130 HISTORY OF HORTICILTL'RE IN MINNESOTA. 



and to send delegates to represent us and exhibit our frnits in the Pomological Convention, 

 to be held in Boston next autumn. 



The horticultural interest has largely increased the value of taxable property, and they can- 

 not be so unwise a- to starve the hen that lays the golden egg. Our State cannot do less than 

 to lend a helping hand for the encouragement of one of the most useful and civilizing of the 

 industrial pursuits. 



In conclusion, I will allude to the Summer meeting, held July 4th and 5th in connection 



with the Hennepin County Society, at Minneapolis. The display of flowers and ornamental 



grass was a grand exhibition, surpassing the expectations of the most sanguine, and the 



arrangement and decoration of the hall showed that the people of Minneapolis and vicinity 



know how things ought to be done, and had the disposition to do it. The display of fruit 



and vesetables was only fair, but a very attractive feature was several plates of apples, of 



the previous year's growth, that were in a perfect state of preservation, a list of which is 



hereunto appended. ^ 



John S. Harris. 



Corresponding Secretary. 



List of apples upon exhibition at the summer meeting of the Horticultural 

 Society in Minneapolis, July 4th and oth, 1872 : 



Winter AYine Sap, Golden Russet, Perry Russet, Rawle's Janet, Stone, 

 Gilpin, or Little Red Rennet, Dominie, Limber Twig. 



There was also a good assortment of strawberries, and among them a seed- 

 ling raised by Mr. G. B. Wright, of Minneapolis, of a superior quality. 



REPORT P^ROM .J. S. HARRIS. 



A. W. McKinstry, Secretary Minneapolis Horticultural Society : 



In compliance with a lesolution, passed at the last annual meeting, calling forreports from 

 members of the Society, I prepare for you the following, according to schedule, omitting the 

 names in the list of apples I have tried, and mentioning only those that have done the best. 



I have been a citizen of this State 16 years, and have been engaged in growing and exper- 

 imenting with fruit l.o years. 



1. I have plant^ about one hundred varieties of grafted apples, more than one-half of 

 which have proved total failures. " 



2. About 12 varieties of pears, viz.: Flemish Beauty, Vergaten, Lawrence, Butfun, Bart- 

 lett, Bleeker's Meadow, and others, names not known. 



3. Of grapes, 16 varieties: Concord, Delaware. Diana. Isabella, Northern Muscadine' 

 Clinton, Catawba, lona, Israella, Eumelan, Salem, Ontario, Allen's Hybrid, Rogers' 4 and 10. 



4. Of plums, Washington Gage, Bleeker's Gage, Lombard, Yellow Egg, Blue Damson ; of 

 cherries. Early Richmond and Morello ; of currants. Red and White Dutch ; raspberries, 

 Doolittle and Philadelphia: strawberries, Wilson, Downer's, Green's Prolific, and Jncunda. 



.5. Nearly all of the varieties named have fruited, and I received last year, about 200 

 bushels of apples, and 100 bushels of Transcendent crabs ; about 2 bushels of pears ; 100 

 bushels currants, and 4,000 pounds of grapes. Plums, cherries, strawberries and raspberries 

 were almost a failure. 



6, The varieties of apples that have done the best with me are Red and White Astrachan. 

 Duchess of Oldenburg, St. Lawrence, Baily Sweet, Tallman Sweet, Price's Sweet. Sweet 

 Pear, Tetofsky, Ben Davis. Fafneuse, Saxton, Little Romanite, Golden Russet. Seek-no- 

 further, Sops of Wine, Northern Spy, and Transcendent crabs. Of these, the Duchess, Te- 

 tofsky, Red Astrachan, Ben Davis, Little Romanite and Saxton appear to be the hardiest, 

 but the others stand well, except under very unfavorable circumstances. 



Of pears, the Flemish Beauty, and two varieties with names lost, have done the best. 



Grapes, Concord, Delaware and Clinton, are of the best. 



Of plums, none have paid cost : cherries but little better. 



The Wilson strawberry does better than any other yet tested. 



Dooiittle Black Cap and Philadelphia raspberries are doing the best. 



7. My orchard being in a hollow, or narrow valley, is protected on the northwest and 

 southwest by bluffs that are more or less timbered, and the ground slopes to the south and 

 east. 



8. Do not mulch except first year after planting. 



