almost any other way. That food supply having been exhausted by the extreme cold of December, January ‘and February, there is but very little life left in the tree when March comes, and that is the time when the injury begins to be made manifest by sun- scald on the south side of the tree. Now, this boxing will aid in retaining that food in the tree. Mr. Harris: I cannot see any reason why the tree should be injured by putting earth around it late enough in the fall and taking it away early enough in the spring, unless that earth inside of the box got too wet. One year I lost a number of trees by banking them up to keep the mice away from them. Heavy rains came on and saturated that dirt pretty thorough- ly, and then there came a very sudden freeze and thaw in the spring; and when I came to take that banking away the bark went with it. I can conceive that the rain running down the forks of the tree into a box might saturate the earth in such away as to injure the bark of the tree. The most critical time with our young apple trees is the first winter after they are set out. If you can carry them through the first winter by this es a a r 5 ey. ‘ iy Al eek eee vil 2 Se ae a! tod Se Oo Le. t y + wt . r+ q e £ ‘ 7 ’ > ' i , . ' > } y HE eT eR TS CNN WTO OTR eb NE RL TT NCR > Breet: AIM Pam eae Renae 288 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. process of boxing, or by wrapping with any material, I think it adds to the life of the tree very much. One of the best cov- erings that I have ever seen or ever tried is cotton cloth. Tear it up into strips and, beginning down on the ground, wind it up to the branches. You can do this considerably earlier than you can put on the boxes, and it can be removed in the spring. The heat of the sun does not go through the white cloth and start the flow of sap prematurely. President Underwood: I should think this matter of protec- tion would be a good one for the experimental station to take up. I should think they might plant some trees and protect them in different ways, and see which way is the best. Dr. Frisselle: Last year and the year before, our friend, Mr. Keel, spoke of wrapping trees with gunnysacking, as being an economical and easily applied protection, and said that it was even better than boxing. Mr. Keel: I have had some experience in protecting trees with gunnysacking, but it has been done mostly to protect them from the rabbits. Down in our part of the country it does not seem necessary to us to protect the trees with boxes or anything else, except from the rabbits. Col. Stevens: I would like to ask Mr. Keel, if his predeces- sor, Mr. Jordan, did not recommend mulching trees in the fall of the year? That is, putting something around them to pro- tect them from the freezing and thawing in the spring. He said if you did not protect the trees they would not only root- kill during the winter, but the bark of the tree next to the sur- face of the ground was bound to be injured. He claimed that by protecting them in that way,he was able to star this orchard. That was twenty-five years ago, perhaps. Mr. Richardson: I was in an orchard a few weeks ago where a gentleman had bound the trees with straw, and his trees were apparently doing first-rate. He used it as a protection against the rabbits and left it on all summer, with apparently no bad results. Mr. Terry, Slayton> I have been engaged in tree planting ever since 1873, and I have found the following plan very suc- cessful. In the first place, I go out with a lot of newspapers and wrap them around my trees, and after doing that I throw up about six.inches of earth around each tree. I have suc- ’ ceeded in preserving my trees, without an exception. The paper, of course, is to protect them from rabbits, but the earth thrown up around the trees is to prevent the tree from being « = 43 aw > eae art APPLES. | 289 injured in those warm days when the moisture runs down the trunk, especially towards spring. I claim the life of the tree is in the ring, and if it freezes on the ring it will split the ‘bark. If the bark of the tree is split at the ring, it willdie. I believe that winding gunnysacking or straw around a tree, or anything of that sort, is too much work, because the paper can be put on so much easier. Prof. Williams, South Dakota: I should think there would be this objection to wrapping the tree with straw or anything else—it would be a regular harboring place for insects, es- pecially those that winter over. In a great many instances we would find that we had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. I would like to ask Mr. Wedge if his trees were injured at all by the late frosts this spring. Mr. Wedge: No, there was no injury that I could discover, to the blossoms or foliage. Prof. Williams: I asked because in some parts of our state it was found that while the trees showed no indications of in- jury to begin with, as the season went by they had a good deal of blight and one or two other things that threatened in some cases to destroy the orchards entirely, especially the young - orchards. Of course, freezing weakens a tree and makes it more liable to blight. The matter of overbearing, that Mr. Wedge mentioned, is one to be guarded against, because this blight is apt to take advantage of any weakness occasioned by either the climate or anything else. Overbearing weakens a tree, and, therefore, we should guard against it. Mr. Brand: There is a very important point brought out here, indirectly, and that is this: Suppose you have six hun- dred apples on a tree, and you go to work and pick off two hundred of them. Now, you will get just as many bushels when that fruit is ripe, as you would if the six hundred were on the tree, and yet you only ripen the four hundred. The ripening. of the seed is what takes the vitality out of the tree. Prof. Williams: I think that point ought to be emphasized, too; that we ought to have good, strong seed to plant, and take them from the best apples. Mr. Harris: If our nurserymen followed that plan, in a very few generations we should find a difference in the longevity of our trees. Mr. Wedge: I would like to hear from Mr. Somerville on the question of trees bearing every year. 19 I 2 ° 4 ME. Oy OAT PA ee eS aay ok! yk e . Se AR | a A A A ol ; K be R ‘ rf J : - ~ 290 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Gs Mr. Somerville: Well, I can only say that as far as my own orchard is concerned, I have fruit every year. I have no off years. I want to ask a question in order to get some inform- ation. We have aman in our neighborhood who is a crank about setting out trees, and I want to know whether his method is right, in your opinion. He, undoubtedly, raises the biggest Duchess apples of any man we have in the whole country. Now, he puts his trees about two feet and sometimes three feet, right down in the ground. Is there anything in it? Prof. Williams: We did that same thing in our home orchards. We did not plant quite as deep as that, perhaps, but we planted about six inches deeper than anyone else in the neighborhood, and we got the same results that Mr. Somerville has spoken of. ) President Underwood: Let me suggest that what we are | suffering from to a great extentis the drouth. Now, roots that are deep down in the ground are not so easily affected by the drouth. The ground dries on the surface—and is not that one of the reasons why deep planting is better? If the ground was very wet you would not want to plant deep. Now, the Scotch Pine has no surface roots, but its roots run down into the ground. Some of the evergreens have roots near the surface, and when they die it is because the trees are exhausted from drought on account of the roots being near the surface. Now, I think that is the reason why this gentleman’s trees do so well —because his ground seems dry, but the roots being deep get the moisture better. Prof. Williams: I think in all probability that the matter of drainage of the soil would have a great deal to do in that matter. Judge Moyer: What kind of soil has he? Mr. Sommerville: It is our best prairie soil. The ground is dry, and it is very rich ground. He told me that he set trees no less than two and one-half feet deep. Mr. Harris: Where the soil is pretty loose and the drainage is good, that deep setting is not injurious. JI have seen some large apples raised, however, from trees that were not set so deep. DISCUSSION ON MARKETING APPLES, STATISTICS, ETC. Mr. J. B. Mitchell, Cresco, Iowa: I would like to say a few words on picking and handling apples. I think it is a subject of great importance. I use a ladder that is pointed at the top, * naa ye mS APPLES. 291 and you can put it in the tree where you see fit. I then use a basket for picking in, and I have a hook in it that I can hook on the limb, where it is convenient. I pick the fruit care- -. fully and, of course, sort it and put in nothing but what is good. I pack them, as bas been recommended here, putting in the first two or three layers with the stems down. Our home market was so flooded with the Duchess we had to sell them at 50 cents a bushel. That was all I could get formy own, even though they were hand-picked. I shipped mine to Minneapolis and got 90 cents net, delivered on the cars at Cresco, while others could get but 50 cents at home. I think the 40 cents a bushel extra paid me well for the differ- ence in the picking and packing. Mr. Allyn: I did not believe that we could raise fruit in Minnesota at one time, but I am now pretty well converted. The taking care of the fruit seems to be the thing necessary now. The packing and marketing of it is the important ques- tion. There is no question but what we can raise an abund- ance of fruit, and we must exercise a good deal of judgment in our caring for it. We lose a great deal of fruit every year _ by careless packing and careless gathering and careless mar- keting. Itis not satisfactory to the consumer either, for he would rather pay a little more and have something that is nice. I hope this question will be taken home, and that our fruit will be gathered and brought to market in good shape. Mr. Pearce: There is a good deal in packing the Wealthy apple. There was an old man in Ohio, sixty-five or seventy years old, who said to me, ‘‘If I shake my apples off in the old of the moon, they all dry up, and if I shake them off in the new of the moon, they all rot.” (Laughter.) My rule is to pick my apples about two o’clock in the afternoon, when everything is bright and dry as possible. I will guarantee that I can take the Wealthy apple and put it up,and take it out the following May as sound as it was in the fall. Those apples bring me any price | ask in the spring. I go to a man and ask him if he wants them, and he says, yes, and never asks the price. The Wealthy apple is the best apple in the Northwest. Mr. Keel: I handle about as many apples as any man in the state, I believe. I believe it would be well enough to pack the apples as some of the gentlemen have said, in oats or wheat chaff, for one’s individual use, but when you come to sell them to the merchants they do not want to buy oats with the apples. al OA tl - we Rea sh Oy Sanit ae hes Ht Kal ge oak Kae aes) LO a Sb aii 3S tap ney ad Bi eae "7 galt saan Boas Hig Sa > . in 4 9 PY R f LA ‘ » iS 292 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I want to pack apples when I pack apples, and to pack oats when I pack oats. (Laughter.) I pick my apples from seven o’clock in the morning until six o’clock at night. General C. C. Andrews, St. Paul: I read in this morning’s Tribune that in the proceedings of this society Mr. R. C. Keel of Rochester stated he had sold $4,000 worth of Minnesota apples last year. 1 want to know if that is a fact. Mr. Keel: I never reported that I sold $4,000 worth. I sold about 8,500 bushels, and they averaged me about a dollar a bushel. Those are the facts. Mr. Harris; Nearly one-half of the apples grown are of the Duchess of Oldenburg variety. Iestimated in the last ‘‘Farm, Stock and Home” 200,000} bushels as the crop this year, but I got it below what it was. General Andrews: What is the value of the apples grown in the state of Minnesota? Mr. Harris: I believe that the value of the crop of apples grown in Minnesota is at least $200,000. This is an off year for fruit over the country, and in many places in Minnesota it is also an off year. General Andrews: I hope the reporter will state that, and let it go out to the people. I keep pretty well posted, but I am not as well posted asiI ought to be, and I know the general public is not. I know people talk if they could only raise fruit in Minnesota, if they could only raise apples in Minnesota, what a blessed state it would be. Now, if the society would only let this fact of the value of the apple product of Minnesota be known generally throughout the state and country, it would be of great value indeed. | Mr. Sampson: I know of two car loads of empty grape baskets, at least, that were shipped to Excelsior to be filled with grapes for the market. General Andrews can form some idea of our fruit crop from that. Raspberry and strawberry boxes were also shipped in proportion. Mr. Wedge: It is my impression that Mr. Harris’ figures as to the apple crop are altogether too low. Mr. Somerville: Iam of Mr. Wedge’s opinion that Mr. Harris has put the estimate entirely too low, from observations that I have made in the state. Mr. Pearce: That is my opinion also. Mr. Harris: Well, I wanted to be on the safe side, although I believe, myself, that the value of our apple crop was nearly twice what I have stated. Now, I want to go back and say a Pe eat, Pe ee ee eee ne Tithe rls te ee i, BARA 2.” aes (4 ay is ey a rue : =) ety Ne , APPLES. 293 few words on the question of picking and selling apples. I will tell you how they do it down in Houston county. The farmers down there raise wheat, hogs and apples, and they make more money out of their apples than they do on their Ee wheat and hogs.- Well, when they are carting apples, they put " the side bars on the wagons and fill the box up full, and they put bags on top of that, and then the whole family piles on top, and away they go to market. The result is that you can get plenty of Duchess apples in La Crosse at 25 cents a bushel, while purchasers would prefer to go out to the orchards and pay 85 cents a bushel. There are hundreds and thousands of bushels of apples marketed that way that are of little value, 2 while, if they had been picked and packed carefully by hand and sent by express to Minneapolis, they would have brought a dollar a bushel. There is nothing that pays like careful picking and putting into neat packages, getting them into market so they look ex- actly as well as when picked, or a little better. If you have time, like Mr. Pearce, to take your pocket handkerchief and polish them (laughter), you will find that everybody will want them; but if you get them into market, and here and there among them thereis a small or knotty one, the package will sell for the quality of the poorest one in the package. You want to bear that in mind in handling every kind of fruit. I would rather throw out one-third of my strawberries and let the chick- ens eat them up than to market them, for I will get more money for the balance than I would to market them promiscuously. I always get more money for my berries than most of the fruit growers in our section, on this account. Mr. Wyman Elliot: This question of statistics in regard to fruit growing in Minnesota is one of vital importance to us. If we had some statistics upon which we could rely at the present time and during the coming year, we could make very good use of them, but under the present methods of gathering stat- istics in the state, they are almost valueless. - Speaking of the crop of apples that was grown this year, I think, with some of the gentlemen, that the estimate made here by Mr. Harris is far to low. I think we have one county alone that has pro- dueed over 40,000 bushels, Fillmore county. I think that if the statistics had been properly gathered all over the state, that we would have nearer a quarter of a million bushels, than 200,000. Mw A ne le a art Celine teh i acl alt fe doll 4 oie \ ° a. Fs Tr “ye MEAS EN TS =) Hi ae i L 294 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Secretary Latham: I fully coincide with Mr. Elliot’s views- in this matter, from observations that I have made upon this | subject. is Mr. Elliot: I have given considerable attention in former years to this matter of statistics in regard to fruit growing in the state of Minnesota. This yearl tried to post myself as Gn well as I could. I have made it a practice in years gone by to go into the market and inauire of our commission men, who gather up these items. I have been convinced that we ought to pay more attention to this particular point. In speaking of small fruits, perhaps, you do not know the amount of berry boxes that are manufactured right here in our own city and distributed here. We have one concern that handle over a mil- lion boxes a year. Our grape industry is also increasing very rapidly. Grapes are being planted not only by the hundred and thousand, but by the ten acres. It is not going to be long before Minnesota will take front rank as one of the fruit grow- ing states of the United States. (Applause. ) Mr. Chandler: I have distributed baskets for between five and six hundred tons of grapes from this market this year. _ Mr. Elliot’s statements in regard to berry boxes are about , right. There were nearly a million boxes used here last year. Dr. Frisselle: There is another point I want to bring out in this discussion, and that is, that the man who makes the hon- est package is aheadintheend. If he gets up a reputation for selling good fruit alone, and for having just as good fruit in the bottom of his basket or barrel as. he does on top, I think it pays him in the end. Mr. Harris: He never has to take the lowest prices. Mr. Harris: I saw some trees in the orchard of a friend of mine that were topworked on a certain crab stock that he calls the Tonka, and I saw the Anasim that we were talking about. . I refer to Mr. Pearce, and I know we would all like to hear : from him. Mr. Pearce: I did’nt come here prepared to say anything. I have been in Minnesota since 1854. I have been a nurseryman and fruit grower all my life, and when I came to Minnesota I found the hardest nut I ever had to crack in all my life. In 1878, I heard men say that apples would never be raised in Minnesota, but I had resolution and never turned back. Now, gentlemen, I have been picking up hardy trees since 73 and 74. I have been working all over the state with that object in view. After numerous other experiments, I turned my attention to hybridiz- ing. I crossed the Cherry crab with the Duchess of Oldenburg, and I had remarkable success. Now, it is my candid opinion that I have pro- duced an apple from the cross between the Cherry crab and the Duchess, mre eS De Gli ae eet ae a a eh eR eIAe vant tat Ce ed en: iS Wy Mle TEIN etd yo bow pie ran APPLES. 295 that will stand against anything anywhere in the United States. Iam confident that the Wealthy apple was produced inthat way. I have pur- sued this matter until I have produced an apple as large as the Wealthy, ; from the cherry Crab fertilized Ly the Duchess. Ialso produced the Tonka, the one of which Mr. Harris spoke. My trees do not winter kill nor b. blight. They are perfectly hardy and grow the farthest north of any. When ycu come to quality, they are splendid. You can get any quality ‘ you want by fertilizing with a certain apple. | The next thing I found out was that the Wealthy was a hybrid beyond oe all question, and I went to work to fetch it back to where it was when it started. You know our state adopted it for universal planting because it was pronounced perfectly hardy in 1874, and did not killa bit. Well, by and by, our friend Harris could not rest day or night until he had it retired, and it was recommended to be planted in favorable localities. That made me all the more energetic, and I went to work and topworked it on the Tonka. The 'Tonka being a hybrid, and that being a hybrid, they united perfectly and grew perfectly. I got double the growth that I ever got from any other root. I got three and a half and four feet the first year, right up. When all the Wealthy trees in the country were - blighted, there was not a blight on those trees. Now, I think I checked the blight. I believe those trees are so perfect and so strong that they cannot blight. Well, I was not satisfied with that, butI went still further. I thought I would topwork it three times, and that seemed to help itagain. I have quit selling the Wealthy apple except when it is topworked on the Tonka. I believe I have got the Wealthy back to where it was when it started. In the course of time we will havea test winter that will prove it. Well, I studied the matter all over, and then I struck out in another direction. 7 My next attempt was to grow winter apples, pure winter apples. Fora number of years I had been sending to Michigan and other cold coun- tries, and I got seed and planted it. When it was one year old I top- worked, that is, I took scions from them and put a dozen on the tree. I expect to develop a genuine winter apple in that way, if I live. I will not condemn your planting Minnesota seedlings, but somehow or other they do not succeed with me as well. If I am going into the hybrid business, I am going to have the first cross or no cross at all. When you get be- yond the first cross, you are going to have blighting and root killing and an abnormal growth. They will be short-lived. As long as you cross di- rect, you may take any variety and grow any variety you want. ' There is asubject that I want to bring before you, thenecessity of grow- ing trees that will be perfectly hardy in Minnesota. We have some Rus- sian apples here that are A No. 1. You may take the Lieby; wherever that tree does not flourish, there is no use of setting out any other stand- ard apple. It will stand further north than any appleI know of. It is one of the trees we run on. The secret of my success in big growth of apple trees is wholerovts. Double-working is the sentiment that I goon. Now, I think double-working has a wonderful effect. For instance, you graft one variety—now 1 use the Tonka altogether for the Wealthy. If it is possible to produce an apple that will stand anywhere in Minnesota, I think that will stand there. I am very careful to make a close distinc- tion, to know whether I am working with the apple orcrab. Ifitisa 296 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | hybrid, I know what root to put it on, and if it is an apple, I also know. Now, Iam drawing this exceedingly close. I think if the course I have outlined is pursued right along, we will gradually overcome the blight. I do not helieve you can go beyond the first cross, but I know that I can do wonders on the first cross. : Mr. Heideman: Where do you get your hybrid roots on which to graft.? : Mr. Pearce: I grow them. , Mr. Heideman: From what? Mr. Pearce: Well, I plant Duchess trees away out by them- selves, as far from other trees as I can possibly get them, and I graft one-half of the top of that Duchess with the Cherry crab, That is the first cross. Mr. Wilcox: Allow me to say that in my judgment, it makes a material difference which you use for the parent. Mr. Pearce: I have always used the Cherry crab, but I do not know that there is much difference. Mr. Wilcox: One of the laws of nature that is becoming | well understood is that the female blossom imparts its charac- teristics or constitutional vigor and hardiness to the offspring, and if you use the Cherry crab for the female blossom you will certainly secure the constitutional vigor you are seeking. A TALK ABOUT SEEDLING APPLES. CHAS, PATTEN, CHARLES CITY, IOWA. The production of varieties is one of the most important questions we have to consider, in my mind. Now, I wish to call attention at this time to a paper read by Mr. Harris this afternoon with reference to those seed- lings that he has discovered all over the state of Minnesota. If you had taken notes as I did, you would have discovered that he found almost entirely summer and fall apples. Scarcely a winter apple was named, except the one red apple that was presented here, the seed of which came from Ohio. Now, I want to suggest to you in your work, and I hope I will not be considered presumptuous in making the suggestion, because it is a subject I have given considerable thought to, that if you take the seeds of the Hibernal or that family of trees as the mother parent, you may expect from the very nature of that tree that you will obtain varie- ties that are nearly the same as that; that you will have resulting from such a cross, no matter what you cross them with, apples of low quality. You may be sure that any apple of the low grade of the Hibernal family will transmit its leading characteristics of sourness and bitterness and hardness. That is a law of nature, whether among plants or animals. ) i aie the Saat om APPLES. 297 I wish to say further that so far as my reading goes it is not proved that the mother parent, in all cases, in plants or in animals, will stamp its characteristics upon the leaves or blossoms of progeny. I think if you gentlemen will look over this matter of animals and plants breed- ing, you will discover that the parent whose character is most prominent will be the one that will stamp itself indelibly upon the offspring. Tak- ing the view of the subject that the gentleman did when he dropped that remark about the female parent, I will say that I began in 1859 to plant the seeds of the Duchess of Oldenburg, and it was from that first plant- ing that I secured this Greening apple that you gentlemen know some- thing about. I believe from looking carefully at the apple and comparing it with the Rhode Island Greening, that it is a cross with that variety. Now, I wish to go back farther. In this work that I have been engaged in, I observed a good many years ago that the apples we had, the American varieties, were running in families. After read- ing Downing and others, I concluded that the Russet family was, perhaps, the most striking family among all we had. Twelve years ago this present autumn, I bought a car load of apples from the Wisconsin state university farm. Among those were some very fine Russets, of the Perry and English Russet varieties. I planted the seeds of those. My first thought was that the English Russet was, per- haps, the most important member of that family of Russets. When those seedlings were four years old I transplanted them, and somewhat to my surprise and yet not as much as it would have been had I not studied the subject considerably—I found the Perry Russet, according to the number of plants that I had grown, had produced more hardy seedlings than the Duchess of Oldenberg. Now, that is a statement that you gentlemen will be surprised at. I was somewhat surprised at it myself, but I have long since concluded that the Duchess of Oldenburg is not a Russian apple but a German apple, coming from the province of Oldenburg, and that all the varieties of that apple that were introduced into Poland and Russia were descendants of that Duchess of Oldenburg, and have grown poorer as they have passed to that land where the climate rather forbids a high quality of fruit. I believe most firmly, and I have written a great many pages in which I took this ground, that the greatest mistake of the horticulturists of the Northwest was the fact that they did not, after the winters of 1875 and 1876, plant the seeds of the varieties that had endured our climate during that period. Many of them were Russets. These Russets have fruited. I take the position that if we have winter apples we must plant the seeds of apples that have the keeping qualities in them; otherwise, we can- not expect to get them. I simply call your attention to this matter, be cause I believe it is the most important work for the horticulturists of this entire Northwest—the cultivation of hardy fruits. I wish to sug- gest further, that in the work we take the better class of Russians. Some of them are more hardy than the Duchess, for instance, one of the Anis apples. We have some of the early sweet apples that are still more hardy than the Duchess, and we have many apples that are of good quality for dessert purposes. It is to those apples that we must look, and with which we must work. (Applause.) PLUMS AND CHERRIES. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PLUMS AND CHERRIES. C. W. H. HEIDEMAN, NEW ULM. The plum crop the past year was almost a compiete failure; even in the woods and thickets scarcely, a plum was found. In my report on fruit blossoms, I shall attempt to account for the failure. First fruit of sev- eral new varieties were secured by hand pollenization and protecting the blossoms, but not in sufficient quantity to pass upon the merits of any. The only plums exhibited at our county fair in September were unknown varieties of prunus domestica, said to be seedlings, from seed brought from Germany. Cherries, though not as generally planted, gave a good crop. Mr. C. Knospe of New Ulm has about a dozen trees raised from seed brought from Germany; they have fruited regularly for 6 or 7 years and appear to be hardy and healthy; they certainly are productive and of good quality. Mr. H. Knudson of Springfield is successfully growing Early Richmond, Montmorency, English Morello, Ostheim and two or three varieties im- ported from Denmark. The Danish cherries appear to be hardy and the most profitable. Aug. Meyer of Garden Gate has several varieties of cherries doing well. Clement Schmidt of Mulligan has quite an orchard of seedling cherries and says they have never failed in bearing a crop. The nomenclature of our cherries and plums is sadly mixed and a great deal of confusion exists as to varieties. The writer has run across four different Ostheim cherries and at least a dozen native plums under the names of Egg, Yellow Egg and Peach. Here is an opportunity for the committe on nomenclature to straighten out the confusion, and prepare for the coming flood of improved native plums. DISCUSSION. Mr. Cook: What do you think of the Mariana as a plum stock? Mr. Underwood: Our success has been very poor with it, although it has been recommended very highly by certain propagators. Ido not think that the stocks were first-class. We generally use native stocks, if we can get them. The Mariana is not as hardy as the native stocks. A Member: DolI understand thatif you spray for the curcu- lio that you can depend upon a crop of plums every year? Mr. Heideman: I have never had any experience in spray- ing, for the simple reason that I do not think itis necessary. My plum trees are so loaded that I do not need to. y x PT eae SPIRE De oe ee OTTER AY SES OE OLE ; ee IAS Se TUR BPR ye tid PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 299 Mr. Murray: That does not agree with my experience at all. Last spring I had to spray in order to save the whole crop. In other years, I lost the whole crop by not spraying. Mr. Heideman: What was the cause of the general failure of the plum crop last year? Mr. Murray: Well, the principal reason was that it was so wet that the bees were prevented from fertilizing the flowers. Mr. Wedge: Since plum stocks have been mentioned, I will say that I remember Mr. Heideman reporting last winter his success in making the sand cherry grow with the native plum; top working it, he said it made a good tree that was very fruit- ful. This winter at the Iowa meeting 1] was shown a native plum grown on the sand cherry. The tree was of about ten © years growth, I should think, and the union was absolutely perfect. Mr. Sampson: I would like to ask if there are any cher- : ries that are a practical success in Minnesota? Mr. Heideman: I mentioned five or six parties in my report who are successfully raising cherries in Brown county. Ido not mean they are raising cherries in large quantities, but they are making a success of it in an experimental way. President Underwood: One of the members has sdeeenian to me that the birds eat a great deal of fruit, and I will say that I heard of a plan a short time ago for the protection of trees from the birds. It consisted of a number of yards of mosquito netting sewed together and put over the tree, so that the birds = could not get at the fruit. It is said to be an inexpensive operation. Mr. Cook: I think it would pay better to raise Russian mul- berries to feed the birds on. Dr. Frisselle: It might be a good thing to protect grape vines with. Mr. Wedge: Iknow ofa protection thatis very much cheaper than that and equally efficient. It is an English bird netting which costs but two cents a yard. It is very durable and will last for many years. I think it might be a practicable thing. Mr. Terry: I remember very well, when I was a little boy in the old country, that we were only able to get cherries to eat by using that netting. Itisa very good plan indeed. Those nets can be kept for years and years. Now, I noticed that most of you horticulturists are great enemies, or at least in- different lovers, of the Russian mulberry. Some time I think you will change your mind about that. If you have plenty of 3800 © MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY mulberry trees around your orchards and grapes and berries, the birds will eat their fruit in preference to any other. Dr. Frisselle: This question of the birds destroying our fruit is one of considerable importance to us. I have tried a good many things to drive them away. I have tried scare- crows, and they have sat on them and laughed, and then eaten the grapes. The only protection I have been able to give my fruits is by using a shot gun, and with that I have been able to scare them away. I fear that if you follow up this idea of growing mulberries for the birds, that you will attract all the birds in the country to your neighborhood, and when the mul- berries are gone they will eat everything else you have. Nobody enjoys the birds better than I do, but when they come to da vastate my grape vines and fruit trees, I confess that I am not so enthusiastic about them as Iam when they make their first appearance in the spring. ‘Mrs. Jennie Stager: I think I would prefer to let the robin take a few of my berries and my grapes, and have their society, than to have the few berries and grapes they eat, and do with- out them. They do a great deal of good, too, in the spring and summer, eating the worms. An interesting discussion followed upon the best methods of protecting fruit from the raids of the robins and other birds, which lack of space will not allow us to print. Mr. Cutts: What variety of cherry is best to raise here. Mrs. Stager: I have a kind that is called the Canada Red, that I have raised for the last four or five years, and it seems to do as well here, if not better, than any other. It is quite hardy. The trees have not been destroyed or blighted in any way, and this is the fifth year they have borne. Mr, Cutts: Are they eatable? Mrs. Stager: Yes, they are very palatable. Mr. Brackett: I would like to inquire if there is any Huropean plum that anybody has tried in this part of the country? Mr. Somerville: I have four or five varieties of what they call Russian plums, but they are not European plums, of course. Mr. Cook: I have several varieties of Russian plums and they are apparently very hardy. Mr. Richardson: One of my neighbors has a cherry tree that is some seventeen or eighteen years old—the Early Rich- mond. The tree has outlived its usefulness, but he told me that he had had lots of cherries from it and was well pleased with it. GRAPES. 301 GRAPES. