102 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



labor on the grower in their needs for winter protection. Aside from this^ 

 the manual of small fruit culture is the same for Minnesota as elsewhere in 

 the north. We think our climate — or our climate and soil together — pro- 

 duces a better out-door market gra]")© than can be grown east or further down 

 the Mississippi Valley. We see no others growing as handsome Concords 

 or as good Delawares. The river bluff region at and below St. Paul, and the 

 lands around Lake Minnetonka at present produce the finest. Whether 

 our success in grapes is due to our quick soil, our dry air, our short hot sum- 

 mers, or all combined, I can not say. Our growers have lost but one crop of 

 grapes by frost in twenty years. 



AWARDS TO MINNESOTA IN 1883. 



On the 13th of September last, at Philadelphia, the American Pomological 

 Society awarded to Minnesota the Wilder silver medal on its collection of 

 apples and grapes, there being but four medals awarded on the entire exhibi- 

 tion of fruits. On the same day, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 

 having all the exhibits of both societies before them, awarded our State the 

 second premium on the best twenty varieties of grapes in cut bunches. 



THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY IN 1885. 



Members of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society from other States: 

 We hope to meet you in Michigan in 1885. We acknowledge your sujirem- 

 acy in oranges, peaches, pears, and plums — in some States in the extension of 

 the number of varieties of apples, in others in the production of winter apples ;. 

 but when this venerable umpire and patron comes to consider the greatest 

 beauty and quality combined of which the apple is capable, and the charac- 

 ter of our out-door grapes, we may claim the medal again. But the rivalry 

 shall be generous, as it is in all strictly horticultural exhibitions, and who- 

 ever wins, the defeated party will lead the other out for the applause at the 

 footlights before the curtain, and help bestow the wreath of bays. 



The President — We have another excellent paper, whose author, 

 Prof. J. L. Budd, of Iowa, is, unfortunately, not with us, but which 

 I suggest we have read before discussing the topics introduced by 

 Mr. Gibbs. I know you would all like to hear this paper, and with 

 your consent (which was cordially granted) we will have the Secre- 

 tary read : 



THE FUTURE OF 0RCHARI)1N(^ IN THE PRAIRIE STATES. 



I'.V PKOF. J. L. iiVUU, OF IOWA. 



^fr. President and Fellaw Memhem : 



The ajiplo, jicar, cherry, and most of our plums, are not native to our con- 

 tinent, and their introduction into the Slates west of the great American. 



