Mr. Pearce did not know of any better plan than the one suggested and thought the trees would prove entirely hardy, and was in entire sympathy with the plan.

Mr. Cutler thought the number of trees sent out should be limited.

Mr. Gideon.

The number is limited to one hundred.

Mr. Sias approved the plan of Mr. Gideon for distributing the new seedlings, and thought the experiment stations should assist also. That was what they were for and he knew of no place to obtain trees more worthy of a fair trial. The test winters had helped to cull out tender varieties. If one in a hundred proved to be hardy it would prove a valuable acquisition.

Mr. Brand thought the best way to find out whether these trees were worth anything was to put them in the hands of persons who would take care of them.

President Elliot. We have sixteen experiment stations.

Mr. Dartt. Mr. President, I have had a good deal of experience with seedlings. I have raised a large number of crab seedlings and not one of the lot has proved of any value. They made pretty trees but the large majority blighted. There is no objection to sending out these trees for experiment if it is understood that probably not more than one in a thousand will be of any value. The more one takes the worse he will be off, and the effect is likely to be discouraging to the fruit interests of the State.

Col. Stevens. Mr. President, I do hope this project of Mr. Gideon's for the distribution of those seedling trees will be approved, and that we shall not be frightened by Mr. Dartt's melancholy ways. I have visited his orchard and I found he was very successful in growing good apples, and if he can grow them why can not others? It looks to me as though the proposition of Mr. Gideon was most desirable and the most feasible method for placing these trees in the hands of the people. I have no doubt many of them will prove valuable. Mr. Gideon has some forty or fifty kinds besides the Wealthy, none of them much inferior to that variety and many of them are superior.

Mr. Dartt. I do not desire to discourage but to advance fruit growing; and I only wish to refer to the "whistling" of these gentlemen last winter to keep their courage up at the meeting. Mr. Pearce thought if one tree in fifty proved valuable it was worth more than all the expense required, and hoped no one would throw cold water on this scheme. He would advise every

farmer in the State to send to Peter M. Gideon for a hundred of these trees, to put them out and in a short time the apple queswould be solved.

Mr. Harris said one of the best seedlings he had found was the so-called "Okabena," at Worthington, which was grown from seed obtained of Mr. Gideon. It was planted in 1871 and had borne several crops of fruit. It was a fall variety, but if the fruti would keep till March it would be worth $2,000,000 to the State. Mr. Dartt. That is the kind of tree to send out.

Mr. Pearce had seen another of these seedlings that was a hundred per cent better than Transcendent and which would in a few years come into market.

President Elliot. We are gratified to have this discussion come up because there are some that are doubtful as to whether these experiments are of any value. But I think facts have been developed which will warrant carrying along these experiments. I hope whatever may be done with the fruit farm that the experiments begun under the guidance of Mr. Gideon will be carried on to final success. I hope it will be but a short time until we shall have by this natural process of hybridization varieties worthy of cultivation in many if not in all localities of the State. We should select and plant the best seeds and continue to experiment until we develop something that will be worthy of our State.

Capt. Blakeley. The great interest of the State in growing fruit is manifest to all. All legitimate agencies should be used to encourage the industry. The project to have a station for the purpose of growing fruit is one that the public should appreciate and these stations should be perpetuated; the wisdom of which can not be questioned. The State and the country generally is to be benefited and there should be someone who has time and the requisite knowledge who should be employed in this work and he should be paid by the general public. The general public are abundantly able to do that. The results will certainly be beneficial to the State. We should realize that this must to some extent be a continued effort. It is well known that in nearly all nations except the United States there is some effort made of this kind for the encouragement of the production of plants, forests and fruits; and we have not yet risen to the intelligence that some of the older countries exhibit in this respect. The government should encourage the planting of trees. I had some experience in early days in bringing trees to this country by the

boat load; and I generally insisted on getting the freight before we started. My idea was the trees would not live in this country; that was over twenty years ago. Thousands of trees were sent out here from New York state, and I presume very few of them are yet alive. In order to succeed in this work there must be persistent effort.

Mr. D. Day. Mr. President, I wish to say that I approve the course Mr. Gideon has taken in regard to sending out trees, and I would like to try some of them myself, and some of my neighbors also. I think if farmers would take care of their trees they would succeed; they need care as well as anything else. Trees will grow with proper care.