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GRAPES. . E. J. CUTTS, HOWARD LAKE. Mr. President and members of the State Horticultaral Society: As one of your committee on grapes I submit the following report: While not as favorable a season as we have sometimes, the grape crop was by no means a failure. The spring was very backward; we did not un- cover our vines until about the 20th of May, and the cold, wet weather in June kept them very backward, and the first of July, when in favorable seasons the grapes would be as large as peas, they were yet in blossom; and about the middle of the month I remember remarking that we never had had a failure of the grape crop, but that I would not give much for the chances of acrop this season. But the hot, dry weather in August brought them on very rapidly, and with the absence of frosts in September and the very favorable weather, the crop ripened up nicely and far be- yond our expectations. We had a hail storm in June that did consider- able damage—I think it knocked off at least one-third of the young shoots; and the unfavorable weather when they were in blossom hindered the development of the young fruit, so that the bunches were not so compact and heavy-shouldered as usual; but the quality was fully up to the stand- ard, so that we had no difficulty in getting forty cents per basket for Con- cords and fifty cents for Delawares in our ownrural villages,where Eastern and Southern fruit was almost a drug at ten cents per basket less. My observation and experience the past season inclines me to the opin- ion that we need our vines up higher. I would like the posts six feet out of the ground and the first wire at least thirty inches from the ground, so as to allow freer circulation of air under the vines and to give the suna chance to strike the ground around the roots. I would go over the vines at least twice in June and break off the surplus shoots, then I would sum- mer prune sparingly, believing that plenty of foliage is necessary for sweet fruit. In 1891 we had six Golden Pocklington vines that mildewed badly, the only mildew that we have had, I believe, in our vicinity. I was afraid it would be much worse last season, but it was not near as bad, - and Delaware,Lady and Moore’s Early vines near it were not affected at all. VINE GROWING IN WRIGHT COUNTY. E. J. CUTTS, HOWARD LAKE. Although we have not been growing grapes (except a few scattered vines) in Wright county until the past few years, vine growing is no longer an experiment. Where a few years ago, people bought two or three vines and set them out with little hope of success, they are _ putting out hundreds, and are as sure of a crop as when they plant corn, 302 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. And where, until recently, they thought they were doing well if they succeeded in getting a pan-full or two of partially ripe grapes, there are many who areraising all they want for home consumption with a surplus to sell or give away to their less fortunate neighbors. There was formerly an impression that grape growing was an achieve- ment only attained by a favored few, and that hideous bugbear, winter protection, deterred many from even attempting to grow this most delicious and healthful of all fruits. And even now, visitors to our vine- yard will occasionally remark, as they look at the long rows of vine- covered trellises: ‘‘ Well, that’s beautiful, but what a task it must be to cover them all up in the winter.” JI usually reply, “that if they will come around in November after the vineyard is trimmed, they will see but comparatively little to cover’; and they generally give a look of incredu- lous surprise, when I tell them that the whole vineyard can be put under ground at an expense of less than one-half cent per pound of the fruit raised. A few years ago a gentleman from that great grape growing region, Erie- county, Pa., visited us, and we had the pleasure of showing him our vines, method of culture, etc., and in conversation with him learned that, although our system of training was a little different from that in his section, yet the labor was about the same. But he would quite frequently remark: ‘‘ But you have to bury all these vinesin the winter.” I became a little tired of that and finally inquired what his grapes averaged him per basket last season. He repiied: ‘‘Seventeen and one-half cents.” I then asked, ‘‘did it pay;” Hereplied: ‘‘ Yes, it paid better than any crop they raised.” JI had already learned that in addition to fifteen acres of grapes, he carried on alarge farm besides. I then told him that I would much rather raise grapes in Minnesota. ‘Ohl’ he said, ‘‘ but you have to cover them in winter.” ‘‘ Yes,” I replied, ‘‘ but that does not cost over one-half cent per pound, or five cents per basket, and I received fully fifty cents per basket for my entire crop.” Now, while they have never been so high since, and, probably, never will be again, yet even at the low price of the past two seasons, I believe that grape growing is profitable. A large portion of Wright county is specially adapted to grape culture. Our numerous lakes exert a genial influence over the atmosphere, and plenty of timber greatly modifies the cold north winds; and I know from persunal observation that there are many other sections of the state equally favored. I think that this coming spring there will be more than double the vines set out in Wright county than in any previous year, and I believe the time is not far distant when no garden will be considered complete without its row or rows of grape vines; and that the valuable information disseminated by this society and the farmers’ institutes is doing much towards enlightening the people and encouraging the culture of small fruits, and thus removing the cause for about the only complaint you ever hear made against our beautiful state, and proving the falsity of . that old, and, I may add, nearly worn out assertion, “‘ You can’t raise fruit in Minnesota.” GRAPES. 3803 DISCUSSION. Professor Green: I would like to ask Mr. Cutts what system he follows in pruning. Mr. Cutts: It is the one-arm system. Professor Green: Do you pinch at all? Mr. Cutts: Yes, sir, I do. Professor Green: How much? Mr. Cutts: Ido not know that I can answer definitely. We are careful to pinch out all the surplus shoots. I only allow one shoot to grow. By going over the vines at least twice -. in June and breaking off all the surplus shoots there are, we prevent too much foliage. When they get too long we go over them with the pruning shears and cut off where it is too thick «and heavy. Professor Green: How far back do you pinch them; how many buds do you leave? Mr. Cutts: I leave about four buds to the vine. Professor Green: Do your spurs get too long? Mr. Cutts: Well, when they get too long I remove them entirely. Professor Green: If you cut them closer than that, you are apt to have trouble, are you not? .Mr. Cutts: Well, by leaving three or four buds it is less work covering them in the fall. You can bend a shoot that is that long easily, whereas, with one or two buds you cannot bend at all without breaking. Dr. Frisselle: Do you have any trouble with having poor vines? Mr. Cutts: Well, not very often. Sometimes I do, with some varieties, like the Moore’s Early, but not generally. Dr. Frisselle: What do you do in that case? Mr. Cutts: I cut the whole thing away. Dr. Frisselle: Did you ever try planting them nearer to- gether—say five feet instead of eight feet apart? Mr. Cutts: I have never tried that, no. I am putting out some now, nine feet apart instead of eight. I think it would be a good idea to have them a little closer, but I want plenty of room. Mr. C. L. Smith: How do you cover them, Mr. Cutts? Mr. Cutts: We cover them with dirt, of course, but our method of covering is very simple, and quite expeditious. We always mulch under the vines before laying the vine down, d { ‘ iam y i Z 304 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. using the cheaper kind of hay. In burying one man starts a “a trench, and two men lay the vines down, bending the shoots as close to the ground as possible, nearly all of the covering being done by two horses and a plow. I use a 14-inch plow that runs very shallow, having a man follow it with a shovel. I. believe I would like to try a special plow, and plow as deep as possible, setting our vines low. By commencing this system of cultivation the vines will get to run pretty deep anyway. Of course, I should be a little afraid to gointo an old vineyard ~ and plow it, if it never had been plowed. Dr. Frisselle: How deep do you aim to cover them? Mr. Cutts: Three or four inches, so that the wind will not blow it off in the winter. Dr. Frisselle: How much do you think it costs to put down _ the vine? Mr. Cutts: About one-half cent a pound. It won’t cost you that—it does not average that. It does not cost any more to trim them here than in Ohio or Pennsylvania. It will not cost you after che trimming one-half cent a pound, and the fruit will surely repay it. Dr. Frisselle: I think one-half cent apound would double it. Mr. Cutts: Yes, I think it would more than do it. : Dr. Frisselle: Do you prefer yearlings or two-year-olds? Mr. Cutts: I prefer two-year-olds, although some yearlings are nearly as good as two-year-olds. Mr. Brackett: I would like to ask which the members pre- ‘fer starting, two arms or one. My vineyard, when I started it, had arms running both ways, and the fork above the ground. Consequently, when you put them down, a great many of them would split rightin thecenter. Istarted a new growth, and still maintained the principle of having two vines, but started them below the surface of the ground, and find they bend easier that way, but still break off. I should think for that reason that one vine would be better. In case I started a new vineyard myself, I would prefer that system. Mr. Cutts: It is not more than half the work in covering. Mr. Wedge: Iwill say that one of the great bugbears in grape raising is summer pruning, which I have practiced with some care, although I am doing less of it every year. In my visits to the vineyards of northern Iowa, none of which are very extensive, few of them comprising an acre or more, I saw they practiced very little summer pruning, almost none at all. It seems to be in general disfavor. I did not go to the GRAPES. 205 large vineyard of Mr. Wilson, which is considered one of the best conducted vineyards in the state of Iowa, but I learned from those who had worked in his vineyard that he practiced little or.no Summer pruning. Mr. Brackett: Does it depend upon the variety? Does a man have to do more pruning in some varieties than in others? I understand from Mr. Latham that he does not prune his Del- awares as closely as he does his other varieties. In trimming my own, I trimmed them all and left just one leaf to each lateral, until they commenced growing so fast that I thought it was not policy to take the time, and then I adopted our secretary’s method of using a sickle in cutting them after they reached the upper wire. It has answered very well, although my vine- yard was not a success this year on account of the mildew, I suppose. Mr. Cutts: I know of several small vineyards where they have summer pruned very heavily in past years, and the Dela- wares never ripened at all. Some pruned very extensively and left the fruit exposed and the fruit never ripened at all. Dr. Frisselle: I think the summer pruning is desirable, as a rule, especially where the vines appear to the very rampant, — and where there is a great deal of foliage. On the other hand, it is by no means wise to take the foliage from the vines too much. If you do, you are sure to spoil your fruit—if you trim off too many leaves your fruit will not ripen at all; if you leave on a good supply of leaves, your fruit gets sweet. It is the leaf that does the work; itis the leaf that elaborates the sugar for the fruit, and without it you cannot ripen fruit. If you will notice in vineyards where there has been some mil- dew, and the foliage has been a good deal damaged, you will see that though your fruit may be colored up pretty well, yet the quality is very poor; it has been injured by the evapora- tion of the sap by the leaf. The more rampant the growth, the more you should prune, but I should be careful always to leave plenty of foliage. In my vineyard, which is composed mostly of Delawares, I allow the vines to grow to the top of the wire, and make a good deal of a top over the wire, and this abundance of foliage, like a little umbrella, almost protects the fruit below, and when it rains the fruit is not wet. It also keeps off the sun and frost. Grapes do not need any sunshine on the fruit. The best fruit is grown where the sun never shines on it; but 20h j Pe Rae Pee PW ee es PL eee Me A Nap Teak CORO Le Ne Wen eRe at A yh AM . Ss: ali aby ais: y — . ) , 306 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. % the sun should shine on the leaves. For that reason I should recommend that vineyards be planted with the rows running north and south. I planted my own with the stem of the plant inclining at an angle of about 45 degrees toward the north, so that when I come to lay it down it goes down readily. As I lay them down every year, they become accustomed after awhile to itand do not make much resistance, although they are quite large, some of them having been planted some eight years, and some of them even longer than that. The rows being planted north and south, you get the full benefit of the sun on the leaves. In the morning the eastern side is flooded with the sunlight, and at high noon it is directly over the rows. In the afternoon the western side becomes flooded with sunlight, and that is what you want to elaborate the sap in the leaf. It must have a strong light upon the leaf, but the fruit does not need it. I had a friend who took away all the leaves so that the sun shone directly upon the fruit. He was waiting there last autumn for it to ripen, and I don’t know but what he is waiting there yet. *|Laughter. | Mr. Sampson: There is one remark that the doctor made that I would like to take up, and that is in regard to planting north and south. I think that all vine growers plant accord— _ ing to the slope of the ground, running their trellises sideways of the hill, so that the wash may not be lengthwise of the row. I think that the doctor made an error in recommend- ing anybody to plant their vines north and south or in any other particular direction, on that account. I think he knows it is necessary to plant sideways on a hill. Mr.Brackett: I would like to speak in regard to fertilizing — grapes. Ihave not heard anything said about that this year so far, nor last year. I was thinking the other day why it would not be a good idea to mulch under the vines for purposes of fertilization, and for the purpose of keeping down the weeds. We know that the cultivator cannot keep the weeds down under the vines; we have to go over them with a hoe in order to do that. There is another reason, which is this, it will prevent the wash. I would like to know if the members would not con- sider it a good plan to take coarse manure and mulch under the vines. The next point is in regard to the time. Last year and the year before, we used up a good deal of time tying up the vines according to the books, whose instructions I tried to earry out. This summer I found that by taking a shoot and standing it up between two other vines, or taking a double >. GRAPES. 307 ‘twist between a couple of wires, that in a day or two the tendrils would attach themselves to the wires so you would not have to tie them. Once in awhile we had a heavy wind which would break them loose, though. after they became at- tached. Mr. Murray: I believe that the ground needs all the sun- shine it can get. Last summer I lost three-fourths of my crop because I could not get sunshine enough. Iam, therefore, not in favor of mulching. Here is another point about trimming. I lost my whole crop five or six years ago by trimming very closely; I took away too many of the leaves. I do not see how you are going to let the laterals grow down on your lower buds without ruining your spurs. It seems to me you must pinch off the laterals for three or four buds, and after that you need not be so very careful. Taking, for instance, such a vine as the Delaware, after taking a little care in the way I have described, I can then go over the rest with a sharp hooked sickle, and a pruning with that will answer very well. I think it would be well to be careful to leave enough foliage above those two or three buds. Some gentleman suggested the idea of training higher. My idea is that I would set my posts six feet high, if I could, as it would be vastly easier to handle the grapes and would insure a circulation of air that would ripen more,grapes. I think, in running my branches up I would run them a little more forward. Our grapes are separated ten feet, and although my ground is worth $500 an acre, if. I were to plant more I would do the same thing, and would plant nearer together in the rows. Some one has suggested fertilizing. I wish somebody capa- ble of answering that, would doso. Can we use ordinary fer- tilizers on these vines? Last year I put on some ordinary stable manure, deciding to take the chance anyway. Another thing, we should plant such vines as the Moore’s Early, as the gentleman from Wisconsin suggested last year, in the shape of a fan, or in some other way that would give us a better crop of grapes. Mr. Brackett: I want to have Professor Green answer that question in regard to mulching. I happened to be over at the Experiment Station this summer, and I saw a side hill there, that used to wash very badly, that they had literally covered with hay, which seemed to improve it. Now, in regard to trim- ming, I was over to Mr. Latham’s place last summer, when Mr. 308 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. a! Latham’s grapes were ripe, and mine, although Ido not sup- pose anybody couid have spent more time than I did, were behind. | President Underwood: I would suggest that many of these valuable points might be brought out in the next paper, and with your permission I will ask for the next paper, which is to be read on this same subject. This is by a woman, and what the men don’t know, the women do. A WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE IN VINE CULTURE. MRS. SOPHRONIA ERWIN, EXCELSIOR. I never intended to afflict the public with an autobiography, but that this assembly may understand just how much grape culture means to me financially, it seems almost necessary to review alittle of my past history, which I have no doubt has many counterparts in every section of our land. Twenty-one years ago. when my husband, after a long, severe struggle, yielded up his life for his country’s sake, I was left in full possession of a lit- tle home up on Laurel avenue, valued at that time at $13,000, and $5,000 in money, bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent. Being without a debt in the world, this ought to have been a sufficient sum with proper econ- omy to have supported myself and three little ones, the youngest then under a year old; but the trouble was that the knowledge of economy was an unknown quantity, and experience had to be purchased at a high prem- ium. I knew nothing whatever of making purchases at a grocery, hay- ing made them before my marriage only under my mother’s direction, and afterwards delegating that disagreeable business to my husband. I had never, so faras I can recollect, been inside'a butcher’s shop, and wood offices were to me only another term for wood lotteries—paying my money and taking whatever was sent—and this same unfitness to cope with the realities of life held good on every line. I knew it and feltit keenly, but the remedy for its relief came to me in very small homeopathic doses. Added to this, sickness was constantly in the house. Much of this I now know was due to my ignorance, also. Is it any wonder that in a short time I began to find my interest very inadequate to the demands upon me, and the principal to melt away, I could scarcely tell where? Then came the pressure of necessity to do some- thing to eke out the remainder of my income and stop, if possible, the drainage upon the principal. But what? My own health was miserable and my children were susceptible to every current disease, besides the inher iting of an unusual amount, and too young to allow to suffer from the least neglect, so I must be constantly in my own home. I could only attempt what has brought such untold suffering to so many over-burdened moth- ers, sewing, and through one winter I struggled along with the machine needle, helping myself in a wonderful manner, or so I thought, but in the early spring came a time when my health gave way to such an extent that my physician told me, that if I had any relatives with whom I could wish to leave my children, I had better go to them immediately. ee . > vs ) eee Fri a «ee eS, oe 3 . i { Y 4 . GRAPES. ~ 309 I went South, and while cares and burdens fell thick and fast upon my shoulders, strength also came to bear them, so that, at the end of two years, instead of leaving my children to the care of others, I returned to Minneapolis to resume the fight for existence with a very small income indeed. It was a hand to hand fight, I assure you; sewing, then boarders, housekeeping, etc., until the great real estate boom struck our city, when I was enabled through the sale of my one house and lot to begin to step out of the slough of financial despair. I might interline this little synopsis of the first years of my widowed life with enough to fill a large volume, but I pass on to the grapes. I had such a growing estimation of real estate that 40 or 50 or even 60-foot lots held no more attraction, aud I longed to possess something I could denominate ‘‘acres.” I had no choice of what grew on those acres, whether berries or beans, so long as they had water privileges and some trees, and so for months I was a constant caller on real estate men. (Many of those have since quit business.) Through this medium I vis- ited nearly every addition in Minneapolis,—and I willsay, in this con- nection, that I will gladly furnish free information to any one desiring it of any location within a radius of 10 miles of the city. But, it was not till May 9, 1889, that I saw my present home on‘Christ- mas lake, and saw, for the first time in my life, a vineyard. The land was just what I had been looking for, and the bargain for it was closed - that very day. Some months before, a young man in business then in St. Paul .had promised me, jokingly, that if ever I bought a farm he. would run it for me, and I now wrote him, claiming his promise. In a few days he came out with me to look over the situation; he had been used to farms with many acres of grain, but was as ignorant as myself on the grape question.._So, after taking the little patch carefully in, he replied, with decided sarcasm: ‘‘ Well, this isn’t much, but I want to leave St.. Paul, and I suppose when I am not busy here I can find plenty to do among the neighbors.” I feebly assented, for to me those long staring rows of brown stubs were possessed of great possibilities, and I think my feelings were akin to those of a young chicken taking its first peer at the world—“‘it’s very large and I may get lost, but I am in for it. so ’11 commence to scratch.” There was neither house nor barn on the place, only a little berry house or two, and taking’ into these such articles as we must have, we com- menced.. There were 900 Delaware, 1,100 Concord and about 200 mixed varieties of grapes, about an acre of blackcap raspberries and, probably, 100 small apples trees on the land, the remainder being covered with trees; _ and skirting the entire eastern front was the desired water privileges. To say that none of us knew anything about grapes does not in any wise express Our ignorance, nor is there any single word in the English language that will. We had everything to learn. The vines had already been raised from their winter bed and fastened to the first wire of the trellis, and the buds were bursting a little, but seemed to grow very slowly. ‘‘Never mind,” said the man of whom IJ had purchased, ‘‘they will soon climb fast enough. Will six inches per 24 hours suit you?” I thought him jesting, but have since learned to credit everything in that line. It is not necessary to detail here the wonderful things that first summer’s work made manifest; every grape grower knows them—the 310 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. _ ‘ aes awk ward complication of the grass knot, the endless pinching, the anxiety of about how much foliage to take, how much to leave; where to leave fruit branches for the next year, and how many of the sweet-scented blossoms to cast away, making room for others to mature. Our hearts were altogether too tender on this last point, and, while we rejoiced at the large results of the year’s labor, we did not realize that we had laid the foundation for future disease and loss. When winter closed in on us we had laid our vines away, with no desire to return to the city’s busy whirl, since we had built very comfortable winter quarters for ourselves and the little stock we possessed. During the winter we were constantly making preparations for increas- ing our varieties of small fruits. We had plenty of grapes, and when spring came added quite a number of berries to our plantation. These, of course, made more work and workmen necessary, but we started out with a great deal of assurance. Wiser heads than ours hinted at queer little formations on branches of certain wild trees, and carried uncertain airs about the outcome, since the analysis developed a caterpillar known to be very destructive in other parts; but with the assistance of a neigh- © bor we barricaded ourselves with a barrel sprayer which, in conjunction with cértain compounds recommended by the Government School of Agriculture, was insured to kill every living thing withinits reach. It requires no stretch of memory to go back to the time when the enemy burst upon us, not in weak numbers which could be easily cut off and so — leave no chance of progeny, but with a force so overwhelming, so far reaching, so near reaching, that the hairy, squirming, crawly, creeping things literally took possession of us and ours. Not a plant of any kind escaped. Our gardens were taken by storm; from our apple trees waved their filmy banners; while about our houses, clothing and beds, they com- pared very favorably with the frogs of Egypt. Every man, woman and child, who owned a home was on the defensive, while campers and sum- mer visitors fied to the city for safety. Added to these, other pests made their appearance. Cut worms ee onion and cabbage beds clean: a small green insect covered the plum trees: currant worms on the currant bushes; an almost imperceptible be- ginning of mildew on the Delaware, and later on, little spots on the Con- cord grapes: and we felt we were in forit. The sprayer was rigged and manned and went forth to battle, and day after day, as I looked out from the windows of the sick room where I was then keeping watch, L could see a man skillfully guiding a two-horse wagon upon which was the barrel sprayer up and down the lines of grapes, while two others followed drenching the vines on either side from a hose, and a fourth played up - and down upon a pump handle, thus supplying the warranted fluid. It was an imposing array, I assure you, and left its impress of blue on every vine, bush and tree with which it came in contact. The ground was blue, the wagon blue, and a blue line marked its path to the next neigh- bor. Ido not yet knowif asmaller quantity of material and less marked efforts would have answered the purpose at that time, but the treatment was effective to a great extent. The caterpillars, I think, stayed their time out, but the seasoning of their food injured their appetites and caused many deaths; but many wove their cocoons and prepared for an- other summer’s campaign. The insects on the plum trees flourished upon > Terre, GRAPES. 311 the blue treatment, but we afterwards gave them a heavy kerosene emul- sion, which killed them and the trees also. To the Delawares it proved a wonderful preventative to mildew, so giving us a Well rounded crop of grapes. But not realizing the necessity of its constant use upon the Concords, the black rot played sad havoc, and I think we lost fuliy one- third of Ourcrop. Thus ended the second year. At the beginning of the third year, the young man who had charge of my place went into business for himself, and I filled the vacancy with one of the graduates of our own agricultural school at St. Anthony Park, a quiet, industrious young man, but an ardent admirer of bugs, worms, etc. Again we began to prepare for battle, throwing up entrenchments, building drawbridges and arming ourselves, not with a barrel sprayer this time, but simply a knapsack and a much smaller quantity of ammunition. Again our memories do not need prompting to recollect how spring came upon us last year, the long weeks of cold and almost ceaseless rain, when - our hired men, after doing every possible job of work that could be done under cover, waited, waited, waited for warm sunshine and dry weather, until every past record for beginning vineyard work was broken. How gardeners became thoroughly discouraged with planting costly seed and - watching it—not grow—but float away to the nearest ravine, thence to the nearest lake. How, when the warmth and sunshine did finally come, the rains did not cease, and earth and air combined to produce a murky, humid atmosphere, very productive of flying, creeping and crawling things. When our grapes were finally raised, large buds were already upon ~ them, which the intense heat, closely accompanied with heavy showers, forced into a speed of growth, which has never been exceeded in our Northwest-with every tiny leaf of the Delawares showing mildew al- ready upon it. The caterpillars came also from their incubators with an increase of audacity over last year’s crop—great fat, rolicking fellows, with all their wisdom teeth cut and destruction imprinted in every wriggle of their ugly bodies. Is it any wonder that my man of war would start with ‘‘knapsack strapped upon his back” and wonder which way to fire to do the most effective work? For six long weeks nearly every morning the click, click of the little machine came in from the strip of woodland that skirted the red ‘raspberries, and in the afternoon from the vineyard, while at mid- day it occasionally poured fire over the potato patch or apple trees. So constant was its use that man and knapsack seemed inseparable companions. Mildew and caterpillars, Bordeaux mixture and London purple were the common themes of conversation; and the war was waged with unremitting energy. It often seemed that we were defeated, and the greatest amount of perseverance was necessary to enable us to see - any advance upon the enemy; but, finally, the caterpillar strength was spent, and the clouds left off their endless lowering, and hot days followed, leaving mildew the only foe in sight; and upon this we continued battle, not realizing that again black rot was working upon the Concords to an unpleasant extent. . We found this out at harvest time, when our Dela- wares, which had received the greater attention, yielded the most beauti- ful and uniform and plentiful clusters we had yet received, and the Con- cords, while yielding heavily, were sour and unsatisfactory, while those of \ - 312 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY » iz my nearest neighbor, which had received more attention, were perfect, healthy and sweet. I have had so many questions asked me in regard to spraying, also in regard to woman’s fitness for grape culture—or rather its fitness for woman—that I scarcely know how to answer all in the brief time I ought to occupy here, so I will simply say that I do most implicitly © believe that every garden patch and fruit grower ought to own a sprayer. In my own little garden patch, it has more than earned its cost this year. In the grapes it has proved its priceless value. I never saw such heavy foliage as clothed my Delawares this year, or such luscious fruit, and I know that any loss that I have incurred was due to not using it often enough. I owe a magnificent crop of raspberries and a heavy yield of apples to its service, also, and I would say especially, let every grape grower possess a sprayer before another season opens. There are other foes lurking about our vines than mildew or black rot, four different species were found upon my own this summer, rose chaffer, leaf roller, thrips or aphis and blue caterpillar; and we can not tell which of al! these will claim supremacy next season. As to the suitableness of the work for women, why not? Any woman of average strength and average sense can doit. Do it all, except the post planting and cultivating, and theseshecanhiredoneforasmallsum,. It is easy work, it is healthy work; it can not be otherwise with the purest of air surrounding us all the time. It is fascinating work, because there is so much to learn, not learn once for all, but like millinery, school teaching or any other feminine employment that has advancement in it, some- thing to learn each season, something that delights and elevates until you forget or cease to care if your hands grow brown and rough or your city friends know you only at your own home, or if your neighbors think you queer because you can’t keep out of the vineyard when it is apparent there is enough for you to do in the house. ‘It is elevating work; it lifts you into the book world, you find you can not get along without them; and we older people have been crying out so much for knowledge that our state has found it necessary to establish schools for the purpose of fortifying itself against the question of the next generation. , It is profitable, financially. I will simply give you my amount of grapes for this year,and you can estimate for yourselves at a reasonable market ~ price. From 900 Delaware vines, 6,372 pounds; from 1,100 Concerds and 200 mixed grapes, 1,300 vines, 9,456 pounds; total, 15,828 pounds. This only includes those that were sold, not making any account of those con- sumed by from eight to fifteen persons constantly about the house, num- erous Visitors, those put up for winter use and at least 100 baskets other- . wise disposed of. Besides grapes, planted in wide rows as mine are, you have room for as many vegetables or small fruits as you can possibly care for, on the same land; consequently, when winter comes on you have the comfortable assurance of a well stocked cellar. And far more than all these considerations, the work brings one into nearer relationship with Him who has said: ‘‘Il am the Vine, ye are the branches. As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me,” and so, although work may crowd upon us, a loving, kindly feeling springs up that never could be engendered, if miles of waving grain separated us from eur neighbors. es i GRAPES. 313 DISCUSSION. President Underwood: Now, this question of vine culture comes up for a more detailed discussion, and I understand the secretary wishes to say a word before the general discussion is taken up. Secretary Latham: I wish to say a word in regard to the subject of mildew, which Mrs. Irwin has treated to some extent in her paper. It is a subjectof great importance to vine grow- ers, and if you live in a community where you have not had any mildew, it is simply because the day is put off a little while. We have it out at the Lake, and we must look after it. Last year, those who gave it a thorough treatment, like Mrs. Irwin, had no mildew to do any injury. I received a few weeks ago a copy of a bulletin sent cut by the Department at Washixgton, entitled, ‘‘Plant Diseases.”’ In looking it over, I found it con- tained so much of practical value that I sent for fifty copies, and they are here at this meeting. I hope that every one of you who grows grapes. will carry one of these home with you, as the book contains just the information you are looking for. Professor Green: In bulletin 25 of the experiment station, — Mr. Pratt, who worked for Mrs. Irwin, has a full report of the expense of spraying, etc., connected with the work done at her place. There are some copies of it here on the table, if any of you would like to see them. President Underwood: I hope the matter of fertilizing grapes as well as the others, will be taken up and discussed very thoroughly. Professor Green: The subject of the fertilization of grapes is quite an important one. Very elaborate experiments have been carried on in the Hast, but up to the present almost noth- ing has been done here. The experiments in the East have shown that they got the most benefit from manures that were not nitrogenous, but were rich in potash, etc. Nitrogenous manure is not generally considered very desirable in a vineyard, and yet it may be used to some extent. If anybody here has a vineyard that is not making growth enough, he would not have any serious trouble foliow from a light application of manure. The question asked by Mr. Brackett was about mulch- ing a vineyard. The vineyard he referred to at the agri- cultural college is located on a gravelly knoll, that slopes to the south. JI found when I came to the farm that they were doing pretty well, but the drought prevented the grapes from e e ee eS er ee eT Pe ee We A ER ar Aaa PE ee MATa eae Te ge aOR ERY Pay Haug . Sy a a 7 5 ‘ ; i 314 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. a doing anything for a year or more, and, rather than lose them, I thought I would go to work and mulch them. The land was quite steep and was washing badly, and I made up my mind [ would mulch them. The following winter, after the dry summer of 1889, I think, I mulched quite heavily with stable manure, and as a result they picked up a good deal the next year. It was mulched in such shape that I could work it into the soil, and it changed the whole character of the land; instead of being a land that would wash badly, it became much like a new forest mould, resembling land first broken up. I mulched it again last season, because I was afraid to trust it, and the result was that we got avery good crop of grapes, indeed. I do not want you to understand that I would recommend mulching grapes; I think, on clayey land it might bea very bad thing todo. I should not recommend anybody to do it, unless they were very careful about it, but if you have a gravelly soil and cannot grow them any other way, I would recommend you to set the grapes deep and mulch them. There is this objection to it, especially in clay land, that you make the ground very cold and bring _ the roots near the surface. I am afraid that if they are too near the surface, they will be liable to kill some winter when we don’t have much snow. But, between growing them or not on a gravelly knoll I would mulch them. In answer to Mr. Brackett’s questions whether I would recommend him to mulch his vineyard on such good grape land as he has, I will say that I do not believe I would do it. Mr. Murray: You could also use stable manure on the gravelly land—I mean more than on the clayey soil. Prof. Greene: Yes, and if your land is run out you can get better results. I have had the fertilizing business drilled into me. I have talked potash and magnesium time and time again, but when I came West and tried to follow out what I learned in the East, it didn’t work. In Massachusetts and in, practically, ail the states east of Ohio, and even in parts of Ohio you get the same result when you use potash salts. They recommend potash salts on land with very good results, but here we get almost no results at all. Mr. Murray: And how about nitrate of silver? Prof. Greene: It has given wonderful results in stimulating the leaf growth. Of course, any of these nitrogenous salts are especially stimulating to the leaf growth. For that reason they are not desirable for use on grape vines. On spinach and - like plants in the spring of the year, upon which it is desirable «tg Fe + SINT EN Ss et tee ey ws) Oa ra 5 SSS eae ee SHA ae eae PU) (i wen eee sedate Dhes Shs by MR oC aatt I AS) OO ae aaa ea aR Rene boc oct te ot OL hdc ' & . he ‘ , i* oh S dy Li "wc a | Ss , - ‘ 5 \ GRAPES 315 to force a large leaf growth, nitrate of soda has a most wonder- ful effect in giving an early leaf crop. It is the thing to use for that purpose, but it should not be used on grapes. I do not think there is any need of buying high-priced fertilizers in our state, because we have such a great source of cheap manure. We have lots of stable manure and we have tankage. Tankage can be bought at New Brighton for twelve dollars a ton. It is perfectly dry—you can keep it in a perfectly dry room, and there will be but little odor to it. It is the cheapest fertilizer I know of. I would not advise anybody to buy the nitrates and those compounds which are high-priced, just be- cause some seedsman or fertilizer manufacturer puts them on the market. Dr. Frisselle: How would it do to put on wood ashes? Prof. Greene: It would be a very good fertilizer, indeed. Mr. Wilcox: JI want to ask Prof. Greene if it would not be a very cheap way to producé phosphoric acid and potash to burn Y bones? Prof. Greene: There is no potash in the ashes of bones. Mr. Wilcox: I mean by burning the bones and mixing with the acid. . : Prof. Greene: Yes, but you would lose your nitrogen by burning them. Mr. Wilcox: But how -about using them for manure for grapes? Prof. Greene: If I used the bones I would never burn them, if I could get a grinder such as Mr. Brackett has to grind bones for his hens. I would grind them and mix them up with a little wood ashes, or put them in the hot stable manure where they would ferment and become soluble; in that way they would be much more valuable. Mr. Morris: I have several thousand vines growing at Minnetonka. Some of the ground is very sandy. Two years ago I fertilized them. All the growers discouraged me at the time. At the time the American Association of Nurs- erymen was in session, Mr. George S. Joslyn of New York, one of the best posted men in the United States in vine grow- ing, said that*he put the common manure on his vines all the time and worked it into his soil well, and it didn’t hurt them a bit. T'wo years ago I put on from four to six inches on some light soil that I had, working it in, and the result was that vines that had never amounted to anything before that and 316 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 4 from which I never raised any fruit, gave me almost a full crop last year. They are doing nicely now, and I think I shall give them a coat of manure next year. Dr. Frisselle: It seems to me that the question resolves it- self, so far, as the manuring is concernd, to about this, if the . ground is poor and needs fertilizing elements you must put that fertilizer in for the use of the plant. If itis already there in plentiful quantities, you don’t need any more of it. Now, you take our virgin soil, and the ground is rich in humus and pot- ash and everything needed for plant growth. Therefore, you do not need to put on any nitrate of potash nor carbonate of potash nor any other potash, as we have it there already. As Prof. Greene has remarked, if the soil is poor, if it is gravelly soil without any material for plant growth in it, why, put your fertilizer in. I think that is good common sense.- I am sure that the fertilizers I put on my own ground in my vineyard— good stable manure put on two or three years ago with seven or eight loads of ashes—did it much good. Ishould be in favor of keeping up the fertility of the soil. Prof. Greene: There is a caution necessary to be used there, too. It won’t do to encourage too vigorous a growth of the vines. .I think you are very liable to have that where you have too much manure. On the prairie soil of this state, you are very apt to get a great growth of vine and a small growth of fruit. Now, if you are getting a reasonable amount of growth without the use of manure, do not use it. Do not manure it in order to get twenty feet of growth, for we don’t need sucha growth. Prof. Williams: Iwill say in regard to manuring that on our home farm in east Nebraska, we have a very rich soil.’ In our vineyard we used to work ina light coating of stable manure about every three years. We find it helps the vine materially, and in very dry seasons we very frequently give a light coating or mulching to the vines, as well. Mr. Wilcox: I would like to call attention for one moment to one feature of this discussion. Dr. Frisselle has very plainly stated an important feature in growing grapes—to pro- cure full exposure of the leaf to the sun, while the fruit is pro- tected in the shade. It seems to me it is very desirable to do this. You all use the upright trellis, but it is my opinion that one of the best trellises is the under trellis. By the use of suck a trellis you secure the full benefit of the sunlight on the Saha ae of as Gui i ee cea ma OMAR ol g + GRAPES. oly, leaves and shade for the fruit. I think it has been pretty well demonstrated that by lifting the trellis well from the ground you secure some comparative exemption from mildew. Mr. Plants: Any one who ever visited Lake City and saw the elder Mr. Doughty’s grape vines saw readily the advan- tage of having the vine up pretty well, so as to let the sun strike the roots. He illustrated it in last year’s book-—the society’s annual report—and it gave me an idea in regard to putting the vines up higher, so as to give the sun a chance to strike the ground. President Underwood: There was a point made here by some one with regard to the shyness of Moore’s Early and, per- haps, some others in fruiting. I wasstruck by an article in one of our horticultural journals this fall, giving the experiments made at one of the Eastern stations—I think it Was the Geneva station in New York—and it gave a very clear account of the experiments that had been carried on with regard to fertili- zation of grapes. It made it appear that it is almost as essen- tial that we plant grapes intelligently with regard to proper fertilization of those kinds which have pistillate blossoms and are imperfect in pollen, as it is necessary in regard to the- planting of strawberries. This journal gives a list of the vari- eties that are perfect in their blossoms, and also of those varieties that are imperfect. It appears that most varieties are imperfect in their blossoms, which makes it necessary to have varieties near them that have perfect blossoms and furnish plenty of pollen. I thought at the time that if that was the case, here was something that the grape growers ought to understand more fully, giving it at least as much attention as they do when they plant strawberries. Mr. Murray: Is Moore’s Early given as imperfect? President Underwood: I think it is, but I have not the arti- ' cle in question with me. I wish I had. Iam sure it is one of the reports of the Geneva station. ; ; Mr. Wedge: Speaking about the Moore’s Early being a shy bearer, I will say that at the northern lowa meeting, which I have just attended, one of the strong poipts made was in regard to pruning the Moore’s EKarly—that it should be pruned long; that there should be very little of the wood cut off, as com- pared with the other varieties. Prof. Budd especially empha- sized that point. Dr. Frisselle: I have had alittle experience with the Moore's Early. I should recommend pulling them out in order to insure 318 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. better results, because in that way you can put in some other kind in their place. I put out two hundred Moore’s Early vines and have waited several years, long and patiently, and am waiting still for the crop (laughter). Ihave hardly had a specimen from the vines, and I am very tired of them. Mr. Sampson; I would ask Dr. Frisselle what variety he has planted near there. Dr. Frisselle: I had some varieties of the Delawares planted near there and others. I am sorry to say that I cannot from my own experience recommend the Moore’s Harly. Secretary Latham: I just want to say a word or two about the Moore's Early, and I am glad that President Underwood brought the matter up. I have had some experience with the © Moore’s Early in several places, and my success is a good deal like Dr. Frisselle’s failure, except with the vines that I planted at my house. As much as fifteen years ago, I planted those Moore’s Early vines there, and they have never failed to bear a good crop. They have borne what I call a satisfactory crop. They did so well that I planted a few dozen at the place which Mrs. Irwin afterwards became the owner of, but they never did anything. I planted five or six hundred in a later vineyard that I am now cultivating, and I planted this last lot before I had satisfied. myself that they would not bear. When I found that the others were not bearing and that those at my residence were bearing continually, then I began to look for the cause. The home vineyard is on a northeast slope—and, without dis- cussing the question of slope here, I want tosay that the grapes I have raised in that vineyard are the grapes that have taken all the big prizes at the fairs. I do not know how much influence the slope may have on the bearing of Moore's Early, but I have ascribed their bearing qualities to the fact that they lie alongside | of the Lady grape vine. It is a vine of the same nativity, being a seedling of the Concord, and blossoming at the same time, and © bearing avery early fruit. I think it is fair to presume that the Lady supplies the fertilizing power that the Moore’s Harly lacks. I had so much faith in this that I went out in my large vineyard amongst the Moore’s Early, and digging up every fourth vine, planted a Lady in its place. That was done three years ago, and they began to bear a little this spring. Next year, I may be able to tell you more about it. Mr. Morris: Can you get your arms well branched on the Moore’s Early? : Ades - e GRAPES. ; 3819 Secretary Latham: Yes, you can always get branches enough in the proper place. I want to say a word about this matter of pinching, while Iam on my feet. I heard some statements here that I do not exactly agree with. Somebody said that by pinching too close, you would not get fruit, etc. It is true, you must not take the leaves off; if you go into the vineyard and take many leaves off, you do serious harm in proportion to the number of leaves you take off; but there is one safe way for you to pinch the vines, and if you want to get large, compact branches of fruit, you must pinch and pinch close. If you want to get spurs, the buds on which are well developed, you must pinch and pinch close. The way to pinch is to begin when the new growth has reached that point where the blossom appears. There is the place to pinch, and you should do it at once, and not wait until you have to pinch off three or four or half a dozen leaves— but doitatonce. It turns the flow of sap in another direction, and does not cripple the vine. You need not wait until you have a leaf three inches in diameter, but pinch as soon as you can get at it handily. Follow this up through the growing season, and you will get some'fruit that will astonish you. I want to say in regard to Delawares that if you are raising fruit for market you should not pinch that way, because the bunches grow so compact that they burst before they are ripe enough to gather. Wher we got twenty cents’a pound for grapes, then it paid to pinch. and raise splendid bunches. Now instead of using the finger and thumb for pinching, I take a corn knife, but I do not wait until I have to take off a great mass of foliage. Instead of doing that, I go over them every week, and it is not much work to take care of them that way. Mr. Cook: I havea little delicacy in speaking of grapes be- fore these Minnetonka grape growers, but I cannot sit here and hear the Moore’s Early mentioned unfavorably. It is evident that these gentlemen have not the soil adapted to a Moore’s Early grape. I have about four hundred Moore's Early and find it to be the best grape I have ever raised. I believe that the Moore’s Early is the best grape on the list for our sec- tion of the country. Speaking of digging them up and putting Brightons in their place, I will say that at the time I planted my Moore’s Early, I also planted fifty Brightons. This year I got nothing off the Brightons, while I got a good crop from the Moore’s Karly. They both had the same care. EO SG Ce! ye on eo SURE es amare my . Pt 320 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. “¢ Mr. Yancey: The Moore’s Early is really my favorite as I have never failed in getting a fair crop at least. Yet I agree with most all that has been said by the other gentlemen in re- gard to it. ‘ President Underwood: We have with us a gentleman from Sparta, Wis., who is very successful in the culture of black-— berry. I understand he is also postmaster of that place. Ido not know whether his official capacity makes him successful in blackberry growing or not, but I would like to have Mr. Fisher tell us about his blackberry patch. Mr. Fisher: I don’t know who has put you up to call on me, lam sure. Now, I am here to listen to-day. Iam nota talker and I would like to be excused. I will say I have been very much interested in your discussions and it has afforded me a great deal of pleasure to be with you. REPORT ON GRAPES. DAN’L. BUCK, MANKATO. Circumstances beyond my control make it impossible fur me to make more than a brief report. My experience for many years in raising grapes is contained in the article entitled ‘‘Grapes” on page 280 of your report for 1892. During the past year grape Vines in this yicinity were free from disease. While some vineyards, bore heavy crops of grapes, others were only moder- ately productive. The Delaware, however, seemed to bear heavily in all vineyards, and were the grapes a little larger it would be difficult to find its superior, everything considered. With me no disease has ever at- tacked it. While searching for new varieties, we should not overlook the great merits of this splendid grape. Further experience leads me to be- lieve that severe summer pruning is unnecessary. This statement may draw out criticism, but I believe that close summer pruning is not only unnecessary, but with the exception of pinching back a few of the most rampant vines, is injurious, and is a source of a great deal of care and vexation. Severe fall pruning and moderate summer pruning I believe to be the better rule. There are some drawbacks to our growing grapes in Minnesota, but I believe that grapes have less insectsand diseases here than in most of the other states. Last winter I spent several weeks in Florida, and as time hung heavily on my hands I pruned about 100 grape Vines for a friend, and had an opportunity of examining the growth and condition of the vine. Vines several years old were covered with insects, large numbers of them hidden under the bark, and the vines were not vigorous or thrifty, Many of our northern grape vines do not thrive well there and yet many do exceedingly well, especially the Niagara and Lindley. But the Scupper- nong grape vine there is a sight worth seeing. Ina few years it grows sev- P ‘ iL. ~ y yy ee eae GRAPES. 3821 eral inches in diameter, and covers a space several rods in extent. There are from three to seven berries in a cluster. The grapes are about one inch in diameter, good to eat, make excellent wine, and the vine is won- derfully productive. f In setting out grape vines, I think we often make a mistake, and that is, in setting them too near together. Large grape vines are great feeders, and the roots run under ground a long distance in search of plant food. A friend of mine found the roots of his grape vine had run ten feet under ground, and the rootlets from it were clinging around a large bone. The large vines with vigorous roots, therefore, running long distances, rob the weaker vines of the nutriment necessary for their growth and fruit bear- ing. This is one reason why a young vine set out in a vineyard among old vines, where one has died out, will not grow and slowly perishes. The roots of the old vines grow deeper than the hole dug for the new vines, and the young vine cannot compete with the old ones for nourishment. Thus, we are often disappointed because the young vines set among old ones do not grow, when the fact is the young vine has been robbed of its life by the older and stronger vine. The only remedy is to dig quite deep and enlarge the hole for the young vine,and then set strong two or three-year- old vines in place of the missing vine. ~ Notwithstanding the strong competition which our grape growers meet with from Eastern grown grapes, yet the local prices have been quite good for home grown grapes, especially for the Delaware. I have a fine seedling grape, larger and earlier than the Concord, which last year when fully ripe was perfectly black; this year when fully ripe it was red, the exact color of its parent, Rogers No, 15. Ch eT LS eli HO RS Ma aay 2 oe Tide hee pte OR bah os a ' 5. ns \ ay \Avih ii fe kt aa A a EA MAL RS to ta Oa aries Hakan ld She : ‘ aye Nth Fe ed PN ye ty SE SS ine ee 322 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SMALL FRUITS. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SMALL FRUITS. L. H. WILCOX, HASTINGS I suppose we will have to start the ball moving in some way, so I will give you a little verbal report of the small fruit crop in our section of the state, which during the last season was generally good. The strawberry crop was above the average and the fruit was nice; the raspberries were exceedingly good: blackberries not being grown very much, there were not a great many offered. I can report further, that the interest in small fruit cultivation in that section of the state has increased very much within the last two or three years. I think there were more small fruit. plants set last spring than there have been set before in five years. A great many who are setting them are asking the question, ‘‘What are we going to do with the immense amount of fruit that we shall raise?” but. as yet they are not troubled with not being able to market all they raise. In fact, they have never yet produced hardly enough to fill the wants of their local markets. Perhaps I might say, personally, that I have some very fine fields of strawberries and raspberries that were set last spring. We have forty-six different varieties of strawberries in our trial bed, including all the new and fashionable varieties. (Laughter.) I won’t say now which are the best varieties, because we do not know yet whether they are the best or not. We have set fifty plants of each kind in adjoining rows to give them a test. The fields went into winter in excellent shape, so we are looking forward with hope to their productiveness next season. President Underwood: If there is anybody present who wishes to ask any questions of Mr. Wilcox, I hope they will do. so. Itis our intention at this meeting to offer all the oppor- tunity desired for a free discussion of the subject, and I hope everybody will be prompt to do their part in making the meet- ing as interesting as it will be if you will all discuss these matters and try and get at the facts, drawing out the different speakers. Mr. J. A. Sampson: I would like to ask Mr. Wilcox which variety of strawberries he considers the best. Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Well, I have always been experiment- ing—that is a particular hobby of mine—and always will be testing something, whether it prove profitable or not. Since coming to Minnesota, I have not pursued systematic tests with small fruits and with strawberries, in particular, until this xs - SMALL FRUITS. oa season. Of course, the plants we set last spring have not fruited yet. I could speak of the relative vigor, or growth, and the production of plants, and I might speak ofthe fertilizing properties of the different varieties, from my know- ledge of the variety, but not from atest on our soil in Minnesota. I met with a little experience that was novel in some respects. I found one or two varieties of our old standards that I sup- posed were gone by, that had made a very vigorous growth and were in very good shape. The subject of perfect blossoms and self-fertilization is one that is as yet very poorly understoed among our best horticul- turists. While we have plants of the strawberry producing perfect blossoms, we have very few plants in the system of nature that pollenize themselves, even when the blossoms are perfect. I think “the result of tests has usually been that pistillate blossoming varieties prove very much hardier as well aS more productive. Perhaps, some of you have not seen the account of experiments at the Ohio experiment station. The experiments of Professor Green here, clearly indicate that such varieties of plants are not only very much more productive but very much more hardy in resisting adverse conditions. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SMALL FRUITS. J. A. SAMPSON, EXCELSIOR. In rendering my report on small fruits, I must say that I was too busy to work up the information as I would wish to, as regards the varieties to be recommended. I will leave that for the committee as a whole. The growing of small fruit is becoming an industry of large propor- tions. 1 cannot but notice the:tendency to increase in certain lines. Raspberries have been planted quite extensively the past year or two. Attention is being turned to blackberries, and I look for a great increase of acreage in that direction. The market for currants has been over- stocked, especially the early varieties; the late varieties have been more profitable in consequence. Attention will be turned to the late varieties. Gooseberries are neglected. Strawberries have received a fair attention. The rust has bothered a good many the past year. I think the rust is caused in part by poor wintering. The cost and labor of planting so often has caused many to give up strawberry culture. The growing of large varieties, according to the best of my informa- tion, has not been so profitable as the medium-sized fruit. vied oo ere yee Oe, ee Go hey Oe ee Me @ a eg - i pr ns 4 —s a 324 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. DISCUSSION. Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Do you find rust on your newly set plants? Mr. J. A. Sampson: I have not been bothered very much with rust on my plants. Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Is it not that the beds are too dry to be run more than one year—the old beds? Mr. J. A. Sampson: Well, perhaps, somebody else here could answer that question better. I could not say for sure, be- cause I have not had any particular experience with the rust. The reason I mentioned the rust in connection with poor winter- ing was, I have noticed some plants where they had been left out uncovered, and in taking those plants up the roots were found defective; there were spots in the roots that appeared as having been caused by swelling or shrinkage of the ground, or some other cause through the freezing and thawing process. Mr. C. L. Smith: Did you notice whether some of the vari- eties are more affected than others? Mr. Sampson: I grow the Wilson principally, and I under- stood the Wilson had been largely affected by the rust in other fields. I would like to hear from Mr. Elliot, if he is in the room, as I believe he has been over the ground more exten- sively, and also passed over my field during its fruiting. Mr. Wyman Elliot: In the course of the investigations I have made this year, I found there were some varieties more subject to rust than others. For instance, the Captain Jack, a variety we had supposed to be one of the best fertilizers, is becoming so badly diseased that many are discarding it and - looking for something in its place. On some plantations I found there was what we call‘‘the spot disease’, affecting quite a good many of the plants. It weakens the plants, and they do: not throw out runners as vigorously as those that are more healthy. 1 think cultivators in general will have to look to their stock pretty carefully and see that they plant nothing but the very healthiest, if they wish to succeed. Of course, we are learning more each year. There are new things coming up each year to try our patience, and we shall have to be on the alert if we wish to succeed in everything we undertake. Mr. Smith: I see Professor Green is here. Perhaps he can give us some light on the rust. Professor S. B. Green: The rust of the strawberry is the fungus that grows ina portion of the leaves of the plant. I look upon it that the thing to do is to avoid it as far as possible, but it generally comes in a place where we cannot ~ ‘ f ~ x SMALL FRUITS. 325 avoid it, and it is necessary to use some preventative, some fungicide. There are a very few varieties not subject to this, including the Warfield and Haverland. I do not think we have a variety of strawberry but what is more or less afflicted at times with this spotting, this rusting, this disease we call rust of the strawberry, or blight. Of course, it is especially abundant in seasons when we have a great deal of moisture followed by in- tensely hot weather; then it grows with great rapidity. If the variety is in a weak condition and there is a lack of plant food in the soil, or a lack of moisture or anything of that sort it is very much more liable to be diseased. I should consider that the preventatives would be first, good cultivation, second, selection of those varieties that I have named, the Warfield and Haverland, as they are not much troubled with it. We must have something to pollenize those with, and I should use the Michel’s Early for that purpose. It is not a very good plant, and the fruit is not very good nor very prolific, and if you think it best to use the Captain Jack you can keep it clear of the rust by using the fungicides, either the Bordeaux mixture or potas- sium sulphide. I think the Bordeaux mixture is the simplest and the best; you do not have to use it as often as the other. — If you undertake to use such a fungicide as that, you should be- gin as soon as the plantsare established during the first year of their crop, and spray the foliage, probably, three times to the first of September, and then let them grow; and in the spring of the year, spray them at least twice more with the Bordeaux mixture. With such varieties as the Haverland and Warfield I do not think it would be necessary to spray them; but if you have the Captain Jack I think it would pay you to get a spray pump and spray them. Now, I will speak of one little matter that was of interest last summer. You all recollect that the strawberries growing under the shade of the trees and along the side of the buildings are generally the best. Now, I have been carrying on a little ex- periment at the farm, which may not be very practical on a large scale, but which is of interest in showing that the plants grown in the shade were healthier than the ones grown in the sun. They seemed to do better. The shade was made by making a screen, six feet from the ground, of poles driven into the ground and covered with brush to keep out, perhaps, one- third of the sunlight. We found that it not only kept the plants very much healthier, but that such varieties as the Parker, for instance, which is one of those growing an im- “pi Se ati LUA aia hie 9 ih wate SiG as ced Meek eae SGA ua ade. hd Tr edt | Aa he UE Sais i Se AR Ad BN id oF Bet ¢ 4 ty WANS Ans ENA ita a eas RAG at NaN is f ‘ t i Nur Watt) : Py fie. 826 © MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. mense amount of fruit and frequently failing to mature, matured all its fruit when grown in the shade, although it had not done so in the sun. This is of interest—com- ing back to the subject of the rust—to show that we must look as far as possible to the cultivation and care necessitated by the different varieties. We must also look to the resisting varieties; but we will not find any that are entirely resistant to it. There are some varieties desirable to be grown, with which it will be necessary to use the fungicide. I would like to add just one thing more. I am in favor of growing strawberry beds,and fruiting them two years. I favor that plan. I notice this much, if you allow those old leaves to remain on a strawberry bed and try to renew it by just letting those leaves remain, and, perhaps, cutting out a little, you will not have good success. The disease we have spoken of will spread badly on the bed. If you will take a mowing machine and cut all those leaves off and burn them, you will find that the new growth that will come on the bed will be almost as healthy as a perfectly new bed. If properly manured and cared for, in the course of the year they will look like newly set plants. You can burn the leaves right on the bed. It only makes a light covering,and the weeds and leaves can be burned off without any injury to the new growth that comes up, and the new growth will be perfectly healthy. In this way you will have destroyed the centers of infection on the leaves. Mr. B. C. Yancey, Edina Mills: It is my plan in renewing a bed to plow little strips right along the bed about a foot wide, which I manure, and then put on the cultivator, start it going and work it up as wellasIcan. Then I take a hoe and go over those rows and cut out the weeds and about two-thirds of the plants. The plants that are left will grow in good shape. Mr. J. A. Sampson: Iam very glad that Professor Green brought up this idea of burning the beds over. When Mr. Elliot spoke to me last season about it, I was afraid to under- take it, being afraid of injuring my bed. Consequently, I left the straw on the ground, and it was a great annoyance in get- ting the bed ready for another season. I would like to hear from others upon that same question. Mr. E. J. Cutts, Howard Lake: I would like to ask Profes- sor Green what time of the year he would do that mowing. Prof. Green: Just as soon as you get the crop gathered. The sooner, the better. a SMALL FRUITS. 327 Mr. Dewain Cook, Windom: I have had some little experi- ence with rust, and I do not think the matter has been fully reached yet. This summer I planted a dozen Warfield straw- berry plants and a dozen Sandoval and a dozen Enchants on ground that was very rich and well cultivated. Those plants were on land that never had strawberries on it before, and they were well cultivated. The Sandoval grew very well early in the season, and later died of rust; the Warfields had a little rust on them and the Enchants had none atall. It is my im- pression that the main remedy or preventative of rust is to reject those varieties that are subject to rust. A. H. Brackett, Minneapolis: I understand that Professor Green brings forward the theory that the rust was caused be- cause of the excessively wet weather, while Mr. Sampson thinks that it was from severe wintering. Prof. Green: I said that the Warfield and Haverland are not subject to rust, but I can tell yeu of fifty varieties that are. The Captain Jack and Sandoval were subject to rust this year on my place. You will often notice rust on leaves in the spring of the year. Now, after you have gathered nearly all the fruit, pe: haps, you will find if you have a very dry spell of weather. or some other unfavorable condition, that on account of your plants being exhausted the rust starts and grows with wonder- ful rapidity. In a week’s time the beds will be as dry almost as if they were burned. Anything that weakens the plant will allow the disease to gain a foothold, and some varieties of plants are much more subject to it than others. We have not to-day a satisfactory pollenizer that is rust-proof for those two varieties that are little affected by the rust. Mrs. A. A. Kennedy, Hutchinson: Doesn’t the different varieties of soil have something to do withit? We are not bothered at all with rust, and never have been. Mr. Wilcox, Hastings: I want to say just a word in line with Mrs. Kennedy’s suggestion. Iwas somewhat surprised to hear our friend Cook speak of the Sandoval rusting out completely the first season, as I have the Sandoval and have had no rust on them whatever. Of course, in saying that I do not mean that there is absolutely no trace of rust to be found on them, because some varieties, notably the Parker and the Beder Wood and half. a dozen others show occasional spots, but every vari- ety was just as green as could be desired. There was no rust on my plants to do theleast harm. This was true of every variety and more particularly of the Wilson, which I set with the SAE Lae TSE ORE sete RS ae ROR ee, Spe ver tp aie. gt (Ute MEN aE Ree Da ae ad oem 328 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. #. expectation that with the reputation it had elsewhere made of rusting badly it would be very much subject to rust. It was one of the healthiest and stood fourth or fifth in point of vigor among forty varieties. So I feel like giving ita good. mark. Professor Williams, Brookings, 8S. D.: Might it not be well for us to watch the wild strawberries a little? In that way we might get considerable knowledge of that disease, as they are affected by the same rust that our cultivated varieties suffer from. We find that in some regions where the strawberry grows naturally, it isvery badly affected by rust, and again, in other regions it is entirely free from it. It might be, too, that in this lies the solution to Mr. Cook’s trouble. Although it was the first year that he planted strawberries on that ground, there might have been wild strawberries there, and they might have started the rust in his patch. REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. — MRS. A. A. KENNEDY, HUTCHINSON. I am afraid my report will berather meager, as my observations have been limited, but Iam glad to notice that fruit raising is on the increase. When we moved into the neighborhood where we now reside, ten years ago, there were a few orchards of Transcendents; there were no rasp- berries, strawberries or grapes. Now, in a radius of five miles, I can count forty families that are raising more or less small fruit. But I can hardly tell what kinds are doing the best, as they have bought of agents and do not know what kinds they have. On my own grounds the Turner raspberries have done the best. Cuth- berts have never winter-killed, but are not as prolific as the Turner. Taylor’s Prolific proved almost a failure. The Marlboro has not made a very good growth so far. Of blackberries, the Snyder has done the best; have not covered them: they winter-killed some. Ancient Briton and Stone’s Hardy did not survive the first winter. Of all the different varieties of strawberries I have tried, Crescent and Charles Downing have proved the best. Jessie and Bubach have been a failure so far. Have tried what we bought for Warfield No. 2 two sea- sons, and they have not borne a berry. Mr. Harris says they are not true to name. The Manchester does well. Park’s Beauty winter-kills and the berries are not first-class. The Princessand Lady Rusk are on trial. Crescent and Glendale made a good growth, but the fruit was like angel’s visits, ‘‘few and far between.” JI have the Monmouth and First Season on trial. The Monmouth winter-killed badly. First Season made a wop- derful growth last summer; I let one stem of fruit grow and the berries were large, firm and of fine flavor; it promises to be the best 1 have. I received of Prof. Green, one year ago, the Pearl and Michel’s Early; tub on) © SMALL FRUITS. 