Meeting of Northern Fruit Growers. 157 



MEETING OF NORTHERN FRUIT GROWERS. 



Report of C. S. Harrison as Delegate to the Minnesota Horticultural 



Society. 



On December 5 the horticultural clans gathered not only from 

 Minnesota, but also from the northwest, to attend the annual meeting 

 of the Minnesota Horticultural Society at Minneapolis. 



The program was packed with a feast of good things. The papers 

 were short and to the point. President Wedge of Albert Lea was de- 

 tained by illness in his family, and Professor Green, so well known 

 throughout the west and northwest, presided. His prompt methods 

 made the exercises go off in a lively manner. 



The president's address is on the plan of our president's message, 

 reviewing the past and forecasting the future. The present system of 

 horticulture was built upon the ruins of the old system, an entirely 

 new set of fruits were brought into existence. It took a brave, patient 

 army of Luther Burbanks to inaugurate a new system. 



But the president pushed the matter further. He proposed that 

 the whole army go to work and save a few seeds of the very best fruits 

 and plants and attend to them with care, and if they were in a hurry, 

 graft into older trees to hasten the fruiting. Splendid as present results 

 were, he thought there might be an improvement both in the quality 

 and longer keeping fruit. Most of the apples so far secured are sum- 

 mer and fall varieties, and the great want is a winter apple, hardy 

 enough for the great northwest. But we would remark that if a long 

 keeper was found, it would be a late grower, and it is possible the frosts 

 would catch it before it could ripen. 



The Fruit Exhibit. 



It is a matter of amazement that such splendid apples can be 

 grown so far north. I have seen many fruit exhibits, but I do not re- 

 member anything surpassing this in size and beauty. There were the 

 Wealthy, and numerous seedlings from it. Patten's Greening proved 

 a wonder for size, quality and hardiness. Wolf River was simply im- 

 mense. McMahon is very large and attractive. There was quite a 

 prize offered for the best seedling apples, and faithful judges spent a 

 day in testing them and deciding on their merits. 



The wonder is that a state so far north, battling with such ad- 

 versities, should have the most flourishing state horticultural society 



