138 fflSTORY OF HORTICULTURE IX MINNESOTA. 



varieties was all that was wanteil. He did not think the Society should report 

 or advocate any one variety, but after lettini; all give their experience, then 

 let the people try experiments. He had as good a shelter for an orchard as 

 anybody in the State, for it was sheltered on all sides, except on the east. 

 He could raise the Yellow Bellflower and the Baldwin, but he did not believe 

 they would grow on the prairie. 



Mr. Truman M. Smith gave his experience with plums, and could recom- 

 mend the Magnum Bonum, Jefferson, and Wild Flower as the best. One 

 winter some were killed, but generally they had proved hardy. 



Mr. Hamilton had tried plums of various kinds — the Imperial Gage amongst 

 others, and they had done well. He would like to hear sonlething about tlie 

 pruning question to-night, as he could not be here long. 



Mr. Smith said he had a gardener who insisted that he could grow plums 

 every year. ])y pruning back two-thirds, and mulching with horse manure. 

 He could not tell, as yet, whether the plan would work. 



Mr. Harris related that on one of the islands of Lake Erie, a German had 

 raised plums successfully every year, when all his neighbors failed, and he 

 insisted that his success was owing to the ftict that he hung his trees with 

 all the old horse shoes and other pieces of old iron he could procure. It was 

 stated that his trees were loaded down with iron as well as fruit. 



Mr. Hamilton had heard that driving nails into trees would sometimes help 

 their growth. 



Mr. Smith remarked that the trouble with him was the trees dropped their 

 blossoms prematurely. 



Mr. Smith called for the Society's experience with the growth of quinces. 



Mr. Harris had had such experience, and could succeed with care enough 

 in covering them. 



Mr. Smith had succeeded with quinces by sprinkling salt around the trees. 

 He believed that our soil lacked salt, hence his success. 



Mr. Harris — consulting the order of questions in the programme, inquired 

 whether there was any plum Avhich would take the place of oui- present wild 

 plum? 



Mr. Elliot had tried the Imperial Gage and Washington Gage, and failed 

 with both, and had next sent for twelve varieties, failed with all. They 

 would grow^ up one year and be killed the next. He had tried as many as 

 thirty or forty varieties, of the native kinds, and had now about four varie- 

 ties which seemed to do well. The Harrison Peach Plum was a fine on£, and 

 the Harrison Red was a good plum. The Cherry Plum was a constant bearer. 

 He had known it for fifteen years and it brought the best price of any in the 

 market. 



Mr. Tuttle, of Wisconsin, in referring to the remark of some one present 

 (Mr. T. M. Smith) that wheat at eighty cents per bushel had better be raised 

 than grapes at twenty cents per pound, did not agree with that conclusion. 

 He believed in the grapes when he could make .S300 per acre by them at five 

 cents per pound. 



Mr. Smith said he would give .S500 per acre if any one would take care of 