329 they have made a strong growth. Last spring, I received from him Boynton’s Great Pacific, Schuster’s Gem, Lovett’ Early and BederWood. They have all done well, but Beder Wood has made the best growth. On Mrs. Bonniwell’s grounds: Warfield No. 2,with Capt.Jack as fertilizer, have done thebest. Crescent and Jessie have done well; Bubachand Haverland are on trial; May King, Kentucky, Freeman, Jumbo and Jersey Queen are Of no account. She tried the Princess three years; it has not borne a berry. Bidwell has done well. Grapes: Of grapes she has Concord, Janesville and Delaware. Concord has done the best. Blackberries: Snyder does well; Ancient Briton and Stone’s Hardy, though covered in winter, are a failure. On Mrs. Bell’s grounds, four miles southeast of Mrs. Bonniwell’s, Snyder blackberry does best without covering. Tied some of them to stakes and wrapped hay around them for protection, but those left alone did the best by far. Blackcap raspberries: Gregg does well by covering; Doolittle does well without. Gregg raspberry does well by bending down the tips and covering with a little dirt. Souhegan bears heavily but are not as hardy. Doolittle does finely, splendid. Red raspberries: Shaeffer’s Colossal, with tips covered,is a heavy bearer; Hansel is hardy and prolific;Turner does the best of all. Mrs. Bell considers the Minnetonka Chief the best and most perfect. strawberry she has. Finch’s Prolific is very large for the first two or three pickings, but as she sums them all up she says ‘‘after all, the Crescent and Charles Downing have given the best satisfaction.” Grapes: Concord, Duchess, Niagara, Lady and Moore’s Early have not done as well . as Janesville, Brighton, Worden and Delaware. At one place I visited I found a prune tree growing. It is five years old and it is all of eight and, perhaps, ten feet-high and 12 inches in circnmference. It bore two or three prunes last year; this year it bore several. Plums were almost an entire failure this year. At one place I called in the suburbs of Hutchinson, I found a man who had bought of an agent fruit to the amount of one hundred and ten dollars. When I spoke to the man about it he exclaimed: “What do you want to know anything about it for? Did you come to pay for them?” I said ‘‘No, sir! Nor toreplace them either, but I would have sold them to you for one dollar a hundred, and they would not have needed replac- ing.” Ithen told him why I wished to know. He said: ‘‘You can just tell them I was swindled out of one hundred and ten dollars, and that is just all there is about it.” He had bought two thousand raspberry plants. At first they said they were all dead, afterward his wife said there might possibly be twenty-five alive, but doubted it. He said when he received them the roots were daubed with blue clay, and it adhered to them like glue, and he could not soak or wash it off. He said: ‘It sticks there to- day just as tight as when I set them.” One of our neighbors bought of the Same agent red raspberry plants. When I called there he told me there was not one alive. He had bought some mountain ash at $2.00 apiece. When I _came home,I looked over several catalogues and found prices ranging from thirty-five to fifty cents. The editor of the Hutchinson Leader, in com- menting on a farewell sermon delivered in that town said, ‘‘He roasted his flock to a religious brown.” Butit seems to me that such unscrupu- lous agents ought to be cremated, and let ‘‘go up insmoke.” lam thinking it will be their only opportunity of ascension. ball : a ee agi sie eI Nhe pia «itd — 330 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘ It would seem at the first glance as though they would do the fruit business a great injury. But when I think it over I am of the opinion that it will do more good than harm. It will only stimulate horticultur- ists to renewed action and serve as an impetus to the society to greater energy to bring our fair Minnesota to the front. How can we fail with there grand old heroes for leaders and these younger ones with their fire and zeal to hold up their hands? Victory is sure to perch upon our horti- cultural banners. DISCUSSION. | Dr. M. M. Frisselle, Excelsior: I would like to ask Mrs. Ken- nedy about those prunes which shé speaks of having discov- ered. Is it anew variety? Mrs. Kennedy: I can not tell you anything about the variety. I simply heard there was a prune tree growing on the other side of the lake, and went over and found it. I picked some of the fruit and sent some of it to our secretary for the World’s Fair. It was of good size and was really a bona fide prune. The gentleman told me that he bought the trees of an agent from Iowa. He said he bought two of them, but the cattle got in and browsed off one of them and it died. The remaining tree was perfectly hardy and showed no signs of blight. Mr. A. H. Brackett, Minneapolis: What was the largest amount of fruit it bore in one season—how many quarts? Mrs. Kennedy: It only bore two or three last year. This year I secured a pint. There were a number of prunes on it when I saw’ it. Dr. Frisselle: How long had the tree been set? Mrs. Kennedy: Seven years. Mr. A. H. Brackett: Has Professor Green ever experimented in that line at the station? Prof. Green: No, we have never done anything in that line. There are, however, several prunes raised in Russia, and there is no question about their hardiness, There are several varie- ties, including the black prune and the Hungarian prune. They never have fruited to amount to anything with us. We have only had them a few years. ( Mr. Dewain Cook: I notice Mrs. Kennedy speaks about Stone’s Hardy, and says they did not survive the first winter. IT have been growing them for quite a number of years, and I consider the Stone’s Hardy ahardy blackberry. Ihave found that any variety will kill out, root and all, if they don’t have some sort of a protection. Was the Stone’s Hardy top-killed or root-killed? Ma EES ee EES Ate Se MEP eke. CS le ee t t t-4 de, f ; al “efe . x v : SMALL FRUITS. 3831 Mrs. Kennedy: Well, the Stone’s Hardy killed at the ground with me; we didn’t cover them. Mr. Cook: I have reference to root protection and not top protection. The Snyder killed with me last winter and bore a partial crop only. Any variety will kill out, if there is not something done to protect the roots. Professor Green: Do you mulch them? Mr. Cook: Well, I do not very much, because I depend upon the snow, but if we have no snow I mulch them. Mr. Wyman Elliot: I would like to ask Mr. Plants to give us his experience in raising blackberries, mulching them, ete. Mr. D. V. Plants, Long Lake: I have raised blackberries ‘for several years. I have raised Stone’s Hardy and the Snyder, and have had some little experience with the Erie. The Erie is a good market berry but ashy bearer with me. The first crop that the vines of the Stone’s Hardy bore was a very heavy crop. The Synder was a little bit shy, but since that time the Stone’s Hardy has almost failed, while the - Snyder has always given me a good crop, except the first year that I fruited it. I would not attempt to cultivate blackberries without a heavy mulch on the berries through the summer season, bending the berries down in the fall, and using this same mulch, that I used upon the roots in the summer to hold moisture, to cover the tops with and protect the roots at the same time. The Snyder has been a very profitable blackberry with me, and the Stone’s Hardy hasalmost failed. I have had two very good crops and one extra one. The Snyder has always done well. ; Professor Green: Have you the Ancient Briton? Mr. Plants: No, sir. Mr. C. L. Smith: Will you tell the society how much mulching you use and how you put it on? Mr. Plants: I use marsh hay for mulching. In the fall when I make the ground, I bend my berries over, loosening the roots.a little so they will bend partially in the root and par- tially in the cane, and so they will not break; then I throw dirt on the tops to hold them there, and mulch at any time after that, although it is better to mulch before freezing time, because you can throw this marsh hay on them and put a little dirt over it to prevent its blowing off. I should use on an acre of blackberries from two and a half to three tons of marsh hay for mulching. About one-third of this mulch will be absorbed, it will rot and go off, and the next year you will "| Pp ee eRe bp Ea ete +A) DIREC NORRIE ATMS hes) SEU ae PRE YS RNP OCS * Fans tp aes ty i Rt ae? Pa - r oP “t 332 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. want, probably, about a ton, or nearly so. The third year you will have to renew it still more, say two tons. This mulch will rot entirely and go into the soil in about three years. My. Elliot: What timeof yeardo you first put the mulch on? Mr. Plants: At any time during November. I commence in November and put it onany time from then up to Christmas. I prefer putting it on before the gronnd freezes, as I can then throw a little dirt on the mulch, which will prevent the wind blowing it off. Dr. Frisselle: What would you recommend to people in the place of marsh hay, where they cannot obtain the hay? Mr, Plants: Well, the next best thing would be straw or coarse manure; that is very good. If I was going to manure blackberries, I think I would put it on top of the ground. I have never manured my blackberries, though. I think I would make a mixture of straw and coarse manure, if I didn’t have the marsh hay. President Underwood: Would you put the coarse manure on the ground at any time in the winter, if the ground was bare. Mr. Plants: Yes, though I would prefer to put it on early. President Underwood: Supposing the berries were already covered, what then? Mr. Plants: Well, put it on just the same. I never tried that on blackberries, but I have on raspberries. The way I handle raspberries—that is, the way in which I think I have had the best success—is this: I set out my plants and give them a good cultivation, laying the tops over and putting on dirt enough to hold them there. Then, at any time up to Christ- mas, I take coarse manure enough to protect them through the winter and put it on them. Then, in the spring when the ground warms up, I take the manure off and throw it near the plant and cultivate it in. I know I manured a piece of ground before I set the plants, and I got on too much in places and it burned them, so they did not do well. You can see the difference to-day in passing by the rows on the plantation. I noticed the difference last year. You can see the difference to a row where the ground was manured before they were planted and where they were grown in the summer and manured in the fall. There was two-thirds more yield on the plants that we manured in the fall, than on those that were manured before they were set. It makes a good deal of difference. I never manure b ackberries except by marsh hay; but if I did manure them I “SMALL FRUITS. 333 I should prefer doing it after they got well established, and at any time in the forepart of the winter. Mr. L. H. Wilcox, Hastings: I would like to ask if there is any one present who has had experience enough with the Erie blackberry to be able to give an intelligent opinion as to whether itis identical with the old Lawton ornot. The New Jer- sey State Horticulture Society two years ago came to an almost _ unanimous conclusion that the Erie was only a re-named Law- ton. If this is the case, while I am still satisfied that the Erie blackberry is a plant of much value, still, it would be much cheaper to buy it as the Lawton than as the Erie, if they are identical. . Mr. C. L. Smith: Mr. Plants’ Hrie is not identical with any- thing in the shape of the Lawtonthat I have ever seen. I want to say that in examining something like fifty different planta- tions of blackberries and raspberries during the last two years, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Plant is doing the best work in the easiest way of all I have seen. I saw ‘his blackberry plantation in the spring, in the summer, and also in the fall after he had covered them with the hay and the dirt, and I can heartily commend his work. He seems to get: the greatest results with the least outlay of labor ofall Ihave found in the business. His raspberries and blackberries were bearing the finest specimens of fruit, and the vines were in the best condition of all I have seen, anywhere in the state. I, therefore, hope you will carefully consider what he said about his method of accomplishing this. — Mr. A. H. Brackett: I can verify Mr. Plants’ system by the success of a neighbor of mine, who treats his berries in’ the same way. I think he gets the highest price for his black- berries of anybody on the lake. They are very large and sell at 20 cents a quart. He raises the Snyder berry. Mr. J. O. Barrett, Browns Valley: In my late trip up in the woods between the 46th and the 47th parallels of north lati- tude, I found growing there in great abundance a large number of wild blackberries. Of course, I took special pains to investi- gate the cause of this, and discovered that in those locaiities where the leaves of the trees had fallen quite profusely around the vines, thus properly protecting them, and where they were properly protected by the trees, that they appeared to be very prolific and very healthy. On inquiry I learned that they were BNE aa PRTC ARIS a OM Ie aT NR Rupert bois pO NU LY SS ou tet Se APSR RRR TOE Uni an ea ey ws ke t Poa y f rn =! ’ y Ny Ret 7, / 334 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. : i 7 b a success, except that the early frost would injure the buds, the germ in the flower, and then, of course, it was a failure. This season there was quite a crop up there. Mr. Elliot asks the question whether we can raise black berries without covering them. It seems to me, if we copy nature that we can. If we plant an abundance of forest trees, so that the leaves can fall around the roots and prevent an excessive freezing of the ground and the vines receive a proper protection from the forest trees, not too much shade, but just enough, I believe, judging from the data of my obser- vations in that far northern country, that we can make it a suc- cess. [inquired of a gentleman by the name of Haynes, who is quite a horticulturist in his way and who has a number of blackberries on his premises, and he stated that he had some blackberries taken from their wild state, whose fruit grew larger and was far superior to our cultivated berries, that are so popular, besides being very hardy. It seems to me by a proper selection and protection we can make a success of raising black- berries without the tedious process of covering them in the’ winter. . President Underwood: Will Mr. Plants tell us how many acres of blackberries he has under cultivation, and what the nature of his soilis? Mr. Plants: The acreage is very small, less than one, and the soil is a heavy clay. Speaking about the Hrie and the Lawton, now, the only time that I ever saw the Lawton grow- ing in any quantity was in Illinois. My neighbor there had three or four hundred plants for family use. My Hrie isa very different berry from that, does not resemble it at all. Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Perhaps, I ought to say I have come to the conclusion myself that the Erie is being put out by the best horticulturists as a different berry from the old Lawton. I have the Lawton under cultivation, and it far exceeds the Snyder adjoining it. It is the best one of five varieties which I have. Mr. William Urie: While Mr. Barrett was speaking I thought of the time, about two years ago, when I picked two quarts of beautiful berries, grown on heavy clay soil, shaded in the afternoon and getting the sun in the morn- ing. Ihave been there now nine years, and in the nine years I have only had two crops of berries. They have winter-killed : scarcely any, but they have failed to bear. SMALL FRUITS. 335 Mr. B. C. Yancey, Edina Mills: I feel very much interested in blackberry culture; I have about fourteen acres in blackber- ries myself, and I would like to ask these gentlemen a question or two. I have found out by experimenting on my plants that the Ancient Briton has done the best with me, although I have some Snyders that yield very abundantly. The Ancient Bri- ton is very prolific on my clayey soil. I found out that my best and earliest berries came from the spots where the sun did not strike at all, I believe. In keeping with this idea, in covering my bushes I bend them as far as possible to the north, and © when I uncover them in the spring I do not make them quit straight, I let them be a little angling, believing that the new canes coming up on the south side will act as a protection. I have found that those berries grown in the shade are larger | and better, being really finer fruit and ripening fully as early. I have come to the conclusion, after trying both ways, that I get the best crop of berries by letting the berries come down to the ground and mulching heavily. Cornstalks make a very good mulch, and so does moist hay. Let the berries come down to the mulching or just a little higher than the mulching. I find they yield better if you let them have their own way about this and protect them by this mulching, than they do if you wire them up. My experience has been that the Snyders do reasonably well, but with me the Ancient Briton is the best, de- cidedly. Mr. A. H. Brackett: I wish Mr. Elliot would give us his ex- perience in that line. Headvised my going to see some black- berries that were treated somewhat in that fashion. Mr. Wyman Elliot: I suppose Mr. Brackett refers to Mr. O. H. Modlin of Excelsior. He has two rows of black- berries, about twelve rods long, and his method of hand- ling them is similar to Mr. Yancey’s, the last speaker. He mulches his berries very heavily, six to eight inches deep, and when he takes them up in the spring, he just lifts them above the mulching and lets them lay right on the mulching. That gives a chance for the young canes to come up and serve as a sort of shade and protection for the fruit. He certainly gets the finest crop of berries of any man that I know of. The year before last he raised on those two rows $73 worth of fruit. I do not know what he did last year, but I was there this sum- mer and examined them, and they were very heavily loaded. I examined several plantations of blackberries, and I did not see any that gave greater promise than they did. 336 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ~ Dr. M. M. Frisselle: How wide apart were the rows? Mr. Elliot: The rows were planted orginally about six or eight feet apart, and he let them occupy that strip of ground. Mr. Cutts: When did he cultivate? Mr. Elliot: He does not cultivate at all. He uses mulching entirely. President Underwood: Will Mr. Yancey please tell us how many berries his plantation yields? Mr. Yancey: Ihave only four acres of berries that are full grown yet. I think I can raise about 4,000 quarts to the acre of blackberries. My ordinary yield in raspberries has been about 2,000 quarts, and I think with blackberries I can double the amount. , REPORT ON SMALL FRUITS. M. CUTLER, SUMTER. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I have little that is new to report in regard to small fruits. Our market growers have become rather conservative in regard to planting new kinds, having found it more profitable to confine their efforts to a few ‘‘old re- liables.”’ Strawberries did fairly well the past season. My crop, amounting to twenty-five hundred quarts of fine berries, brought from $2.50 to $3.50 per 24 quart case. The first picking was made June 25th from an old bed not mulched, and the last July 24th from a new bed on which the, mulching was removed from the rows about May Ist. My experience has shown me that old beds furnish the earliest berries, so I mow them over after the fruit is picked and let them stand as long as profitable. Warfield No. 2 bore its first crop the past season and proved to be a good bearer and fine shipper. Michel’s Early bore a few inferior berries, and was no earlier than Crescent, which has proved to be the earliest, the latest and most productive kind I have tried yet. Turner and Cuthbert red raspberries bore a fair crop but not as good as last year. The weather was too wet for handling them, so the returns were small. Blackcaps produced a fair crop and were in good demand. Red Dutch and Cherry currants were plenty, selling in the local markets as low as five cents per quart. Snyder, Taylor, Stone’s Hardy and Ancient Briton blackberries pro- duced a good crop of fruit. I had forty-one 24-quart cases, which sold at $3 to $3.50 per Case. Owing to the frost holding off late, grapes were a good crop. Worden, Moore’s Early and Concord seem to be the best for this section of the state. The Houghton gooseberry dues well here, if properly cared for. Our farmers are generally setting out patches of small fruits and tak- ing better care of them than heretofore. Capt. A. L. Brown of Brownton is quite an extensive grower of small fruits for market, having several es » - - ey ee ad, Pe ATR SEE Pre Ae eS Oe Oe oe Nae gay ae bak te 3 1d Fee Rian % " Pa ce SMALL FRUITS. 337 ‘ ~ acres of strawberries, as well as some grapes and raspberries. E. Crandall of this place had a good crop of raspberries, currants and grapes, and is one of the best and most practical horticulturists of this district. P. Ryan of this town had about sixteen bushels of Wealthy and Duchess apples, and I think was the first one of our citizens to market home-grown ‘ apples other than crabs. I am pleased to report that our farmers are not humbugged as much as : formerly. Still I believe there is room for improvement, as long as agents a sell the ‘‘best apple trees on earth at $20 per dozen” and ordinary straw- berry plants at $4 per hundred. I would suggest to the society that no recommendations be given a fruit, of which the stock of trees or plantsis controlled by a single individual or company, and sold under restrictions.. Trusting that this may be as interesting and profitable a meeting as its. predecessors, I remain yours to serve. : " SMALL FRUITS. f J. A. SAMPSON, EXCELSIOR. To what shall I Ripe fruit compare ? *Tis better than music Blending in the air. I cannot find words To fully express, Except to thank God, ; f And ask him to bless. It is health, comfort and joy to all appreciative people to have plenty of nice, ripe strawberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries and other fruits in their season. : I will turn my attention first to strawberries, the first fruit of the season. Of the varieties in the catalogue, there are few which I would recommend for general culture. I grow the Wilson and Crescent. The Wilson is a perfect-flowering plant with choice, solid and some- what acid fruit. It stands shipping nicely, and isone of the best for canning; therefore, the result is that it stands at the head as regards a market berry. The only fault that I know of as regards the Wilson is that it is slow to propagate. The Crescent does not give a perfect flower, but needs the Wilson or \ some other perfect-flowering plant with it in order that it may bear fruit. It is a choice berry of medium size, will stand shipping a short distance in dry weather, but soon softens if the weather continues wet. It is pro- lific in both fruit and plants—will make five or more plants to the Wilson’s one. My advice is never to try to get perfect flowering plants from a mixed bed, but to keep a supply of newly-grown plants by themselves for your next field or bed. There are several other varieties of strawberries that are profitable for general culture, but not having full experience with them I prefer not to mention them. RASPRERRIES—RED.—I can almost see the bushes loaded with the bright fruit. I grow the Turner and Cuthburt. 22h 338 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Ye, The Turner is hardy, early and prolific. The fruit is of medium size and of the best quality. With me it is the standard, though some claim that the Marlboro is ahead of it. The Cuthburt is a large, firm berry about two weeks later than the Turner, but not as hardy, and does not stand the winter as well, unless protected. ‘The protection generally used is to bend them down and put a little dirt on the tops of the bushes. .- RASPBERRIES—BLACK.—I grow a mixed variety. They are not as pro- fitable with me as the red, on account of the extra labor required to care for them. I would recommend the Doolittle and the Souhegan for general planting, and that the rows be six or eight feet apart. In setting out a large field, I would put them in check rows, if possible. There are two modes of handling: One is to trim them up so that they will stand alone. and the other is to put in stakes and tie them up. I have tried them both. by tying up one is more apt to exhaust the plants by over-production, and the long bushes are a great hindrance to cultivation. By cutting back the fruit is larger but not as prolific. BLACKBERRIES—Here comes the tug of war. I have been a little deli- cate about beginning in the blackberry culture on account of their thorny bushes and also the need of putting them down for winter pro- tection, but those rich, luscious berries have induced me to plant black- berries and take my chances of getting scratched. I grow the Ancient Briton and Snyder. The Ancient Briton is the most prolitic. While not as large as toma- toes, they seem to vie with that fruit in production. It is surely an acquisition. The Snyder is about a week earlier than the Briton, but not as prolific. I consider the fruit a little ahead of the Briton in quality. I shall con- tinue to plant both varieties. IMPROVEMENTS IN STRAWBERRY GROWING. L. H. WILCOX, HASTINGS. In considering the improvements made in strawberry growing within the last few years—and, excepting soil, these embrace almost the entire method recognized as best by skillful growers—there is probably no improvement so important as the diffusion of knowledge in relation to plant life and the re- productionof species. A knowledge of the chemistry of the soil, the pro- duction of plant food, the secrets of plant growth, the functions of the roots and leaves, the construction of the flowers and the law of nature which regulates their relation to each other, the development of pulp growth at the proper time and the other vital ‘‘reasons why” are essential to understand the details of successful culture. There is always found beyond the field of experiment an unsurveyed and almost unexplored space, covered with imaginary beauties and peopled with plausible theories, that never materialize into forms of practical use. While we have made rapid and permanent improvement in strawberry growing, and increased the amount of and the ability to use our actual knowledge, we must still explain many of its simple problems by beauti- > ihe SS EL as Sa aa) lars RU mes ho Iie ak ca * aan ee Tee ts f° Sa Hin te , “ radi Ty Se SMALL FRUITS. _ 339 ful theories, which have not been sufficiently proved to safely accept as facts. Time will only permit me to speak of a few necessary things that may help the novice to begin in the right way to secure successful results. ' The strawberry is a hardy native plantin all parts of the continent, and seems equally at tome from the Arctic Circle to Panama, although like most plants it is at its best for vigor and productiveness near the northern limit of its growth. Fitted to live and endure adverse conditions, it will only prove a pleasure anda profit to the growers when given the best of culture and sur- rounded by an abundance of the most available plant food on which to fatten and develop its luscious receptacle. “ The first improvement recognized as essential by advanced horticultu- rists is clean and thorough culture, consisting of a deep, rich, finely pulver- ized soil, in which the plant roots can luxuriate, kept moist and clean by — shallow tillage after the plants are set. To attain this object we should first plow deep and fine, and, if the soil is not rich make itso. Ifenriched with coarse unfermented stable manure, always plow it under; if by con- centrated fertilizers, apply on the surface and then harrow and cross har- row and harrow again, until the surface is a smooth, soft and firm carpet of pulverized earth. After the plants are set, continue to go over the ground at least once a week until August; don’t think you must wait un- til the weeds get a good start before you kill them, for that is not the sole purpose of cultivation, as some suppose. But keep a light porous blanket e of earth al] over the surface, and, if properly done the weeds will never see daylight. ; We use for this purpose in addition to our regular cultivators (which run too deep and throw dirt over the plants), extra side-pieces containing ten small harrow teeth, attached to the center-beam of the cultivator jn place of the regular side-pieces. These work admirably, except after : heavy rains, when the larger teeth are necessary to first loosen the sur- face. Narrow the cultivated space as the runners encroach upon it, and use the hoe and rake wherever there is room among the plants. Nothing will so well secure the coolness and moisture necessary to develop the healthy vigorous root growth essential to sustain and mature a large crop as this mulch, or blanket of fine earth, over the surface of the soil, and upon this root-development depends the productiveness of the plants. Mr. C. A. Green says: ‘‘But let me tell you that itis work that brings the berries; work, I say, and hard work too, tugging and sweating. Don’t take stock in those poetry fellows. Don’t get the notion that a big crop of berries, growing as rank as horseradish, with gaps along the rows, came there by whistling forthem. Just bet your life that the man who owns that patch nearly broke his back planting and hoeing and weeding; and, if he had’nt, he would not get any profit out of them.” These are the words of one of our most successful horticulturists. Nearly all of our best varieties set more fruit than they are able to pro- perly mature, and the berries decrease rapidly in size after the first pick- ing from root exhaustion; while others are always small from the in- ability of their roots to gather and assimilate enough food for their per- fect nutrition. Our own fields were cultivated and hoed eight times last summer, and would have been better if we had gone over them once or twice more; and - no one should plant a larger area than what they are able to give at least \ Bus, 340 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. “m, this amount of attention. Assuming that our plants are to have the best of culture and attention (and without this you had better not attempt to grow berries), then we should select such varieties as will readily re- spond to good treatment. If we think we shall neglect them just a little, — select hardy kinds that will bear unimproved conditions, battle with the weeds and still produce something. A Texas steer will thrive where a thoroughbred short-horn would perish, so the Crescent and Michel’s Harly will live and produce some berries when better kinds would die. lf we desire to produce five hundred dollars worth of strawberries per acre, when corn and wheat average but ten or twelve, we must supple- ment intensive culture with a selection of plants possessing a large feed- ing and fruiting capacity, and furnished with a root system capable of quickly converting into fruit the contiguous food supply. Don’t go to some old bed and get 99 per cent. of mixed pistillates and seedlings, the way I did once, just because they looked well and the owner told me they were Crescent and Downing, and offered to give them to me! But get the best young home-grown plants you can buy of some reliable grower, not a peddler: and, if you are not well postedin varieties, tell him your soil, location and what you want to do, and he will make you a better selection for your purpose than you can do yourself. All honest dealers desire to see their customers succeed. In short, furnish the best plant food, and set plants that can use it, The progress made in the improvement of varieties in recent years far exceeds that in any other branch of pomology, in fact, we lead the world in size and productiveness, if notin quality. With our improved native species—and among these we may find kinds to suit the taste and soil of every cultivator—three of the best among perfect-flowering varieties, that have been sufficiently tested to establish their merit for fruit as well — as pollen production, may be described as follows: Beder Wood is the best early bi-sexual berry yet introduced; plant strong, vigorous and healthy, with an abundance of long runners; fruit large, conical, bright red and of excellent quality but, like all good ber- ries, rather soft for long shipments. Parker Earle. The best late variety; unlike the Beder Wood produces but few runners, but develops large crowns and a magnificent root system,and has exceeded all others in yield for two years at the Michigan experiment station; fruit, medium to large, bright red, long, conical and of good quality; my favorite of over forty varieties on trial. Gov. Hoard.—A very desirable, large, vigorous, rust-proof plant, with desirable characteristics; fruit large, roundish-conical, deep brilliant red and firm fora berry of such excellent quality; season, medium. Among the pistillates we have a number of good ones, but perhaps none better than the Haverland, Bubach and Warfield to mate with the Beder Wood, Earle and Hoard for all purposes, and whoever plants the Beder Wood and Haverland for early, the Hoard and Warfield for medium and the Earle and Bubach for late will make no mistake, although they may be disappointed in finding them all ripen, at nearly the same time. When I consider the fact that some of our best horticulturists, less than ten years ago, failed to recognize the importance of the different functions of the perfect and imperfect blossoms, perhaps I should say at this time that pistillate varieties should never be planted except in connection with i ~~ 2 “ i sal ied sean SMALL FRUITS. 341 those with perfect blossoms, and, if so planted in alternate rows, will usually produce about twice the amount of fruit of their bi-sexual com- panions. This knowledge now so universal is another of the improve- ments in strawberry growing. A Thousands of new varieties are being listed every year; and, while ninety- nine out of every hundred fail to come up to the high standard of ex- cellence set by the two or three best of former years, still ninety per cent. of all the desirable kinds for the amateur or commercial grower have been introduced within the last decade. Of the several hundred varieties care- fully tested at the Michigan small fruit experiment station by that emi- nent authority in horticulture, T.T.Lyon, more than forty exceed both the Crescent and Wilson in productiveness, while the Parker Earle produced 475,and the Beder Wood 405 ounces. The Crescent yielded but 172, and the Wilson 166, under similar conditions, and,of the fifty most promising, but three or four were known to the fruit growers of ten years ago. Many growers are deceived by seeing desirable berries described as very early or very late, and probably no single virtue lauded by unprincipled disseminators prove so seductive a trap as this. «Every one wishes to ex- tend the luxury of fresh berries over as long aseason as possible, but, unfor- ’ tunately, this characteristic extends to but one end of the season. The very early continue but a short timein bearing. The lateare only late in commencing to ripen, and do not materially extend the season, and both are usually non-productive. T. B. Terry says: ‘‘Mr. Crawford sent me two varieties, one perfect and the other imperfect. But, nevertheless, I sent and got some of the earliest and latest berries, as advertised, after- ward; and now, after eating the fruit and watching results, I am in a better state of mind for appreciating Mr. C.’s remark, ‘What foo!s we all are, often, that we cannot take the advice of one who knows, but must each learn in the costly school of experience.’ ” The Mammoth was advertised as the earliest berry out, and the Car- michael, through its originator, promised me berries in abundance long after all-others were gone. These were just what I wanted, of course. As to the latter, we did not get five decent berries from twenty-four feet of mattedrow. The Mammoth proved no earlier than other standard kinds that were vastly better—no earlier to speak of than one kind Mr. C. sent me. I found the Gandy also advertised as the latest of all straw- berries. Well, now, you know that caught me again. I did want to pro- long the season a week or so. Well, it did ripen its first berries ten days later than ordinary varieties. It is a good grower, and the fruit very large and fine, but for some reason we picked the last good berries to amount to anything only about ‘“‘fifteen minutes” after the other stand- ard kinds were all done bearing. It isa late berry to begin to ripen, but did not last year hold out at the latter end of the season. Without touching upon the improvements made in understanding the proper requirements of soil and location, or the best methods of plant- ing, pruning, placing runners, thinning, mulching, picking and market- ing, and the minor details of after-culture, I will summarize: The two great essentials for achieving successful results are through intensive culture and good young plants of varieties which succeed in a similar soil and climate. Tye, TIA RS By ,/ we Shy Ve Ape i nS. 342 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. & SMALL FRUIT FOR FARMERS. C, L, SMITH, MINNEAPOLIS. Myr. President, ladies and gentlemen:— I am well aware that what I shall say will be so well known to you, that many of you may think that it might better have been left unsaid; but is it not better for us to repeat over and over the things we know to be true and good, rather than waste time in discussing things hoped for or guessed at? Just as long as there are thousands of childrep in our state, who throughout the long bright summer are deprived the privilege or oppor- tunity of feasting on strawberries fresh from the vines of their own gardens, scratching their hands or staining their frocks gathering rasp- berries and blackberries; just so long as anywhere in Minnesota there are farmers’ wives, who, desiring to furnish their tables with something appetizing, are compelled to resort to prunes and dried apples; aye, until every farm and every village garden is planted with strawberries, cur- | rants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapes sufficient to supply the family with fresh fruit all summer and canned fruit all winter, we ought to goon telling the old, old story, ‘‘ how to grow small fruits,” until every one has heard or heeded it. : This society has for twenty-six years preached the gospel of fruit culture to a skeptical and unbelieving public; many have been converted and made happy, but many yet grope in the darkness of ignorance, indifference or unbelief, How to live and live well is the most important question for all, both in a moral and physical sense. It is not an exaggeration to say that bad food, unpalatable, indigestible, unsatisfying to the appetite, has much to do with bad manners and morals. The acidity of luscious strawberries and other fruits partaken freely throughout the summer would do much to correct the acidity of disposition, generated by toil in the field or around the kitchen stove. To teach one farmer how to grow small fruit for his family, and arouse his ambition so that he shall do,it is a work worthy of highest commendation, for it makes many lives brighter and happier. There can be no better work, for the Divine Teacher of Nazareth said, ‘‘TInasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” How To po 1r.—Select ground naturally rich or made so with barnyard manure, plowed deep and well pulverized, if not naturally well drained; and let it be so arranged that no water shall stand on the plants at any time. SELECTING VARIETIES.—Select only wel)-tried sorts, such as are com- monly planted by market gardeners for fruit. The Crescent strawberry fertilized with the Wilson, the Countess or Captain Jack have generally proved very satisfactory. Plants of these may be secured at merely nominal prices. ‘The farmer who wants berries for his family to eat should not waste time or money on new varieties; leave those to the pro- fessionals or amateurs who spend money or work for fun. Strong plants from last year’s runners should be set as early in the spring as the ground can be worked. ‘The roots should be kept cool and moist while out of the ground. While setting carry the plants in a pail or pan with an inch or two of muddy water to keep the roots damp, as they dry very quickly if exposed to sun and wind. eS ee ee ey ws , SMALL FRUITS. 343 Lay off the plot to be planted in rows four feet apart. Set the plants © twelve to eighteen inches apart in rows. One of the simplest and most satisfactory methods of setting plants is with aspade. Shove the blade down six or eight inches, press it over and back, making a V-shaped hole. Spread out the roots in this hole, with the crown of the plant even with the surface of the ground. Set the spade back about three inches; shove it down below the roots, and then press forward, packing the soil firmly the entire length of the roots, leaving the plant firmly set. It is important that the roots should go down their full length, that the soil should be firmly pressed against them and the crown be exactly level with the surface, neither above nor below. Cultivation should begin in a few days, and be kept up throughout the season. When the runners appear, they should be thrown along the row, where they form matted rows of plants. If the work is well done, these matted rows will be sixteen inches to two feet wide by the middle of August. Atthat time, the bare ground between the rows may be mulched four or five inches deep with fresh-cut slough grass or wild hay. As early as the ground freezes, cover the plants along the row with a light litter of leaves, hay or corn stalks, anything to cover them, but not deep enough to smother or rot them. Harly in the spring, rake the coarsest of the mulch from the plants, just enough to allow them to grow through, leaving it between the rows, where it retains the moisture and keeps down the weeds. If Crescent or other of the imperfect or pistil- late sorts are used, every third row should be planted to Wilson or other perfect- -flowering variety. Raspberries may be planted either late in the fall or early in the spring. Rich, moist ground is best, clay or clay loam being the kinds that yield the largest crops. The red varieties are the favorites. They are propagated from suckers, young shoots coming up from roots; those from a new plantation being much better than those from an old lot. They should be planted three to four feet apart in rows eight feet apart. Set them as deep as they grew before, firm the soil around the roots and cut the cane down to within a few inches of the ground. If fruit blossoms appear, pick them off. Cultivate early and often, and as soon as new shoots are started cut away all of the old cane. The first year, the canes should be pinched back when they are two, feet high. After the first year, they may be allowed to grow to three or three and one-half feet before pinching back. Cut awayall bearing caneS as soon as the fruit has been gathered. This cutting out the bearing canes aS soon as they are done bearing, greatly strengthens the new canes, hastens maturity and increases hardiness. As soon as the weather becomes cold in the fai], bend down the canes, fastening them with a shovelful of dirt, then cover entirely with soil, straw, slough hay or corn stalks. The cultivation should be continuous unless the ground is mulched deep enough to maintain moisture and prevent the growth of weeds or grass. Uncover the plants about the Ist of May. Blackberries and black raspberries require the same general cultivation; the black raspberries being propagated by rooting the tips of the canes, but the blackberries by suckers, the same as the red raspberries. Of varieties, the Cuthbert, Turner and Brandywine for red, the Gregg, Souhegan or Hilburn for black, are any of them good enough, and will ae REMAN RUT LAN ia NT Oma IN, Ch oe NAL Ret ACN Ma PUR ag TL ee ZV om Mee VR Cd ADE or ot ae ne Ree ‘t et es Cy NE aN Ne LA } Cue RiPh eee ur UE) rf wig ih Sr snueee 344 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. , © give a good yield of fine fruit if properly cared for. Shaeffer’s Colossal, a large purple raspberry, is becomiag very popular as a farmers’ berry. it is large, very productive and of fair flavor. Two hundred to three hundred hills of red raspberries and one hun- dred of blackberries make a goodly amount for a farmer’s garden. Currants and gooseberries grow and bear well all over the state, when they are kept clean from weeds or grass. The Red Dutch and White Grape are old, well-tried sorts, that give universal satisfaction. Prop- agated from cuttings of the young shoots, one or two-year old plants are sold cheap; they bear transplanting well,and begin to bear the second year from planting. The suckers should be pinched out so that only three to five stalks are left, these being renewed from time to time by cutting out one or two old ones each year and allowing new ones to take their place. ‘hey will stand very liberal manuring and respond readily to high cultivation. Weeds, grass and drouth are their worst ene- mies, but they are easily conquered by cultivation and mulching. Grapes should be found in every garden. They simply require room to — grow, thorough cuitivation, careful pruning back each fall, laying down and covering with dirt or straw; the entire details of which are furnished by the reports of this society and the agricultural press. In conclusion, I wish to appeal to every citizen who has a farm or garden to grow berries. If you don’t know how, you can easily secure the necessary information. - Do not make the mistake that, because you would rather ride a reaper or hold down a cracker box while you talk politics in the country store than to work in the garden, you can buy berries cheaper than you can raise them. If you do, your family will have to do without the berries. As a matter of economy, in the interest of health, morality, happiness, peace, content and home comfort, grow berries for self, for family and for friends, who always stand ready to pay you good money for good berries. The business is not overdone; there is no prospect of its being overdone for many years to come. There is no other direction in which the owner of afarm or garden can invest a measure of time and money that will so certainly bring large dividends of profit to the entire family as the pur- chasing, planting and caring for a reasonable amount of small fruits. DISCUSSION. 9 ~ Mr. L. H. Wilcox: Mr. Smith makes one point which I prize very highly, and which I have been preaching for many years, the system of setting early in the season; but my experience this last season convinces me that, if a farmer cannot set out his strawberries early in the season, he had better set them out a little later rather than not set them out all. I had several varieties that I received from Professor Green late in June, and I set them out against my judgment at that time. I believe they are equally as good as any that were set out earlier in the season. Mr. J. A. Sampson: I will say that the best results I have ever had with strawberry setting have been attained in setting them out when they were two-thirds grown. It was at a time 4 oe yap. ? Let i (a ra ae Fa ar ee SMALL FRUITS. 345 when the ground was so dry that in running the dibble you could not press a hole open to set the plant in without the dry dirt running back into the hole again. You will be surprised when I tell you that I had better success than with the early plants, those that were set earlier in the season. In setting the late plants, I had one crew go ahead and make the holes, and another crew with water. Just as the plant was laid over the hole a little water was thrown on, which dampened them so that the earth adhered to the roots, and the crew pressed the plants into the holes and pressed the dirt back with another dibble. They grew right up finely. I had two crews employed, who kept the thing going as I have described, and I had the best luck with that field that I have had with any in my experience. Mr. C. L. Smith: I appreciate what the gentlemen have said about this, and I think I see the reason init. Whenaman _ sets out plants late in the season under such circumstances as Mr. Sampson has related to us, he knows it is a little risky, and, consequently, he takes a little more pains with them than he otherwise would, and, therefore, he has great success. I can also see how Mr. Wilcox succeeded during the last part of this’ season. You know the early part of the season was very back- ward, and the hot weather was retarded for several weeks. But, after all, gentlemen, you who are familiar with the sub- ject will bear me out in this, I think: Where strawberries are to be moved any considerable distance, packed in baskets or boxes of any kind, it is a dangerous transaction for all parties concerned when the weather becomes hot and dry. In other words, while strawberries may be moved and set in any month of the year, the risk increases as you get into the season, and it requires more care and attention late in May or early in June than it does early in the season. I would, therefore, maintain the point made in the paper, that the safest and best time is as early in the season as the ground can be easily worked. Mr. M. A. Thayer, Sparta, Wis.: You advise the pinching back of the raspberry and blackberry at two or three feet high— have you ever tried it a lower height? Mr. Smith: Yes. Mr. Thayer: And you like it better at two or three feet than you do at twelve or fifteen inches? Mr. Smith: I never like to give advice that I know will not be taken, and, consequently, I took the medium ground, where I thought it would be heeded and perhaps, arouse no antagonism. Re ee ee Eee Me yas ae aes COM Se ge ALE eT ee me ge 9 ft ay ey eA a Wei hoe ee GR Ty TAI Ae nae < we este . OF oy += 346 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. > I will say that on my own grounds last spring I had a lot of Brandywines that I wanted to make anice showing of next year, and I pinched them off at sixteen inches and kept them there. Mr. Thayer: We people from Wisconsin want to get al] the information we can without it costing us anything. [Laughter. } ’ We want to know which is the best way to grow raspberries, and if it is best for us to leave them until they get to be two and a half or three feet high, we want to know it, because we have been pinching them lower down. I pinched my planta- tion at twelve to fifteen inches, and many of them at ten inches. President Underwood: Do you get a very vigorous growth on your ground ? Mr. Thayer: Yes, I get a very vigorous growth, and the more vigorous the growth, the more necessity for low pinch- ing. In that way, canes are not so liable to be injured by the wind. If you get a bush clear up here, two and a half or three feet high, there is a large to pleft to it, and, in a strong wind, itis very apt to be broken. I would pinch every blackcap I have at twelve inches high, if I could. The branches are then lower down and are better adapted for laying down in the winter, besides being less liable to damage in the wind. That has been my experience, and our experience in Wisconsin. Mr. A H. Brackett: Do you pinch the laterals off? Mr. Thayer: No, sir, we are not in the habit of pinching the laterals off. Of course, in the fall of the year, when the laterals have made their growth, or in the spring—we then cut them back very severely. We cut them about at the bend, and make a sort of stubbed bush of them. Mr. Plants: Some three or four years ago, I ruined a patch of raspberries by not pinching. The laterals came out and winter-killed the tip, which has a sort of stem intheend. As the laterals were frozen, there was nothing left there to break the wind, and, consequently, the next growth coming up was broken off by the heavy winds, and I came very near losing two crops, instead of one, by not pinching. My advice would be —short pruning. Mr. C. L. Smith: I would like to inquire of Mr. Plants and Mr. Thayer if they would sanction the substitution of the words ‘‘one and two” instead of ‘‘two and three,” as the height at which they are to be pinched? I mean one and two feet instead of two and a half to three feet, as I have stated. Mr. Plants: I should say from sixteen to twenty inches. vB A ca ai a SS) We OA Nee tea A, ee CORA Se RN toy) oe 9 ‘ tae * Rah Pg =| MBA os, ee — ie SMALL FRUITS. 347 Mr. Thayer: I would be willing to substitute the word ‘one.” I would not want to make any great compromise. Mr. Brackett: Do you refer to blackcaps, red raspberries and blackberries, all three ? Mr. Thayer: I refer to blackberries and blackcaps, which I pinch at the same height. Mr. Smith: I had a little doubt when I made the figures as to the correctness of them, because I have been going nearer the ground than that for some time. Mr. Thayer: I hada little experience one year from nec- essity. There came a frost when the young shoots were a few inches high, which froze them down very low. Many of them started afterwards and made some of the finest canes we have ever had. After that I pinched lower. There is one other question I wish to ask Mr. Smith: Do you recommend the farmer to set out strawberries a foot to a foot and one-half apart? Mr. Smith: From one foot to one and a half, I say. Mr. Thayer: Now, is it not your experience that the strong growing varieties, like the Crescent, Warfield and others of that kind, will grow entirely too thick? I would prefer to see ; a farmer set his berries two anda half feet apart, instead of less than 18 inches. In our field culture we set them two feet apart in the row, and, even then, though pinching back the first runners until the last of July, we find sometimes too vigorous a growth of the plant. I think one cause of failure in growing strawberries is in allowing the plants to become too closely matted together. It gives a large amount of small fruit, but, if each plant could have three or four square inches in which to grow and from which to draw its nutriment, we should have a very much larger and finer lot of berries. Mr. E. J. Cutts: What would you recommend as standard varieties at that distance? Mr. Thayer: It woulddepend on the kind. Michel’s Early makes as vigorous a growth, perhaps, as the Crescent or War- field. If you grow the Wilson, you should place them nearer together. I would place the Wilson 18 or 20 inches apart, per- haps. Mr. Elliot: There is one question I want to ask Mr. Thayer. I think it is applicable to this season. He recom- mends pinching your vines back until the last of July. Now, with a dry season, such as we have had this year, do you get a sufficient amount of vine if you do this? Be “hy rev se / 348 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Thayer: Yes, I do. Mr. Wedge: Is your soil sandy, as it is generally around Sparta? | Mr. Thayer: My soil is a sandy loam, with portions of it a clayey subsoil. Mr. Elliot: You do not give them any extra attention at the time they are running out? Mr. Thayer: No extra attention, no. I give my fruit extra attention to a certain extent. I keep a cultivator running through it as many as fifteen or twenty times a season. Mr. Elliot: I mean, do you go over them and keep soil on the runners to make them take root? Mr. Thayer: No more than the natural cultivation, no. Mr. Sampson: I would like to ask Mr. Thayer and others who are in the strawberry business if it makes any difference with the fruit of the pistillate varieties about the variety of the fertilizing plant; whether a solid variety of fertilizing plant will make a firmer fruit of the pistillate varieties or not; whether that combination gives us a better fruit, the same as the Crescent; whether the Wilson will make a firmer berry on the Crescent vine than some other berry which is not as firm as the Wilson? Mr. Thayer: Ido not feel able to answer that question, and I will refer you to Professor Green. I suppose it is an estab- lished fact that certain fertilizers will make a difference in the quality of the fruit. Mr. Sampson: I mean as to one plant fertilizing another. Professor Green: The fact of the matter is, it don’t amount to very much, and I suspect Mr. Sampson knows that, too. As a scientific fact it is true, that there is some little effect pro- duced on the part we eat, due to fertilization of the seed, but not more than the cob of the corn when it is fertilized with a different variety, as the Black Mexican corn. You must re- member that the soft part of the strawberry is the cob, and you eat the seeds from necessity. In the corn you throw away the cob. In the strawberry the juicy part is the cob, the seeds are on the outside, and the cob is soft and juicy, and so we eat it; while we eat the corn, that is, the grains on the outside, throwing away the cob. There is no more effect upon the receptacle of the strawberry than there is upon the cob of the corn. Mr. Plants: Some years ago I had the Crescent fertilized with the James Vick, and, in picking the James Vick, the rows “ff fe Te eee DS ees SMALL FRUITS. 349 next to the Crescent were picked at the same time. A neigh- bor of mine came along and said, ‘“These are very nice James Vick,” pointing to the Crescent. I showed him the difference, then, between the two. On the rows nearest tothe Vick, it took an expert to tell whether they were Crescents or Vicks. I have noticed from that time until the present that the ferti- ‘ jizing of one variety had something to do with the appearance and the general looks of its neighbors. Mr. Underwood: Does it affect the quality? Mr. Plants: It has something to do with the quality also, and it has something to do with the hardness of the berry, the firmness. Mr. Elliot was up to my old place last year with Mr. Redpath, and the No. 5 there, that was fertilized with the Captain Jack, they found was a large, coarse, soft berry. They went right down to Mr. Spait’s and found the No. 5 there fertilized with the Louise, and they didn’t know the difference. It looked to be the same variety. The only difference really is, that one was fertilized with the Louise and the other with the Captain Jack, and, yet, these two were supposed to be different varieties. SMALL FRUITS IN THE BIG WOODS. DR. M. M. FRISSELLE, EUREKA. The requisite conditions for the successful culture of. strawberries, raspberries, currants, gooseberries and blackberries, are first of all, a deep, rich soil well supplied with humus, and for all except the latter a subsoil of clay, to retain moisture during the period of ripening fruit. High ground, well drained, is most desirable, and low, level ground thatis subject to standing water, even to a limited extent, should be avoided. In this state, we are. fortunate in possessing an almost unlimited amount of such land as is remarkably well adapted to the culture of small fruits, and none, it seems to the writer, better suited for this pur- pose than the land in that section known as the Big Woods. This region is a tract somewhat triangular in form, extending 100 miles from Mankato in a northeasterly direction to St. Cloud. It has an average width of about 40 miles, and contains about 4,000 square miles. It is, or has been, heavily wooded with maple, basswood, oak, elm, ironwood, etc., and the soil is deep, rich and fertile, producing readily abundant crops of grain and vegetables. My observations in this section have been confined to the region along the Great Northern Railroad from Excel- sior to Hutchinson, a distance of about 50 miles, and from thence north for 6 or 8 miles further. The proximity of this fertile tract of country to the markets afforded by the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis renders it especially attractive to market gardeners and growers of small fruits, as the matter of transportation is one of importance in consider- ‘Ag Cottgy hi alae dl Ee ea TY et Oe nadia ee ac Ae cua ve. F ; 350 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ¢ ing the location of ground for fruit growing. Fruit farms located along the line of the Great Northern between Excelsior and Hutchinson are practically as near the Twin Cities as if they were located within 5 or 8 miles of these cities and were obliged to transport the’ products of their © gardens and vineyards by wagons; besides the jolting by wagon carriage is much more damaging to fruit than that by railroad transportation. Another important item to be considered is the comparative cheapness of the land in this section of country. Fresh virgin soil, either cleared and under cultivation, or still covered by primeval forest, can be pur- chased for from $25 to $40 per acre. Twenty acres of choice land devoted to small fruits would furnish at least three active men with plenty cf employment all the season round, and in the berry season would furnish work for twenty or more girls in addition; and such a farm, requiring but a small outlay at the beginning, would in a few years yield a better income than any farm of 160 acres devoted to the usual farm crops of grain and vegetables. It seems to me that in this direction is to be found the most enjoyable prosperity and financial suc- cess for any young man of enterprise who isa lover of the soil and the exhilaration of outdoor work. How much better for a young man with wife and children to live in the country, a little removed from the tur- moil of the city, amid trees and fresh fields, growing crops and blooming gardens; and, especially, better for children to be familiar with nature and under its divine influences! PICKING BERRIES, ETC.—A TALK. M. A. THAYER, SPARTA, WIS. I have never had any experience with apples. My experience has been with small fruits, entirely. I could give you a minute description of my methods of picking and shipping berries, if it is not out of order at this time. President Underwood: Iam sure there is nobody here who can tell us about that better than you can. We shall not have you here with us during the entire session, so we want you to go ahead and give us the benefit of your experience. Mr. Thayer: In the handling of berries, I adopt as thorough and sys- tematic discipline as I would with a young army, were 1 commander. My pickers, as they apply for positions, are required to sign an application. That application, if accepted, is numbered and filed away.. The pickers are known during the season by theirnumbers. I have them supplied with a case, the tiu case that I exhibited at the meeting last year, with a cross- bar on the bottom, in which the new boxes are placed for picking. It shuts up with a little funnel at the top. They start out with a tray con- taining six boxes, aud they have also one ina tin case. They march out by twos, and as they come to the rows number forty-six, for instance, may take the right row and number eighty, perhaps, the left. As the boxes are filled, they are removed from the tin case and placed in the tray, and when the tray is full then the number is called. ‘These trays are taken to the packing recom and examined, and, if satisfactory, new boxes are supplied and the picker given credit for the amount already gathered. > ca ae o> (Ae, ee “ >, Nn Vir Did bt 2 te) Se eet Cee at ri ve Rial Bes PR) Rey er ne > = Ps aur Ver gear A SULA RE A COPD Soe mg A Uae NE OR ca ne ; - A POM re ‘ y St fjord tars Orel Uthat ied OBI te Ws a , " 7 nani ’ Pies RS 3 @ 356 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Col. Stevens: I would like to ask Mr. Allyn if he has ever raised the new variety of potato that has been recently intro- duced here by Mr. Dunn, called the Everett? Mr. Allyn: I tried to get some of the seed, but I didn’t suc- ceed. Col. Stevens: I think it is the coming potato. It is cer- tainly better than the Harly Ohio; it is several days earlier, and it yields double what that potato does. The quality is equally as good. I believe that Mr. Dunn raised ten or fifteen thousand bushels last year, and I think he is disposed to scat- ter them throughout the state and not charge a large price. It resembles the Ohio some, and it is somewhat the color of the Early Rose. I think itis, undoubtedly, the coming potato, and — if any of you will send to Mr. Dunn, he will be glad to supply them at a moderate price. He lives at Princeton. His address is Robert Dunn, Princeton. Dr. Frisselle: Iwould like to hear from Mr. Allyn his opin- ion why the cabbage crop was so poor this year? Mr. Allyn: I cannot give a general reason for the failure. Of course, the location and the unfavorable weather has a great deal todo with it. It was very unfavorable at the time we set our plants; it was warm and dry, and there were hot winds. Dr. Frisselle: How about the cabbage worm? Mr. Allyn: Wewere not bothered very much with the worm this last summer. Mr. Chandler: What time did you set them? Mr. Allyn: The last of June or the first of July. Mr. Wilcox: I know we had an immense crop of cabbage in our section, and shipped cabbage from Hastings to St. Louis and Chicago all the fall. Dr. Frisselle: I think the cabbage crop in our neighborhood was an exceedingly poor one. I have never noticed them sell- ing as high as they are now, which I think is an indication of their scarcity. The people in our region of the country com- plained very much of the cabbage worm. Most of the plants that were set out were destroyed entirely by the worm after they had grown some and come to a head. Mr. Wilcox: It was not the scarcity here that made the high prices—it was the scarcity south. Mr. Chandler: I was rather surprised to hear Dr. Frisselle say that there was a poor crop. We set out in the neighbor- hood of 100,000 heads and had the finest crop that was ever raised. All our crop was laid in the cars and shipped, as far away as Texas, some of them. t VEGETABLES. 357 Mrs. Stager: The cabbage was destroyed toa great extent all over our section. The worms came in thousands; so thick that one could not use powder to get rid of them. Mrs. Black- well says it was the same at their place. I know my own were entirely destroyed. Mr. Harris: The cabbage worm was worse over a great por- tion of the Northwest this year than it has been for a number of years. The farmers in the southern part of the state were very generally short on cabbage. Early cabbage was not very seriously injured, but the late heads were kept trimmed down to the bare stems by the worms. Mr. Barrett: What will forestall this plague of the worm? What is the best remedy to stop the ravages of the cabbage worm? Mr. Cowdrey: lama stranger here, but I would like to say a word. Last fall, while riding, | came across a very hand- some cabbage patch; the farmer who grew them was on the spot and I commented upon it, and, finally, I asked him some questions in regard to cultivation, etc., and how he had pre served his cabbage in such a fine condition. J asked him what his remedy was for the cabbage worm, and he told me. (Reads) ‘‘Mixture for cabbage worms: ‘Twice as much soft wood ashes as air-slacked-lime, and four quarts of salt to the bushel. Throw into the head while the dew is on.” Mr. Sampson: Icansay that I have killed the cabbage worm with common pulverized black pepper. It can be obtained in quantity very cheap. Mr. Allyn: One of our large gardeners heated water right in the field, and sprinkled the cabbage with it. It succeeded first rate. It killed the worm, also the eggs, I suppose. They had no trouble with the worms after that. Dr. Frisselle: The cabbage worm doesn't like dust of any kind. No matter what it is, whether road dust or lime dust or bran, the worm doesn’t like it. A gentleman in the Hast who had been greatly annoyed by the cabbage worm became dis- gusted and, in despair, threw a handful of dust into the head. He said that he was surprised at the result, for he had a good crop of cabbage. He says it will drive the worm away every time. I know of another man who puts on salt. Salt is very good for cabbage; it makes a fine fertilizer. There is another fertilizer, and that is nitrate of soda. I used some refuse nitrate of soda on my cabbage some time ago, that I obtained from a soap fac- tory, and I never had such a wonderful crop as I had that season. PUM all Trash BE sata aE Da ONT! ete Manse SHUT Ma ter TeCUMST CIEL chip ON BC eg AV co eo Paryi MEL A) aK ate a i ae Pe oh eae Ti vb ' ry ¢ 4 wap SATA « ’ } Nag iy NSeait | MeN ice" 358 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. . Mr. Barrett: How did you put it on’ Dr. Frisselle. I spread it on the ground and worked it in. Another gentleman told me that he used fine bran, sprinkling it upon his cabbages, and he said that it drove away the cab-— bage worm entirely. I suppose fine salt would do the same. Mr. Chandler: I will say that I-am using fine shorts on my cabbage, and I find it works very well. Mrs. Kennedy: I find ashes to be one of the best fertilizers I can use in the garden. Of course, it is necessary to know how to use it and what to use iton. I find that in putting it around my current bushes, I can hardly get too much around them; but I have also found that if you put too much on your straw- berry bed, it will burn it all up. Mr. Lyons: I have used fine bran, and saved cabbage, that I wanted for my own use. It is more difficult tosave cabbage for your own use than to raise for the market. I think dust has a great effect in keeping worms and flies away from cabbage. MY FAILURE IN GROWING CELERY. JOSHUA ALLYN, RED WING. Mr. President: Requested by the secretary to give my experience in growing some kind of vegetable, I have selected celery, and will give failure as well as success. My first attempt did fairly well. I soon real- ized the growing demand, it being used by many asa medicine. I con- cluded to raise it in abundance. Some of my best soil I prepared in good shape and set out twenty thousand plants. They were looking fine up to the middle of July, then a few days of hot, dry winds soon changed the prospects; most of the plants died, the rest might as well, for they were so badly hurt they never came to perfection. I concluded this vegetable needed soil different from my own land, so I rented,adjoining my own, a piece that I thought just right, a wet, springy soil at the head of a ravine, that never had washed out. I broke the land one year, and the next year, with high hopes, I set out my fine plants. They grew splendidly, and I was sure I had hit it all right. One night in July, we had a terrible storm, such as we only have in years. In the morning I found celery, soil and about all, washed away. For all I know, it may have gone to St. Louis. There are many chances of failure with growing this one luxury; one of the worst, I find, is sun-scald. Just before time for hand-earthing, the outside leaves begin to die. This continues until nearly all are affected; then it seems to take a new start from the heart, but recovers slowly. Most we raised this year had this trouble, although some we had was fine. A few years ago. I noticed the Red Manchester was a variety well liked, both as to flavor and beauty, also.a good keeper. I sent and procured seed of the old English variety. The plants were fine. Entire crop did fairly well until fall, when, for reasons unknown to me, it became pithy, stringy and unfit for use in any shape—the entire crop a dead loss. a NE oe sical Crete i ay ible dst i acai A aN ed Tat eS NE Be hte ins Fh s . bs VEGETABLES. 