/ 



HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 23 



The foUowiug are the chairmen of Sections, appoiuted by the Association, they are all 

 fruit growers : 



J. S. Harris, La Crescent, Houston Co. 

 Dr. J. D. Ford, Winona, Winona Co. 

 Rev. Mr. Evans, Stockton, Winona Co. 

 Mr. A. B. Curry, St. Cloud, Stearns Co. 

 H. H. Hurlburt, Minneapolis. Hennepin Co. 

 Rev. Chas. B. Sheldon. Excelsior, " " 



J. B. Perkins, Independence, " " 



G. L. Sylvester, Woodland. Wabasha^v Co. 

 I. W. Rollins, Elgin. 

 Benjamin Day, Hastings. Dakota Co. 

 Daniel B. Truax. Nininger, " " 

 A. A. Hubbard, Medford, Steele Co. 

 H. Buell, Caledonia, Houston Co. 

 J. D. Swain, Rochester, Olmsted Co. 

 Chas. R. Hoag, Mantorville, Dodge Co. 

 Gen. A. Chambers, Owatonna. Steele Co. 



O. H. K. 



Mr. Harris contributes his recollections of the memorable occasion in the 

 following : 



A SCRAP OF HISTORY. 



Thursday morning, Oct. 4th, 1S66, Col. D. A. Robertson, of St. Paul, came to me and pro- 

 posed the organization of a Horticultural Society. After a brief consultation Avith Wyman 

 Elliot, J. W. Rollins, A. W. Sias, and some others present, a meeting of the fruit growers of 

 the State was called and held the same evening in Rochester. At this meeting the Association 

 was organized by the election of oflficers and the adoption of a constitution. Col. D. A. Rob- 

 ertson was elected President, Chas. Hoag and John S. Harris, Vice-Presidents, and A.W. Sias, 

 Secretary. There was no great amount of business done, but the time was chiefly occupied by 

 Robertson and Harris in endeavoring to diffuse in the minds of others hopes like those that 

 animated theirs. They were looked upon by many with serious suspicions of their sanity : 

 but their hope and enthusiasm became contagious and has extended to every part of the 

 State, and fruit growing has been successful, even beyond their fondest hopes. 



JoHX S. Hakuis., 



By further information received from Mr. Harris, it is his impression that 

 the above described meeting was participated in bj^ the lamented Mr. Hark- 

 ness, being the first step by the latter towards the promotion of a cause which 

 afterwards was destined to be so greatly benefited by his untiring eftbrts. 



Next in evidence of the fact that the organization just noticed had some 

 recognition from the public, and especially from the State Agricultural 

 Society, we find that at the seventh annual meeting of the society held in the 

 House of Eepresentatives at St. Paul the following February, the seventh of 

 this month [ year 1867 ] the following Resolution offered by Mr. Hoag was 

 adopted : 



Resolved, That the State Agricultural Society approve the suggestion of Col. D. A. Robert- 

 son, President of the State Fruit Growers' Association, that some means should be adopted 

 to be procured for naturalization in Minnesota, apple, pear and cherry trees from Eussia and 

 other northern portions of Europe. 



We have at last reached that period in the history of attempts at organized 

 effort to call attention to fruit growing in Minnesota and to the adoption of 

 some system in regard to it : when indeed, there is a " Fruit Growers' Asso- 

 ciation." But it is worth nothing that important as was the origin of this 

 Society to the State, it appears "to have sprung into existence only as an 