Mr. Cutler moved as the sense of the Society that the proposed plan of Mr. Gideon, for the distribution of seedling trees, be approved, which motion was adopted.

Mr. Gilpatrick said much depended upon the cultivation of trees as to whether one would succeed. These experiment stations should report as to their manner of culture. He favored deep planting as a protection from winter killing.

Mr. Brand. In the orchard where the Peerless stands the Wealthy in 1884 and before that had borne a bushel and a half to a tree, but a good many of the trees were killed a year ago last winter.

QUESTION BOX.

The question box being called for the following was read: "Does any member know where the nurseries of L. L. May & Co. are located? They are doing business in Iowa selling fruit trees and other stock leaving cards with address 'L. L. May & Co., Nurserymen, St. Paul, Minn.""

Mrs. Stager, of Sauk Rapids. Mr. President, I came down here to speak about that same thing. Last year and the year before there were agents through there selling fruit trees and different kinds of plants at high prices, and some of my neighbors bought of them and found the stock to be almost worthless; and the agents told them they had a farm near St. Paul where they raised their stuff. They could hardly get rid of these agents. Last year they brought around Sharpless strawberries and the agent wanted to sell me some of them. I told him I didn't want any; he said he would send me fifty and they came. A good many had signed for things; and instead of sending to the agent they sent to a lawyer there and he made every one take what he had signed for except myself, and the most of them

paid from ten to fifteen dollars; and I was requested tɔ speak about that agent here.

Mr. Cutler said that a man named Jordan had been through his county stating that he was representing May & Co., of St. Paul; that they had a fruit farm of some 160 acres there near the city; he was making a specialty of tree gooseberries, a thornless blackberry and the Gideon apple. Mr. Gideon had represented this firm as a "fraud" in plain words. This agent had photographs of the tree gooseberry with fruit larger in size than a silver half-dollar; said the trees grew about six feet high and the berries had no thorns on them; as to the Gideon apple he stated that Mr. May had purchased the original tree for $200. As Mr. Gideon was present he could answer for himself as to that transaction. I said to him, "Mr. Gideon is advertising that stock; how did he get it?" His reply was that he supposed he propagated it the same way he had the first one-raised it from the seed. Of course I did not bite at his bait but some of my neighbors did-gave him a small order to get rid of him.

Mr. Gideon. Mr. president, to give a little history. I sold to Chase Bros., of Rochester, N. Y., some stock and I was not to propagate until they got a stock on hand and then they were to let me know; when they had sufficient stock they were to notify me that I could go ahead with it, which they did and I have been propagating it since. I never have sold to May & Co., a tree, vine or plant, in any shape or form; I never got a cion or bud from them; I have had no dealings with them whatever. Their claim that they got the tree of me and had entire control of it (I have their circulars at home but I forgot to bring them out) was entirely false, not a word of truth in it. I have been told that their agents are selling trees in Iowa at enormous prices, claiming that they have entire control of my seedings of various kinds. I have published them in various papers in Minnesota and Iowa. When I first published them in the Farm, Stock and Home they wrote to me giving me six days to retract and make it as public as what I had said in exposing them. I told them they could drive ahead as quick as they pleased, I had nothing to take back; that is the last I have heard from them. One editor wrote me they had threatened to sue him, and I wrote back telling him to let them drive ahead, I would be on hand to foot the bill; that I could prove him a fraud, and told him to publish that in his paper over my signature.

On motion of Col. Stevens the meeting adjourned till 2 o'clock

P. M.

MINNESOTA

STATE AMBER CANE ASSOCIATION.

TENTH ANNUAL SESSION,

HELD AT ST. PAUL, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19, 1887.

The tenth annual session of the Minnesota State Amber Cane Association was held at the capitol, St. Paul, on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 19, 1887.

The Association met at 2 o'clock P. M., and was called to order by the president, Capt. Blakeley.

The minutes of preceding meeting were read and approved.

FINANCIAL REPORT.

After the reception of members, payment of annual dues, etc., the following report was presented :

ST. PAUL, MINN., Jan., 19, 1887. To the officers and members of the Minnesota Amber Cane Association,

GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to present my annual report as secretary and treasurer of your Association :