359 Ido not think all have my experience, for I know there are some fine crops of celery raised in this state; but the question with me is, does it pay, witb the risk, beginning with starting the seed, to the plants, to setting out, considering the hot weather, dry weather and winds, and - that it requires the best soil under high cultivation? And yet, we cannot afford to stop raising it. Those who are always successful may be able to give reasons and causes whereby I have failed. To get aperfect article it must.be clear, tender, crisp, with its own nutty flavor; and that article will always be in demand at a good price. DISCUSSION. President Underwood: I would like to ask Mr. Sampson, ‘ who had such fine celery last winter at Owatonna, to open the discussion and give us his views upon raising celery. Mr. Sampson. Well, I have had a varied experience in grow- ing celery. There are several things that a person must look out for in order to raise good celery. In the first place, one must be careful that the plants do not wash outor get cov- ‘ered up by the dirt washing on top of them. The ground wants to be of a moist character, either very loose and springy underneath, and yet so situated as not to overflow too much, or it wants to be somewhere where it will not get too dry. It must be just about right, neither too wet nor too dry. The trouble with my ground the past season has been that in the extreme wet weather the drain in my marsh was not large enough to run off the water, and, in consequence, my celery was injured. Now, I had a marsh containing peat, and I decided that it was a good place to raise celery if it was properly drained and putin proper shape. My laborers laughed at me when I told them I proposed to put that marsh into cultivating shape. Before I began to improve it, you could not drive a horse on it. After I had succeeded in draining and develop- ing the ground, I grew about two or three hundred bushels of potatoes cn it, right from the breaking. That surprised a good many of my neighbors, who had not believed the ground was good for anything. Well, the next year I putin my celery. I sold from three to four hundred dollars’ worth of celery off that piece of marsh land, and I didn’t have it all planted either. IT intended this year to grow seven or eight hundred dollars’ worth of celery on it, but the elements thwarted my intentions, and it was a failure. I didn’t sell over a hundred dollars’ worth. I do not consider that I know much about growing celery yet, but I shall persevere and look forward to better results. [Ap- \ plause. | Mr. Busch: What variety of celery do you grow? Aiea SAR i byt iinet Sees Sivis vehi ls 6 al ah a ET i Macon de dnk as . Wri tl ie rin Tan ‘ c Pe ta on . ‘ , p ; V s % E = “e ‘\ 360 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Mr. Sampson: I grow the Crawford and the Golden Heart. The Crawford is a little too pungent for early use, but for win ter use, along about Christmas, it is very nice. For early market use, the Golden Heart is the favorite. ‘It will bleach f much quicker than the Crawford, as it is a more tender variety, ; but it will not stand as much heat. Mr. Busch: Have you grown the White Plume? Mr. Sampson: I have not; I have thought some of using it, but I did not believe the flavor of it was as good as the other ss varieties | have named. y Col. Stevens: Do you plant your celery in trenches or on the ground? Mr. Sampson: This past season, I set it on the surface on account of its being easier to cultivate without covering up the. plants, and because I could use a horse. The season before the past one, I set it in trenches. Pres. Underwood: Is it absolutely necessary to have this marsh land? Can’t you raise very good celery on good garden soil anywhere? Mr. Sampson: Yes, I think we can; but I would not advise anybody to go into it too extensively on such land, because in extremely dry weather the celery will be apt to be tough and stringy, and it may be spongy. Mr. Brackett: Can’t you buy the young plants and trans- plant them instead of raising from the seed? Mr. Sampson: Yes, youcan buy them. I have to start my plants pretty early in order to get decent plants. Mr. Brackett: Ihave a neighbor who takes broken tiling and puts it over the plants when he wishes to bleach them. I know it is a success, because I bought some celery from him | that had been bleached in that way, and it was very fine. Mr. Sampson: I have experimented with tiling. I took some four-inch tiling and put it over some of my celery plants, covering one plant with each tile. About a week afterwards, I examined the plants inside and found that they were completely cooked. They were dead. Mr. Allyn: There was no chance for the air to circulate in there. Mr. Sampson: The sun, shining on the tiling, heated it, and the inside became so hot that it scalded the plants. That is the great objection to banking in hot weather, because the ground is apt to get so hot that the celery is liable to rust and spoil. ‘ t e: f = * . VEGETABLES. 3861 | ONION GROWING. J. J. BASTON, ST. LOUIS PARK. For onion growing, I would prefer a piece of land just rolling enough to give it a good drainage, but not enough so that it would washeby heavy rains. A heavy black loam, I think, is the best. Any newly cleared and broken land will grow good onions, but, if old and badly worn out, it should be well manured and cultivated for two seasons before attempting to grow a crop of onions. After the piece of ground has been put in good condition by manuring, the next step is to prepare it forsowing. We plow our onion ground just as soon in the spring as we can possibly do it. After it has been well plowed, we give it a thorough harrowing, and, when the ground has been well prepared by this process, we go overit again with an implement called a ‘“‘smoother,” which is made something like a stone boat, eight feet wide and four deep, and is used to crush the small lumps which are not broken by the harrow. We either stand on this smoother and ride, or else place some heavy weight upon it which will answer thesame purpose; and change about with the smoother and harrow until the land is as fine as possible. The next work is to mark ready for sowing. We mark out our onion ground in rows fourteen inches apart, and are careful to get them as straight as possible, because then we cau work closer to the row and do it easier than we could a crooked one. Next comes the seeding, and for this purpose we prefer a Matthew’s. garden seeder. It is gauged for all kinds of garden seeds, and we have found it to be very accurate, and almost any person can operate one. Now comes the most difficult part of al], that of weeding and cultiva- ting, and too much care cannet be given to this. As soon as we can follow the row we commence to cultivate, and by doing this we keep in check the first growth of weeds. As soon as weeds begin to appear in the row, we commence our hand weeding, and keep at both cultivating and hand weeding until we have a thorough mastery of the weeds. For hand cultivator, we use the Planet Jr. doubie wheel hoe. For one to be successful in onion growing, he must keep the onions clean from weeds. . We usually gather our onions as soon as most of the tops have broken down, and, soon after pulling and topping, we put them in crates holding two bushels each. The crates are made as follows: Sides and bottom of lath four feet long, ends eight by sixteen inches; put a piece of board the size of the ends in the center, the same as in the strawberry crate, and then we have just room enough for a bushel in each end. These crates we can place one upon another. We consider the Globe onion the most profitable to grow, for the reason that a given number of Globe onions will measure up better than the same number of any flat variety, while they occupy no more room in the row. A i Nelda Cot Mere: Ce Pee ar teat Jott AS ae ed PAK ae ae Sa ee oA | Pathe ws Ale Rin Cok Re” Ph Le i ie ’ P = y NTT Rn ee ee ea ai A ali gs aa nat SSH Aaa EOE OD ae D - , break fe Te ft S, i hi : v3 NIN ead BARN ir ci _ 362 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. PROTECTING VINES, ETC.—(A DISCUSSION.) aad Mr. C. L. Smith: I havea little matter that I would like to have appear upon our records, if the society thinks best, be- 4 cause jt is a matter that has attracted some attention. In j farmers’ institute work, when it first began, something like © | seven years ago, the question of protecting squashes and melons from bugs came up, and I carried an arrangement with me one season, which I had used successfully, and exhibited it at the institutes. Afterwards I published a description of it, and the reports have been so satisfactory that I want to intro- duce it to the society. During the winter, I make up a lot of boxes like this one I hold in my hand, and, as far as I can, I cover them with glass. If I cannot afford to cover them with glass, Iuse cloth. The cost of the boxes is merely nominal, almost nothing. They will not cost over three cents apiece, : aside from the work of making them, and that can be done during the winter. This box with a glass 12x12 inches costs me less than ten cents; and I use these boxes to protect my melons. i I make the hills for the melons as soon as the frost is out of the ground, and, then, about the first of May, I plant my melon seeds in the hills, just as I would for field cultiva- tion; and set these boxes over the hills and keep them there until the melon vines fill the boxes full. Then I lift them up and give them air, but I keep the boxes on the ground until all danger from frost has passed. If there should be a frost and it should kill the vines outside of the box, it does not seem to do any particular harm to the rest of them. By practicing this method, I get melons from two to three weeks earlier than they can be grown in open ground. The first melon from each hill will always sell in any community for more than the entire cost of the box and glass. Judge Moyer: How early do you get your melons ? Mr. Smith: The earliest I raised were ready for market about the 21st or 22d of July, and I have them all through the month of August. Mr. Sampson: Ihave tried that style of box with a similar glass, and it did not prove effectual with me; it was too close. The sun would overheat it, or else it would be too cold. I could not warm the ground underneath sufficiently. Mrs. Jennie Stager: I have tried something of the same kind, and I could never have raised any melons in any other way, because, if I planted them out in the open ground, they were either frozen, or they ripened too late. ‘ rt 9 Y oad ee te La ing) ed FR ee Nn PE Ps BW ee Fe Ak oe , Pal SS TS ae y a A Eg Ee ah ae ¢ aie ate, a? ee Ave RRR Re, Mayes Be PEM Te) CUTE ay biti tat tah whe ; 4 4 Ww RYO fo My a VEGETABLES. 362 Dr. Frisselle: There is another advantage in using this kind of a box, and that is, it keeps off the squash beetles. They are very destructive unless you keep them away, and this box keeps them away until after the time of their appearance. I have tried something of the kind myself. Prof. Connor: Would it not be a good idea to place that box over the hill a few days before you plant the seed in order that it might warm the ground? Mr. Smith: I have never thought that there was any ad- vantage to be gained in planting earlier than when the ground got warm, and, consequently, I have never used it that way. I recommend either glass or cloth for the top of the box. Dr. Frisselle: Some think the cloth is much better because, if it is open, like cheese cloth, a little air will circulate through, and, therefore, it will not be so hot. Mr. Smith: I get a circulation of air by simply putting a clod of dirt under the end of the box. Mr. Allyn: There is a way of forwarding vines that is very handy and that enables you to do away with the box. I have arranged with several hotels where they use a good many canned goods to have them save the old tin cans, and I place those in a fire, and, in a very short time, the solder melts and the top and bottom drop off. That leaves you the outside rim; and we take those rims and tie strings around them to hold them together. Then we place them right in the top of the hotbeds. Weadjust the heating manure below, and then fill in with earth and plant our seeds. You can leave them there and grow them to any size you want. You can keep them there until all danger of frost is over, and then you can set them ina box, and put the box in a wagon, and carry them anywhere you want to transplant them to. If the weather proves favorable and everything is all right after that, you will get a very early crop. , There is one more point. I saw in your report last year that you had a very interesting discussion on the Hubbard squash, and I thoughtI would like to ask Mr. Chandler the kind of squash that he saves for seed. The Hast is depending a great deal upon the West for squashes. Now, our Hubbard squashes are going back; unless we take care we are not al- ways going to have as good a variety as we have now. I think it pays better to ship pure Hubbard squashes than any other kind. This year they are paying an enormous price for them in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. Wesell ours 364 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ~~ | right at home. Mr. Chandler is the king of squash growers in Minnesota, and I would like to ask him about keeping the seed pure and improving it. Mr. Elliot: Ido not think Brother Allyn needs to look very far for the modern squash. I had a talk with Mr. Chandler ~ after he had been down and engaged all the squashes Mr. Allyn had, and he said to me that they were the finest squashes he had seen this year, and gave me the average weight of the squashes, which, I think, was somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen pounds apiece, which is an extremely heavy weight for squashes of that variety. 1 think Mr. Allyn has just as good seed as there is in Minnesota. Mr. Allyn: I sent for the first seed to Mr. Gregory o Marblehead, Massachusetts, and the pure Hubbard squash did not weigh over five pounds apiece. I have been trying to enlarge my squashes, and I think I made a mistake; I think they are too large for profitable shipping. What we want is to keep them in a commercial condition and demand good prices. We might as well put our land into squash growing, and make more money than we can any other way. We got seventeen dollars a ton for our squashes. It was a remarkable price. 1 ey ei es yes A ti) Bil As . ‘i ta a uae TOR ely ee fi 29 ee oe hs Rey eee we, o> eres ah ee iat z 1 e7, oe . %, ’ j ‘ : - x 3 FLORICULTURE. 365 : FLORICULTURE. THE PRAIRIE FLORA OF WESTERN MINNESOTA. LYCURGUS R. MOYER, MONTEVIDEO. The native prairie flora of western Minnesota will soon have passed away like the buffalo. The breaking plow and the buarbed-wire fence are rapidly changing the aspect of the country. The wheat field and the en- closed pasture are almost equally destructive to the native wild flowers. A few individual plants may linger beside railways and in obscure cor- ners, but the broad effects of the prairie flora will be gone. Let us note down a few characteristic plants of this flora as they now are, or, rather, as they were, a few years ago. There is acertain grandeur about our vast prairies in their natural state, but it is mingled with much that is stern and forbidding. Killing frosts come early in the autumn, and it is only by a happy accident that the prairie fire does not sweep the grass away within a very few days. Art critics tell us that it is the low, somber tones in the landscape that are really the most beautiful. Ican hardly agree with them. To my mind there is nothing more depressing than the blackened and denuded landscape left where the prairie fire has been. Snow may come and try to cover the desolation, but the first wind raises it into the air mixed with ashes and cinders, and leaves it piled in melancholy looking drifts, gray and grimy, and utterly discomfited; the effort to cover up the bleak ~ ugliness of the fire-blackened prairie was a failure; the desolation re- | mains as before, or is intensified. Spring comes at last, and with the first warm days in April the Pasque- flower (Anemone patens, var. Nattuliana) pushes up its furry involucre on the dryest hill-tops, and opens its pale blue sepals long before its leaves have time to develop. The children all love the Pasque-flower. In our part of the state, they call it the May-fiower. The furry coat in which it is clothed seems to protect it from those chilly blasts that Old Winter is wont to blow, when in a spiteful mood just before leaving, and it is not uncommon to find its opening fiowers byried beneath an April snow. AS summer advances, the leaves of the plant appear, and the seed-pods, gathered in a head, develop long feathery styles, making the plant fully as interesting as when in bloom. Late in April or early in May, a small Buttercup (Ranunculus rhomboi- deus) is found on sunny hill-sides, and with it a cut-leaf violet (Viola pedatifida). The common blue Violet (Viola palmata, var. cucullata) is occasionally found on the prairie, but is not a characteristic prairie flower. Two Lithospermums (L. canascens and L. angustifolium) are conspicuous on dry grounds in May, and along with them the unassum- ing Onosmodium Carolinianum with its flowers, that look like buds about to open, but which never do. The Lousewort (Pedicularis Canadensis forms conspicuous patches on the open prairie, where the ground is rather moist. Hypoxis erecta, Star-grass, blooms early in May, and along with it Sysirinchium angustifolium, blue-eyed grass, thé only representative of the Iris family on the prairies, so far as 1 know. The beautiful Violet Oxalis is found on the prairie everywhere, and persists in wheat fields after cultivation. Troximon cuspidatum, closely related to the common Dandelion, is found on dry banks and ridges. The Dandelion itself has 366 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. © — been introduced within the last few years, and is spreading far and wide. When the country was new, it was unknown. The Marsh Marigold (Cal- tha palustris) is found occasionally on low meadows, its yellow sepals shining like burnished gold. On the alkaline borders of low flat meadows, toward the last of May, is found the small, white Lady Slipper (Cypri- pedium candidum), sometimes literally covering the ground. It is a beautiful little flower, and so far as I know, the only orchid growing on these prairies. The pale Painted-cup (Castelleia sessifiora) is an incon- spicuous plant on dry hill-sides. To properly appreciate the Spiderwort (Tradescantia Virginica), found everywhere on the prairies, one must rise early in the morning, when the dew is on the grass. There is then a delicate freshness and beauty about its purple and blue petals, that disappears with the advancing day. With the beginning of June, nature begins to spread forth her treasures with a lavish hand. The Pennsylvania Anemone and the long-fruited Anemone bloom everywhere, while the delicate panicles of the Meadow- rue nod in every passing breeze. Oxytropis Lamberti swings forth its purple banners on the dryest hill-sides, along with Astragalus adsurgens and Pentstemon albidus, fellow-wanderers from the far west. 'The deli- cate and beautiful Astragalus hypoglottis is common on flat alkaline land, along with the tall and graceful Zygadenus elegans. Astragalus caryo- carpus, with its pinkish flowers and large fleshy seed pods, is everywhere. The Pomme-de-terre (Psoralea esculenta) with its purplish or whitish flowers nearly hidden in its hairy foliage elaborates its turnip-shaped farinaceous root on high rolling prairies. The small boy likes to dig and eat these roots, as did the Sioux indians in the days that are gone. A sister plant with silver-silky foliage (Psoralia argophylla) assists not a little in giving the prairies their prevailing gray color. On moist prairie land, Zizia cordata opens its yellow umbels everywhere early in June. Two vetches, Lathyrus palustris and Lathyrus venosus, grow with great luxuriance on low grounds; while the Willow-leaf Spiraea, one of the few shrubs of the prairie, blooms on the margins of sloughs. Among sey- eral Geums, the most striking is Geum triflorum, sometimes called Apa- che’s Plume, beautiful in flower and fruit, and developing long plumose styles. On moist meadows, one will find Silver-weed (Potentilla anserina) and on dry ridges Alum-root (Heuchera hispida). The day-light, evening Primrose (Gnothera serrulata) opens its bright yellow flowers at midday; but one must get:up early in the morning to see the equally bright, yellow wild Flax (Linum sulcatum and Linum rigidum). The showy white panicles of the northern Bed-straw (Galium boriale) are conspicu- ous in the latter days of June. The beautiful pink Phlox (Phlox pilosa), and the superb orange-red Lily (Lilium Philadelphicum) light up the landscape with their brilliant colors. The azure Larkspur (Delphinum azureum) and the purple and white prairie Clovers, (Petalostemon violaceus and P. Candidus), all tall fine looking plants, bloom in July; along with two small shrubs, (Amorpha canescens and A. microphylla). July, too, brings the tall Astragalus (A. Canadensis), and the wild Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota), as well as the Evening Primrose (Ginothera biennis) and the Wolf-berry (Symphoricar- pos occidentalis). Several upright Verbenas, (including V. hastata, V. urticefolia and V. stricta) bloom in July, as well as the western Germander (Teucrium occidentale). Two members of the Four-o’clock family, (Oxy- rR heat ra SL Ye eS are pd a Rll rca a ts ea dS * FLORICULTURE. 367 baphus nictagineus and O. hirsutus), grow on dry banks, and open their flowers late in the day like the Four-o’clock of the gardens. Apocynum cannabium, Indian Hemp, grows on rich prairies everywhere, as well as several species of Milkweed. The common Milkweed (Asclepias cornuti), is the species found in rich valleys, commonly near timber, while Ascle- pias speciosa, with its larger and more beautiful flowers, is more of a prairie species. A much smaller Milkweed, to be met with on high rolling prairies, is Asclepias ovalifolia, whiie the Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias in- carnata) grows in wet places everywhere, The Whorled Milkweed (Ascle- pias verticiliata), with its narrow leaves and interesting flowers, is com- mon on dry bluffs, while the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is quite rare. Two green Milkweeds,(Acerates viridiflora and Acerates) lanuginosa, are frequent on dry bluffs. In July, too, the advance pickets of the great troop of Composit, that is to dominate the autumnal flora, begin to appear. Early in the month the purple Cone-flower (Echinacea angustifolia), with its purple disk and long pink rays, blooms on the dryest prairies. Early travelers in these regions learned from the Indians to dig and chew its pepperish root as an antidote to thirst. The Ox-eye (Heliopsis scabra) is the forerunner of the Sun-flowers of the autumn. The Cup-plant (Sylphium perfoliatum), with its square stem and broad united leaves, blooms on rich ground, while Lepachys columnaris, with its long columnar disk and yellow or varie- gated rays, is found on dry ridges. In dry fields a wild Coreopsis (Coreop- sis palmata) grows, and, ondry bluffs and sandy fields the almost leafless 2 tear, se Lygodesmia juncea is found. In some sandy fields it is becoming a troublesome weed: ‘ When the purple Iron-weed (Veronia fasciculata) begins to bloom on low grounds, the Composit may fairly be said to have the field. The Blazing-stars swing forth their-gorgeous purple banners, Liatris punctata taking the lead, followed closely by Liatris scariosa. Liatris pycno- stachya blooms a little lateron low ground. On low grounds, too, the aster-like Boltonia blooms, sometimes covering large areas with its aster- like flowers. It is a robust, thrifty plant, much appreciated by the land- scape gardeners of the East. The cream-colored Kuhnia blooms on dry banks and ridges, and with it the first Golden-rod of the season, Solidago Missouriensis. By the middle of August,a prairie Sunflower, Helianthus rigidus, is blooming everywhere on dry ground. This sunflower persists as a weed in wheat fields, and is often called Rosin-weed. A little later in the season Maximiiian’s Sunfiower (Helianthus Maximiliani) the most characteristic sunflower of the prairies, is seen everywhere. Growing on unbroken prairie sod, it is a modest and unassuming sunflower, but it is so easily “improved by cultivation” that, whenever the prairie is broken - up, it grows with greatly increasing vigor and assumes gigantic propor- tions. Specimen plants exceeding six feet in height,and a mass of bloom from bottom to top, are not infrequent. Around old stables and on waste grounds, the Giant Rag-weed (Ambro- sia trifida) grows with great luxuriance, sometimes reaching a height of eight or ten feet; and with it is usually to be found a tall, broad-leaved plant with inflorescence something like a Rag-weed. This is Iva Xanthi- folia, a weed from the far West,that does not seem to have received any English name. When it does get an English name, it is quite sure to get a forcible one, for it is mean enough to deserve it. DAE Od oe we I ia Uh ro, ai aha ac) Yah ‘ Tins hs ee eh. es RR SUNN EPR AR PTR RRE LD a aR Be Gora A Ss re oT Ue eae es } sp " Wier MALS mN Fa wie oa be Ae MeN Es VR ‘ mer ae Me, is « 4 , ey a - \. 368 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. With the beginning of September a mass of sunflowers and golden-rods ‘tare over all the hills.” The prairie isliterally a sea of gold. Perhaps, the most common Golden-rods are Solidago Canadensis and Solidago rigida, and they are endlessly repeated. ‘To most people the repetition becomes monotonous. The poet who shall sing of the Golden-rods as Wordsworth sang of the Daffodils has not yet appeared. Whether west- ern Minnesota is to produce that poet remains to be seen; but most probably not. The Golden-rod is too common there. With September, too,comes a cloud of Asters of different species, some of them very beautiful. Helenium autumnale opens its yellow heads on the margins of sloughs. Several species of Artemisia combine to give the prairie its prevailing gray tint, and, with the coming of the first killing frost,the Gentian opens its purple petals on the seared and brown prairie. It is after the first frosts, too, that one notices on the prairie meadows an extremely sweet and all pervading perfume. It comes from a large species of Polyganum, the frost seeming to set free all the honeyed odors that the plant has gathered up through the summer. It is when the winds of autumn come, too, that the casual observer will notice the large Tumble-weeds, rolling like great wheels before the wind. This is another plant that is ‘‘improved by cultivation.” On unbroken prairie it is in- conspicuous enough, but on new breaking it grows to great proportions, and breaking loose from its roots it goes bounding off over the prairie be- fore the autumn wind, scattering its seeds on every hand. COSMOS. GUST. MALMQUIST, MINNEAPOLIS. This lovely flower should be more used by the florists than it is now, as it will flower during a season when good flowers, as a rule, are scarce; that is,during the latter part of September and October, before the chrys- anthemum season commences. As cosmos has usually been grown here before, that is out-of-doors, it is more or less a failure, as the early frosts in September generally cut down the plants before they have commenced blooming, and if they are lifted before frost, and grown on in greenhouses, they are so large and take up so much room that they are, more or less, a nuisance. Last summer, I,therefore,made an experiment,which I think solved the problem, how to grow cosmos in Minnesota. The seeds were planted in March, and the young plants transplanted, as _soon as they could be handled, into small pots. These plants commenced to bloom when quite small, and kept on blooming till after they were planted outside in June. The reason for their flowering so freely during _ spring was from the plants being pot-bound, and they stopped blooming as soon as they commenced growing freely outside. The first week of August, cuttings were taken from the strong top-shoots, which were then growing freely and soft. These rooted inside of two weeks, and were then planted in three-inch pots, and later plunged along the edge of a carnation bench and allowed to grow at will; only the tallest were bent over. These plants commenced to bloom the last week of Sep- tember, and bloomed freely for nearly two months. < FLORICULTURE. F 369 Where plenty of bench can be had, I would advise planting the rooted cuttings on the benches and treating them like ae and I believe they would pay wel The flowers, when cut, last several days, and look especially grace- ful when used in vases. So far there are only single varieties on the market—three or four differ- ent shades of colors of white, pink and red—but it is reported from the South that a double strain is under improvement and may soon be ex- pected in the market. ORCHIDS. W. A. MANDA, SHORT HILLS, N. J. The family of orchidaceous plants, which comprises some of the most unique, strange and wonderful productions of the vegetable kingdom, is represented by thousands of species, varieties and, of late years, artificial hybrids. The geographical distribution of this order is very wide, inhabiting as they do all the five continents of the globe, and almost every island. Nor are they confined to a certain clime, as they are found in the tropical, temperate, as well as arctic regions; superabounding in the former, evenly distributed in the second, while in the cold regions they are sparingly met with. Their forms and habits differ widely, according to their natural situa- tions. Thus in the tropical countries they are mostly met as epiphytes, growing upon trunks and branches of trees, and also on rocks, but seldom on the ground, with the exception of a few, such as Cypripediums; while, in the temperate and northern zones, they are found growing either in meadows or in the woods on the ground, and are truly terrestrial. In the United States, the indigenous orchids are mostly terrestrial, with the ex- ception of a few epiphytal species which are found in the most sovthern point of Florida. Thus the showy Lady Slipper, the dainty Lady Tresses, or the beautifully fringed Orchis, are members of the orchid family. Generally they are more difficult to cultivate than the tropical kinds, and _ thus, unfortunately, are seldom met with in gardens. Although it is more than a century ago that the tropical kinds were in- troduced, it is only in the last thirty or forty years that they have been extensively cultivated and their culture perfected, so that to-day there are much finer specimens in cultivation than either the jungles of the East Indies or South America ever contained. : ~ In the early part of their culture, orchids were mostly cultivated by amateurs; but of late years, with the simplified and easy culture and the easy way of procuring them, many florists have been induced to grow them extensively, finding a very ready sale for the flowers. Each country has a distinctive class of orchids; thus, the finest orchids in cultivation are divided about as follows: The showy Cattleya is found in an altitude of from 2,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru, and scattered through the Central American republics. The Laelias, again, have two distinctive habitats, one section of which is found exclusively in the Brazilian mountains, while the other is chiefly indigenous to Mexico and Guatemala. The Odontoglossum and Masde- vallias are scattered on the western Cordilleras, from Mexico down to 24 h bee aes Wt ad WDE it yg 0 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | Bolivia, generally on very high altitudes, some species being found pretty near to the snow line. The Oncidium is another South American genus, scattered all over Central and South America. The majority of the Cyp- ripediums are found through the East Indian islands and, also, on the mainland, while they are also represented by about a dozen kinds through Central America. The Dendrobiums are confined strictly to the eastern hemisphere, as are also Vandas, Airides, Saccolabiums, Phalaenopsis, Coelogyne and others; while Lycaste, Schomburgkias, Epidendrums and such kinds, have their homes in South and Central America. Besides this wealth of beautiful kinds there are a number of hybrids which have been raised artificially in the garden, and which rank amongst the finest orchids known in cultivation. The number of these may be safely estimated in round numbers at 1,000, half of which are Cypripe- diums. : The prices of orchids vary considerably, according to the rarity and size of specimens, more than beauty; but the leading varieties and good flowering-size plants can be purchased at from $1.00 to $5.00 each, which is as low a price as any palm or other good plant can be purchased for. In former years, the supply of orchids came mostly from Europe, but of late years, several American nurserymen have taken up orchids as a specialty, and thus supply the home demand at much more reasonable prices than were paid before, as it stands to reason, being nearer to South America, the main home of the orchids, they can be imported into the United States quicker, and established under our superior a YRC AR rk Ce A Ny PY OR NOTER CMAN CQ See OD Se Rae RL er eee See “4 ». a ’, ‘ ‘ . s y : ' can 880 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ‘ Mr. Nagel: Well, if the plants are strong enough we cut them back to two or three buds; otherwise, we leave them six. or eight inches long. Prof. Connor: Is the Madame Plantier considered a hardy out-door rose? 7 Mr. Nagel: Yes, it is one of the hardiest roses we have. Mrs. A. B. Underwood: For a garden fiower for summer- flowering, I consider the Crozy canna very valuable indeed. It begins to blossom very soon after it is put in the ground. It continues in bloom until the frost comes, making a brilliant display. It is a bright scarlet in color, generally, although there are also yellow ones. They are very handsome. President Underwood: Mrs. Underwood is not as enthusias- tic ever the Crozy cannaasIam. I wish that every one had a lot of them, because I think they would enjoy them. The flowers and foliage are very handsome and conspicuous. All the varieties are very nice, and you can get a grand display in your yard from them. Mr. Elliot: Idon’t think our people appreciate the beauty of the Canna. Therearea large number of varieties different in ~ foliage and blossoms. They are very easily cultivated when you once get the bulbs started. You are going to have some difficulty if you undertake to grow them from seed. And you may, perhaps, do as I have done many atime, dig up the seeds to see whether or not they are sprouting. Mrs. Stager: Can we buy them as seedlings, as we do seed- ling gladiolus? Mrs. Underwood: I think the most satisfactory way is to get the plants, because many of the seedlings are not satis- factory. Mr. Nagel: It is very hard to sprout the seeds without ~ soaking them. Soaking will not do very well either; it is necessary to put them in a cup,and put boiling water on them. The outside shell is so hard that they do not sprout very — easily. If you want to have satisfactory Crozy canna you must buy the roots; you will never get them from seed. Miss Sara M. Manning: I want to ask for information about raising water lilies. They are advertised extensively in the catalogues, where it says they can be raised from the seed. I got some nice tubers from seed, but I don’t know what to do with them now. The catalogues are very confusing. Some say that one root will completely fill a tub, and others say that you can get two or three in. FLORICULTURE. 381 _ Mr. Nagel: I advise the lady to leave them in the tub until it gets too full. They always grow better in the first place to have a good many together. It is always better to keep the tub full of water. Miss Manning: What kind of soil do they succeed best in? ‘Mr. Nagel: If you can get soil out of a lake where they grow, it is the best. Mrs. Blackwell: Iam interested in carnations, but I do not have much success in raising them. I would like to ask Mr. Nagel’s opinion on the subject. Mr. Nagel: It is easy to raise carnations in the greenhouse. Mrs. Blackwell: I find the temperature too high in the house for them. Mr. Nagel: The main thing is to get them started in the spring. They should be planted in the open ground in the summer, and not grown in pots. Pinch them back once or twice, and about the first of September they are ready to bud again. They should not be pinched back after the middle of July. REPORT ON OUT-DOOR HERBACEOUS PLANTS. L. R. MOYER, MONTEVIDEO. The following plants are recommended for cultivation in Minnesota: Hardy plants: Bleeding Héart; Perennial Phlox, (several varieties, especially the scarlet and white); Peonia, several varieties; Perennial Larkspur; Spiderwort, (Tradescantia); Daffodil, (especially the variety Van Sion); Double Buttercup (but the single one is handsomer); Colum- bine, (several varieties); Campanula; Lily, (especially Tiger Lily and varie- ties of the Speciosa); Hollyhock, (several varieties, especially the straw colored ones); Mallow, (several varieties): Pentstemon grandiflorus; Achillea; Asclepias tuberosa; German Iris, (several species, especially the dwarf variety); Silla Siberica; Grass Pink (Dianthus); Sweet William (Dianthus); Pansy. Tender bulbs: Gladiolus (many varieties); Dahlia; Tuberous Begonia. Annuals: Sweet Pea; Aster; Escholtzia; Phlox Drummondii; Scarlet Flax; Verbena; Mignonette: Candytuft. 