HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 31 



had not lived there, to find that men could get a living on such poor soils. 

 They raise a number of kinds of apples, but few, comparatively, are perfectly 

 hardy. The Eastern parts of Minnesota are like Wisconsin, and better ad- 

 apted to raise apple trees than this section. Ninety -nine-one-huudredths here 

 are failing in their efforts to raise apples. Mr. H. spoke of the greater dry- 

 ness of our climate than in Wisconsin and Iowa. As to varieties, we have 

 had the best success with Duchess of Oldenburg. Had brought a number 

 of varieties from Wisconsin — Fameuse, Red Astrachan, Tallman Sweet, Red 

 Romauite and others, and set them out in Faribault. They killed down; had 

 turned barrels over them, including Fameuse, Tallman Sweet, and Canada 

 Red, and they killed under the barrels. Duchess of Oldenburg was not in- 

 jured, and Red Astrachan stood next best. He thought it would be money 

 well expended to send abroad. Would not discourage raising seedlings ; but 

 he did not expect to live long enough to sell such varieties as Mr. Harkness 

 had spoken of raised on this soil. They might grow ou-Mr. Dorrance's land. 

 A Mr. Allen in Waseca county is successful in raising seedlings on a stiff clay 

 soil much like Milwaukee brick. Apples might be grown in bluffy regions 

 along the Mississippi, but we cannot succeed here, and might as well face the 

 music. If we could have an appropriation of from $5,000 to -^10,000 to send 

 a man to Europe, every man in the State might soon have an orchard. If we 

 had got to raise seedlings to stock the State, he did not want to eat any 

 apples from them. He had a relative on the railroad half-way between Mos- 

 cow and St. Petersburg, who writes that there is an abundance of fruit there. 



Mr. Stewart thought we could get scions at less expense by sending to 

 the Agricultural Department at Washington. He had tried 150 varieties of 

 native fruit, and could recommend none for general cultivation, except the 

 Duchess, and Siberian and Hyslop Crabs. 



Mr. Mott had no confidence in the Agricultural Department. 



Mr. Dorrance's orchard was peculiarly situated. It is surrounded North, 

 East and West with trees, with large sloughs in the vicinity, which may have 

 had an influence on his trees. Not every man can get such a farm. 



STATE FRUIT EXHIBITION. 



The question of holding a State Fruit Exhibition was then taken u}) and 

 discussed. 



Messrs. Mott and Harkness favored the holding of such an exhibition. 



Mr. Stewart proposed to appoint a committee, for the purpose of examining 

 fruits which might be sent to them, and reporting. 



Mr. Hubbard doubted whether enough interest would be felt to secure an 

 attendance of people at an exhibition of small fruits. If an exhibition was 

 held, it should be at the time of the State Fair. 



On motion, a committee consisting of Messrs. Elliot, Hubbard and StcAvart 

 was appointed to make arrangements with the Agricultural Committee for 

 holding a Fruit Exhibition in connection with the State Fair. 



THE SUBJ?:CT OF FllUIT GROWING — APPLES. 



The subject of the best method of interesting the people in Fruit Growing 



