ing in the direction of the Falls] and an old mill. Contrast that with what we see to-day, and behold the difference. Look at what has been done within that short space of time. At that time we were told that we could not even grow corn in Minnesota and we never would be able to grow fruit, and nothing of that sort could be expected in this climate. But look at the mills and manufactories of Minneapolis and St. Paul to-day, and then see the kinds and vast quantities of fruits constantly brought to market. It has been estimated that as many as sixteen thousand quarts of strawberries are daily brought to market at St. Paul and by 9 o'clock they are all cleaned off. This shows that population is rapidly increasing and it reminds us that we have a work to do. We must educate the people to grow those fruits and flowers that can be grown most successfully and prepare the way for future generations. It is a work of responsibility and there are few who realize the responsibility more than I do and their incapacity for the task that lies before us. I tell you that we must grow our own fruits and have a surplus to ship away, and not be dependent upon countries. below to supply our wants in this regard, thus draining us of all our spare funds to purchase a few of the luxuries of life. And if we could interest the people and they would turn out en masse to our meetings and see our exhibits and learn how to plant and cultivate these fruits, flowers and vegetables, what a benefit it would be to the State and to the city as well. Minneapolis I must say has always given us an encouraging hand; they have always been ready to welcome us. There is no city or town in the state that has been more ready to welcome horticulture and horticulturists than Minneapolis. Thanking the citizens of Minneapolis on behalf of the Society for their hospitality I will not occupy your time further.

COMMUNICATIONS.

The following communications were then read by the secretary:

FROM A. L. HATCH, ITHICA, WIS.

Mr. A. L Hatch of Ithica, Wis., under date of May 9, 1885, writes:

"S. D. Hillman, Secretary, etc.,

DEAR SIR: Your invitation of April 30th has awaited an answer because I have been too busy to reply sooner. I regret exceedingly my inability to comply with your request. Besides my ordinary farm and nursery cares, now so much behind on account of such extraordinary

success.

weather, I am trying to build a dwelling and I have no leisure whatever. There is a bond of sympathy between us, augmented, no doubt by the disasters of the past very cold winter-such sympathy as comes from the commisseration of common misfortunes, if not from common No doubt after the many funeral services we shall be compelled to hold over dead pets and blighted hopes, we should get encouragement from a meeting of your Society, whose circumstances as horticulturists so nearly resemble our own. As it is we can only offer you our good will and hope ere long to be able to render you material assistance in your horticultural work, so courageously undertaken.

Respectfully,

A. L. HATCH.”

FRUIT REPORT, BY GEO. J. KELLOGG, JANESVILLE, WIS.

The following fruit report was then read:

The effects of the past winter are very disastrous and singularly marked, especially among small fruits. Among apple trees there is the finishing up of our borne trees, and of those partially killed the two previous winters. In the orchard Red Astrichan, Golden Russet, Talman Sweet and many others of this hardy list have lost a limb and occasionally a tree. Willow Twig seems least effected in the orchard of any winter apple in the nursery, it frequently injures badly-Duchess and Tetofsky are most hardy of all; though most of the new Russians seem hardy enough but are predisposed to blights. The winter of 1882-3 was more severe on apples than any winter for the last ten years. I had Wealthy kill to the ground in the nursery and everything but Duchess, Tetofsky and New Russian were more or less injured. Among the Raspberries new plantations have suffered least Turner and Crimson Beauty seem most hardy among the Red. Old Plantations of Cuthbert and Brandywine, Hansell and Sheffers Colossal are killed to snow line and in some cases to the ground, while new plantations of the same kind are fruiting to the tips. Among the blacks about the same appearance with Gregg, Tyler, Sonhegan, Onandaga, Ohio, M. Cluster, &c. The old plantations are hardly worth standing, some even killed to the ground, while most of the new plantings are fruiting to the tips.

Strawberries, except when not covered and in low places, have wintered well and are loaded with fruit-of the comparative value of kinds it is too early to form a correct opinion.

Crescent beats all for production while Countess is a profitable fertilizer.

Vick and Piper give abundant promise, but if their promises are not redeemed better than last year they will go under with many others. Blackberries are a failure unless protected; the Dewberry is easiest covered and the earliest to ripen, gives a good crop when well cultivated. The Snyder and Stone's Hardy are showing an occasional branch in bloom when unprotected. Taylor's Prolific, Ancient Briton, Western Triumph, Early Harvest, Stayman's Early and many others have shared a like fate. Acres have been mowed and burned-there is no safety except by covering, and even then there is danger of uncovering just before a prize and get the tender buds nipped.

The grapes are promising full, when well cared for-there is no use trying to raise any fruit without care.

Truly the horticulturists' path is strewn with thorns beside those

on roses.

