24: ASmjAL REPORT 



things admonished us to be more careful and constant in our 

 observations of facts brought within our reach, and thought by 

 this means the most of our horticultural puzzles would yield us a 

 practical solution. 



W. J. Abernethy, of Minneapolis, had been troubled with barren 

 vines where he had put on heavy mulching and left it there till 

 late in the season. Last year he uncovered early and had a good 

 crop. His soil was heavy and cold and needed warming up. 



Mr. Kellogg said he could prove anything in horticulture by 

 competent witnesses. He wanted to be sworn now on both sides. 

 J. M. Smith, of Green Bay, Wis., had raised the Wilson strawberry 

 at the rate of 440 bushels to the acre, and his practice was to 

 uncover early and cultivate. On the other hand, B. F. Adams, 

 of Madison, who shared the honors with Mr. Smith, as one of the 

 two most successful strawberry growers in Wisconsin, mulched 

 heavily with straw and left it on the ground. 



Wyman Elliott, on behalf of the Minneapolis delegation, invited 

 the members of the society, and their guests from other States, to 

 take a carriage ride with them to-morrow afternoon to view the 

 city of Minneapolis and its surroundings, and to visit the fruit 

 farms and market gardens in the neighboring towns, and it was 

 voted to accept the invitation, and to change the program accord- 

 ingly, having the papers and essays of absent writers laid over to 

 the winter meeting or referred to the secretary for publication. 



Judges on exhibits were appointed as follows: 



On Fruits — Messrs. Fawcett, Putnam and Fuller. 



On Plants and Flowers — James Bowen, Mrs. F. G. Gould, and 

 Mrs. L. E. P. Sprague. 



On Vegetables — Prof. Porter and Messrs. White and Fuller. 



Adjourned till nine o'clock to-morrow morning. 



