HISTORY OF HORTICULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 91 



tion of horticultural books, papers, magazines, &c. We should adopt meas- 

 ures to secure the annual reports of all the State Societies in the union. 

 We should gather one or more specimens of ever}- variety of fruit that 

 originates in the State, to be preserved in wax or by colored plates, accom- 

 panied with the name, place of origin, history and name of originator. We 

 should also get up a museum of Ornithological and Entomological specimens, 

 accompanied with the history of the habits of each individual specimen. Such 

 a museum would prove an interesting feature in our future exhibitions. To 

 secure this, we must have money, and I recommend that we memorialize the 

 present Legislature to appropriate for our use 81,000 per year. This is cer- 

 tainly a very moderate sum to ask for, when we consider the vast amount 

 that would be saved to the State if we can raise our own fruit. 



1 would recommend for your consideration the establishment of one or 

 more specimen orchards in the State, in which every new variety of fruits 

 can be tested before they are offered for sale, and where a system of experi- 

 ments could be carried on in the way of originating new varieties by the 

 artificial hybridizing of the seeds. I am aware that this is a tedious and uncer- 

 tain work, but we may reasonably expect more from it than if we trust it to 

 the wind and bees. 



I think it would be of great benelit to this Society and the State at large, 

 to be represented at the next meeting of the American Pomological Society, 

 and therefore, I suggest that before we adjourn this annual meeting we ap- 

 point a delegate who will represent us, and make an exhibit of our fruits, 

 and ask the State to defray the expense. 



I notice that the practice of warranting trees to live is becoming very pre- 

 valent among nurserymen. I think this practice is very unwise and a disad- 

 vantage to the honest purchaser. It gives the tree peddler who hails from 

 unknown parts and never expects to sell in the same locality the second time, 

 an advantage over the honest nurseryman who is striving to build up and 

 maintain his leputatiou by selling only hardy and perfect stock, because this 

 peddler's trash can be furnished for less than half of the cost of raising and 

 marketing such trees as are wanted in this State ; consequently, the nursery- 

 man is compelled to raise cheaper stock, and the purchaser is tempted to neg- 

 lect giving the proper care in planting and cultivation because he expects to 

 get a new tree next year for eveiy one that dies. I know of one man who 

 has his row of dead trees, keeping them as carefully as others do the living, 

 and will not purchase any more because he expects the agent to come around 

 and give him some live ones. I think those dry branches will bud, blossom, 

 and bring forth fruit, long before that agent comes back and makes the war- 

 rant good ; else, if the nurseryman is compelled to make good the losses of 

 the careless planter, he must make up for the loss by charging a higher price 

 to the careful, which, to say the least, is unjust. I do not know that we can 

 take any direct action upon this, but it is worthy of our notice. 



Gentlemen : We have accomplished something. Let us continue untiring 

 in our work, until every home becomes a second Eden; until our beautiful 

 prairies become dotted over with orchards, gardens, and groves of deciduous 



