ANNUAL MEETING AT SAGINAW. 515 



were just in their prime, and others yet quite too immature to show their 

 actual qualities. Several varieties quite favorably impressed us, upon a hasty 

 examination. 



The tops, and even the trunks of a few of the trees, were seriously injured 

 by blight, which seems to become a serious malady when we pass beyond the 

 reach of ocean and lake influence, apparently increasing with the latitude 

 northward. Another orchard of Russian varieties, a short distance away, 

 and upon still higher ground, was in full bearing and in apparently sound 

 condiiion. 



We took an early train on Wednesday morning, accompanied by Mr. Tuttle, 

 to visit, with hira, a cranberry marsh, comprising 1,080 acres, in an advanced 

 stage of improvement, of which he is part owner. The process of improve- 

 ment consists in dividing the marsh into blocks by means of ditches and dykes, 

 so arranged that the upper one is employed as a reservoir to retain the water 

 to be supplied as needed to the blocks below, while the waste is allowed to 

 pass into a broad central ditch, which floats a flat boat of capacity to serve as 

 the vehicle for moving material and for collecting the fruit when gathered. 

 The planting is effected by flooding a block during an entire season for the 

 purpose of killing all woody growths, and then withdrawing it and leaving 

 the cranberry plants — already upon the ground — to take full possession, which 

 is rapidly accomplished. 



The portion of the marsh already improved was showing a fine crop of fruit, 

 nearly ready for gathering. 



The next objective point was Minneapolis, the ostensible headquarters of 

 the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, where we expected to meet S. D. 

 Ilillman, its secretary. It appeared, upon considerable inquiry, however, 

 that neither the society nor Mr. Hilhnan had an otfice in the city, but after 

 diligent inquiry his residence was located, where we were very cordially re- 

 ceived, and we subsequently became greatly indebted to him for personal 

 assistance in making the acquaintance of President Elliott and other promi- 

 nent horticulturists, and also for a visit to the State Farm, or rather, as we 

 think they prefer to designate it, the University Farm; it, together with the 

 educational facilities connected with it, being an appendage of the State Uni- 

 versity and under its control. 



We do not understand that, at the present time, there are any students 

 connected with the establishment, although Prof. Porter is in charge, by 

 appointment as we were given to understand, of the board in control of the 

 university. We were unfortunate in finding the Prof, absent at the time, 

 but observed that the buildings were of a substantial character and that there 

 was an apparently well kept vineyard, an experimental orchard, containing a 

 considerable assortment of Russian and native apple trees, a small nursery 

 for the supfily of the establishment and also for distribution, together with 

 several blocks occupied by vegetables grown, as we were informed, largely for 

 experimental purposes. 



The location of the city of Minneapolis was obviously determined by the 

 manufacturing facilities afforded by the Falls of St. Anthony at this place, 

 and this once celebrated falls has been so dwarfed by the diversions effected 

 for such purposes that it has apparently ceased to be more than a very con- 

 siderable mill dam, at least such is the case in ordinary stages of the water. 

 ^/The next objective point was Lake Minnetonka; a peculiar body of water, 

 some fifteen miles west of Minneapolis, extending fully eleven miles from 