3882 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. HORTICULTURAL STRUCTURES AND | IMPLEMENTS. IMPLEMENTS AND CULTIVATION. (A DISCUSSION. ) President Underwood: I might say a few words in regard to implements. We need implements fit for shallow culture. Perhaps, in some heavy soils you might want to get deep cul- ture, but 1 think what we are striving for is to get as shallow culture as possible. I don’t think that the double cultivators, which we used for a couple of years, were a good thing. We have converted ours into smaller cultivators, making them with eight teeth instead of four. I think we ought to be care- ful and not cultivate too deep. I find that more shallow culti- vation at the proper time is hetter than deep. ; Mr. Elliot: I think that we sometimes cultivate too deep, although I don’t believe that we cultivate too often. I don’t think the ideal cultivator has yet been invented. When we get it, I think we willfind that it will cultivate deep at the middle of the row and shallow at the sides. Asa rule, if peo- ple would cultivate before the weeds get the mastery, they would find it an advantage. Ido not believe that there is any- one here who has cultivated too often. I was a good deal annoyed while traveling about the country this spring to see the way in which the weeds were over-topping everything in some places. I have often thought that, if we should get into our fields in the spring a little earlier, it would be much better for the crops. We are too apt to leave it until we see the weeds start, and I think that is improper. I think that we ought to do it as soon as the ground is dry enough to cultivate, and follow this right up through the season. Every time it rains the surface of the ground should be broken and loosened. I think that kind of cultivation would prove very beneficial. President Underwood: I know from experience and not only from one year’s experience but from a number of years’ | work in this line, that it is possible to cultivate too often. Of | HORTICULTURAL STRUCTURES AND IMPLEMENTS. 383 course, it- would depend some upon the soil and upon the weather. I do not believe in letting weeds grow, I do not advise anybody to do that, of course. Mr. Patten: Isn’t it better for the apple tree not to culti- vate it too frequently? Frequent cultivation would advance its growth too fast, and it would not be as hardy. Mr. Smith: I have paid particular attention to this question during this last summer. There were four or five agricultural societies that offered premiums for essays on corn growing, and I awaited the reports with considerable interest; and I noticed that this thought ran through every one of the essays, that were awarded prizes. Now, it might have been the style that captured the judges, but all of those essays laid great stress on frequent and shallow cultivation. Prof. Connor, North Dakota: I think our president’s theory is a good one in some respects, but it seems to me that it would depend very much on the surrounding conditions. Now, for in- stance, if we had a heavy rain and it came off dry after it witha bright sun, I think then that we ought to cultivate immediately. It makes no difference, even, if we have just finished cultiva. ting the night before this rain. This rain might cause a crust, and we should go on and break that, because we know it is necessary that the air should have access to the roots. Our plants feed largely that way. Ithink shallow cultivation is the best on young evergreens, for instance, those that have just been set. Deep. cultivation is wrong, I believe, in such a case, and on small grafts, because we must keep the air from those roots for the first year, at least. I believe in shallow cultivation on grapes. It seems to me that deep cultivation would injure them. Mr. Allyn: Just one word in regard to frequent cultivation. I think we can have too much of it. It is often said the more cultivation, the greater the crop. I plow deep, manure heavily and work it in well I feed my plants in that way, and doas little cultivating as possible. I will guarantee that, if your ground is well manured, the cultivation will not make a great deal of difference in the amount of the crop, if itis not neglected too much, : Mr. Mitchell, lowa: Iam somewhat surprised to hear this objection to frequent cultivation. I have been cultivating quite a number of years, andl am fully convinced that you can not cultivate too much. 884 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. President Underwood: How many times a week do you cultivate ? Mr. Mitchell: Well, I don’t cultivate as often as I would like to. Some of my crops I cultivate but once in two weeks, and others I cultivate every week, and I would culti- vate twice a week if I could get around to do it. If .we are having a good deal of rain, and the ground is wet, I don’t culti- vate at all, because the ground will be softer and looser; then again, you are aptto bake the ground if you cultivate it when itis too damp. I always want to stir the ground as soon as possible after a rain, when the ground becomes dry enough to cultivate. : President Underwood: I think you all readily see that it depends upon the weather and soil and location and every thing of that kind.. Of course, no one is advocating a slovenly tillage or anything of that kind. Of course, every one knows that after a heavy rain, when the ground becomes dry, you should go out and break it up. We have all agreed that a fine mulch on the ground is a very good thing, and this broken-up ground acts in the same way. ; A CONSERVATORY. (A TALK.) President Underwood: Mr. Elliot asked me to say some- thing on greenhouse structures. It has just occurred to me that I can say something that would be of benefit to you all, I think. It is not so much in the line of a greenhouse as a place to grow flowers in. I don’t care what kind of a house you have, if you will scrape together a little money and put up a little lean-to on the south or east side, about ten feet wide and, perhaps, fifteen feet long, with a Portland cement floor, you will be able to raise all the flowers you want. You can build it as cheaply or as expensively as you wish to, but you can have just as good a place to grow flowers in with a little © expenditure as though you spent ten times as much, and the satisfaction of raising them will repay you. I think that every one ought to have a little place to raise flowers in. We have heated ours for a number of years with a common Stewart stove. A large size Stewart stove will do it all right. We have hot water now, and,of course,hot water or steam will do- it as well. Dr. Frisselle: It is built like a lean-to, is it ? See HORTICULTURAL STRUCTURES AND IMPLEMENTS. 3885 President Underwood: It is built like an old Dutch chimney. Itis a porch built right out from the room. You beautify your room and have a nice place for your plants. Mrs. Kennedy: Do you have a glass roof ? President Underwood: No, itis acommon roof, You can build it with tar felt paper and gravel, if you want to. That makes avery cheap roof at $2.00 per ten feet square. It is the warmest roof that can be built. If every farmer in Minnesota had one of these flower rooms, he would think it was worth more than the rest of his house after he had had it a year. 25h ig EW TT Se Tne Fe rea ee SESS ARR, iP ald Thy eh Fee ene 2 sede : ‘ i ta, we hauler 1) NUR og POE ey 4 4 * 3 SPR Pons § 386 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. SUGAR AND SYRUP. MAKING MAPLE SYRUP. E. A. LANE, CHOWEN. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen : It is not my purpose, neither is it expected of me, to give to this honora- ble body scientific facts or a method resulting from a scientific study of the subject assigned, but, merely, to give you one method of making maple syrup. After having tapped the bush, which in my experience I have found hardly practicable to do before the first of April, I use for storage and boiling purposes a sorgum outfit, arranged, as most of them are, on a side hill, giving an excellent opportunity for settling sap and straining from one tank into another. I have on this incline, or side-hill, three tanks and a barrel, which the sap passes through before entering the boiling pan, and is strained from each as it passes from the one into the other. A tank holding three barrels is placed on the side-hill just above the level of the top of the boiling pan, with two others on top of this, holding one and one-half barrels each; and from these, up the hill, just above the level of the top tank and twenty-five feet away, connected with inch pipe, is a large barrel into which the sap is first strained. Thusit is that the sap finds its way into the boiling pan, which is a Stubbs No. 4 Evaporator. As the sap passes through these different apartments for storage, it is strained from each and allowed to settle as long as circum- stances will permit. We have found that the more sediment we can take from the sap before boiling the better it is for the syrup; have also found that by boiling batches of from five to eight barrels at a time, the syrup is much Ciearer and lighter colored than by boiling larger quantities. In boiling in a pan which has so much surface one has to be very careful. We can, with the utmost care, boil five, eight or twelve barrels down to eighteen or twenty gallons; when we either run our fire very low or draw it out. After the pan begins to cool so that there is no danger.of burning, we draw off the semi-syrup into a barrel which has a faucet up on the side about two and one-half inches from the bottom; this gives the sediment room to settle below the place of drawing off. It is then taken to the house, allowed to settle twelve hours, if possible, and then drawn off into a finishing pan made of galvanized iron, two feet square and nine inches deep, and then boiled down to syrup thickness. It is then taken and allowed to settle again, when it is poured into large tin cans. What we wish to keep through the year, and perhaps longer, is put up cold into. glass cans or bottles. In putting into bottles or cans, you are sure to make little bubbles of air. The cans before sealing must be free from these, which is accomplished by leaving open from three to six hours. This method we have found in our experience more satisfactory than any other. ‘ "4 >is, = * COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. 387 COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. - , FOOD PREPARATIONS. MRS. A. B. UNDERWOOD. Fruit in its natural, fresh state is the most acceptable either for eating out of hand or for table purposes. Unfortunately, there are some months of the year when fresh fruits cannot be obtained, and the healthy appe- tite craves something as a substitute. The apple is always with us, and should appear on the table three times regularly—as regularly as the bread plate. But, for the sake of variety we must test our ingenuity and see what glass jars and sugar will do for us. There are many ways of putting up fruit, and among them the old ** pound for pound boiled down to a ropy consistency” way is not out of style yet; and even jelly boiled until it is lifeless, but thick, is often seen. In putting up fruit, the aim should be to retain the natural fragrance and flavor. In our household, strawberries, raspberries, currants, goose- berries, grapes and blackberries, when to be used as sauce, are put up- without sugar. Only sound fruit should be used for this purpose. Fill the glass jars as full as possible by gently presS8ing down the fruit; then place them in a boiler with about four inches of water in it; have a piece of board or old cloth in the boiler for the jars to stand on, to prevent breaking. When thoroughly cooked through, take out of the boiler. The fruit will have settled greatly; so take one jar and fill the others from it to within one-eighth inch of the top; this space fill at once with boiling water, and put the covers on immediately. After standing awhile, be sure the covers are on tight, and when perfectly cold, try them again. When needed for use, pour the contents of a jar into a sance dish, add about one-half pint of water toa quart of fruit and as much sugar as desired; let it stand about five minutes, and it is ready for use. The flavor of any fruit is injured by cooking in the sugar. _ The thought of green gooseberries put up in this way sets one’s teeth on edge. But, when these are poured out of the jar to use, take the potato masher and mash thoroughly; then add a pint or more of water to a quart of fruit and lots of sugar, and you will have a delicious sauce. In making jellies and jams, don’t boil ‘‘ twenty minutes” or more after putting the sugar in. If it is necessary to evaporate juice or fruit, do it before the sugar is added, and then just let it come to @ boil and pour at once into glasses. To be sure that the fruit is evaporated sufficiently to jelly, take equal quantities of juice and sugar into an old sauce plate, and let it come to a boil, and pour at once into glasses. To be sure that the juice is evaporated sufficiently to jelly, take equal quantities of juice and sugar into an old sauce plate and let it come to a boil; if after cooling itis not thick enough, let the juice simmer awhile longer, and try again. Then, 388 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. when it tests all right, put sugar into the juice and let it come to a boil and remove. Sometimes, if the fruit is over-ripe, it will not be firm next day; let it stand for a few days uncovered, or place it for a few hours in the drying oven. For jellies and jams, measure the juice or fruit just before it is ready for the sugar, and then take equal parts—for jelly, a quart of sugar anda quart of juice—for jam, about three-fourths as much sugar as fruit. Always test jam in the same way as jelly, as sometimes the fruit will not demand as much sugar as at other times. The finest currant jelly I ever made, was without cooking. The fruit was about three-fourths ripe, and when the sugar was added to the juice just warmed a little, it thickened so rapidly that one could hardly get it into the glasses; the flavor was exquisite. I don’t know as jelly made in this way would keep any great length of time in glasses, but in sealed jars it would. Jellies and jams made as above may not rival the pyramids in hardness and stability, but they will be far more healthful. and tooth- some. FRUITS IN NUTRITION. MRS. CLARA §. HAYS, FARGO, N. D. Horticulturists have delved deeply into the mysteries of plant growth. In the study of how plants are nourished by the soil and air, they have been amply rewarded by beautiful, luscious fruits, in which they have en- abled the sun to store up $0 much of nourishment, sweetness and health- fulness. If chemists and physiologists would take the finished product and study it with as much success, telling us how fruits act in the nutri- tion of the body, we could use fruits more intelligently. We know the general importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet, and that they cannot be omitted from our fare for any length of time without evil re- sults. Some chemists claim that the chalky deposits, causing the large, - painful joints in rheumatism, gout, etc., cannot occur in the presence of most fruit acids. Cases illustrating the folly of limiting the diet to too few articles of food are so numerous that comment is not necessary. We now have, however, a new departure in this line in the numerous “grape cure”? sanitariums, in which the ‘‘cure all” is the use of grapes and grape juice. ; Further investigation and experiments are needed on the digestibility of fruits, also as to the aid given by them in the digestion of other foods. Mere analysis, as crudely performed by our present chemical means for studying human foods, can give us only a very partial knowledge of their percentage nutritious value, and nothing of their assistance in keeping the system in tone. COOKING AND PANTRY STORES. 389 In the table below, I have summarized nearly all the analyses of fruits I have ever seen. This gives us the per cent. of the various classes of sub- stances in each kind of fruit named. These analyses are mostly European, and may not closely apply to our fruits. aetews |e ie moet leet 2 (22 | 2, | 28s] 3 c= S |s8ad| aa |42s| 7 3 = ong] So | 75] | s | o | € [fess] so |as| go] 8 te 2 5 l[spon| Ba | yay] 5a = eS f = jowac| ga | Sal] 3s = * = < im Nn Tn Ay = Gooseberries........| 7.118 1.437 | 0.41 1.179 | 0.351 2.788 0.648 | 86.211 |........ Currants ..:........ 6.381 | 2149] 0.529] 0.169] 0.588 | 4.577] 0.845 | 84.81 | 100.048 Strawberries..... .. 5 124] 1.488 | 0.575 | 0.104] 0.606 | 4.524] 0.499 | 87.254 | 100.064 Raspberries...... 4.002 | 1.483 | 0.585 | 1.413 | 0.377 | 5.695 | 0.240 | 86.199 | 99.994 Grapes...).......... 14.925 | 0.743 0.543 6.09 iat |o eee Gherries .....:...... 10.288 | 0.787 2.763 0.650 |. 5.431 | 0.690 | 79.480 | 100.08 PTS: os 22s Os oe 2.839 | 1.002 | 3.95 7.097 | 0.467 4.832 83.357 | 103.54 Prunes’: <..2. cance 6.261 | 0.896} 0.758 | 3.875 | 0.662 | 4.813] 1.082 | 81.601 | 99.948 Apricots............ 1.335 | 0.832} 0.610} 7.606] 0.737] 4.713] 0575 | 83.488 |........ Peaches ............ 1.572 |- 0.67 8.917 1.385 8.402 80.768 |....c0-- Aspples.c. <4 256 scent 8.224 | 0.701 5.1 1.84 | 1.23 | 83.09 ; 99.01 Banta 2. 425.01 7.47 | 0.037] 0.248] 3.845] 0.569] 3.664] 0.972 | 83 678 | 100.83 Blackberries ....... 4.444] 1.188] 0.510 | 1.444] 0.414] 5.210] 0.384 | 86.406 |........ Mulberries......... 9.192 | 1.860 | 9.394] 2.031 | 0.566 | 0.905 | 0.345 | 84.707 |........ *Saccharose and fructose. + Expressed as hydrated malic acid. Inspection of the table shows that about 90 per cent. of most of these fruits is water and seeds, and other insoluble and indigestible matters. Apples, pears, mulberries and grapes, have 15 to 20 per cent. of soluble and easily digested constituents. These four fruits are especially rich in sugar, which is the main nutritive substance in fruits, ranging from 74 to nearly 15 per cent. Several, as plums, apricotS and pears, have enough pectin to give them additional value as heat producing foods. The amount of albuminoides, or flesh-formers, is very small in all these fruits, less than 1 percent. The free acids, the acids in combination and the soluble ash constituents, doubtless represent in part the qualities which give to fruits their flavor, their stimulating effect on the appetite, on digestion and on nutrition itself. What we know of the use of fruits for their hygienic effect in our bills of fareis limited to empiricisms and generalities. Let the women, who must feed their families, encourage our chemists and physiologists to work on food rations for people as well as for animals, that we may better understand and appreciate fruits both as a medicine and as food. Fruits are rapidly becoming very popular with all classes of people, and deservedly so. All fresh fruits are highly prized by the housewife, as they require so little preparation and add much to the beauty and appearance of the table, to say nothing of their palatability and health-sustaining power. Uncooked fruits should be on our tables daily. Apples, plums, cherries, currants, grapes and all kinds of berries, are most acceptable at breakfast with which to begin the meal, and usually require no sugar, cream or any addition whatever. Uncooked fruits should also be used frequently for dessert. Cooking does not render many fruits more pala- table, digestible, or improve their appearance. Uncooked fruit has its hygienic as well as nutritive effect. In serving fruits always have un- ee 7, ta? EP ENC ATTRA HAS BMI s Ciyestin eh kay NE RIC Neer gs Oat oa - “ 5 _ Ls ’ <> y \ - 390 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. cooked unless cooking improves them in some way, either in appearance, . taste or wholesomeness. Fruits used without cooking should always be 4 perfectly ripe and sound. : The rule among farmers is to eat uncooked fruit between meals. How — much better to have a tastefully arranged dish of fruit on the table one =H or more times a day, that it may be eaten at the beginning or end of the repast. However, eating fruit between meals is less objectionable than eating most other foods at irregular times. Fruit at the beginning of meals helps overcome the tendency to eat rapidly and to excess. > ae Fruits are especially useful in the diet of children and invalids, though ~ — r much of the beneficial effect is lost when used to ‘‘pieceon” instead of be- ing made a partof the meal. Asa result, appetite is wanting when the. proper time for eating other foods comes; the good effect of fruits on di- -) gestion is largely lost; and with children, skins, seeds and other indigest-_ : ible portions are eaten, and often the fruit is not properly masticated, é which always results in harm. In many families, it is almost impossible to find time to look to this matter at regular intervals, while at meal time it-could be attended to without additional thought or care. ; Of the various ways of preserving fruits for winter use, canning is, pro- — bably, to be most commended. Jellies, jams, spiced fruits, preserves, etc., are good, but not so useful for children, sick people, or well people, either, as fruits canned without the surplus sugar. Canning also requires less labor. Fruit juices should be canned for use in sickness and used as lemon juice in making the various ades,-as currant-ade, strawberry-ade, etc. After a trial, you will be so well pleased that you will use the juice in this way while the fruits are in season, and can enough that it may be used for the family occasionally through the winter. These fruit juices are also very useful in making pudding sauces, etc. We realize the great economy of using fruits plentifully in our diet, when we contemplate the hygienic effect of the free use of fruits. If our bodies are supplied with foods wisely selected and properly cooked, and our lungs continually filled with pure air, we have little to fear from la grippe and kindred ailments. Children can develop naturally into strong men and women, and are enabled to get much more of success and — happiness in life. s APICULTURE. 391 APICULTURE. APICULTURE. MRS. J. A. BLACKWELL. Bee keeping has reached such an exact stage now that considerable scientific knowledge of bees and plants must be had before success can be assured. The apiarist must not only know the natural history of the bees, but he must be a patient observer, watching his pets carefully, and ready at a moment’s notiée to improve upon their condition. A point that has not yet been fully settled is the relation between the bee keeper and the fruit grower. The value of the bees in fertilizing flowers and fruits is not disputed, and it is a question whether pomology could advance with such rapid strides as it does if it were not for the bees. Apiculture is the hand- maid to horticulture, and the question remains whether the two ought not to be conducted together. The fruits and flowers must be cultivated for profit, and when they are supplied, the rich nectar is prepared for many colonies of bees. The. fruit grower now loses all this nectar, or allows his neighbor’s bees to come and carry it away. By having several colonies of bees near his orchard, he would not only gather the fruit, but the nectar in their flowers, also. Little additional labor would be required for this, as the bees demand very little attention in the fruit season. But, never since I commenced bee keeping have I had such an unfavor- able spring for bees as the past one. When they came out of their winter quarters, they were in a poor condition, as they had already brood in all stages and greatly needed bright, sunny days to induce them to build up into normal colonies, but, instead. we had cold rains, snow and stormy weather for weeks at a time, when not a bee could wander out in search of new pollen or even water. Fruit bloom came and went by, while the bees were kept in the hives by cold, rainy weather, and the first of June found many colonies with but pints, where there should have been quarts,of bees. I fed during this time about fifty pounds of shorts, cornmeal and flour to keep them alive, and the 20th of May there was a snow storm, the heaviest Ihave ever seen at this time of the year—and I have lived in Minnesota 27 years. The first of June they gathered pollen from the plum blossoms, also from the apple, but not until the middle of June were they seen at work on the white clover, although it had been in blossom some time—but it did not seem to yield nectar; about June 20, they were seen working on late cherry and raspberry blooms. From this on, the apiarist could begin to detect that familiar hum when they are commencing to get plenty of nectar. I feel satisfied with the returns from my bees this season; from 22 colonies I received over 800 pounds of extracted honey, while some of my apiarist brethern did not get much, if any, honey for their labors. 392 . MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. > Mine all had plenty of stores to winter upon when put away in their ; winter quarters, and at this writing are very quiet and show no signs of — diarrhoea. May our horticulturists combine bees and fruit more in the future. uy ‘But June came, and with it the sunshine; AS It came as if meaning to stay; The clover blossoms nod to the breezes, : The busy bees working away Bring joy to the hearts of their keepers, And teach us to never despair; For He who gives all of our blessings, Knows how to, and when to, and where.” BEES AS FERTILIZERS. A. J. COOK, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, MICH. Read at the Association for the Advancement of Agricultural Science, Washington, D.'@. Darwin’s memorable researches and generalizations in relation to the fertilization and cross-fertilization of plants through the agency of insects are not the least of his many valuable scientific discoveries, nor, yet, are they least in their bearings on economic questions. His classic investigations settled the question of the great value of insects in secur- f ing full fruitage to many of our most valuable fruits and vegetables. Since Darwin, many scientists have by crucial tests and experiments abundantly confirmed his conclusions. Our more intelligent, practical men have also made significant observations. They note a scarcity of insect visits to the blossoms of the first crop of red clover, and, also, its failure to bear seed. The alsike clover is freely visited in early June by the honey-bee and bears a full crop of seed. In New Zealand, the red clover failed to seed at all seasons, and there was a conspicuous absence of insects upon the blossoms, both early and late. This led to the impor- tation of bumble-bees from England, to the earth’s very limit, and now the New Zealand farmer produces clover seed. Gardeners keep bees to-day that their vegetables may fruit and seed more liberally. Even the pro- ducers of flower-seeds in our cities keep bees in their greenhouses, as they find this the easiest and cheapest method to secure that more perfect fer- tilization upon which their profits depend. Secretary Farnsworth, of the Ohio Horticultural Society, could account for a very meager crop of fruit a few years since, in his vicinity, after a profusion of bloom, only through lack of pollenization. The bees had nearly all died off the previous winter. Ihave often noted the fact, that, if we have rain and cold all during the fruit bloom, as we did in the spring of 1890, even trees bi bloom fully are almost sure to bear as sparingly. Darwin’s researches considered insects as a whole, and it is true that all insects that visit flowers, either for nectar or pollen, do valuable service in this work of pollenization. Thus many of the hymenoptera, diptera and coleoptera, and not a few lepidoptera, are our ever ready helpers as pollenizers. Yet, early in the season in our northern latitudes, most insects are scarce. 'The severe winters so thin their numbers that we find barely one, whereas, we will find hundreds in late summer and early J -e ieece 7 ! ‘ APICULTURE. 3893 autumn. In late summer, the bumble-bees and paper-making wasps number scores to each colony, while in spring, only the one fertile female will be found. This is less conspicuously true of solitary insects, like most of our native bees and wasps; yet, even these swarm in latesummer, where they were solitary or scattering in the early spring. The honey- bees are a notable exception to this rule. They live over winter, so that, even in early spring, we may find ten or fifteen thousand in a single colony, in lieu of one solitary female, as seen in the nest of bombus or vespa. By actual count in time of fruit bloom in May, I have found the bees twenty to one of all other insects upon the flowers; and on cool days, which are very common at this early season, I have known hundreds of bees on the fruit blossoms, while I could not find a single other insect. Thus we see that the honey-bees are exceedingly important in the economy of vegetable growth and fruitage, especially of all such plants as blossom early in the season. We have all noticed how much more common our flowers are in autumn than in spring time. In spring, we hunt for the claytonia, the trillium and the erythronium. In autumn, ’ we gather the asters and golden-rods by the armful, and they look up at us from every marsh, fence corner and common. In May, our fiowers demand a search, while in California the fields of January and February are one sea of blossoms. The mild Caiifornia winters do not kill the insects. There a profusion of bloom will receive service from these so- called ‘‘marriage-priests,” and a profusion of seed will greet the coming spring-time. Thus, our climate acts upon the insects, and the insects upon the flowers, and we understand why our peculiar flora was developed. Yet, notwithstanding the admirable demonstrations of the great master, Darwin, and the observations’ and practice of a few of our intelligent, practical men, yet the great mass of our farmers are either ignorant or indifferent as to this matter, and so to the important practical consider- ations which wait upon it. This is very evident, as appears from the fact that many legislators the past winter,,when called upon to protect the bees, urged that fruit growers had interests as well as the bee-men, not seeming to know that one of the greatest of these interests rested with the very bees for which protection was asked. Now that we understand the significance of the law of adaptation in reference to the progressive development of species, we easily understand why our introduced fruits that blossom early would find a lack of the “marriage-priests,” and why it would be a matter of necessity to introduce the honey-bee, which, like the fruits, are not indigenous to our country; just as the bumble-bee must go with the red clover if the latter is to succeed at once in far-off New Zealand. It is true that we have native apples, cherries, plums, etc; but these, like the early insects, were scattering, not massed in large orchards, and very likely the fruitage of these, before the introduction of the honey-bee, may have been scant and meager. Now that spraying our fruit trees with the arsenites early in the spring is known to be so profitable, and is coming and will continue to come more generally into use, and as such spraying is fatal to the bees if performed during the time of bloom, and fatal not only to the imago but to the brood to which it is fed in the hive, it becomes a question of momen- tous importance that all should know that bees are valuable to the 394 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. fruit-grower and the apiarist alike, and that the pomologist who poisons “ ‘ | the bees is surely ‘‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg.” That bees Wy are easily poisoned by applying spray to trees that bear nectar-secreting blossoms at the time of bloom can be easily demonstrated by any one in a very short period of time. It has been demonstrated in a frightfully expensive manner in several apiaries in various parts of the country. Several beekeepers, whose all was invested in bees, have lost all this property, all because some fruit-growing neighbor either thoughtlessly — or ignorantly sprayed his fruit trees while in bloom; and this in the face of the fact that for the best results, even in the direction sought, the spraying should be deferred until the blossoms fall. I have demonstrated this fact, where the results were entirely in sight. I have shut bees ina cage, and given them sweetened water containing London purple in the proportion of one pound to two hundred gallons of water, and in twenty- four hours the bees were all dead; while other bees in precisely similar cages and fed precisely the same food with the poison omitted lived for many days. We thus see that it becomes very important that pomologist and bee-— keeper alike know the danger, and also know the loss to both parties in case caution is not observed to avoid the danger and probable loss. It is also important that by definite experimentation we may learn just how important the bees are in the.pollenization of plants. To determine this point, I tried many experiments last spring. I counted the blossoms on each of two branches or plants of apple, cherry, pear, strawberry, raspberry and clover. One of these, in the case of each fruit or each experiment, — was surrounded by cheese-cloth just before the blossoms opened, and kept covered till the blossoms fell off. The apple, pear and cherry were Coy- ered May 4th and uncovered May 25th and May 19th. The number of blossoms considered varied from thirty-two, the smallest number, to three hundred, the largest. The trees were examined June 11th, to see what numberof the fruit had set. The per cent. of blossoms which de- veloped on the covered trees was a little over two, while almost twenty per cent.of the uncovered blossoms had developed. Of the pears, not one of the covered developed, while five per cent. of the uncovered developed fruit. Of the cherries, three per cent. only of the covered developed, while forty per cent. of the uncovered blossoms set their fruit. The strawberries were covered May 18th and uncovered June 16th. The number of blossoms in each experiment varied from sixty in the least to two hundred and twelve in the greatest. In these cases, a box covered with cheese-cloth surrounded the plants. The plants were examined June 22d; eleven percent. of the covered blossoms and seventeen per cent. of the uncovered had developed. To show the details, in one case sixty blossoms were considered, nine of which in the covered lot, and twenty-seven in the uncovered, had developed. That is, three times as many flowers had set in the uncovered as in the covered. In another case of two hundred and twelve blossoms, the fruit numbered eighty and one hundred and four. Ina case of one hundred and twenty-three blossoms, the number of fruit was twenty and thirty-six. These experiments agree with similar ones of former years in seeming to show that strawberries are less affected than other fruit by the exclu- sion of insect visits. 'The raspberry canes were covered with cheese-cloth APICULTURE. 395 May 30th, and uncovered July 6th. In every case but one, the canes seemed to have been injured by the covers, and so the results were not considered. In the exceptional case, one hundred and eighty-four blos- soms were considered; ninety-three blossoms developed on the covered canes, and one hundred and sixty on the uncovered. In every case the fruit on the covered twigs was inferior. It might be thought that the simple presence of the covers was prejudicial; though this could not be a very important matter, as blossoms covered after the bees had freely visited them set well, and showed no injury. ‘Thus we see that in all our fruits—in strawberries the least—the free visits of insects during the period of blooming is absolutely essential to a full or even a fair crop. In many cases, the covered blossoms all failed to develop. We also see that where fruitage does occur there seems a lack, as the fruit lacks vigor. The free and ample cross-fertilization seems to be requisite, not only fora crop, but for a perfect development and maximum vigor. Our experiments with clovers were tried with both the white and al- sike. While the uncovered heads were full of seeds, the covered ones were entirely seedless. This fully explains the common experience of farmers with these plants. Having the law of the necessity of insects to accomplish this function so well demonstrated, it might be asked, ‘‘Why do we have any fruit in case the blossoms are covered?” . This seeming excepticn may be no ex- ception. Indeed, this may come from the fact that all insects are not ex- cluded. Very small insects, like the thrips and various of the jassida, which we know are often attracted to flowers either by the pollen or nec- Lee, . Nha tar, would be concealed about the plants, and from their small size’ might gain access even after the covers were adjusted. These would be sufficient to secure partial fertilization, and very likely are the cause of the meager crop which, in a few cases, we secure even on the covered twigs. i In the case of strawberries, our experiments this year, like some previ- ously tried, seemed to show that the presence of insects, though important to a maximum production, are not so necessary as in case of nearly all other fruit. But, we must remember that the strawberry plants are not wholly inclosed. A cloth-covered box rests on the ground about the plant. This gives a fine chance for insects that burrow in the earth and for in- “sects that have pupated in like position to come up during the three or four weeks of the experiment, and pollenize the blossoms. This, though a possible—and shall I say, a probable explanation?