GEO. J. KELLOGG.

JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, June 15, 1885.

A letter was read from C. Hamilton, of Ripon, Wis., regretting his inability to be present at the meeting and enclosing a paper on small fruits, furnished by request, and closing with good wishes for the success of the Society, etc. The paper referred to will appear further along in this report.

FRUIT REPORT BY ANDREW PETERSON, WACONIA.

The following report on Russian varieties of fruit, from Mr. Peterson of Waconia, was then read:

WACONIA, CARVER Co., MINN., JUNE 19, 1885.

S. D. Hillman, Secretary, etc.

DEAR SIR: I am very thankful for the program and the letter you' send me, but am sorry to say that I cannot be at the meeting, as I shall not be at home at that time. I send you a short report on the condition of apple trees after the past severe winter at my place. Most of the Wealthy are entirely killed and the rest are so badly damaged they will probably die another year. The Duchess is damaged a good deal. Some of the Russian varieties, perhaps eight or ten, are injured more or less; some of them I suppose will die. Little Seedling and Transparent are not hardy trees. The Christmas apple seems

hardy. The varieties that withstood the past hard winter are the following: Hibernal, Ostrekoff's Glass, Charlemoff, Lieby, Red Checked. All of these look as nice as ever before, and there is a great deal of fruit on the trees. I have been in Minnesota over thirty years but I never saw so much damage done to fruit trees as we have had from the past winter. Early Richmond and Mountain Hess cherry trees, ten years old, are entirely killed.

Very Respectfully,

ANDREW PETERSON.

FROM PROF. J. L. BUDD, AMES, IOWA.

The following letter from Prof. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, was then read:

Secy. Minn. State Horticultural Society.

MY DEAR SIR: I am sorry that I cannot meet with you as I wish to go to Washington with a view to getting aid from the Department of Agriculture in our adapting fruits, etc., to our Valley.

The past winter has wrought fearful havoc with our old list of fruits, but the Wealthy, Duchess and all the true Russ apples came out clean. and white as did a few of the Russian pears, all of the plums from the East plain and all of the cherries and shrubs from Central Russia. For once theory and practice walk hand in hand. What I wrote from Europe two years ago has been verified by this last winter to a dot. In other words the products of like soils and climates live with us. J. L. B.

FROM A. G. TUTTLE, BARABOO, WIS.

The following communication was read from A. G. Tuttle, of Baraboo, Wis.:

S. D. Hillman, Esq.

BARABOO, WIS., June 22, 1885.

DEAR SIR: I received your letter with sheets of your report. I find that what I said at your meeting is somewhat mixed up; I have made some corrections and return them.

Prof. Budd claims not to have been correctly reported in what I said about my list of Russian apples. You will find in one of your reports a letter from him to your secretary in which he says that the Russians that I have are not from interior Russia and not adapted

to Minnesota. I wrote him in regard to it, and the only excuse he made was that he did not expect the letter to be published. I have no desire for any controversy with Prof. Budd, for I believe we agree on this, that there is absolute certainty that the Russian fruits will prove perfectly adapted to the great prairie regions of the northwest. This is what we aim to prove and what the people would be glad to know. If I ever had any doubts of their perfect adaptation the results of the extreme, long continued cold of last winter and its effect upon our orchards, destroying nearly everything of American origin while at the same time all the new Russian apples and pears are in splendid condition-is proof positive to me that they are just what we need and that they have just come in time.

I am confident that there are none among them but what are as hardy as the Wealthy, even those the most tender, and very many of them are much hardier than the Duchess; among them is the Hibernal, its large, dark, glossy foliage and enormous crop of fruit tells its story of extreme hardship, after passing through such a trying winter. Longfield, after maturing a crop of fruit the largest ever borne by any ten on my place comes out this spring perfectly healthy though showing but little fruit. The Antonooka never looked better; we had a single apple of that variety last season, which I have yet in good condition. There never has been such a universal wreck. Trees that have stood in my orchard for over thirty years coming out of all the severe winters, during that time uninjured are now dead by the hundred. I have one orchard of 300 trees each alternate row Duchess and Utters. There are not five trees of the Utters that will ever recover, and some of the Duchess are badly injured but only a few; which seems very strange, as in my Russian orchard of over eighty varieties not a tree is injured. The bright and healthy foliage of this orchard in contrast with my orchard of common varieties will satisfy any one of the value to us of Russian apples.

I should be glad to give you more information about our. Russian fruits but my time is so fully occupied I must close this hastily written letter.

Yours &c.

A. G. TUTTLE.

The following report of the secretary of the Missouri Horticultural Society was read:

"The fruit prospect June 1st, is somewhat better than was expected.