—may not be the real one. But, we can still affirm in the case of the strawberry, that the free visits of insects serve surely to much enlarge the production of fruit. - Thus we see that our horticulturists and farmers alike with the apiarist are dependent for the best prosperity on the presence and well- being of the bees. They should realize this fact, and should demand that our legislators not only become informed, but act accordingly. 396 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ORNITHOLOGY. | eee OUR BIRDS. ere MRS. G. F. BENSON, LAKE CITY. ‘* All day I have been hunting ? hi For ends of scarlet bunting, : id For pieces out of rag-bags whose colors make a show; ee ih Fragments of red or azure, 4 nt Bright bits of doll-house treasure, a And faded bows and ribbons worn many years ago. at ‘*From sill and from projection wae I hang this gay collection; ; ,, I strew the lawn and garden path, I fringe each bush and tree; I dress the door and casement, The garret, and the basement, Then watch to see if birds, perchance, will use my charity. ‘“There comes a pretty chatter, ‘ There comes a fairy patter Nae Of tiny feet upon the roof and branches hanging low, a. And flirts of wing and feather, And little strifes together, ~ And sheers, and flights, and fiutterings, and wheelings to and fro. * * * * * % * ‘*The stock is just diminished, And when the nests are finished, The nests of orioles and wrens, of robins and of jays, In pleasant summer leisures, I’]] watch the rag-bag’s treasures Swing in the wind and sunshine, above the garden ways.” Those who, like the author of these sweet child-verses, try their hand at ‘‘Helping the Birds,” will find their efforts amply rewarded by the in- creased confidence of the little creatures, and by the discovery of individual traits, which develop on close acquaintance. One of the pleasures of living in a village is the opportunities aitordeay by the spacious lawns and gardens with their many trees and shrubs for the study and enjoyment of bird-life; and I know of no place where the birds have more friends who love them, pet them and try to protect them than our own little “City” by the ‘‘Lake.” Many lawns have aspace devoted to the use of the birds, where crumbs and seed are thrown, and where water is kept in shallow pans for their daily bath. The little things soon learn to look upon this spot as their exclusive property, and grow so tame that they will quarrel over whose turn it is to take a bath, while the hammock ten feet away is occupied by an interested and amused spectator.. In the winter, a large piece of suet is fastened to some convenient post or tree, where the blue jays, downy woodpeckers and nut-hatches come daily for a good square meal. The chickadees also take a little lunch oc- casionally, not that they are fond of suet, but just to let us know that they appreciate our good intentions. “. rf ORNITHOLOGY. 397 Last spring was a disastrous one for many of our birds. The long con- tinued cold, wet weather kept the insects from appearing, and hundreds of purple martins died of hunger. Other insectivorous birds were found -dead on the ground, and many hummingbirds were overcome by the cold and perished. As the trees were late in putting forth their leaves, the robins, who like to get to housekeeping early, were much disturbed, but finally solved the difficulty by building their nests nearer the houses than usual. I had the pleasure of turning carpenter for two pairs of robins who were deter- mined to build on the caps to the pillars of the veranda, where they had not sufficient room. Half of a shingle and a couple of nails for each post was all that was needed to make their happiness complete, and the whole process of nest-building, feeding the young and teaching them to fly, was gone through with only six feet away from my windows. I had always wished for a robin’s nest on my porch, but that I should have two in one season exceeded my wildest dreams. I found that eter- nal vigilance was required, until the birds began setting, to keep the mis- chievous English sparrows from destroying the nests. It was so much easier to take for their own nests the material the robins had gathered than to hunt it up for themselves. By the way, it occurs to me that these sparrows do not belong to us. They were imported especially for the cities, and although it seems in- hospitable, yet, if the cities would kindly keep their sparrows at home, we would be so much obliged. One of the greatest enemies of our birds has been the small boy with his sling-shot or air gun. Thinking that many of the boys were igno- — rant of the fact that they were violating the law,our mayor caused copies of the law prohibiting the killing of birds to be printed, and, besides post- ing them in conspicuous places, sent one toeach teacher in the public schools, requesting her to read and explain it to her pupils. The plan worked beautifully, and if it were imitated in every town in the state, it would be a most excellent thing. I would like to see this horticultural society and the various ornithological societies of the state united ina vigorous effort to protect our ‘‘little brothers of the air.” ~It is as true to-day as when in the early days of the century our old friend Thomas Nuttall wrote it that “In whatever way we view the feathered tribes which surround us, we shall find much both to amuse and instruct. We hearken to their songs with renewed delight, as the harbingers and asso- ciates of the season they accompany. Their return after a long absence is hailed with gratitude to the Author of all existence; and the cheerless solitude of inanimate nature is by their presence attuned to life and har- mony. Nor do they alone administer to the amusement and luxury of life; faithful aids as well as messengers of the seasons, they associate round our tenements, and defend the various productions of the earth, on which we so much rely for subsistence, from thedestructive depredations of myriads of insects, which, but for the timely riddance by unnumbered birds, would be followed by a general failure and famine. Public econ- omy and utility, then, no less than humanity, plead for the protection of the feathered race, and the wanton destruction of birds so useful, beauti- ful and amusing, if not treated as such by law, ought to be considered as a crime by every moral-feeling and reflecting mind.” , 398 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY THE FOOD OF BIRDS. ° me ALBERT LANO, MADISON, I have chosen this for my subject, not because itisanew one, but Il wish to bring it to the notice of this society, with the view of savingsome — innocent bird-lives, and doing good to my fellow men. Every practical and observing ornithologist knows quite well what con- stitutes the principal food of the different orders and families of birds, and needs, therefore, no information on this subject. It is then for your ie! benefit that I give my personal experience and observation here. (aa There are no other classes of men that derive so much direct good from BS the birds as do the horticulturist and the farmer. No matter how much rain we have at the right season, no matter how much sunshine and favorable weather, nor how much pains you have taken with the best kind of soil, the insects would spoil the crops, or at least a- good X share of them, were they not greatly diminished all the year round ; by the feathered tribes of the air. Some of the birds live entirely on insects, summer aad winter, while others only during the breeding season in the spring and earlysummer. There is not a single native bird in North America that needs to be killed off for the damage ' it does. It is true that some of our native species can and will © do some damage. ‘The beautiful robin, that had its nest in your ‘ yard and sang to you all spring and summer, will pick a grape or a cherry in the fall—but why not? Has he not eaten the worms and beetles from the vines all summer? Indeed he has, and has brought up a large family, besides, on worms that he found in your gar- den. There are other species that can and will do a little damage in the orchard in this way, but it is so small that I do not believe one of us is justified in killing a single bird. Should they become too numerous in the vineyard or orchard while fruit is ripening, and you notice that dam- age is being done, you can easily rid yourself of them by firing a gun, but be very careful not to aim at the birds themselves. The amount of insect food consumed by a single bird in one day is wonderful; some observers have tried to estimate the number, and have found that one bird will eat many thousand. I prepared a nighthawk Jast summer that weighed 2? oz. Thestomach contained $ oz. solid insect food. It can readily be seen that these birds — ; will eat many times their own weight of insects in one summer. In an- other specimen, I found a potato bug. ; A member of the committee on ornithology, two years ago, advised the f killing of the ‘‘sap sucker”, or yellow billed woodpecker, because, he said, they did so much damage in the way of boring trees for sap. This bird is, no doubt, a ‘‘sap sucker,” but he cannot live on sap alone, no more than the hummingbirds can on honey. His tongue is somewhat different from his cousin’s, but his principal food is insects, just the same. The sap season is only a short one, and the damage can only be very small. Let me tell the same gentlemen that trees like the fir and other evergreen trees have no sap! This bird, like all, doe? more réal good in one day than all the damage he can do inayear. Therefore, I say, do not diminish his species by killing a single one. So much for seed and insect-eating birds. ; Ries) SERSET hy aeA ETON ee rere wee Ree ae Sy WR Cem ey A ee ee AYA wh ORNITHOLOGY. 399 Hawks and owls will in time become extinct, unless they are protected by the farmer, instead of being persecuted by these gentlemen as well as by any one that is able to carry a gun. I say protected by the farmer, because they own the land and derive the most benefit from these birds The food of owls consists of small animals, such as mice, gophers and rats. I have found butasingle instance where the stomach of a snowy owl contained the remains of a western meadow lark, and I have exam- ined dozens and dozens of stomachs of the owl tribe that inhabit this State. When you see an owl near your barn, it is not for the chickens in your coop that she visits there, but the mice and small animals that are apt to be there. Hawks are not very much different from owls as regards food. They will. however, capture small birds once in a while, and some of the species a chicken, if they can getit. But the damage that is done is so small if compared to the benefit they do in the way of destroying gophers and mice in our fields, that they deserve our protection, I examined the stomach of a western red-tail hawk, at Excelsior, that contained about a dozen frogs. I presume they want, as we do, a change once in a while. The United States government spent thousands of dollars a few years ago to investigate this subject of damage done by hawks and owls, and if any of you gentlemen wish to see for yourselves, I refer you to that re- port. Unless you wish to make use of a bird, whether it is a robin or an owl, do not kill or allow it to be killed, on your premises. lf a hawk be- comes troublesome about your poultry yard fire off a gun once or twice and he will stay away, but do not kill him. Would you kill your pet dog - or catif they had made a mistake in-your yard? No, indeed! but you’ would, probably, punishthem. Do all you canto have the birds stay on your farms and gardens. Put up bird houses for the purple martins and the bluebirds in your garden. But, watch it! if that imported little nuis- ance, the English sparrow, troubles them, kill him as you would a rat. 400 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. | ENTOMOLOGY. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ENTOMOLOGY. J.S. HARRIS, LA CRESCENT. Mr. President—My observation of insects in 1892 has been confined to southeastern Minnesota, and I have not much that is new or very inter- esting to offer. I am glad to report that, so far as my observations go, no new destructive insect has made its appearance during the year, and that the old species that have been long with us have not been so numerous as to create increased alarm, or nearly as plentiful as in some former years; neither have the beneficial insects, or birds that feed upon insects, been ~ as common as usual. In point of fact, the insect or bug crop, with two or three exceptional was a partial failure, much more of a failure than in 1891. These things, however, should not make us too sanguine that we are about to get rid of them or to keep them sufficiently in check to prevent serious damages in some coming years. The fact must always be borne in mind that the ‘females of most species are extremely fertile, or oviparous, and of many there are two or more broods ina year, therefore, whenever the season is favorable and suitable food at hand, they multiply so rapidly that the progeny from a single pair would overrun the whole state in five years if they could be protected from their natural enemies. The horticulturist cannot rest in security until the last one has been annihilated. The spring of 1892 was backward and extremely wet, with more dull cloudy days than we are accustomed to note in this region famous for its bright suns and clear skies. At the time when our fruit trees and plants were in bloom, there were many days so unpleasant that no insects, not even the busy bee, were seen working in the fiowers, and it seemed doubtfulif enough flowers would become pollenized to ensureacrop of fruit. Very few of the young apples were the receptacles of the eggs of the codlin moth, and, no doubt, a persistent effort to prevent the second crop would have resulted ina marked decrease of this serious pest for several years to come. Spraying the young fruit as soon as formed, and the petals of the flowers have fallen, with a solution of Paris green, one ounce of the green to twelve or fifteen gallons of water, and repeated two or three times afterwards at intervals of a week between, has been found to reduce the numbers of wormy fruits very materially; and if it was universally practiced every spring, and followed by trapping and destroying the mature insects when they leave the fruit to undergo the last transformation from worm to moth, under artificial bands of cloth or paper placed about the trunks of the trees, the pest would very soon be eradicated. The bands should be placed around the trunks of the trees about two feet above the ground, towards the last of June, and examined once a week, and the larvee found under them all destroyed, un- til the entire fruit crop has been gathered on or about the first of October. ENTOMOLOGY. 401 The native plum crop, having proved a total failure, we cannot report very definitely on the plum curculio. We know that they were present in considerable numbers at the time the trees were in bloom and the fruit forming, and we do not think that any fruit remained upon the trees long encugh to allow the eggs to hatch and feed the young grub to maturity. It is to be hoped that they have not found some to us unknown means for securing a subsistence and perpetuating their kind—a blessing that would reward us well for the loss of one crop of this very valuable fruit. In some orchards, we find the apple curculio, or gouger, got in his usual work, and some extra. In our observations, we have found them much the worst in old, uncultivated and neglected orchards, and increasing with a rapidity that should create alarm and call for vigorous efforts to head them off. The surest remedy against them appears to be making a hog pasture of the orchard at certain seasons of the year. They have appeared first in the timbered portions of the state where the wild thorn apple is more or less abundant. The domestic apple furnishes them a more con- genial food, to which they get accustomed quickly, and on which they multiply rapidly. Spraying, thus far, has not given satisfactory results. Jarring the trees and catching the beetle is a tedious process, but the best that I know of, besides the hog remedy. Last fall, we visited an orchard in Fillmore county, which was carrying a crop of over two thousand bush- els, and ina careful search of half an hour could find but two specimens of fruit that showed any marks of the work of the gouger. In another orchard but a few miles distant, that has in years past been noted for its fine fruit, more than three-fourths of the fruit showed the marks of having been stung, and one-half of it was unmerchantable. In the first — orchard, pigs are pastured until the fruit is ripe enough ‘to use, and after the fruit is all gathered, a drove of hogs are turned in and fattened by feeding them unhusked corn scattered from a wagon, driven between the rows; the other is seeded down to grass. One is the most profitable orchard in the state, the other will not much longer pay the expense of harvesting the fruit, unless the curculio is headed off. The canker worm and the dent caterpillar did not make their presence conspicuous. For many years, I have not seen fewer of the May beetle or June bug, but, still, there were enough of them to make it unsafe to set a strawberry bed for two years to come on ground that last June was carry- ing a good crop of grass and weeds. Thecurrant worm appeared at about the usual season in about the usual numbers, and heavy rains washed off the white hellibore soon after it was dusted on; but they left us some fruit, and have not injured the bushes as seriously as last year. The potato beetle was very scarce, very much more so than in 1891. On our own place there were virtually none, and our friends Mr. Rosebreasted Groes- beak and his wife changed their residence to a neighboring farm, where they could get supplies for their family at less trouble and expense. We have never known the common house fly to be so scarce as in 1892. Of some kinds of insects, the late crop turned out better. That was the case with the European cabbage caterpillar. -Few of the butterflies were around in the early part of the season, but in July and August they were more plentiful than usual and did great damage to late cabbage and cauliflower. In certain districts the common grasshoppers were numerous enough late in the summer to do considerable damage to young 26h 402 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 1 fruit trees by devouring the leaves. The latter part of the season was very dry and favorable for the green ant and brown aphis, that work on the young growth of the apple, plum, and some other trees and plants. In some places, the apple and plum trees suffered seriously by the young leaves becoming curled and blackened, growth ceased, and, 1n some in- stances, the twigs have died back several inches from the ends. In Sep- tember, we observed considerable numbers of a minute species of the ~ ichneumon fly hovering around some apples that contained the codlin worm. This insect has a habit of depositing its eggs in living insects. These eggs hatch, and the young feed upon the vitality of the worm when in the pupa state, causing it to perish; and there is a faint hope that this Wg little fly has come to deliver us from much longer feeding upon wormy apples. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ENTOMOLOGY. DR. M. M. FRISSELLE, EXCELSIOR. T have had little opportunity during the past season to make extended ~ observations on the destructive work of such insects as are obnoxious to the horticulturist. However, there are a few varieties that have forced themselves on my notice, and proved troublesome in the region about Lake Minnetonka and other adjacent sections of country. The forest cater- pillar, cabbage worm, squash beétle, currant borer and Colorado beetle, have been the most numerous and offensive. The first, the forest cater- pillar, cliseocampa sylvatica, made its appearance early in May, just as the forest trees were putting out their tender leaves. They appeared in countless numbers, completely denuding the forest trees of their foliage. They invaded the garden, stripping not only the raspberry bushes, but making a vigorous attack upon the currant bushes and grape vines, though doing little damage to the latter. They made sad havoc, however, with the apple and plum trees, and rose bushes. No remedy seemed to avail much in hindering them in their destructive work, except kerosene oil, and that destroyed all plants and small trees to which it was applied. For some reason a very large portion of the caterpillars died before ma- turing and retiring in cocoons, which favors the comforting belief that few will appear during 1893. The cabbage werm, pieris rapae, was more numerous than I have ever known it before, and the few hundred plants set in my own grounds were all destroyed; and from the high price of this valuable esculent in all our markets, I conclude that the cabbage worm has held high carnival throughout this region of country. Many remedies for this pest have been suggested, but few, if any, seem to have proved efficient. From all experiments it would appear that dust of some kind is most effectual, and that which seems least objectionable is fine bran applied freely and fre- quently to the plant during the invasion of the insect. Some have ap- plied road dust with good success. Others have used fine salt, and some, hot water. Whatever means are used, results seem to show that eternal vigilance is the price of good cabbage. “a fe . iF ¥ ” xt wht t.. “f > - 7 ia PEE RR q MPR ART Pag LER Ce pe eu ea LL CCM MEM Arian Mle: ni ENTOMOLOGY 4038 The currant borer, aegeria tepuliformis, is one of those destructive insects that are exceedingly difficult to circumvent. The egg of the ie insect is deposited in the stem just beneath the surface of the ground. The larve enter to the center, and then follow the pith. I know of no way of effectually preventing their depredations. The best that we can do a ta 8 eens en) Eee ae = yay ears 7 ~*~ % INDEX. ‘Address of Welcome, by. Hon. W. H. Hustis. .....04 00.0 cee ew a celes Agricultural Chemistry, by Prof. H. Snyder............./..0...000- : a6 Society, List of officers of Minnesota State, for 1893... Allyn, Joshua, My Failure in Growing Celery, by....-............ : i a Report on Vegetables, Dy... .. cc. .c sec e esse ccasces es *f Vegetables at the Columbian Exposition Ltn tere aktne Annual Winter, Meeting, Jecord Of: os. if. cee ce eee e te cece ees Apiculture, by Mrs. J. A. Blackwell.............. cscs ee eee ee ewes Me us TE Ue, cd): Cae So eNaes Seana Sates EROS Uttar Shc WING ee ee Hardy, for the Northwest, by RB. C..Keelo.. os. sti. cee. NEE IEe ities: a CHISCUISSIOM «fice Snunierase + clon welsia qualincios op oe ke o/s He Pahers ANG: CISGUSSIONS OM 6 2. dei esis awaiiews Vp de ee venee aa . Report on; by Clarence Wedge... ..........00c ese ecececeeees uy DOLD Oe ON, shape COl clase Oy Ne a gic ay aie bin trata wine corals Mares 35 Seedling, a talk, by Chas. Patton. .......2.. 0c. eek ewe’ on CPA Ott, BY Pa FORE OE ci. cal aisisAiele «icjeblste su cate nats wis die «a0 siatele Apple Trees from Seed, by J. B. Mitchell............ 2. cess seen eee a se Barrett, J. O., The Forestry Exhibit at the World’s Fair, by....... Saeed, dire OHIO GTOWINE, DY. asics pee s ace Secon belne nee nba peles meeeas Pertilizers.) DY Aly Wi COOK J... jie vin tale tins cele dese eclee cays ol Benson, Mrs. G. F., Our Birds, by (Summer meeting)......... .....- ie & Our Birds, by (winter LGN Hanes Bae errics. Licking. py MwA DHA Ver oi 5 ese eo eels ide hee se wh daipiee wee Biography of R. J. Mendenhall... 2.0... ... cece cece ete cece ewer cees Birds, Our, by Mrs. G. F. Benson (winter meeting)...............005 13 Se by Wires Gr ee emsom (SUMMEr) O87 iin. aves atece ais = ee EVESO! 1 tL OMS, GOMGERERME Wo giog seins icicla elt R'einl eb die! ojn.0,s'ai0,¥ 6 pies sfu'e' e's eel OPE OG Cli y FS AMON see siclinc ce Gabo wlwe t's sce aaital Lifes Blackwell, Mrs. J. A., Apiculture, Dy. .... 0.08.05 ce ecee ec eeeeceeees Psnairis, cubs by Wie WWHREON Pare 8 elo foes dee bea ovate bees s ‘* Report on, by C. W. H. Heideman................- Bonniwell, Mrs. A., Report on Vegetables, by.....-............-- Ne Bosme Trees; Dy O, FW. Brand, pales cs enna odie ceeei neon ecee seas tie Brackett, W. M., Letter Prom. ........... ccc cee se eee n eee sere cotees Brand,’O. F., Boxing. Trees, Dy: ot... 20. ce cece cere tec er ese eetenb ns ‘¢ The Leaves of Our Hardy Trees, by .....-..-.+- +--+: Brown, Mrs. J. H., Report on Forestry, DY........ 2... ee eee e cree cece Budd, Prof. J. L., Valuable Russian Fruits, by.........-.--+. eee: ERE NG. Menor g Maret enema atcha ol oe (a win fara -Cicva bbb 'eiaye ene a stm6ia/ slay eye 408 wee INDEX. C Celery, My Failure in Growing, by Joshua Allyn............... Peer Chandler, E. M., Report on Vegetables, DY........20..6.. sums sce aeee Chanter, Chas. -A.,’ Obituary Of. 1.2 Yo ere, caeh ly ae es ee Qhase, Rev. EB: B., The Horticulturish&, by: 2:25...) vos... eee eee ot Cherries, Plums and, Reports and discussions on.................5. Children, Horticulture for the, by M.A. Thayer....... ............ - “G3%2 Clark, Mrs. Mary A., How I Grow Plants in Winter, by ...... ..... 374 Columbian Exposition, FREPOME OM 525 win stats v'sie'n'sie o's wie inicrtctie bias C7 eam 131 Ne Resolutions concerning: > ..c fa... enusle eee 100 , - The,’by A. W.uatham .... 922s... 43 x6 6 The Forestry Exhibit at, by J. O. Barrett.. 138 6s 6 Minn. Hort. Exhibit at, by A. W. Latham. 131 — my xs Minn. Horticulture at the, byC. McC. Reeve 127 — se ze Vegetables at the, by Joshua Allyn......... 13734 Committees, Appoinhinent Of ..'. 35..Ue-cuss og Me ses Se nh ved ceha ele ee ey ee Conservatory... bye die Winderwood neva le ce oto oa. ois osehs eoens Sen 384 Constitiiion, 17510 ence eck take eit oat attoke pais | tisine se er 2A Gook "Ay Js ‘Bees aswertilizers, by ss. oveustasee ese ee ees be Ceara 392) tei _** Dewain, Report on Windom Experiment Station, by... ........ 224 an Cooking and Pantry Stores, Papers on............ pis ial 6, aps ebaten ame 387 a Cook, M. W., Report on General Fruits, by../.0.........00% oUaeeume — 240- as Cosmos, by Gust. Malmquist.............02005 0)? Sulla als «ta 368.0 8 Cutler, M., Report on Small Fruits, by.............cceueeseeceeeees 336: 23 Cutts, E. J. ‘Report on Grapesiuby: st. .cons..00s0 8. once soe 301 ‘© Vine Growing in Wright County, by..:..........00 see 301 (ag D ye Dartt, E. H. 8., Report on Owatonna Experiment Station, by...... 238 a Day, :Ditus, Treasurer’s Annual Report, by... ..3 020.55... .ecee oaeeen YD i * Day, ok Report of Vice-Presidemt, Dy .5 2.1. santas fvscece tae setae 248 a Deciduous Trees, Etc., Report on, by L. R. Moyer................0% 174 “a ct ‘ _Bte,, Report on, by William Wachlin ............ 175° ae is ‘* and Shrubs, Reports and discussions on .......... \ TASS i Delegates; Reports Of ike. cine eee teem ual tion uieotei epee iie aati 1393 ue Delegate to Northern Iowa Horticultural Society, Report of, by a Clarence Wedge iai24en les cee oat sens ss is JS antes caxtaoe ee 143 he Delegate to South Dakota State Horticultural Society, Report of, BA ty WOH. Hetdeman ts. che kebene-has o- cos sok cae ee 189: a Delegate to Summer Meeting of Wisconsin State Horticultural ae Society, Report Of by Je Si Marrisgne ced... st ek ane tee coe tee 141 fi Destructive Agencies, Etc., by Col. E. T. Ensign ............... 000. 153 My + ; ‘thee Electricity in Plant Growth, by Prof. S. B. Green...............2.. 186 pif Blliot; Wyman, Our Rutare: By seks: ie come, eee pees de easel eee 50 a Ensign, Col. E. T., Destructive Agencies, &C., by.........-...e.00- 153 HEME Ys Report on, by Dr MoM ‘Prisselle.. 5.5. byes Getamers 402. ingame wey oy eg IAn LeU TS s pestah ates tare tale ease ious laveters stare Petones 400 AS Reports Oni .ck os ticewe see anc tesomcie ee camirs te Oey : 400 iss Ra a aed * ' my Os a ¢ INDEX. 409 oN Page Erwin, Mrs. 8., A Woman’s Experience in Vine Culture, by....... 308 Eustis, Hon. W. H., Address of Welcome, by............ s.se.ee-, 76 Evergreens, Report on, by Clarence Wedge. .........+..+esseeeeeees 172 PI eCHULVe COMIMIGbeG, “REGOTE: Of oo 6 .c:sjo'as a's Sin Sioa beh wea dale naa dynes 30 Experiment Stations, Reports of Superintendents of.............. 210 sf He SUPETIMPONG GIES Ol x52 wigs snes, vie alalota Weelers ig 7 ret StaHOn entra, Benarh on, by ia S. B. Green (winter) 210 o * ‘“ (summer) 219 47 ‘. Albert Lea, by Clarence Wedge............... 227 “4 ur RGCISION, Dy; elo NE ay Ma oy essa Belen adv ae elec 233 SAS a Fergus) Balls; py BH.) Reidlen sche sce eels 221 " a Tha Crescent: joy dy Soar eIse a. os 05s Obes Ge ot 233 ‘ “ Minnesota City, by OeM. Lorde. i. Dem 230 Ny Sos Mon tewided, py Ui. Bs Moyers. abot. ed aete 235 a ae New Ulm, by C. W. H. Heideman..:.......... 231 he As Owatonna. by Heys. Dartt. 2.5. cee cel Nites 238 es Windom, by Dewain Cook...............e cee 224 F Farmers’ Institute, Horticulture in the, by O. C. Gregg ............ 70 Fernow, Prof. B. E., Address on Forestry, DY.........0. eee eevee, 158 Fiedler, F. H., Report on Fergus Falls Experiment Station, by..... 221 PETROS OMAUIORA ts ices ceysnicia re Ua Pied Wal ate hiateialel clerwis eu halte alg lala eual shoe 129 Floriculture in England, by Prof. G. E. McLean.... .............06. 125 sj Panera aNd CLS@USSHONS OURS ne lata enlace alba, diese las Ye 365 Flora of Western Minnesota, The Prairie, by L. R. Moyer.......... 365 POTISUS, Iams OL. NUPSCFYMIEN ANUS. \/.) 6:5 ..s)aic. seis ene cold delve sewaed sels 21 mowers, by President Cyrus Northrop... 6... 2 pee cee) ve eld clean 121 a Our Beautiful Wild, by Miss Sara M. Manning............ 40 BESO COL., Wee Wiig VV OLGOMLE, DY «vais ole cielo ls/cueiets viele Shla ed's weedatelelars 109 food Preparations,.by Mrs. A. B. Underwood ’.......... 26. s seer tenses 387 Oat Adtresson, byw Prof. B: EH Fermow...0 4 hoes ls eta * 188 National Dy HON. ADDObt, KANN ey eit.) yes Vibes sajna wre wile 151 Be Papers and discussions ON..-.......... se eee eee ee eect e ees 150 os HepOry, ON oye Mins. di, ELs BrO wt ee eo Sis hiabsesle etapa he 150 sy in Southwestern Minnesota, by H. J. Ludlow............ 150 r DOUGH Oey RM: JG OY OWES oo)! cid vilidpe eiede «og ereew’s lowe feleipil 155 i The German System of, by HE. Meyer..............c ce eeeee 157 Forests, Destruction of the, by J. B. Harrison.............. 06 seeees 154 Frisselle,, Dr. M. M., Report. on Entomology, by............seeeeee-- “402 af ai ah ial GA ARVREU MELE CIT GS y SUCs > PYF dea eter hard oo) >, Scare waiice. 9. 0:8! eke 349 Fruit Blossoms, Papers and discussionS ON.....-......eeeee eee eeees 206 Pei Garden, Our DyaMiarw Ae Ary KCOTINGULY >. Ualsl Os'c. Wed Uewiee vis aie se os 40 ee PLS FOTN LG sos cere atid ata ae ig die) oP mn da a, sisue wid hoe ere hetetl Ws mu 29 Fruits, General, Reports and discussions ON.............eee-e eee eee 240 FP 4) RSD OEi OM ay A eRTY 4 oo wie cle Seis wl Mele gisele ol Slayer 242 Be J Hy Per MPATICONE le Uc claro e ua ei) on ciele Ula 244 A r ‘ ee VV GUE Wc es sleslame da obcieere cog va 245 : es eR CemtmMEnTTIT ONY UR unas. htt ates 242 i SPT eE WP OU SUL O RNY a.) she Ws duvlevels alsin sete stsc 243 ees sii gia Repert-on, Rev.:O. A.D: Solem: see ee. comes on pe" ss S. D. BRichardson.2 2.2. meal ee oY fs $ S. H. Kenney. ..2.%0.0-%0,. 0206: eee a . “< Beports and discussions On. ..... 22.66.00 seas Pere fi “ in Nutrition; by Mrs) Clara S: Mays 0.3... 4. i... .seeeeee ‘* in the Red River Valley, by E. W. Haseltine............... Notes: on, by. 0. S. Parris... 297022552 as 20s oes < ae erie) ic OG Ted fOr BAWUNE's osc b kay halen Waa. oe $k eee a ** Seedling, Report on, by J. S. Harris............... ait aa aie i. ‘s The Crossing, &c. of, by Prof. N. BE. Hansen.............«: iy ‘* Valuable Russian, by Prof. J. L. Budd.............e2eeceee Y Maller, GW, Letter trom Wo 2.2 Soe. daca was ok ps oe vad ee ee 6 66 Report on General Fruits; Dy.i5./<.%-: . .11.- ence br Fature, Our; by W yan Obs 32. Seales + tee fs dea npanie oe ee ee Governor, Letter‘of-transmittal to ......2..5..0. 05sec sececcccnnee m Grape Culture, A Woman’s Experience in, by Mrs, 8. Erwin....... ’ ‘* Growing in Wright Co., by E.J. Cutts..:...:.....-.....0085 Grapes, Report on, by Daniel Buck...............cee ee ceeeeceeenes rs by: Hod: Cabiger was cee ks less pas these eee ai. A. sPaners antl Piscussions O1-Y 0.0). ..'.s0'- « fie tS eae a> to ee Breen Prof. S. K., Electricity in Plant Growth, by...............- re Report of Experiment Seagal DY. oes 6c Se “cc ae se ee Gregg; O. C., Horticulture in Minnesota, by............-+2+-+seeee ‘* Horticulture in the Farmers’ Institute, by........... Grimes. J. ‘T., Our ‘Women Allies, DY. 2.3)... 2. a5 02 sch s opie tenets ane ie H Halls Prof. C. W., Roses and the Weather, by...........-.....5.-8- Hansen, Prof. N. E., The Crossing, %c., of Fruits, by.........-...+. ane = e3 Notes an 80 A WES Nabi MOY c ves cod & gale eatasiein toate ate Report of Delegate to Wis. Hort. Society, by.........- of. “ “Report on Entomology, DY.... 222. --2eseeeceeeecee sens aS ‘* Report on La Crescent Experiment Station, by....... ig ‘Report on Library; Dyas cence ssw cen wd nie ip nas we ee eee ae ‘* Report on Nomenclature and Catalogue, by.........«. zh ‘¢ Report on Seedling Fruits, by............... ee ee ee Gf Research; DY co we ctttnateee p Meiais eine pie win plein e ain'= ainda 42 ot ont: ‘Response to Welcome, Dy.........-.2esseesee whe ia ee 111 Harrison, J. B., Destruction of the Forests, by..........--.-.+seees 154 Haseltine, E. W., Fruits in the Red River Valley, by..........--.. 252 Hays, Mrs. Clara S., Fruits in Nutrition, by..........--.eeeeeeeeeee 388 | ‘* Prof. W. M., Horticulture on New Prairie Farms,by......... Heideman, C. W. H., Report of Delegate to the S.D. State Horticul- ‘5 tural Society, oDyerk-< s+. nous 22s anon epee aA rp Report on Fruit Blossoms, by...........++++- 206 “ Report on New.Ulm Experiment Station, by. 231 % ‘« “Report on Plums and Cherries, by..........-- 298 a” v sed co Oy es & ena : SE Stee Pr hier Oe fae ope — Lael i) ,ol vo) ie.) Pages a4 coe . wae y “4 A r - Raye e, ; Een 2 ~ 4 ah iy £ 4 Rta. Se ~ 49 hae wish DEP ing oR aye cme sob With rate: : Ae meee? a a) i Mica ee) ye 9 ae ; ja Se CAN Sas ya re ' a INDEX. 411 _ re : Page Horticulture All Around in, by Miss Ida HE. Tilson............ ..., 45 ns for the’ Children, Dy MiAn Db ayersscs vei write sie tclele a 63 : in Mannesota.Dy. OC. Greg ns an. wen tele atesls Shien 38 et on New Prairie Farms, by Prof. W. M. Hays......... 178 f Horticulturist, TRG Ay EREV so Mas Es. CHAO ss ae Me oe ole'oie, ch tg Cie Ween OR 47 ne EL os) digo) SA Eis 6) 0) 9: ee ee en wR AN eA te A 47 = : iT mernMlements; EtC;, BGISCUSSIOM . Leses o eel bn ak SUN wo ginte Welded’ oh! SSE J Panes, J.C. wOeomesaKObd, HOTESUTY; DY) .nie.c css ie veal owsswavamessce 155 Re? | K ‘ — R. C., Hardy Apples for the Northwest, by................... 272 Ws RO SW ENG PMNMEEIUEI PA TION PDS oo List Anie deci s hawt oh ews tiess 265 : Kennedy, Mrs. A. A., Report on Small Fruits, by................... 328 ve Whe ‘Garten for Woman Dy; <.. sei. ss.cecee ee : eae #5 oh Mrs. Anna B., Food Preparations, by... ............ oe if Van leva, Mrs;-CO) bether from... 3 soccst eca atic. sss wei eee | « & —_- Resolutions concerning......... ae salen se a Vegetables, Papers and discussions ON.............s.ceeee cece cece’ : of “ Repos on; by He. M, Chandler :.its.4 ss. . os eae F a 7 66 bt > JORMA MILI 0/0 oa hoy ie on Ws Nene 228 ae s a Mrs A Bonniwella cin. se c'.\ste see sae ig Vice-President, ae: of, :by Clarence Wedge... 3. tits << acs skeen wa ; POM MEL Daye gic. 5. Saeco : We ss bana Mrs’, Jennie. Stager.,..